^    ■..IbkARY 
<^,.  ik'arsi'V  of  Californi^ 
"*"         IRVINE 


THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 

OF  CALIFORNIA 

IRVINE 

GIFT  OF 


MR.    J.    L.    PETERSON 


HISTORY 

0  F 

COLORADO 

WILBUR  FISK  SJONE 

EDITOR     ~         "" 

ILLUSTRATED 

VOLUME  I 

CHICAGO 

THE  S.  J.  CLARKE  PUHLI SUING  COMPANY 
1918 

r, . 


Bebicateb 

to  tf)E 

pioneers  of  Colorabo 


FOREWORD 


The  prime  object  in  the  minds  of  the  editor  and  his  assistant  writers  in 
compiHng  this  History  of  Colorado,  also  the  intent  of  the  publishers,  has  been 
to  base  it  on  authentic  sources,  not  only  in  the  narrative  of  the  original  explora- 
tions of  the  New  World,  but  in  the  modern  settlement  and  development  of  our 
state. 

Hence,  the  facts  relating  thereto  are  stated  not  as  opinions  or  mere  con- 
clusions of  the  writers  or  individual  informants,  but,  in  order  to  avoid  f>ersonal 
bias  and  prejudice,  all  that  is  set  forth  pertaining  to  important  events  of  public 
interest  in  the  departments  of  state  history — the  military',  industrial,  educational, 
religious  and  social  organizations  and  their  progress  and  results' — has  been  taken 
from  the  records,  rejjorts  and  archives,  national  and  state,  of  the  govenunent 
and  administrative  bodies  relating  to  the  several  topics.  Errors  that  have 
been  made  in  the  past  with  reference  to  Colorado  history  have  been  corrected, 
so  that  the  work,  as  is  sincerely  desired  by  the  editor  and  his  many  friends  and 
assistants,  may  come  to  be  regarded  as  the  standard  History  of  Colorado  to 
the  present  date. 

In  the  work  of  writing  and  compiling  the  historical  volume  the  editor  has 
been  ably  assisted  by  Mr.  Alfred  Patek,  a  writer  well  known  to  Colorado,  and 
Mr.  Gordon  K.  Miller,  both  experienced  historical  writers  connected  with  The 
S.  J.  Clarke  Publishing  Company  of  Chicago. 

The  work  of  the  biographical  volumes  has  been  done  by  a  corps  of  writers 
engaged  by  the  publishers  for  that  department  and  their  work  has  been  gratify- 
ing to  the  editor  and,  so  far  as  he  has  ascertained,  highly  satisfactory  to  the 
subjects  of  the  sketches,  to  whom  the  typed  copy  has  been  submitted  l)efore 
reaching  the  publishers. 

The  very  efficient  work  of  Mr.  Charles  T.  Sprague  in  the  organization  of 
the  plan  of  work,  the  preparation  of  the  prosf>ectus,  securing  the  names  and  aid 
of  the  editor,  and  {persons  known  to  all  the  people  of  the  state  as  sponsors  of 
the  work,  and  who  secured  photographs  for  the  illustration  of  the  same,  is 
greatly  appreciated  and  cTeserves  the  thanks  of  all  the  patrons. 

The  labor  of  all  who  have  taken  part  in  producing  these  volumes,  aside  from 
the  liberality  of  the  publishers  in  their  vast  expense  in  the  venture,  has  been 
great ;  but  a  noted  man  once  said :  '"There  is  no  great  excellence  without  great 
labor." 

Wilbur  Fisk  Stoxf..  Editor. 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  I 
TOPOGRAPHY  AND  CLIMATE 

POSITION    OF  COLORADO MOUNTAINS — PARKS — HUMIDITY' TEMPERATURE — FROSTS 

— PRECIPITATION — TOPOGRAPHY   OF  THE  COUNTIES I 

CHAPTER  n 
THE  SPANISH  AND  FRENCH  PERIODS  OF  EXPLORATION 

SPANISH        JURISDICTION DE  VACA's       EXPLORATION CORONADO's        F.XPEDITION — 

FATHER    PADILLA's    FATE — MOSCOSCO's     MARCH ONATE's     EXPEDITION BONIL- 

LA'S       EXPEDITION — ONATE's      SECOND       EXPEDITION PUEBLO       UPRISING THE 

FRENCH    MENACE VALVERDE's   EXPEDITION — ESCALANTE's   EXPLORATIONS — THE 

LAST  SPANISH    EXPEDITION- — THE    FRENCH — FRENCH    BELIEFS    AND    CLAIMS DU 

TISNE LA  HARPE — BOURGMONT'S  SECOND  APPEARANCE THE  MALLET  BROTHERS 

—  FABREE  DE  LA  BRUYERE GOVERNMENTAL  ASPECTS 20 

CHAPTER  HI 
THE  PERIOD  OF  AMERICAN  EXPLORATION 

THE  LOUISIANA  PURCHASE — LEWIS  AND  CLARK — ZEBULON  M.  PIKE — HIS  FIRST 
AND    SECOND    EXPEDITIONS — FIRST    VIEW    OF    THE    MOUNTAINS — MEETING    WITH 

THE       SPANISH PIKE's       SINCERITY — LONG's       EXPLORING       EXPEDITION— FIRST 

ASCENT   OF    pike's    PEAK — JOHN    C.    FREMONT — THE    SECOND    EXPEDITION THE 

THIRD   AND  FOURTH    EXPEDITIONS   OF   FREMONT — THE   GUNNISON    EXPEDITION — 
FI'HMdXr's  lASr  FXPEDITION 37 

CHAPTER   IV 
ANCIENT  AND  MODERN  INDIAN  TRIBES 

THE  CLIFF  DWELLERS — DISCOVERY  OF  RUINS — THE  DWELLING — SPRUCE  TREE  HOUSE 
CLIFF  PALACE THE  SUN  TEMPLE ORIGIN  OF  CLIFF  DWELLERS — THE  AMER- 
ICAN   INDIAN — COLORADO     TKinES — CHIEFTAINS — COL.     IIENRV    DODGE's    EXPEDl- 


vi  .  CONTEXTS 

tion the      kearny      expedition beginning      of      depredations the 

uprising  of  1864 alarm  in  denver — reign  of  terror council  at  denver 

the  affair  at  sand  creek the  aftermath — effect  upon  the  indians 

— Forsyth's  eattle  on  the  arickaree — roman  nose — beecher's  death — 

THE   outcome UTE    UPRISING    OF    1879 ATTACK    ON    THORNBURGH THE    AT- 
TACK AT  THE  AGENCY 65 

CHAPTER  V 
TRADERS  AND  TRAPPERS 

THE  CHARACTER  OF  THE  TRAPPER — THE  FIRST  TRADERS CHOUTEAU  AND  DE   MUNN 

— THE  GLENN-FOWLER  EXPEDITION — THE  BENTS THE  PUEBLO- — THE  FIRST  POST 

ON    THE   SOUTH    PLATTE FORT    LANCASTER FORT    ST.    VRAIN ANTOINE    ROUBI- 

DEAU — FORT  LARAMIE — THE  SANTE  FE  TRAIL — THE  LAST  TRADER DR.  F.  A.  WIS- 

LIZENUS"  JOURNEY I08 

CHAPTER  VI 
EARLY  SETTLEMENT  LN   COLORADO 

SETTLEMENT    ON    DENVER    SITE ST.    CHARLES    TOWN    ASSOCIATION — THE    AURARIA 

TOWN     COMPANY- — THE    DENVER     CITY     TOWN     COMPANY FIRST     BUSINESS     AT 

CHERRY    CREEK^ — BOULDER    CITY    TOWN    COMPANY LA    PORTE EL    PASO    CITY 

FOUNTAIN    CITY    TOWN    COMPANY — MOUNTAIN    CITY GOLDEN    CITY COLORADO 

CITY — CANON    CITY OTHER    TOWNS    OF    1859 CENTRAL    CITY — PUEBLO    CITY — 

LEADVILLE — GRAND  JUNCTION — DELT.\ MONTROSE — GLEN  WOOD  SPRINGS GUN- 
NISON— Sn.XERTON — OURAY — TELLURIDE DURANGO     134 

CHAPTER  Vn 
COLONIZATION  IN  COLORADO 

BEGINNING  OF    COLONIZATION — THE   CHICAGO   COLONY — THE    UNION    COLONY THE 

CHICAGO-COLORADO  COLONY — THE  ST.  LOUIS  WESTERN  COLONY THE  SOUTH- 
WESTERN COLONY — INSPIRING  IMMIGRATION — SETTLEMENT  OF  COLORADO 
SPRING.S SOUTH  PUEPLO — BEGINNING  OF  FORT  COLLINS I58 

CHAPTER  VIII 
GOVERNMENT— ITS   BEGINNINGS  AND   DEVELOPMENT 

UTAH,    NEBRASKA,    KANSAS    AND    NEW    MEXICO    LAND    TRANSFERRED THE    BEGIN- 
NINGS   OF    GOVERNMENT — FAILURE    OF    FIRST    STATE    CONSTITUTION TERRITORY 

OF    JEFFERSON PEOPLE'S    AND    MINERS*    COURTS — CONGRESS    CREATES    COLORADO 

TERRITORY CREATING    THE    FIRST    COUNTIES — MOVING    THE    CAPITAL    TO    COLO- 


CONTEXTS  vii 

RADO    CITY THE    CAPITAL    AT    GOLDEN — CHANGE    FROM    GOLDEN    TO    DENVER 

CONGRESS  PROVIDES  FOR  CONSTITUTION — CUSTOMS  OF  LEGISLATURE TERRITO- 
RIAL OFFICERS  OF  COLORADO — GOVERNORS SECRETARIES TREASURERS — AU- 
DITORS  SUPERINTENDENTS    OF    PUBLIC    INSTRUCTION — DELEGATES    TO    CONGRESS 

JUDGES    OF    THE    SUPREME    COURT CHIEF    JUSTICES — ASSOCIATE    JUSTICES — 

UNITED    STATES    DISTRICT    ATTORNEYS LENGTH    OF    SESSIONS    AND    NUMBER    OF 

MEMBERS CONSTITUTIONAL  CONVENTIONS — FIRST  ELECTION  POLL  BY  COUN- 
TIES   i68 

CHAPTER  IX 
THE  CONSTITUTIONAL  CONVENTION 

OPPOSITION  TO  STATEHOOD MEETINGS  OF  CONVENTION APPOINTMENT  OF  COM- 
MITTEES  SUMMARY  OF  CONSTITUTION — FRAMING  AN  APPEAL  TO  THE  PEOPLE 

THE  VOTE SUBMITTING  OF  CONSTITUTION  TO  FEDERAL  AUTHORITIES — STATE- 
HOOD   183 

CHAPTER  X 
GROWTH  OF  THE  STATE  GO\ERNMENT 

I  HE  EXECUTIVE  DEPARTMENT — ROSTER  OF  ELECTIVE  STATE  OFFICERS REPRESENTA- 
TION IN  CONGRESS THE  MEMBERSHIP  OF  THE  SUPREME  BENCH DENVER  BE- 
COMES THE  CAPITAL — BUILDING  THE  STATE  HOUSE — WHEN   THE  NEVV  COUNTIES 

WERE  CREATED THE  STATE'S    FINANCES — AMENDING   THE    CONSTITUTION — THE 

INITIATIVE  AND  REFERENDUM — RECALL  OF  DECISIONS — THE  SUFFRAGE  AMEND- 
MENT— PKOIIir.lTION — CHANGES   IN  THE   FUNDAMENTAL  LAW t<)0 

CHAPTER  XI 
THE  GROWTH  OF  STATE  DEPARTMENTS 

THE  PUBLIC  UTILITIES  COMMISSION — BOARD  OF  EQUALIZATION  TURNS  POWERS  OVER 
TO  A  TAX  COMMISSION THE  STATE  INHERITANCE  TAX— BOARD  OF  STOCK  INSPEC- 
TION COMMISSIONERS STATE  BOARD  OF  HEALTH CIVIL  SERVICE  COMMISSION 

STATE  BUREAU  OF  CHILD  AND  ANIMAL  PROTECTION — CHARITIES  AND  CORRECTION 

THE    INDUSTRIAL    COMMISSION — COAL    INSPECTION STATE    HISTORICAL    AND 

NATURAL    HISTORY    SOCIETY FISH    AND    GAME    COMMISSION INSURANCE IM- 

MIGR.ATION— BUREAU    OF    LABOR    STATISTICS— BANKING    COMMISSION CAPITOL 

MANAGERS — STATE'  LAND  BOARD — ENGINEER — THE  STATE  SEAL 2o6 

CHAPTER  XII 
THE  BEGINNINGS  OF  MINING  HISTORY  IN  COLORADO 

MINING   liV  EARLY   EXPLORERS — FIRST  GOLD  DISCOVERIES THE  RUSSELL   EXPFJJITION 

JACKSON's    DISCOVERIES    ON    CLEAR    CREEK CLEAR    CREEK    PRODUCTION THE 

FIRST    MINING    REVIEW — GILPIN    COUNTY    AND    JOHN     H.    GREGORY — COLORADO'S 


i  CONTEXTS 

FOUR     MINING    EPOCHS — CRUDE     METHODS    FOLLOWED    BV    AN     EXODUS PERIOD 

OF  THE  FISSURE  VEINS — CVANIDATION  DEVELOPS  PROSPECTS  OF  MINING  DIS- 
TRICTS  RISE  AND  FALL  OF  CHLORINATION CHANGING  FROM  A  SILVER-PRO- 
DUCING    TO     A     LEADING     GOLD-PRODUCING     COUNTRY ERA     OF     DEEP      MINING 

TUNNELING — DREDGING  REVIVES  PLACER  MINING OIL  FLOTATION PRODUC- 
TION OF  BIG   PROPEiniES  UP  TO  1880 228 


CHAPTER  XIII 
COLORADO  AIIXIXG— BY  SECTIONS 

THE  MINES  OF  PARK  COUNTY — THE  ROMANCE  OF  MINING  IN  SUMMIT  COUNTY — • 
LEADVILLE  MAKES  WORLD  HISTORY' MINES  OF  THE  SAN  JUAN — BOULDER  COUN- 
TY'S ARGONAUTS — CRIPPLE  CREEK   PROVES  A  WORLD   WONDER CUSTER   COUNTy's 

MINING  HISTORY IN  THE  REGION  OF  RICO^EAGLE  COUNTY EL  PASO  COUNTY 

FREMONT     COUNTY' MINING     IN     GUNNISON     COUNTY IN     GRAND     COUNTY 

HINSDALE    IN    THE    SAN    JUAN    COUNTRY' JEFFERSON    COUNTY- — LARIMER    AND 

JACKSON  COUNTIES — MESA   COUNTY MINERAL  COUNTY' MONTEZUMa's   MINES 

COLORADO    CARNOTITE    ENRICHES    THE    WORLD OURAY's    MINES CAMP    BIRD 

MINES — RIO      GRANDE      COUNTY' ROUTT      AND       MOFFAT       COUNTIES CHAFFEE 

COUNTY SAGUACHE  COUNTY SAN    MIGUEL PITKIN    COUNTY'^ — METAL  OUTPUT 

OK  COLOR  \D()  r.\   YEARS — DISTRIBUTION  OF  MINERALS  IN  COLORADO 262 

CHAPTER  XIV 

RECORD  OF  SMELTERS  FOR  HALF  A  CENTURY 

BEGINNING   OF  THE    SMELTER    INDUSTRY    IN    COLORADO— PROF.    NATHANIEL    P.    HILL 

AND     HIS     WORK FIRST     COMPANY     ORGANIZED RICHARD     PEARCE's      WORK 

PEARCE'S    IMPROVED    TREATMENT    OF    ORES OTHER    SMELTERS — PRICES    PAID    BY 

BLACKHAWK    SMELTER    BEFORE    iS/O GROWTH    OF    INDUSTRY LONG    FIGHT    OF 

THE    AMERICAN    SMELTING    AND    REFINING    COMPANY CONTROL    GOES    TO    THE 

GUGGENHEIMS .^lO 

CHAPTER  XV 
THE  POWER  PLANTS  OF  COLORADO 

FIRST  EFFORTS  TO  HARNESS  STATE  WATER  POWER — CURTIS  &  HIKE  PIONEER  THE 
WORK — FAILURE  OF  POWER  COMPANIES EASTERN  CAPITAL  BECOMES  INTER- 
ESTED— COLORADO    POWER    COMPANY STATEMENT    OF    BOARD    OF    UTILITIES    IN 

JANUARY,     1918 WESTERN      LIGHT     &     POWER     COMPANY ARKANSAS     VALLEY 

RAILWAY,  LIGHT  &  POWER  COMPANY — COLORADO  SPRINGS  LIGHT,  HEAT  &  POWER 
COMPANY — WESTERN  COLORADO  POWER  COMPANY' TRINIDAD  ELECTRIC  TRANS- 
MISSION, RAILWAY'  &  GAS  COMPANY — OTHER  PLANTS  IN  COLORADO 317 


CONTEXTS  ix 

CHAPTER  XVI 
TRANSPORTATION— FROM  MULE  PACK  TO  RAILWAY 

BEGINNING  OF  WAGOX   FREIGHTING FINDING  TRANSCONTINENTAL  RAILWAY  ROUTE 

— STAGES  FOLLOW  THE  FREIGHTERS — THE  OVERLAND  EXPRESS WELLS,    FARGO   & 

COMPANY THE     PONY     EXPRESS — COLORADO     CENTRAL     &     PACIFIC    RAILROAD 

NEED  OF  TRANSPORTATION SELECTION  OF  BRIDGER  PASS  BY  THE  UNION   PACIFIC 

— THE     CHEYENNE     MENACE — LOVELAND's     AMBITIONS THE     KANSAS     PACIFIC 

RAILROAD AID  REQUESTED— A  DAY  OF  CRISIS — SITUATION    IN    1868 ADVENT  OF 

GEN.    WILLIAM    J.    PALMER — ARRIVAL    OF    FIRST    TRAINS    IN    DENVER STRUGGLE 

FOR  MINING  OUTPUT FREIGHT  BUSINESS  IN  187I COLORADO  CENTRAL  &  PA- 
CIFIC STARTS  BUILDING — KANSAS  PACIFIC  IN  FINANCIAL  STRAITS — UNION 
PACIFIC   SECURES  CONTROL   OF  OTHER   ROADS 3^5 

CHAPTER  XVII 
TRANSPORTATION— THE  DENVER  &  RIO  GRANDE 

VISION  OF  GEN.  WILLIAM  J.  PALMER PLANS  A  GREAT  SYSTEM  IN  AN  UNDE- 
VELOPED COUNTRY FAITH  IN  ITS  GREAT  POSSIBILITIES PREDICTED  WITH  UNER- 
RING ACCURACY  TOURIST  TRAVEL HOW  THE  FIGHT  FOR  THE  CANON  OF  THE  AR- 
KANSAS WAS  WON — THE  CANON  CITY  &  SAN  JUAN  RAILROAD  ON  THE  SIDE  OF  THE 

SANTA    FE WHAT    LE.\DVILLE    MEANT  TO   THE    FIRST    RAILROAD   TO    REACH    IT 

THE  DENVER  &  RIO  GRANDE  SELLS  OUT  TO  THE  SANTA  FE PALMER  MEN  TAKING 

FORCIBLE  POSSESSION — SEIZING  ROLLING  STOCK  AND  STATIONS JAY  GOULD  EN- 
TERS   THE    FIELD    AND    EFFECTS    A    COMPROMISE — TERMS    OF    THE    AGREEMENT 

FIGHT   FOR  RATON    PASS — CONSTRUCTION    RECORDS    IN    COLORADO THE   WESTERN 

PACIFIC IN   THE   HANDS  OF  RECEIVERS 346 

CHAPTER  XVIII 
TRANSPORTATION— OTHER  STATE  AND  TRUNK  LINES 

THE    DENVER    &    SOUTH     PARK THE    DENVER    &    NEW    ORLEANS THE    COLORADO    & 

SOUTHERN — THE  BURLINGTON — THE  SANTA  FE THE  MISSOURI  PACIFIC — COLO- 
RADO    MIDLAND THE     MOFFAT     ROAD ITS    STRUGGLES    TO     FINANCE     ITSELF 

WRECKED  GREAT  FORTUNE — ERIi  ENTERS  AND  LEAVES  THE  FIELD COLORADO  MEN 

AGAIN  IN  POSSESSION — THE  DENVER,  LARAMIE  &  NORTHWESTERN — HOW  IT  WAS 
BUILT — ITS   JUNKING — THE   ROCK    ISLAND — THE  DENVER,   LAKEWOOD   &    GOLDEN 

— UNION    DEPOT — THE    COG    ROAD GOLD    CAMP    ROADS — RAILROAD    MILEAGE    IN 

1917 — WHAT  IT  COST  TO  liril.D  THE  EARLY  ROADS 3^5 

CHAPTER  XIX 
THE  TELEGRAPH  AND  THE  TELEPHONE 

EFFORTS  TO  ORGANIZE  TELEGRAPH  COMPANIES  IN  1860  FAIL — CONGRESSIONAL  SUB- 
SIDY IN  1861  EFFECTIVE LINE  REACHES  JULESBURG DENVER  USES  PONY  EX- 
PRESS TO  Sr.\TE  LINE — FIRST  LINE  REACHES  DENVER— -CONSTRUCTING  TO   SANTA 


X  CONTENTS 

FE WESTERN    UNION    ACQUIRES   ALL    EXISTING  LINES   IN    TERRITORY   IN    187O 

ENTRANCE  OF  POSTAL  TELEGRAPH  IN  FIELD MILEAGE  IN  I918 THE  TELE- 
PHONE   COMPANY    ORGANIZES    FOR    BUSINESS    IN    COLORADO DETAILED    HISTORY 

OF  ITS  GROWTH THE  BEGINNING  AT  LEADVILLE — SUBSTITUTING  GIRLS  FOR  MALE 

OPERATORS IMPROVEMENTS — EXTENDING       THE       SYSTEM ORGANIZING       THE 

MOUNTAIN   ST.\TES  TELEPHONE   COMPANY 383 

CHAPTER  XX 
BANKS  AND  BANKING 

EARLY     BANKING    IN    DENVER CLARK,    GRUBER    &    COMPANY — ESTABLISHMENT    OF 

UNITED   STATES    MINT   IN    DENVER OTHER    PIONEER    BANKING    BUSINESS C.    A. 

COOK     &     COMPANY THE     EXCHANGE     BANK P.     P.     WILCOX     &     COMPANY — 

KOUNTZE  brothers'  BANK BANKS  NOW  DEFUNCT — THE  FIRST  NATIONAL  BANK 

— COLORADO      NATIONAL     BANK DENVER      NATIONAL     BANK OTHER     BANKS 

BANKING    FRAUDS    IN    DENVER — DENVER    CLEARING    HOUSE    ASSOCIATION FIRST 

BANKING  IN  OTHER  COMMUNITIES,  COLORADO  SPRINGS,  PUEBLO,  ETC. STATIS- 
TICS OF  COLORADO  BANKS  IN    igi8 392 

CHAPTER  XXI 
COLORADO'S  POLITICAL  CAMPAIGNS 

POLITICS     BEGAN     WITH     THE     COMING    OF    THE     GOLD-SEEKERS ORGANIZING     THE 

TERRITORY    OF    "jEFFERSON" NAMING    THE     NEW    TERRITORY ELECTING    THE 

FIRST  "state"  OFFICERS — THE  FIRST  GOVERNOR  ARRIVES — TERRITORIAL  SQUAB- 
BLES— GILPIn's  REMOVAL TURNING  DOWN  COLORADO'S  FIRST  CHOSEN  "SEN- 
ATORS"  GRANT  SPRINGS  A  SURPRISE  BY  REMOVING  ELBERT THOMAS  M.  PAT- 
TERSON TELLS  OF  THE  WINNING  OF  STATEHOOD THE  FIRST  STATE   ELECTION — 

JUDGE  WILBUR  F.  STONE  ONLY  DEMOCRAT  CHOSEN — JOHN  L.  ROUTT  WINS  GOV- 
ERNORSHIP-— THE    BELFORD    AND    PATTERSON    CONGRESSIONAL    FIGHT CHAFFEE 

AND   TELLER   GO   TO   SENATE BELFORD    FOR   CONGRESS N.    P.    HILL    ENTERS   THE 

FIELD — PITKIN    CHOSEN    GOVERNOR TELLER    GOES    INTO    CABINET — -BOWEN    AND 

TABOR  GO  TO  THE  SENATE EATON    ELECTED  GOVERNOR — E.   0.   WOLCOTT   CHOSEN 

SENATOR ROUTT   AGAIN   CHOSEN    GOVERNOR — REPUBLICAN    FACTIONS   IN    RIOT 

WAITE     IS    GOVERNOR — WAITE     RIOTS — THE    LONG     SILVER     FIGHT THE     BRYAN 

CAMPAIGNS LABOR    WAR    OF     1894 — THE    PEABODY-ADAMS    CONTEST TELLER'S 

RE-ELECTION    TO    THE    SENATE — GUGGENHEIM'S    ELECTION — C.    J.    HUGHES,    JR., 

GOES  TO  SENATE — SHAFROTH  AND  THOMAS  WIN  OUT AMMONS,   CARLSON,  GUN- 

TER    FOLLOW    EACH    OTHER    IN    GOVERNOR'S    CHAIR CHANGING    THE    ELECTION 

LAWS     417 

CHAPTER  XXII 
COLORADO  COAL  PRODUCTION 

COAL    IN    THE    UNITED   STATES — FIRST    COAL    MINING    IN    COLORADO PROGRESS   AND 

DEVELOPMENT     FROM     YEAR     TO     YEAR MINES     IN      1888 OWNERS — TABLE     OF 

MINES   IN    I916 OPERATORS AVERAGE   NUMBER   OF  MEN   EMPLOYED CAPACITY 


CONTEXTS  xi 

OF    MINE    PER    !).\V    IX    TOXS — STATE   COAL   PRODUCTION    FROM    1864   UNTIL    I917 

IN    SHORT    TONS VALUE    OK    OUTPUT     FOR    EACH     YEAR EMPLOYES MACHINE 

MINING — AVERAGE     PRICE     PER     TON    AT      MINE FATALITIES PRODUCTION      OF 

LEADING  COUNTIES  FROM    1887  UXTIL   I917 — COLORADO  COAL  FIELDS THE  COKE 

IXnUSTRY — COKE   ESTABLISH  MEXTS — PROIHXTTOX VALUE 449 

CHAPTER  XXIII 
AGRICULTURE  IX  COLORADO 

FIRST     AGRICULTURISTS BEGINNING     OF     IMPROVED     CULTIVATION — AGRICULTURAL 

DISTRICTS — THE     SAN      LUIS     VALLEY — NORTHWESTERN      COLORADO MOUNTAIN 

PARK  DISTRICTS — EASTERN  COLORADO — PINTO  BEANS — COLORADO  LAND  AND  SET- 
TLEMENT— PRODUCTION      OF      igi" — COUNTY      AGENTS FRUIT      GROV/ING CROP 

STATISTICS 478 

CHAPTER  XXIV 
DEVELOPMENT  OF  IRRIGATION 

FIRST    IRRIGATION — FIVE    PERIODS    OF    CANAL    CONSTRUCTIOaN EARLIEST    CANALS — 

COMMUNITY  EFFORT — CORPORATION  EFFORT — PERIOD  OF  GREATEST  DEVELOP- 
MENT  THE    CAREY    ACT FAILURE    OF    STATE    MANAGEMENT FEDERAL    EFFORT 

UNDER    RECLAMATION    ACT RESERVOIRS — BEGINNING   OF    WATER    RIGHT    LAWS 

INCORPORATION  OF  CAPITOL  HYDRAULIC  COMPANY CITY  DITCH FIRST  LEGIS- 
LATION  LATER    IRRIGATION    LAWS — IRRIGATION    KNOWN    TO    ANCIENT    PEOPLES 

RIPARIAN    RTGHTS 1  NTI^RSTATF   RIGHTS TRANSFER   OF    WATER 49I 

CHAPTER  XXV 
FROM  RANGE  DAYS  TO  THE  THOROUGHBRED  ERA 

■'hunting  out"  THE   BUFFALCJ BUYING  UP  THE   BROKEN-UOWN    FREIGHTING  OXEN 

— CONDITION  OF  CATTLE  INDUSTRY  IN  1866 — DISCOVERY  OF  GRAZING  VALUES — 
TRAITS  OF  RANGE  CATTLE "mAVERICK"  LEGISLATION ROUNDING  UP  THE  CAT- 
tle thieves — shipments  of  cattle — range  conditions  in  1879 foreign- 
ers invest  heavily — early  stock-raising  methods — the  fight  on  fencing 
public  lands  commission  regulates  grazing  on  public  domain pass- 
ing oftiie  last  great  iii:rd the  old  fent  e  laws — the  briceding  of  horses 

— Larimer's  early  sheep  history — the  lamb  feedini;  industry — the 
founding  of  a  great  industry — in  the  uncompahgre — in  the  roaring 
fork  valley — the  coming  of  the  hereford — the  national  live  stock 
show — the  stock  yards  and  the  packing  i ndustrv- -on  ihe  white  river 
and  on  the  bear — stock  raising  in  the  san  luis  valley — live  stock  sta- 
tistics— the  state  cattle  growf.rs'  association sof> 


xii  CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  XXVI 
HOW  COLORADO  WOX  BEET  SUGAR  LEADERSHIP 

CONDITION  OF  THE  INDUSTRY  WHEN  MOVEMENT  STARTED  IN  THIS  STATE^NATIONAL 

PRODUCTION    BY   YEARS GROWTH    IN    NUMBER   OF    FACTORIES  THROUGHOUT   THE 

NATION HOW    irrigation's    BENEFITS    WERE    DISCOVERED SUCCESS    IN    UTAH 

STIRS   UP    WESTERN    SLOPE CHARLES    S.    BOETTCHER   AND   JOHN    CAMPION    HELP 

ALONG  THE  INDUSTRY WHAT  THE  AGRICULTURAL  COLLEGE  WAS  DOING SHIP- 
PING THE  FIRST  BEETS  TO  NEBRASKA THE  FAILURE  AT  GRAND  JUNCTION SUC- 
CESS   FOLLOWED    WITH    EXPERIENCE THE    GREAT    WESTERN    SUGAR    COilPANV  — 

HAVEMEYERS  COME  INTO  THE  FIELD — THE  AMERICAN  BEET  SUGAR  COMPANY — 
THE  OXNARDS — THE   XATIOXAL — THE   HOLLY   SUGAR  CORPORATION 533 


CHAPTER  XXVII 
THE   STRUGGLE  TO   BUILD  UP  MANUFACTURING 

THE  FIRST  MANUFACTURERS  IN  COLORADO — SOME  E.\RLY  STATISTICS— DEVELOPMENT 
DESPITE  REBATES  AND  DISCRIMINATIONS — U.  S.  CENSUS  FIGURES  FROM  187O  TO 
I914 LATER   FIGURES   FROM    STATE   RECORDS PROFESSOR   PHILLIPS   WRITES  THE 

HISTORY  OF  Colorado's  greatest  struggle — forming  the  Colorado  manu- 
facturers' ASSOCIATION KINDEL  SCORES  FIRST  VICTORY DEFEAT  IN  GALVES- 
TON   CASE COLORADO    MANUFACTURERS'    ASSOCIATION    SECURES    PARTIAL    READ- 

JLTSTMENT COLORADO    FAIR    RATES    ASSOCIATION    BEGINS    COMPREHENSIVE    SUIT 

WHICH     WAS    STILL    PENDING    EARLY     IN     I918 MISCELLANEOUS     NON-METALS 

THAT    ENTER    INTO   THE    MANUFACTURING    HISTORY    OF    COLORADO THE    STONE 

QUARRIES  OF  T[IE  STATIC — OIL  PRODUCTION  OF  COLORADO 54'' 


CHAPTER  XXVIII 
COLORADO'S  NATIONAL  FORESTS  AND  MOUNTAIN  PARKS 

PROTECTING  THE  TIMBER  IN  THE  PUBLIC  DOMAIN — WORK  OF  PRESERVATION   BEGUN 

TWENTY    YEARS    AGO THE    WHITE    RIVER    PLATEAU    TIMBERLAND    RESERVE,    THE 

FIRST  NATIONAL   FOREST   IX    COLORADO TOTAL  AREA   OF   SEVENTEEN    FORESTS    IN 

STATE  IS   12,640,450  ACRES BUILDING  HOMES  IN  THE  RESERVES MAKING  THE 

TIMBER    PROFITABLE — SELLING    AT    COST    TO    SETTLERS PROTECTED    RANGE    FOR 

HOMESTEADERS    AND   RANCHERS — NEARLY   THREE  THOUSAND   RANCHERS   GRAZED 

LESS   THAN    lOO    HEAD   OF    STOCK    EACH    IN    I917 NATIONAL    FORESTS    OPEN    TO 

MINING     DEVELOPMENT WATER     POWER     IN     THE     RESERVES — ROAD     BUILDING 

THROUGH     THE    FORESTS — STRETCHING    TELEPHONE     WIRES     FROM     STATION    TO 

STATION WORK    OF    THE    FIELD    DISTRICT NATIONAL    FORESTS    IN    COLORADO — 

THE   MOUNTAIN    PARKS — DENVER'S   MOUNTAIN   PARKS 5^3 


CONTEXTS  xiii 

CHAPTER  XXIX 

DEVELOPING  THE  HIGHWAYS  OF  THE  STATE 

THE    FIRST    WAGON    ROADS    Al-TER    THE    SANTA    FE    TRAIL '"SMOKY    HILL"    TRAIL 

ROUTES     FROM     THE    EAST BUILDING    THE     MOUNTAIN     ROADS THROUGH     UTE 

PASS    TO    SOUTH    PARK HAYDEN's    LIST    OF    ROADS TERRITORIAL    LEGISLATURE 

NAMES  TERRITORIAL  ROADS — ^HIGHWAYS  OUT  OF  SILVERTON— "SNUBBINg"  POSTS 
ADVENT  OF  THE  AUTOMOBILE THE  FIGHT  FOR  GOOD  ROADS THE  NEW  HIGH- 
WAY  COMMISSION — liUILPIXn   A    NEW  SYSTEM   OF  STATE  ROADS 573 

CHAPTER  XXX 
EDUCATION  IN  COLORADO 

EARLY   SCHOOL    LAWS — STANDARDIZATION — OPPORTUNITY    SCHOOL EARLY    HISTORY 

OF    THE     SCHOOLS     IN     EACH     COUNTY     OF     COLORADO PRESENT     ATTENDANCE, 

VALUES,  ETC 585 

CHAPTER  XXXI 

EDUCATION  IN  COLORADO 

(Continued) 

HIGHER    EDUCATION L"M\  ERSITY   OF    COLORADO'S   DEVELOPMENT DENVER    UNIVER- 
SITY  THE    SCHOOL    OF    MINES — THE    AGRICULTURAL    COLLEGE — THE    TEACHERS* 

COLLEGE STATE    NORMAL    SCHOOL — COLORADO     COLLEGE — WOMAN's    COLLEGE — 

THE  CLAYTON  SCHOOI 6O3 

CHAPTER  XXXH 

RELIGIOUS— GENERAL— GROWTH  OF  COLORADO'S 
PROTESTANT  CHURCHES 

FIRST  SERMON   PREACHED  BY  REV.  W.  G.  FISHER — TOWN    COMPANY  OFFERS   LOTS  FOR 
HOUSES  OF  WORSHIP — RICHARDSON   DESCRIBES    EARLY   STREET   PRAYER    MEETINGS 

THE  CHURCH    CENSUS  OF    iSyO,   OF    I9OO.   OF    I906  AND  OF    I9IO MARVELOUS 

GROWTH — THE  PROTESTANT-EI'IS(  OPAL  CHURCH  —  ESTAULISHING  THE  DIOCESE 
OF  WESTERN  COI.ORADfJ — THE  METHODIST-EPISCOPAL  CHURCH— THE  STRUGGLE 
TO  ESTABLISH  THE  FIRST  I'RICSI'.VTICRIAX  (  H  L  K(  H — THI'.  IIAPTISTS CONGREGA- 
TIONALISM   AND    ITS    GROWTH     IN     COLORADt) TIM.    CIIUISTLW     CHURCH THE 

LUTHERAN UNITARIAN — THE     REFORMED     CIIUUlll — (IMUSTIAN     SCIENTISTS — 

SEVENTH    DAY    ADNENTISTS C)7,2 


xiv  COiNTENTS 

CHAPTER  XXXIII 
THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  COLORADO 

AMONG  THE  PUEBLOS — CHURCH  ESTABLISHED  IN  DENVER THE  FIRST  BUILDING- 
COMING  OF  FATHERS  MACHEBEUF  AND  RAVERDY — REVIVAL  OF  WORK — THE 
CATHEDRAL ST.  MARY's  ACADEMY — SISTERS  OF  LORETTO — CATHOLICISM  AT  CAL- 
IFORNIA GULCH — BEGINNING  OF  THE  CHURCH   IN  OTHER  COMMUNITIES 677 

CHAPTER  XXXIV 
JEWISH  CONGREGATIONS  IN  COLORADO 

ORDER   OF  b'nAI    b'RITH    ESTABLISHES   FIRST  PERMANENT  JEWISH   ORGANIZATION    IN 

COLORADO FOUNDING  OF  FIRST  CONGREGATION LIST  OF  ITS  RABBIS — THE  LONG 

RABBINATE   OF   REV.    DR.    WILLIAM    S.    FRIEDMAN ORGANIZING    FIRST    ORTHODOX 

CONGREGATION — ELEVEN   NOW  IN  ACTIVE  CHURCH   WORK THE  NATIONAL  JEW- 
ISH   HOSPITAL    FOR    CONSUMPTIVES    AND    ITS    MEMOR.-^BLE    WORK THE    JEWISH 

CONSUMPTIVES  RELIEF  SOCIETY — HOW    IT   WAS  ESTABLISHED ITS  GROWTH.. 6R1 

CHAPTER  XXXV 
WHAT  SUFFRAGE  HAS  ACCOMPLISHED 

THE  FIRST  EFFORTS  FOR  WOMAN  SUFFR.\GE  IN  TERRITORIAL  LEGISL.\TURE — GOVERNOR 

MCCOOK    URGES    ADOPTION ADVOCATES    BECOME   ACTIVE   IN    STATEHOOD    YEAR 

FIRST  ORGANIZATION APPEAL   TO  CONSTITUTIONAL   CONVENTION CONCESSIONS 

OBTAINED EASTERN  WOMEN  TAKE  PART  IN  FIRST  CAMPAIGN- — THE  PROPOSITION 

DEFEATED ORGANIZING  FOR  VICTORY  IN    1893 CAUSE  LOOKED  HOPELESS — MEN 

AND   WOMEN    WHO    HELPED FIRST   VICTORY    IN    SCHOOL    ELECTION THE    WORK 

CROWNED  BY  DECISIVE  FAVORABLE  VOTE WAITE  ISSUES  PROCLAMATION — WOMEN 

WHO  HAVE  HELPED  AS  LAW   MAKERS — MEASURES  PASSED  THROUGH  THE  INFLU- 
ENCE  OF    WOMEN — LONG    HONOR   ROLL 688 

CHAPTER  XXXVI 
MILITARY 

THE    CIVIL     WAR     PERIOD — SENTIMENT     IN     1861 CONFEDERATE     FLAG-RAISING     IN 

DENVER DEFEAT      OF      ENEMY      PLANS FIRST      RECRUITING PROCLAMATION — 

MENACE    FROM    THE    SOUTH BAYLOR's    CAMPAIGN CONFEDERATE    PURPOSES — 

PREPARATIONS     TO     RESIST     SIBLEY CONFEDER.'^TE     PREPARATIONS — THE     FIRST 

CONFLICT — THE    FIRST    COLORADO FIRST    BATTLE    OF    LA    GLORIETA    PASS THE 

SECOND  BATTLE THE  RETREAT  AND  PURSUIT — DISPOSAL  OF  THE  FIRST  COLORADO 

THE    SECOND    COLORADO    VOLUNTEER    INFANTRY OTHER    VOLUNTEER    ORGAN- 


CONTEXTS  XV 

IZATIONS MERGER    OF    THE    SECOND    AND    THIRD    COLORADO CAREER    OF    THE 

SECOND    CAVALRY R.AID    INTO    COLORADO    TERRITORY THE    SPANISH-AMERICAN 

WAR PREPARATIONS  IN  COLORADO — THE  FIRST  REGIMENT CASUALTIES — SERV- 
ICE OF  OTHER  COLORADO  TROOPS — THE  WORLD  WAR COLORADO'S  QUOTA RE- 
CRUITING  SELECTIVE  DRAFT — RED  CROSS LIP.ERTY  LOANS — COUNCIL  OF  NA- 
TIONAL DEFENSE OTHER  PREPARATIONS FAREWELL  ADDRESS  BY  CAPT.  J.  C.   W. 

HALL  TO  HIS  TROOPS,   1S64 7OI 

CHAPTER  XXX\TI 
THE  BENCH  AND  BAR 

COLORADO  COLT«TS — HISTORY  OF  THE  APPELLATE  COURTS,  BY  JUDGE  WILBUR  F. 
STONE — THE  PIOXKFR  P-ENCH  AND  BAR,  BV  JUIKJE  WILBUR  F.  STONE  —REMINIS- 
CENCES   OF    THi:    r.ARf.V    BENCH    AND    BAR.    BY    C.    S.    THOMAS,    T.    J.    o'doNNELL, 

W.    H.   GABBERT,    JOHN    F.    PHILIPS   AND    E.   T.    WELLS THE   COLORADO    BAR   ASSO- 

n  ATION    •J2,2 

CHAPTER  XXX\  HI 
THE  MEDICAL  PROFESSION 

FIRST  DOCTORS  IN  ROCKY  MOUNTAIN  REGION--EARLY  EFFORTS  TO  ORGANIZE  TER- 
RITORIAL MEDICAL  ASSOCIATION FIRST  HOSPITAL — DENVER  MEDICAL  ASSOCIA- 
TION  ORGANIZATION  OF  TERRITORIAL  MEDICAL  SOCIETY ROSTER  OF  STATE  MED- 
ICAL   SOCIETY    PRESIDENTS EARLY    MIGRATIONS CONDITIONS    IN     1864 FIRST 

MEDICAL  LEGISLATION LEGISLATION   RELATIVE  TO   OSTEOPATHY CHIROPRACTIC 

OTHER      LEGISLATION — COLORADO      MEDICAL      LIBRARY      ASSOCIATION — WOMEN 

PRACTITIONERS NATIONAL    AND    STATE    HONORS GENERAL     HOSPITALS STATE 

SANATORIA COLORADO   AS   A    HEALTH    RESORT — MILITARY    RECUPERATION    CAMP 

COLORADO  DOC  TORS    IN  THE   WORLD  WAR 765 

CHAPTER  XXX IX 
THE  PRESS  OF  COLORADO 

BRINGING  THE    FIRST   PRINTING    PRESS  TO   THE    NEW    GOLD   REGION GREELEY    VISITS 

THE     CAMP — THE     FIRST     EXTRA — BYERS     SECURES     CONTROL     OF     THE     NEWS — 

CHANGES  IN  CONTROL — PATTERSON   BECOMES  EDITOR THE  TIMES  IS  FOUNDED 

THE     REPUBLICAN THE     TRIBUNE PIONEER     PUBLICATIONS     IN     THE     MINING 

CAMPS FOUNDING  THE  CHIEFTAIN  AT  PUEBLO THE  STAR-JOURNAL — THE  BE- 
GINNING OF  COLORADO  SPRINGS  NEWSPAPERS ON  THE  WESTERN  SLOPE IN  THE 

SAN   LUIS  VALLEY — IN  THE  ARKANSAS  VALLEY — NEWSPAPERS  OF  THE   PLAINS — 

GREELEY  TRIBUNE-^FORT   COLLINS   PUBLICATIONS GUNNISON's    PAPERS — OTHER 

COUNTY   AND   CITY    PUBLICATIONS 7S1 


xvi  CONTEXTS 

CHAPTER  XL 

STATE  INSTITUTIONS— CORRECTIONAL  AND  ELEEMOSYNARY 

THE   COLORADO   STATE   PENITENTIARY MODERN    METHODS — ROAD    BUILDING BOARD 

OF     PARDONS — THE     COLORADO     STATE     HOSPITAL     AT     PUEBLO THE     COLORADO 

SCHOOL     FOR    THE    DEAF    AND    THE     BLIND — HOW     IT     HAS    DEVELOPED    INTO    A 

NATIONALLY-FAMED      INSTITUTION ^THE      COLORADO      SOLDIERS*      AND     SAILORS' 

HOME    AT    MONTE    VISTA — COLORADO    STATE    REFORMATORY THE    STATE    HOME 

CARING      FOR      DEPENDENT      AND      NEGLECTED      CHILDREN STATE      INDUSTRIAL 

SCHOOL  FOR  BOYS STATE  INDUSTRIAL  SCHOOL  FOR  GIRLS — INDUSTRIAL  WORK- 
SHOP FOR  THE  BLIND SCHOOL  FOR  MENTAL  DEFECTIVES — MOTHERS'  COMPEN- 
SATION ACT 8l6 

CHAPTER  XLI 
LABOR  WARS  OF  HALF  A  CENTURY 

FIRST    ORGANIZATION    OF    METALLIFEROUS    MINERS    IN    COLORADO THE    LEADVILLE 

STRIKES  OF  1880  AND  1896 REDUCTION  MILL  EMPLOYES'  STRIKE — SYMPA- 
THETIC  STRIKE  AT   CRIPPLE   CREEK THE   "EIGHT-HOUR"    STRIKE   OF    I9O3 THE 

TROUBLE     IN     IDAHO    SPRINGS TROUBLE    AT    TELLURIDE STRIKES    AT     CRIPPLE 

CREEK,    1903-4 THE  STRIKES  IN  THE  COAL  SECTIONS  OF  COLORADO 837 

CHAPTER  XLII 

COLORADO  LITERATURE 8"/ 

CHAPTER  XTJTI 

SPANISH    NAMES 8gi 


WILBUR  F.  STONE 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 


CHAPTER  I 
TOPOGRAPHY  AND  CLIMATE 

POSITION    OF   COLORADO MOUNTAINS PARKS HUMIDITY TEMPERATURE FROSTS 

PRECIPITATION TOPOGRAPHY  OF  THE  COUNTIES 

POSITION  OF  COLORADO 

Colorado  occupies  a  central  position  in  the  western  half  of  the  United  States, 
between  latitudes  2,7°  and  41°  north,  and  longitude  102°  and  109°  west.  It  is 
almost  a  parallelogram  in  shape,  its  east,  and  also  its  west  boundary  being  275.7 
miles  in  length,  its  northern,  365.7,  while  its  southern  is  387.6  miles.  The  state 
has  an  area  of  103,478  square  miles.  Two-fifths  of  this  area  is  highly  moun- 
tainous, the  remainder  being  plains,  foothills,  and  high  mesas ;  42  per  cent  of  the 
entire  state  is  above  seven  thousand  feet  elevation.  The  plains  region,  or  the 
eastern  two-fifths  of  the  state,  is  crossed  by  a  ridge  which  forms  the  watershed 
between  the  South  Platte  and  the  Arkansas  rivers.  Beginning  in  the  foothills 
north  of  Pike's  Peak,  this  divide  extends  eastward,  gradually  dying  away  in  the 
eastern  border  counties.  The  lowest  point  in  the  state.  Holly,  on  the  Arkansas 
River,  has  an  elevation  of  3,386  feet,  while  Julesburg,  on  the  South  Platte,  eleva- 
tion 3,458  feet,  is  the  lowest  point  in  the  northeastern  counties. 

MOUNTAINS 

The  one  hundred  and  seventh  meridian  marks  the  location  of  the  Continental 
Divide  in  the  extreme  northern  as  well  as  in  the  extreme  southern  part  of  the 
state.  In  the  north  this  watershed  is  known  as  the  "Park  Range" ;  its  course  is 
southward  for  a  short  distance,  thence  easterly  to  Long's  Peak,  thence  south- 
westward,  forming  the  eastern  boundary  of  Grand  and  Summit  counties  and 
the  northern  boundary  of  Lake  County;  then  the  western  boundary  of  Lake 
and  Chaffee  counties,  where  it  is  known  as  the  Sawatch  Range.  From  the  most 
southerly  point  in  Chaffee  County  the  course  of  the  divide  is  due  southwest 
to  San  Juan  County,  then  southeastward  to  the  state  line,  the  Cochetopa  Hills 
being  the  divide  until  the  San  Juan  Mountains  are  reached.  For  four-fifths  of  the 
distance  the  summit  of  the  divide  is  above  timber  line.  Though  this  area  above 
timber  line  is  considerable,  it  is  not  nearly  so  great  as  is  to  be  found  on  the  de- 
tached ranges  and  spurs. 

Vol.  I— 1 

1 


2  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

The  foothills  rise  a  few  miles  east  of  a  north-and-south  line  drawn  through 
the  center  of  the  state.  In  the  north,  high  mountains  occupy  the  region  to  the 
westward  of  this  line  for  about  seventy-five  miles,  but  farther  to  the  south  these 
ranges  widen  out  west  of  Pike's  Peak  to  about  one  hundred  and  thirty-five  miles. 
At  a  point  not  far  from  the  center  of  the  state  the  Sangre  de  Cristo  Range  begins 
and  extends  southward  beyond  the  New  Mexico  line.  The  San  Juan,  a  range  of 
great  altitude,  occupies  a  large  area  in  the  southwestern  part  of  the  state. 

PARKS 

A  prominent  feature  of  the  mountain  region  is  the  number  of  large  upland 
valleys  or  parks.  The  principal  ones,  North,  jMiddle,  South,  and  San  Luis,  lie 
nearly  in  a  north-and-south  line,  just  west  of  the  Front  Range.  Of  these  only 
one,  Middle  Park,  is  west  of  the  Continental  Divide,  which  forms  its  northern 
and  eastern  boundaries;  its  surface  is  undulating;  elevation  about  eight  thousand 
feet.  North  Park  opens  toward  the  north,  elevation  generally  about  eight  thous- 
and feet.  South  Park  lies  in  the  center  of  the  state,  elevation  eight  thousand  to 
ten  thousand  feet,  and  is  surrounded  by  very  high  mountains ;  its  surface  is  nearly 
flat.  San  Luis  Park,  the  most  southerly,  is  larger  than  North,  Middle,  and  South 
parks  combined;  it  is  an  immense  elliptical  basin,  whose  surface  is  remarkably 
flat — at  one  time  doubtless  the  bed  of  an  inland  sea.  The  western  fifth  of  the 
state  is  occupied  by  high  plateaus,  or  mesas — deep  gullies,  or  arroyos,  being  a 
feature,  with  many  cliffs  and  hills. 

Of  the  peaks  above  14,000  feet  elevation,  the  altitudes  of  thirty-two  have  been 
determined.  Mount  Massive,  near  Leadville,  with  an  altitude  of  14,424  feet,  is 
the  highest,  and  Mount  Elbert,  14,421  feet,  is  next.  The  average  height  of  timber 
line  is  11,526  feet,  with  extremes  of  10,410  feet  on  Sierra  Blanca,  and  12,117  feet 
on  Mount  Harvard. 

A  number  of  important  rivers  rise  in  the  state.  The  Rio  Grande  has  its 
source  in  the  San  Juan  Mountains,  while  the  Arkansas  and  the  South  Platte  of 
the  eastern  slope,  and  the  Gunnison  and  the  Grand,  important  branches  of  the 
Colorado,  rise  but  a  few  miles  apart  near  the  center  of  the  state. 

HUMIDITY 

Considering  the  great  distance  from  the  Pacific,  and  the  high  mountain  ranges 
which  the  prevailing  westerly  winds  must  cross,  it  is  not  surprising  that  low- 
humidity,  attended  by  a  great  range  of  temperature,  should  be  a  characteristic 
feature.  Though  distant  also,  the  influence  of  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  is  appreciable, 
but  only  to  a  varying  extent.  It  is  most  marked  during  the  summer  months,  when 
there  is  a  general  stagnation  in  the  movement  of  northern  low-pressure  areas, 
affording  sufficient  time  for  moisture  to  be  brought  to  the  eastern  slope.  That 
this  is  true  is  apparent  from  the  increased  precipitation  east  of  the  Continental 
Divide  during  the  warmer  half  of  the  year. 

With  the  advance  of  winter  the  pressure  gradually  increases  over  the  Great 
Basin  until  an  extensive  high-pressure  area  is  developed.  Remaining  practically 
unchanged  for  months,  it  exerts  an  important  influence  on  the  winter  climate  of 
Colorado,  the  character  depending  on  location,  whether  east  or  west  of  the  Conti- 


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4  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

nental  Divide.  To  the  west  of  the  divide  persistent  cold  for  the  latitude  and 
altitude  prevails,  especially  in  San  Luis  Park,  the  upper  Gunnison  Valley  and 
northwestern  counties.  Clear  skies  and  a  still  atmosphere  favor  r^pid  radiation, 
and  the  topography  facilitates  a  steady  flow  night  after  night  of  the  chilled  air 
from  the  surrounding  high  slopes  into  these  valleys.  On  the  eastern  slope  at  such 
times  the  prevailing  winds  are  westerly,  or  over  the  Continental  Divide.  The  air 
being  warmed  by  compression  during  the  descent  to  the  foothills  and  plains  re- 
gion, the  mean  temperature  is  raised  materially,  and  the  capacity  of  the  air  for 
moisture  is  increased;  or,  in  other  words,  there  prevails  in  the  eastern  half  of 
the  state  a  long  succession  of  relatively  dry,  warm,  and  bright  sunshiny  days. 
For  the  summer  months  the  normal  charts  show  low  pressure  over  the  Great 
Basin  and  western  Colorado,  with  little  or  no  precipitation.  On  the  eastern  slope 
the  suction  exerted  by  the  western  depression  is  sufficient  to  give  to  half  of  the 
state  east  of  the  Continental  Divide  many  periods  of  easterly  winds,  and  as  the 
air  is  drawn  up  the  mountain  slopes  it  is  chilled  by  elevation,  and  there  is  pre- 
cipitated during  the  warmer  half  of  the  year  practically  five-sevenths  of  the  annual 
amount  of  moisture. 

TEMPERATURE 

Considered  from  the  point  of  mean  temperature  alone,  Colorado  may  be 
divided  into  five  zones,  as  follows : 

The  zone  of  50°  or  higher,  which  includes  a  small  area  in  the  valley  of  the 
Grand  and  Gunnison  in  the  extreme  western  part  of  the  state ;  the  valley  of  the 
Arkansas  as  far  west  as  the  foothills ;  the  southeastern  border  counties ;  a  narrow 
strip  bordering  on  northwestern  Kansas,  and  an  area  east  of  the  foothills,  which 
includes  Denver  County  and  parts  of  Boulder  and  Adams  counties. 

The  zone  of  45°  to  50°,  or  the  valleys  of  moderate  elevation  and  the  upland 
plains,  includes  the  Arkansas-Platte  Divide,  a  narrow  belt  running  north  and 
south  adjacent  to  the  eastern  fodthills,  the  middle  portions  of  the  Grand  and 
Gunnison  valleys,  and  the  valley  of  the  Las  Animas  in  the  southwestern  part  of 
the  state. 

The  zone  of  40°  to  45°  includes  San  Luis  Park,  the  foothills  region,  and 
the  northwestern  counties. 

The  zone  of  35°  to  40°  includes  North,  Middle,  and  South  parks,  and  gen- 
erally the  regions  between  eight  thousand  and  ten  thousand  feet  elevation. 

The  zone  of  35^  and  lower  includes  the  higher  mountain  masses,  parts  of  the 
Continental  Divide,  and  the  narrow-  valleys  near  the  center  of  the  state  in  Lake 
and  Summit  counties. 

The  mean  temperature  of  winter  ranges  from  35°  at  Cafion  City  to  11°  at 
Gunnison.  For  the  southeastern  counties,  the  Arkansas  Valley,  including  Colo- 
rado Springs,  and  for  a  considerable  area  in  the  vicinity  of  Denver,  the  mean 
temperature  is  slightly  above  30°,  while  the  western  valleys,  the  eastern  foot- 
hills, the  Arkansas-Platte  Divide,  and  the  northeastern  counties  have  means  be- 
tween 25°  and  30°.  The  mean  for  San  Luis  Park  is  slightly  above  20°,  while  in 
the  remainder  of  the  parks  and  higher  mountain  districts  the  means  average 
below  20°. 

The  mean  maxima   for  this  season  range  between  40°  and  49°   throughout 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  5 

the  region  east  of  the  mountains,  and  values  between  40°  and  42=  prevail 
in  Costilla,  La  Plata,  and  Mesa  counties.  In  the  central  mountain  region, 
in  Summit,  and  in  Gunnison  County  29°  is  the  average. 

The  mean  minima  range  from  12°  to  18°  east  of  the  mountains,  and  from 
14°  to  18°  in  the  lovi'er  western  valleys.  For  San  Luis  Park  the  values  are 
4°  to  6°,  and,  taking  Breckenridge  and  Gunnison  as  representative  of  the 
conditions  in  the  mountain  regions  of  the  western  slope,  we  find  the  means 
for  the  season  to  be  — 1°  and  — 7°,  respectively. 

For  suminer  the  mean  temperatures  range  from  76°  in  the  lower  part  of 
the  Arkansas  Valley  to  50°  near  the  Continental  Divide  in  Park  County.  Means 
of  70°  or  higher  are  common  to  the  valleys  of  the  eastern  slope,  and  also 
prevail  in  the  lower  parts  of  the  Grand  and  Gunnison  valleys.  San  Luis  Park 
has  a  mean  of  63°,  and  slightly  higher  values  are  common  in  the  northwestern 
counties.  In  the  valleys  of  the  central  mountain  region  the  means  are  generally 
between  50°  and  55°. 

The  mean  maxima  are  above  90°  only  in  the  extreme  southeastern  part 
of  the  state.  From  91°,  the  highest,  the  means  sink  to  68°  in  the  central  moun- 
tain region.  Mean  maxima  above  80°  are  common  to  the  valleys  and  plains, 
and  prevail  to  a  considerable  extent  in  the  parks  and  in  the  mountain  district 
with  southern  exposures. 

The  mean  minima  range  between  61°  in  the  lower  western  valleys  and  35'' 
in  the  central  mountain  region.  East  of  the  mountains  they  are  in  the  fifties, 
and  similar  values  obtain  in  the  middle  portions  of  the  Grand  and  Uncompahgre 
valleys;  in  the  parks  and  northwestern  counties  they  range  between  41°  and  46", 
while  in  the  central  mountain  region  they  are  below  40°. 

The  mean  temperatures  for  spring  and  autumn,  and  also  the  mean  maxima 
and  minima,  correspond  closely  with  the  annual  values  that  have  already  been 
given. 

Maximum  temperatures  above  90°  rarely,  if  ever,  occur  in  the  highest 
valleys  and  parks,  and  on  the  average  are  noted  only  three  times  a  year  in 
San  Luis  Park.  Leaving  out  the  Arkansas-Platte  Divide,  where  they  are  noted 
nine  times  a  year,  the  number  of  days  with  90°  or  higher  east  of  the  mountains 
increases  from  six  at  Cheyenne,  on  the  northern  border,  to  sixty-six  in  the 
extreme  southeastern  counties.  In  the  western  valleys  the  number  varies  from 
sixteen  to  fifty,  the  latter  being  the  value  for  the  lower  Grand  and  Gunnison 
valleys. 

Minimiini  temperatures  below  32°  are  very  common;  their  occurrence  fewer 
than  150  times  a  year  is  confined  to  the  Arkansas  Valley  and  parts  of  the  South 
Platte,  Grand,  and  Uncompahgre  valleys.  In  the  northwestern  counties  and  San 
Luis  Park  they  occur  from  205  to  227  times  a  year,  and  more  than  250  times  in 
the  higher  mountain  districts.    At  Breckenridge  the  average  is  283  times. 

FROSTS 

As  might  be  expected,  killing  frosts  occur  every  month  in  tlie  year  in  the 
higher  valleys  contiguous  to  the  Continental  Divide.  In  the  agricultural  dis- 
tricts, owing  to  the  varied  topography,  differences  in  elevation  and  location. 
whether  east  or  west   of  the  Continental  Divide,  there  is  an   entire  absence  of 


6  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

uniformity.  This  will  be  apparent  from  a  consideration  of  the  following:  On 
the  western  slope  at  Grand  Junction  the  average  date  of  the  last  killing  frost 
of  spring  and  the  first  killing  frost  of  autumn  is  April  ii  and  October  28, 
respectively;  and  in  the  northwestern  part  of  the  state,  at  Meeker,  the  dates 
are  June  7  and  September  12,  respectively.  On  the  southern  slope,  at  Saguache, 
in  San  Luis  Park,  the  average  dates  are  May  24  and  September  17;  on  the 
eastern  slope,  at  Fort  CoUins,  May  13  and  September  21 ;  at  Denver,  May  7 
and  October  4,  and  at  Pueblo,  April  28  and  October  25,  respectively. 

PRECIPITATION 

The  greatest  annual  precipitation  occurs  in  the  northern  part  of  Gunnison 
County  at  an  elevation  above  10,000  feet.  Between  20  and  25  inches  is  the 
average  for  the  western  slope  of  the  Continental  Divide,  in  the  north-central 
counties,  over  the  greater  part  of  the  San  Juan  Range,  and  locally  in  the 
south-central  counties  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Spanish  Peaks.  Amounts  ranging 
between  15  and  20  inches,  occur  on  the  average  in  the  northern  half  of  the 
state  for  some  distance  west  of  the  mountains,  while  on  the  eastern  slope  this 
amount  occurs  in  a  long  narrow  belt,  stretching  north  and  south,  whose  eastern 
limits  are  the  foothills.  Somewhat  more  than  15  inches  is  also  the  average 
in  the  counties  bordering  on  Kansas  and  Nebraska.  Between  this  eastern  belt 
and  the  foothills  there  is  a  broad  area  where  the  annual  precipitation  is  generally 
between  11  and  13  inches.  Less  than  10  inches  is  the  average  in  the  valleys 
along  the  western  border,  thence  increasing  somewhat  up  the  narrow  valley 
of  the  Gunnison.  The  least  precipitation,  between  6  and  8  inches,  occurs  in 
the  central  part  of  San  Luis  Park. 

TOPOGRAPHY  OF  THE  COUNTIES 

Boulder,  Jefferson,  Park,  Fremont,  Teller,  El  Paso,  Clear  Creek  and  Gilpin 
counties  include  in  one  group,  situated  in  the  central  part  of  the  state,  a  greatly 
varying  topography.  This  may  be  termed  the  mineral  edge  on  the  eastern  side 
of  the  Divide. 

Topographically  Boulder  County  is  naturally  divided  into  three  distinct  types, 
viz :  mountains,  foothills  and  plains,  the  foothills  flanking  the  base  and  an  average 
of  twelve  miles  of  the  western  limit  of  the  Great  Plains  country.  It  possesses 
great  natural  resources.  The  mountain  section  contains  the  metal  mines,  mineral 
springs,  timber  and  water  supply;  the  adjoining  foothills,  building  stones  of 
great  variety  and  clays  for  manufacture  of  brick,  tile,  etc.,  and  the  plains  section 
affords  a  field  of  operation  for  the  agriculturist  and  horticulturist,  is  largely 
underlaid  with  a  good  quality  of  lignite  coal,  and  late  developments  demon- 
strate the  presence  of  oil  in  paying  quantities. 

The  drainage  is  through  a  number  of  roughly  parallel  streams  that  find 
source  near  the  rugged  crest  and  amphitheaters  of  the  mountains,  and  have  a 
general  eastward  course  until  they  make  exit  through  deep-cut  canyons  on  the 
plains.  Here  they  join  with  the  St.  Vrain  River,  which  is  one  of  the  main  tribu- 
taries of  the  South  Platte.  Locally  the  main  streams  are  designated  as  the 
North,  Middle  and  South  forks  of  the  St.  Vrain,  Left  Hand,  James  Creek, 
North,  Middle,  Four  Mile  and  South   Boulder  creeks. 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  7 

Clear  Creek  and  Gilpin  counties  are  in  a  rugged  mountain  section,  with 
intervening  narrow  valleys  or  canyons,  formed  largely  by  erosion.  They  embrace 
a  number  of  prominent  mountain  peaks,  among  which  may  be  mentioned  Gray's 
"Peak,  14,411  feet;  Torrey's  Peak,  14,336  feet,  near  the  west  boundary;  James 
Peak,  13,281  feet,  on  the  north,  and  Mount  Evans,  14,321  feet  above  sea  level, 
on  the  south  county  boundary. 

The  main  drainage  is  through  Clear  Creek.  This  stream,  near  the  west 
boundary,  divides  into  the  North,  Middle  and  South  forks.  The  main  tribu- 
taries from  the  north  are  Mill  Creek  and  Fall  River ;  from  the  south,  Chicago 
Creek — all  of  which  have  a  number  of  smaller  tributaries  bearing  local  names. 
Bear  Creek  and  tributaries  afford  an  outlet  for  the  waters  in  the  southeast  part 
of  Clear  Creek  County. 

At  Idaho  Springs  are  located  some  of  the  most  noted  mineral  springs  in  the 
state. 

The  western  limit  of  El  Paso  County  embraces  the  summit  of  Pike's  Peak, 
and  the  eastern  limit  is  some  thirty-five  miles  from  the  base  of  the  mountains 
on  the  great  plains  section.  The  toiwgraphy  is  that  common  to  all  counties 
lying  on  the  east  slope  of  the  Rocky  Mountain  Front  Range  and  embracing 
the  adjoining  foothills  and  plains  sections. 

Jefferson  County  lies  in  part  on  the  east  slope  of  the  Front  Range  of  the 
Rocky  Mountain  system  and  includes  a  portion  of  the  Great  Plains  country. 
The  drainage  is  to  the  South  Platte  River  through  a  series  of  mountain  streams, 
among  which  are  North  Fork,  Bear,  Turkey,  Clear  and  Ralston  creeks.  These 
streams  have  a  general  easterly  course,  cutting  their  channels  through  the 
uplifted  and  folded  strata  skirting  the  mountains  and  collectively  showing  a 
complete  geological  section. 

Within  Park  County  boundaries,  and  surrounded  on  all  sides  by  hills  or 
rugged  mountains,  one  of  the  large  plateaus  of  the  mountain  systems  is  located, 
South  Park.  This  plateau  or  basin  is  comparatively  level  and  has  an  average 
altitude  of  about  9,000  feet  above  sea  level.  It  is  about  forty  miles  long  by 
thirty  miles  wide,  and  has  an  area  of  1,200  square  miles  in  the  park  proper. 
(Jn  the  east  or  northeast  side  the  park  extends  to  the  west  base  of  the  Front 
Range  of  the  Rocky  Mountain  system,  composed  of  the  granite-gneiss  complex 
common  to  that  range.  Along  the  south  border  of  the  park  is  a  series  of  hills, 
with  somewhat  isolated  peaks,  attaining  an  altitude  of  9,000  feet,  composed 
largely  of  various  eruptive  rocks  in  the  form  of  dikes,  intrusive  masses,  and 
locally  the  late  basalt  lavas  capping  hill  lops.  On  the  west  are  the  Trout  Pass 
hills  and  the  Mosquito  Mountain  Range,  and  on  the  north  a  transverse  mountain 
section  connecting  the  Mosquito  and  Front  ranges.  The  drainage  may  be  said 
to  be  from  all  sides  of  it,  toward  the  park  center,  the  tributaries  uniting  with 
the  North.   Middle  and   South   forks  of  the  South   Platte   River. 

TELLER   COUNTY 

Teller  County  has  been  the  subject  of  many  papers.  The  following,  by  T.  A. 
Rickard.  formerly  State  Geologist  of  Colorado,  is  here  reproduced  in  its 
toijographical  aspect  only : 

"The   known  gold-beariiit;   ])i>rlion   of   tlu-   <li  4rict   covers   an  area   of   about 


8  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

ten  square  miles,  occupying  a  group  of  hills  which  rise  from  300  to  1,000  feet 
above  the  general  surface,  and  attain  an  average  altitude  of  10,500  to  11,000 
feet  above  the  sea.  The  drainage  of  the  district  flows  into  the  Arkansas  River, 
whose  gateway  into  the  plains  is  at  Cailon  City.  The  general  slope  is  southward, 
and  the  sunny  aspect  incident  to  this  configuration  of  the  surface  has  caused 
the  hillsides  to  be  clad  with  sufficient  grass,  and  enabled  them,  at  one  time, 
despite  the  high  altitude,  to  yield  good  pasturage. 

"Few  mining  camps  have  so  picturesque  a  situation  and  Cripple  Creek  is 
further  notable  because  the  picturesque  is  not  obtained  by  any  sacrifice  of 
accessibility.  The  beauty  of  the  panoramic  view  to  be  obtained  from  most  of 
the  mines  is  not  due  to  mere  ruggedness  or  to  the  ordinary  grandeur  of  a 
mountainous  country ;  it  is  traceable  to  a  position  upon  the  slopes  flanking  Pike's 
Peak,  which  permits  of  an  uninterrupted  view  of  snow-clad  ranges  a  hundred 
miles  away.  It  is  a  panorama  rather  than  a  picture.  In  front  are  hills  like 
giants  tumbled  in  troubled  sleep,  whose  feet  touch  the  plateau  of  the  South 
Park.  To  the  left  are  the  Arkansas  Hills  that  confine  the  river  of  the  same 
name  to  its  tumultuous  gorge;  farther  south  is  ihe  Wet  Mountain  Valley,  and 
beyond  that  the  long,  magjniticent,  serrated  range  of  the  Sangre  de  Cristo.  Turn- 
ing northward,  the  valley  of  the  Arkansas  can  be  seen  dividing  the  mountains 
which  overlook  Leadville.  Farther  to  the  right  are  the  beautiful  Kenosha  Hills, 
at  the  headwaters  of  the  Platte,  and  beyond  them  are  further  f>eaks  ennobled 
with  coronets  of  snow." 

Fremont  County,  embracing,  as  it  does,  a  part  of  the  western  limit  of  the 
Great  Plains  country  in  the  eastern  portion,  and  its  west  boundary  being  outlined 
by  the  crest  of  mountain  ranges,  flanked  with  foothills,  is  topographically  divided 
into  three  natural  divisions — viz :  mountains,  foothills  and  plains.  The  geology 
has  many  features  in  common  with  that  of  Boulder  and  other  border  counties, 
differing  mainly  in  the  fact  that  in  Boulder  the  Trias  rests  directly  upon  the 
granite  gneiss  of  the  mountain  proper,  while  in  Fremont  the  Paleozoic  rocks 
of  the  Carboniferous  and  Silurian  periods  are  exposed  and  rest  upon  the  granite 
floor.  The  uplifted  strata  are  well  seen  along  the  Arkansas  River  from  the 
mouth  of  Grand  Canon  eastward. 

Conejos,  Rio  Grande,  Costilla,  and  Alamosa  counties  together  form  a  notable 
topographical   group. 

The  west  boundary  line  is  the  summit  of  the  San  Juan  Mountains,  which  at 
this  portion  form  a  part  of  the  Continental  Divide.  This  section  is  quite  rugged, 
and  contains  mountain  peaks  that  reach  an  altitude  varying  from  11,000  to 
13,000  feet  above  sea  level.  The  San  Juan  Mountains  at  this  point  mark  nearly 
the  southern  limit  of  the  great  andesitic  lava  flow  common  to  what  is  generally 
designated  as  the  San  Juan  country.  This  volcanic  mass  is  locally  traversed  by 
a  series  of  dikes,  the  basalt  flows  being  prominent  near  the  mountain  base  and 
capping  many  of  the  adjoining  foothills. 

The  Rio  Grande  River  courses  the  center  of  that  section.  The  eastern 
portion  of  Conejos  County  embraces  the  southwest  part  of  the  San  Luis  Valley. 
This  valley  is  unusually  level,  and  has  an  average  altitude  of  7,500  feet  above 
sea   level. 

The  drainage  is  through  the  Alamosa,  La  Jara,  Conejos,  San  Antonito  and 
Los  Pinos  creeks,  and  through  the  Rio  Costilla,  Rio  Culebra  and  Rio  Trinchera. 


ON   THE   CRYSTAL  PARK   AUTO   ROAD 


LOOKING  OUT  UHOiM   TIIK  (iATKWA'l'  TO  CliYSTAI.   I'AliK 


10  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

These  streams  head  well  back  toward  the  mountain  summit,  envelop  numerous 
small  tributaries,  and  all  unite  with  the  Rio  Grande  River. 

The  summits  of  the  Sangre  de  Cristo  and  Culebra  outline  the  east  boundary 
line  of  Costilla  County.  The  mountain  ranges  on  the  east  rise  quite  abruptly 
and  contain  some  of  the  highest  mountain  peaks  in  the  state,  among  which 
may  be  named  Purgatory,  13,719;  Culebra,  14,079;  Trinchera,  13,340;  Blanca, 
14,464;  Baldy,   14,176,  and  Grayback,   12,887  ^^^''  above  sea  level. 

Near  the  north  end  of  Costilla  County  are  a  number  of  small  lakes,  the 
largest  being  known  as  the  San  Luis  lakes,  and  contain  several  square  miles. 
These  lakes  are  fed  by  numerous  springs  around  the  mountain  base  near  Mosca 
Pass  and  San  Luis  and  other  small  streams  coming  in  from  Saguache  County. 
There  is  no  apparent  outlet  to  lakes,  and  the  tendency  of  all  the  streams  in 
this  section  is  to  sink  out  of  sight  and  appear  only  at  intervals. 

The  eastern  and  major  portion  of  Rio  Grande  Coimty  embraces  the  flanking 
foothills  and  mesas  and  the  western  limit  of  the  San  Luis  Valley,  which  here 
iias  an  average  altitude  of  about  7,700  feet.  The  Rio  Grande  River  passes 
easterly  through  the  northern  portion  of  that  county,  and  with  tributaries 
affords  drainage.  The  principal  tributaries  from  the  south  are  Park,  Abiti,  Wolf, 
Los  Pines,  San  Francisco  and  Alamosa :  from  the  north,  Beaver,  Bear  and 
Embargo  creeks. 

The  topography  of  Custer  County  in  a  general  way,  is  that  of  a  compara 
ti\ely  level  basin  or  valley,  within  two  mountain  ranges.  The  average  altitude 
of  the  valley  is  about  8,000  feet.  On  the  west  the  Sangre  de  Cristo  Range  rises 
quite  abruptly  to  12,000  feet,  and  contains  mountain  peaks  that  reach  an  eleva- 
tion of  over  14,000  feet  above  sea  level.  The  range  front  is  scarred  by  deep 
ravines  or  gorges,  with  precipitous  cliffs  or  walls.  Rising  some  6,000  feet  above 
the  valley,  the  bold,  rugged,  front  and  pyramidal  peaks  present  one  of  the 
most  striking  views  in  the  mountains.  The  main  rock  of  the  mountain  top  is 
granite,  but  of  somewhat  different  type  to  that  common  to  the  Front  Range. 
Along  and  flanking  the  mountain  front  Carboniferous  sandstones  and  conglomer- 
ates  predominate. 

The  valley  which  bears  the  same  name  as  the  mountain  range  on  the  east — 
viz..  Wet  Mountain — is  about  twenty-five  miles  long  and  fourteen  to  twenty 
miles  wide.    It  is  one  of  the  widest  mountain  valleys  in  the  state. 

The  Wet  Mountains  on  the  east,  originally  known  as  the  Sierra  Ma j ado,  is 
a  comparatively  low  mountain  range.  The  highest  points  are  about  11,000  feet, 
somewhat  irregular  and  separated  by  comparatively  shallow  valleys,  with  easy 
slopes.    The  rock  mass  composing  this  range  is  a  coarse-grained  granite. 

The  main  drainage  of  this  section  is  through  Grape  Creek  and  its  numerous 
small  tributaries,  which  empty  into  the  Arkansas  River. 

Huerfano  and  Las  Animas  counties  border  the  Great  Plains  country,  the 
western  boundary  being  the  crest  of  the  Sangre  de  Cristo  and  Culebra  mountain 
ranges.  In  the  south  portion  are  the  Spanish  Peaks,  and  in  the  north  the  south- 
ern extremity  of  the  Wet  Mountains.  The  drainage  is  through  Huerfano  and 
Cuchara,  the  Purgatorial  and  Las  Animas  rivers,  the  Apishapa  and  many  tribu- 
taries to  the  Arkansas  River. 

The  southern  boundary  of  Las  Animas  County  passes  over  the  summit 
of  the  Raton   Mountains.    The  mountainous  sections  are  covered   with  a  good 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  11 

growth  of  pine  timber,  and  interspersed  with  comparatively  broad  valleys.  Ad- 
joining the  foothills  the  mesas,  or  table  lands,  merge  into  the  level  plains  on 
the  east. 

In  Mineral  County,  in  the  southwest  part  of  the  state,  the  drainage  is  through 
the  K;()  Cirande  River  and  numerous  tributaries.  The  water-shed  of  the  Rio 
Gnmde  River  is  a  basin-like  area  of  horseshoe  shape.  On  the  north  edge  of 
Mineral  County  the  La  Garita  Mountains  have  a  southwesterly  course,  and 
near  the  west  boundary  of  Hinsdale  County  unite  with  the  San  Juan  Mountains. 
This  latter  range,  from  point  of  junction,  trends  southward,  and,  gradually  turn- 
ing to  southwest,  passes  through  the  southern  part  of  Mineral  County.  The  crests 
of  the  two  ranges  form  the  Continental  Divide,  which  may  be  said  to  encircle 
the  county  on  the  north,  w^est  and  south  sides. 

Considered  as  a  whole,  the  topography  is  unusually  rugged.  The  surround- 
ing mountain  chains  rise  from  10,000  to  over  13,000  feet  above  sea  level.  From 
these  occur  somewhat  detached  spurs,  culminating  in  peaks  12,000  feet  and 
over,  and  occupying  the  central  portion.  The  intervening  valleys  are,  in  the 
main,  quite  narrow,  but  locally  widen  out  into  enclosed  basins  or  parks  of  con- 
siderable size. 

In  the  south  central  part  of  the  state  lies  what  is  known  as  the  San  Luis 
\'alley.  Skirting  the  south  and  west  are  sections  rich  in  coal  and  minerals.  F'or 
the  purpose  of  a  topographical  description  the  central  and  south  central  section 
comprises  Mineral,  Rio  Grande,  Saguache,  Conejos,  Costilla,  Alamosa,  Chaffee, 
Custer,  Huerfano  and  Las  Animas  counties. 

The  west  boundary  of  Chafifee  County  is  formed  by  the  Continental  Divide 
of  the  Saguache  Range,  and  the  east  boundary  follows  the  more  prominent 
peaks  of  the  Park  Range.  The  intervening  valley  embraces  the  Arkansas  River, 
which  with  its  tributaries  affords  drainage  for  the  county.  This  valley  varies 
from  an  altitude  of  7,000  feet  at  the  southern  to  9,000  feet  at  the  northern 
boundary.  While  it  is  quite  narrow  near  the  south-central  portion  of  the  county, 
the  valley  widens  to  twelve  or  fifteen  miles  and  carries  this  width  for  about 
thirty  miles  in  the  central  portion.  The  Saguache  Range  on  the  west  rises  to 
14,375  ^sst  "^^  Mount  Shavano,  14,245  at  Mount  Antero,  Princeton  14,190,  Yale 
14,187,  Haywood  14,575,  and  '-='  Plata  14,311  feet  above  sea  level. 

On  the  west  the  main  tributaries  of  the  Arkansas  River  are  Cash,  Clear,  Pine, 
Cottonw-ood,  Chalk,  Browns,  lioyds.  South  Arkansas  and  Poncha  creeks.  On 
the  east,  Sweetwater,  I'>adgcr  and  Iroiit  creeks.  These  streams  in  the  main 
course  through  the  granite-gneiss  complex  or  metamorphic  rocks  common  to 
the  Rocky  Mountain  system.  Kear  tiie  base  of  the  mountains  tliey  usually 
occupy  more  or  less  rugged  canyons  and  locally  expose  remnants  of  strata 
assignable  to  the  Paleozoic. 

The  Chalk  Creek  Hot  Springs  near  Haywood  h.ive  a  temperature  of  150° 
Fahrenheit;  Poncha  Springs,  a  grouj)  of  hot  niiner.il  waters  range  in  tempera- 
ture from  90"   to  168°,  Fahrenheit. 

The  southern  and  southwestern  section  of  the  state  comprises  San  Miguel, 
Dolores,  San  Juan,  Ouray.  Ilinsd.ilc,  Arcluilcta,  f,a  Plata  and  Montezuma  coun- 
ties, including  in  the  larger  part  of  tliese  boundaries  what  is  known  as  the  San 
Juan  country  and  one  of  the  richest  and  most  productive  sections  of  the  state. 

The  territory  embraced  within  .'-^.in  Juan  County  boundaries,  about  480  square 


12  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

miles,  is  very  mountainous.  The  San  Juan  J^Iountains  on  the  north  and  Needle 
Mountains  in  the  south,  with  their  numerous  spurs,  cover  the  entire  county. 
The  intervening  valleys  are  quite  narrow  in  the  main,  but  occasionally  widen 
out  into  small  park-like  areas.  Baker's  Park  is  the  largest  and  has  a  mean  alti- 
tude of  about  9,200  feet  above  sea  level.  Through  it  flows  the  Animas  River 
in  a  southerly  course,  aftording  the  main  drainage  of  the  county.  The  narrow 
valleys  adjoining  Baker's  Park  are  traversed  'oy  mountain  streams  that  find 
source  in  large  oval  basins  or  cirques  near  the  summit  of  the  surrounding  moun- 
tains. The  mountains  reach  a  maximum  altitude  of  nearly  14,000  feet  above  sea 
level.  The  lower  mountain  slopes  are  covered  with  a  heavy  growth  of  spruce 
timber,  which  ceases  to  grow  at  an  altitude  varying  from  10,000  to  11,000  feet. 
The  area  above  "timber  line"  in  San  Juan  County  is  greater  in  proportion  to  the 
total  area  of  the  county  than  in  any  other  sub-division  of  the  state. 

San  Miguel  County  in  its  eastern  portion  is  characterized  by  rugged  moun- 
tains with  numerous  cliff  exposures,  cut  by  deep,  narrow  canyons.  The  moun- 
tains culminate  in  numerous  peaks  that  reach  an  altitude  of  nearly  14,000  feet 
above  sea  level,  and  the  intervening  gulches  have  been  eroded  to  a  mean  eleva- 
tion of  about  9,000  feet.  The  west  portion  of  the  county  embraces  the  eastern 
limit  of  the  Great  Sage  Plains  of  Utah,  having  a  mean  elevation  of  about  7.500 
feet. 

Dolores  County  embraces  an  area  of  about  1,000  square  miles.  The  east 
part  of  the  county  is  mountainous,  with  rugged  peaks  rising  from  12,000  to 
14,000  feet  above  sea  level.  The  west,  and  by  far  the  greater  part,  consists  of 
elevated  plateaus  sloping  gradually  toward  the  west  and  varying  from  an  alti- 
tude of  8,500  feet  near  the  mountains  to  about  6.000  feet  near  the  Utah  line. 
The  mountain  area  is  drained  by  the  East  and  West  forks  of  the  Dolores  River 
and  numerous  tributaries.  These  streams  have  a  general  southwest  and  south 
course  and  unite  about  twenty  miles  below  Rico  in  Montezuma  County.  The 
main  river  makes  a  somewhat  lengthy  detour  south  and  west,  then  turns  north- 
ward and  crosses  Dolores  County  a  short  distance  east  of  the  Utah  line. 

In  the  Hayden  atlas,  based  upon  work  of  the  survey  in  1874-76,  the  moun- 
tains of  eastern  Dolores  County  are  designated  as  the  "Bear  River  Mountains." 
Later  work  of  the  geological  survey  has  for  good  reasons  changed  the  name 
to  the  Rico  Mountains. 

Hinsdale  County  consists  of  rugged  mountain  chains,  with  comparatively 
narrow  valleys  intervening,  well-watered  by  streams.  The  valleys  occasionally 
widen  into  comparatively  level  parks  and  vary  in  altitude  from  8,000  to  9.000 
feet  above  the  sea  level.  The  mountains  in  individual  peaks  are  from  12,000 
to  14,000  feet  above  tide-water.  L^ncompahgre  Peak,  in  the  northwest  corner, 
is  14,289  feet,  and  is  one  of  the  highest  in  the  state.  The  San  Juan  Mountains 
form  the  west  boundan,'  in  the  northern  part  and  cross  the  south  portion  of 
the  county  in  a  southeast  direction.  Near  the  center  of  the  west  boundary  a  spur 
extends  from  the  San  Juan  Range  in  a  northeast  direction  and  joins  the  Coche- 
topa  Hills  in  Saguache  County.  This  range-spur  forms  the  Continental  Divide 
at  this  point.  The  territory  embraced  within  county  boundaries  is  therefore 
on  both  the  Atlantic  and  Pacific  slopes.  The  north  portion  drains  through  the 
Gunnison    River,    the    south    through    San    Juan,    both    streams    emptying    later 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  13 

into  the  Colorado  on  the  Pacific  Slope.  The  central  portion  drains  through 
the  Rio  Grande  to  the  Atlantic  side. 

Archuleta  County  as  a  whole  is  a  hilly  one,  composed  of  numerous  mesas 
and  ridges  of  sedimentary  rock,  intersected  with  equally  numerous  valleys 
locally  widening  into  parks.  The  hills  and  mesas  are  timbered  with  some  of 
the  finest  timber  in  the  state,  principally  white  pine,  yellow  pine,  red  and  white 
spruce.  These  trees  often  attain  a  thickness  of  three  feet  or  more,  and  run 
up  for  fifty  or  sixty  feet,  a  straight  column  without  a  branch. 

The  peaks  of  the  adjacent  Conejos  Range  average  from  12,000  to  13,500 
feet.  The  average  altitude  of  the  valleys  and  parks  is  between  7,000  and  8,000 
feet.     The  mesas  may  rise  500  feet  above  this. 

Prior  to  the  advent  of  the  white  man  what  are  now  termed  Pagosa  Springs 
were  known  among  the  Indians  as  the  "Great  Medicine  Waters,"  or  "Healing 
Waters,"  and  their  possession  jealously  guarded.  The  main  spring  basin  is 
50  by  75  feet  in  size,  and  presents  the  appearance  of  an  immense  seething 
caldron.  The  temperature  of  the  water  is  148  degrees  Fahrenheit.  The  outlet 
from  this  pool  evidences  the  probability  of  the  springs  being  justly  entitled  to 
the  claim  of  the  "largest  hot  spring  in  the  world." 

Montezuma  County  embraces  the  eastern  limits  of  the  Utah  Plains,  through 
which  two  isolated  groups  of  mountains  have  risen.  The  El  Late  group  occupies 
about  forty  square  miles  in  the  southwest  portion,  which  in  individual  peaks, 
reach  an  altitude  of  10,000  feet  above  sea  level.  La  Plata  Mountains  are  in  the 
northeast  part  of  the  county,  and  the  culminating  peaks  reach  an  altitude  of  over 
thirteen  thousand  feet.  The  plateau,  from  the  base  of  the  La  Plata  group,  de- 
scends in  a  gradual  slope  from  7,000  to  5,000  feet  at  the  west  county  boundary. 
The  drainage  of  the  east  and  south  portions  of  the  county  is  through  the  Rio  de  la 
Mancos  and  its  tributaries.  The  northern  portion  drains  into  the  Dolores  River, 
which  enters,  makes  a  big  bend,  and  finds  egress  through  the  north  boundary 
line. 

La  Plata  County. — The  topographical  features  of  the  southwestern  section  are 
those  common  to  rugged  mountains,  flanked  by  foothills  and  lofty  mesas,  inter- 
sected by  streams  and  gulches  cutting  through  the  country  at  irregular  intervals. 
In  the  north  part  of  La  Plata  County  are  the  Needle  Mountains,  in  the  west- 
central  portion  the  La  Plata  Mountains,  each  containing  peaks  that  reach  an  alti- 
tude of  between  13,000  and  14,000  feet  above  sea  level.  The  valley  and  mesa 
lands  vary  from  an  elevation  of  6,500  feet,  at  Durango,  to  6,100  feet,  near  the 
southern  border.  The  county  is  well  watered,  and  drains  through  three  principal 
streams,  viz..  La  Plata,  Animas  and  Los  Pinos  rivers.  These  streams  are  roughly 
parallel,  rise  in  the  lofty  mountain  ranges  lying  on  the  northwest  and  north,  and 
flow  in  a  southerly  course.  The  La  Plata  drains  the  west,  the  Animas  the  central 
and  the  Los  Pinos  the  east  portions  of  this  section. 

Mineral  springs,  both  hot  and  cold,  occur  in  several  localities.  The  best  im- 
proved are  the  Trimble  Hot  Springs,  about  nine  miles  from  Durango. 

Wjth  the  exception  of  a  small  portion  in  the  north  end,  the  topography  of 
Ouray  County  is  that  of  rugged  mountains,  a  number  ojf  which  reach  an  altitude 
of  13,000  to  over  fourteen  thousand  feet  above  .'■■ea  level.  Tiie  various  streams 
head,  generally,  in  large  open  basins,  or  glacial  cirques,  well  uji  above  timber  line, 


14  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

and  near  the  top  of  the  cuhninating  ridges  connecting  the  more  prominent  moun- 
tain peaks.  Below  the  basins,  these  streams  occupy  eroded  valleys  or  gulches, 
gradually  deepening  into  somewhat  narrow  canyons,  and  finally  uniting  with  the 
Uncompahgre  River,  and  making  exit  through  the  north  county  boundary  line  at 
an  altitude  of  6,500  feet.  Timber  is  abundant  on  the  various  mountain  slopes,  and 
grows  to  an  elevation  of  10,500  to  11,500  feet  above  sea  level. 

Ouray  County,  in  its  southern  portion  embraces  a  small  part  of  the  San  Juan 
Mountains  composed  almost  entirely  of  volcanic  rocks.  These  rocks  consist,  in 
the  main,  of  tuffs,  agglomerates  and  lavas  of  andesite  and  rhyolite.  In  the  up- 
per horizons  the  different  lava  flows  lie  practically  horizontal,  differ  somewhat 
in  color  and  present  a  stratified  appearance.  Later,  this  volcanic  complex  has 
been  penetrated  by  a  variety  of  eruptive  rocks  in  the  form  of  somewhat  massive 
intrusions  and  numerous  dikes. 

Lake  County  is  situated  on  the  west  flank  of  the  Mosquito  Range,  near  the 
head  or  north  end  of  Arkansas  Valley,  and  has  a  mean  elevation  of  10,200  feet. 
The  Saguache  Range  on  the  west  and  the  Mosquito  Range  on  the  east  have  a 
comparatively  uniform  elevation  of  from  thirteen  thousand  to  fourteen  thousand 
feet  above  sea  level.  The  north  as  well  as  west  boundary  form  the  Continental 
Divide.  This  basin-like  area  is  drained  by  the  Arkansas  River,  which  flows  in 
a  southerly  course,  and  a  number  of  tributaries  that  rise  in  the  mountain  ranges 
upon  the  east  and  west  sides.  In  the  vicinity  of  Leadville  the  Arkansas  flows 
through  a  comparatively  flat  and  level  valley,  six  to  ten  miles  wide.  On  either 
side  mesa-like  benches  rise  one  above  the  other  to  the  foothills  flanking  the 
mountain  ranges.  The  City  of  Leadville  occupies  one  of  these  mesas,  about 
three  miles  west  of  the  river  valley  proper,  near  the  base  of  the  rounded  foot- 
hills, and  north  of  California  Gulch. 

Summit  County  is  embraced  within  boundaries  that  are  outlined  by  the  crests 
of  mountain  ranges,  viz.,  the  Williams  River  Mountains  on  the  east,  the  Conti- 
nental Divide  on  the  south,  and  the  Park  Range  on  the  west.  The  included  terri- 
tory lies  wholly  on  the  Pacific  Slope  and  embraces  the  valleys  of  the  Blue,  Swan, 
Snake  and  Ten  Mile  rivers,  with  the  drainage  basins  of-  their  tributaries,  all  of 
which  unite  with  the  Blue  and  form  one  of  the  large  tributaries  of  Grand  River, 
which  it  joins  near  the  north  county  boundary. 

In  the  central  west  lie  Rio  Blanco,  Garfield,  Mesa,  Delta  and  Montrose  coun- 
ties. 

Rio  Blanco  is  included  within  the  drainage  basins  formed  by  the  Yampa 
Plateau,  Danforth  Hills  and  Williams  River  Mountains  on  the  north  and  east, 
and  the  White  River  Plateau,  Book  Cliffs  and  Roan  or  Book  Plateau  on  the 
south.  The  White  River  Valley  rises  from  an  altitude  of  five  thousand  feet  at 
the  western  boundary  of  the  county  to  nine  thousand  feet  near  the  eastern  limit. 
The  mountain  peaks  in  the  eastern  part  vary  from  ten  thousand  to  twelve  thou- 
sand five  hundred  feet,  and  the  plateaus  on  the  north  and  south  from  eight 
thousand  to  nine  thousand  five  hundred  feet  above  sea  level. 

In  Garfield  County  the  drainage  is  through  the  Grand  River,  which  enters  the 
ea.st  county  boundary  near  the  center  and  flows  in  a  general  southwest  direction, 
passing  through  the  south  boundary  line  west  of  the  center.  The  main  tributaries 
from  the  south  are  Roaring  Fork,  Divide  and  Maroon  creeks ;  from  the  north. 
Elk.  Rifle,  Parachute  and  Roan.     These  streams  occupy  narrow  valleys,  which 


16  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

locally  open  out  into  comparatively  wide  and  level  parks,  and  in  other  places  are 
closely  confined  by  narrow  walls. 

Along  the  Grand  River,  Garfield  County,  for  a  distance  of  a  half-mile  or  more 
are  noted  hot  springs.  They  occur  at  intervals,  and  appear  to  issue  from  a  fissure 
in  the  Paleozoic  rocks.  The  largest  and  best  improved  are  on  the  north  side  of 
the  river.  The  largest  group  of  springs,  called  the  Yampa,  has  a  flow  of  about 
two  thousand  gallons  per  minute  and  has  a  temperature  of  120  degrees  Fahren- 
heit. 

In  Mesa  County  the  drainage  is  through  the  Grand  and  Gunnison  rivers,  two 
of  the  largest  streams  in  the  state.  The  valleys  along  these  streams  and  tribu- 
taries are  of  varying  width,  but  are,  in  the  main,  comparatively  wide  and  very 
fertile. 

The  northeast  portion  of  Montrose  County  embraces  the  southern  limit  of  the 
West  Elk  Mountains.     Through  this  section  the  Gunnison  River  flows. 

The  Cerro  Hills  separate  the  valleys  of  the  Uncompahgre  and  Cimarron,  and 
both  have  streams  that  rise  well  back  in  the  rugged  San  Juan  Mountains,  lying 
south  of  the  southern  boundary  line.  The  Uncompahgre  River  fiows  north  and 
northwest  through  the  country  to  its  junction  with  the  Gunnison  River.  On  the 
west  and  southwest  side  of  the  river  the  broad  valley  rises  gradually  from  six 
thousand  to  ten  thousand  feet  above  sea  level  to  another  broad  mesa  known  as 
the  Uncompahgre  Plateau.  From  the  northeast  slope  of  this  plateau  a  number 
of  streams  flow  in  a  northeasterly  course  and  join  the  Uncompahgre  River.  Still 
farther  west  there  is  another  comparatively  level  mesa  known  as  the  San  Miguel 
Plateau.  This  plateau  is  drained  by  tributaries  that  flow  westward  and  join  the 
San  Miguel  and  Dolores  rivers.  Just  beyond  the  west  border  are  the  Sierra  la 
-Sal  Mountains. 

In  Delta  County  the  north  and  east  county  boundaries  are  outlined  by  natural 
topographical  divisions.  The  higher  points  rise  from  ten  thousand  to  twelve 
thousand  feet  above  sea  level,  and  the  valleys  vary  in  altitude  from  four  thousand 
eight  hundred  to  six  thousand  five  hundred  feet. 

In  the  next  group,  northwestern  Colorado,  are  Larimer,  Jackson,  Grand, 
Routt,  and  Moffat. 

The  east  portion  of  Larimer  County  embraces  about  eighteen  miles  of  the 
western  limits  of  the  Great  Plains  section.  In  the  western  portion  the  Front 
Range  of  the  Rocky  Mountain  system  ceases,  and  merges  into  the  Medicine  Bow 
Range  in  Jackson  County.  These  ranges  have  a  general  northwesterly  course. 
The  Park  Range,  on  the  west,  separates  Routt  and  Jackson  counties,  and  the 
north  limit  of  the  Front  Range  is  topographically  connected  with  the  Park  Range 
by  an  east  and  west  chain,  which  chain,  with  the  Park  and  Front  ranges,  form 
the  Continental  Divide.  North  Park  is  a  large  basin-like  section,  in  the  west  part 
of  the  county,  lying  between  the  Park  and  Medicine  Bow  ranges,  and  north  of 
the  range  connecting  the  two,  and  separating  North  and  Middle  parks,  the  latter 
in  Grand  County.  North  Park  proper  is  a  broad,  comparatively  level  basin,  free 
of  timber,  thirty  miles  wide,  east  and  west,  by  forty  miles  long,  north  and  south. 
The  altitude  ranges  from  eight  thousand  to  nine  thousand  feet  above  sea  level. 
The  plains  section  in  the  east  part  of  Larimer  County  varies  fro  1  five  thousand 
to  five  thousand  five  hundred  feet,  and  the  mountain  chains  culminate  in  Jackson 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  17 

CVmiity  in  numerous  peaks  ranging  from  eleven  thousand  to  fourteen  thousand 
feel  above  tide-water. 

The  drainage  is  through  the  Little  and  Big  Thompson  and  Cache  la  I'oudre 
rivers,  which  flow  in  a  general  southeast  direction  and  unite  with  the  South 
Platte  River.  The  North  Platte  I'iiver  finds  source  through  a  number  of  radiat- 
ing tributaries  in  North  Park  and  fknvs  north  into  Wyoming.  The  Big  Laramie 
River  and  tributaries  drain  the  east  slojjc  of  the  Medicine  Bow  Range  and  flow 
north  into  the  Laramie  Plains  of  Wyoming. 

In  Crand  County  is  the  bYont  Range;  on  the  south,  the  Williams  River  Moun- 
tains; on  the  west,  the  Park  Range;  and  on  the  north,  an  east  and  west  range 
that  connects  the  Front  and  Park  ranges,  separates  North  from  .Middle  Park,  and 
forms  the  Continental  Divide. 

The  entire  drainage  is  through  the  Grand  River  and  its  tributaries.  This 
stream  flows  practically  east  and  west  through  the  center  of  the  county,  and  its 
tributaries  have  a  general  north  or  south  course.  Near  the  east  boundary  the 
Grand  River  proper  divides  into  two  main  branches,  known  as  the  North  and 
South  forks.  These  branches,  with  their  tributaries,  drain  the  west  slope  of  the 
Front  Range.  From  the  south  the  I-"razer,  Williams  and  Blue  rivers  are  the  main 
tributaries  to  the  Grand  River,  and  all  flow  in  a  northerly  course.  Between  the 
Frazer  and  Williams  rivers  there  is  a  mountain  range  called  the  Vasquez  Moun- 
tains. Between  the  Williams  River  and  the  Blue  is  a  range  known  as  the  Wil- 
liams River  Mountains.  These  ranges  or  spurs  are  roughly  parallel  to  the  Park 
and  Front  ranges,  and  the  east  and  west  slopes  have  a  number  of  small  streams 
that  are  tributary  to  the  main  streams  which  occupy  the  intervening  valleys.  The 
north  part  of  the  county  has  a  series  of  streams  that  flow  south  to  the  Grand.  The 
principal  streams  from  east  to  west  are  the  Stillwater,  Willow,  Troublesome  and 
Muddy  creeks.  Each  of  these  streams  has  a  number  of  tributaries  and  occupies 
a  valley  separated  by  ridges,  but  not  so  pronounced  as  those  on  the  south  side. 

The  central  portion  of  the  county  is  known  as  Middle  Park.  It  differs  ma- 
terially, however,  from  the  broad,  open  and  comparatively  level  and  timberless 
basins  known  as  North  and  South  parks.  Middle  Park  is  practically  a  series  of 
valleys  along  Grand  River,  with  the  contiguous  vtlleys  of  the  tributaries  of  the 
river.  The  intervening  ridges  are  as  a  rule  heavily  timbered,  and  little  idea  of  the 
general  topography  may  be  gained  except  from  some  of  the  prominent  sur- 
rounding mountain  peaks.  Locally  the  valley  land  is  much  restricted,  but  gen- 
erally the  valleys  are  of  good  width  and  comparatively  level.  They  vary  in  alti- 
tude from  seven  thousand  to  nine  thousand  feet.  The  surrounding  mountains 
have  numerous  peaks  that  reach  12,000  and  Long's  Peak,  on  the  cast,  passes  above 
the-  fourteen  thousand  foot  mark. 

Routt  and  Moflfat  counties  extend  to  the  northwestern  corner  of  the  state. 
Near  the  northeast  corner  the  eruptive  mountain  group  called  the  Elk  Head 
Mountains  is  the  most  prominent  uplift.  This  group  contains  a  number  of  cul- 
minating points  that  reach  an  altitude  of  nearly  eleven  thousand  feet,  the  most 
prominent  and  perhaps  best  known  being  Hahn's  and  Anita  peaks.  Both  of 
these  are  very  prominent  landmarks,  the  latter  being  generally  called  the  "Bear's 
F.ars."  on  accofr^t  of  its  peculiar  formation.  Along  the  south  ]iart  of  the  county 
the  Williams  River  Mountains,  Dan  forth  Hills  and  Yampa  Plateau,  are  elevated 

]iortions  varying  in  altitude  from  eight  thousand  to  nearly  ten  thousand  feet.    The 
Vol.  1— J 


18  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

main  drainage  is  through  the  Yampa  or  Bear  River,  which  flows  in  a  general  west- 
ward course  through  the  center  of  the  section  and  is  joined  by  numerous  tribu- 
taries from  north  and  south.  The  main  streams  from  the  north  are  Elk,  Elk  Head, 
Fortification  and  Little  Snake ;  from  the  south,  Williams  River  and  Milk  Creek. 

It  contains  150  mineral  springs,  all  of  which  differ  more  or  less  in  amount  of 
solids  held  in  suspension  and  in  accompanying  gases. 

Gunnison,  Pitkin,  Eagle,  Lake  and  Summit  are  a  central  group  with  a  varying 
topography.  The  Continental  Divide  or  Saguache  Range,  forms  the  east  boundary 
line  of  Gunnison  County,  and  has  a  general  north  and  south  course. 

The  main  drainage  is  through  the  Gunnison  River,  which  flows  westward  and 
departs  from  the  county  south  of  its  center  through  the  well  known  Black  Cation. 
Numerous  tributaries  join  the  river  in  the  canyon.  From  the  south  the  principal 
streams  are  Lake  Fork  and  White  Earth  creeks ;  from  the  north,  Curecanti,  Sapi- 
nero.  West  Elk  and  Ohio  creeks.  Near  Gunnison,  which  is  the  county  seat  and 
occupies  a  south-central  position  in  the  county,  the  Tomichi  joins  the  river.  This 
stream  carries  the  waters  from  the  southeast  part  and  its  main  branches  find 
source  well  up  toward  the  Continental  Divide.  Gunnison  River  is  formed  by 
the  junction  of  Slate  and  Taylor  rivers  at  Almont,  about  nine  miles  north  of 
Gunnison.  These  streams,  with  tributaries,  care  for  the  waters  in  the  northeast ; 
the  North  Fork  of  the  Gunnison  carries  the  drainage  from  the  northwest,  and 
the  extreme  north  section  is  drained  by  Rock  Creek,  which  is  tributary  to  the 
Grand  River. 

The  topography  of  Pitkin  County,  taken  as  a  whole,  is  quite  diversified.  On 
the  east  is  the  Continental  Divide  of  the  Saguache  Range,  separating  Pitkin  and 
Lake  counties,  and  in  the  south  and  west  sections  embrace  in  part  the  Elk  Moun- 
tains. Both  of  these  ranges  contain  noted  landmarks,  such  as  Mount  Massive  on 
the  east,  14,424  feet,  and  Castle  Peak,  14,115  feet,  and  Maroon  Mountain,  14,008 
feet  above  sea  level,  on  the  south.  The  general  drainage  is  toward  the  northwest 
through  the  Roaring  Fork,  one  of  the  main  tributaries  of  Grand  River.  The 
main  tributaries  of  Roaring  Fork  are  Frying  Pan,  Hunter,  Woody,  Lincoln,  Diffi- 
cult, Castle,  Maroon,  Sopris,  Avalanche  and  Rock  creeks.  These  with  their  nu- 
merous small  feeders  receive  the  waters  from  drainage  basins  near  the  mountain 
divides  at  a  varying  altitude  of  ten  thousand  to  thirteen  thousand  feet,  and  eventu- 
ally unite  and  pass  out  through  the  Roaring  Fork  Valley  at  an  altitude  of  about 
six  thousand  six  hundred  feet. 

The  drainage  of  Eagle  County  is  to  the  Pacific  Slope  and  through  the  Frying 
Pan,  Eagle  and  Grand  rivers  and  the  Piney.  The  Frying  Pan  and  tributaries 
are  in  the  southwest  part  of  the  county.  The  Eagle  River  rises  near  the  south- 
east corner,  flows  approximately  north  to  the  center  of  the  county,  then  turns 
west  and  joins  the  Grand.  The  Grand  River  flows  in  a  southwest  direction  through 
the  northwest  portion,  and  the  Piney.  in  the  east  and  northeast,  flows  northwest 
and  joins  the  Grand.  All  these  streams  have  numerous  tributaries  of  more  or 
less  importance.  The  crest  of  the  Park  Range  of  mountains  on  the  east  forms 
the  dividing  line  between  Eagle  and  Summit  counties.  This  range  is  quite  rugged, 
and  rises  in  peaks  to  over  twelve  thousand  feet  above  sea  level.  Near  the  south 
boundary  the  most  prominent  landmark  is  the  Mount  of  the  Holy  Cross.  This 
peak  rises  to  an  elevation  exceeding  fourteen  thousand  feet,  and  practically  marks 
the  northern  limit  of  the  Saguache  Range. 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  19 

The  Great  Plains  section  of  Colorado  extends  from  the  foothills  to  its  eastern 
boundary.  There  are  no  large  streams  in  the  northern  district  with  the  excep- 
tion of  the  Platte  River.  The  small  streams  in  the  southern  part  flow  south  to  the 
Arkansas  River  and  in  the  north  to  the  South  Platte.  The  Republican  River  rises 
in  this  district  and  is  fed  by  many  small  streams.  The  average  annual  rainfall 
here  varies  from  twelve  to  twenty  inches.  In  wjiat  is  called  the  Divide  between 
the  Arkansas  and  the  Platte  rivers  from  the  foothills  east  the  rainfall  is  con- 
siderably heavier  than  on  the  lower  lands  on  both  sides. 

The  surface  throughout  is  level  or  gently  rolling  with  a  few  restricted  areas 
of  valley  or  broken  land.  The  soil  is  largely  a  sandy  loam  varying  greatly  in 
depth. 


CHAPTER  II 
THE  SPANISH  AND  FRENCH  PERIODS  OF  EXPLORATION 

SPANISH        JURISDICTION DE  VAC.V's       EXPLORATION CORONADO's       EXPEDITION 

FATHER    PADILLa's    FATE — MOSCOSCO's     MARCH ONATe's     EXPEDITION BONIL- 

LA's       EXPEDITION ONATE's      SECOND       EXPEDITION PUEBLO       UPRISING THE 

FRENCH   MENACE VALVERDE's   EXPEDITION ESCALANTE's   EXPLORATIONS — THE 

LAST  SPANISH    EXPEDITION THE   FRENCH FRENCH    BELIEFS   AND   CLAIMS DU 

TISNE — LA  HARPE BOURGMONt'S  SECOND  APPEARANCE THE  MALLET  BROTHERS 

fabree  de  la  bruyere — gov^ernmental  aspects 

The  Spanish 
spanish  jurisdiction 

In  order  to  give  a  proper  perspective  to  the  history  of  modern  Colorado,  its 
growth,  institutions  and  relative  matters,  a  few  prefatory  remarks  concerning 
the  early  Spanish,  French  and  English  periods  of  explorations  are  necessary. 
Upon  this  solid  groundwork  of  discovery  and  romantic  tradition  the  story  of  the 
State  of  Colorado  is  laid.  These  adventurous  and  danger-loving  men  who  first 
traversed  the  ranges,  canyons  and  mountains  of  this  country  were  actuated  by 
the  greed  of  their  native  countries  across  the  sea,  but  they  failed  to  build  strongly 
and  the  land  eventually  became  the  permanent  possession  of  the  United  States. 
But  it  is  with  these  early  explorations  that  we  now  have  to  do. 

The  first  of  the  jurisdictions  under  which  the  present  territory  of  Colorado 
came  was'  that  of  "Nueva  Espana" — or  New  Spain,  which  covered  an  immense 
part  of  North  America  in  the  Sixteenth  Century.  The  domain  of  this  empire 
included  all  of  Mexico,  practically  all  of  the  land  west  of  the  Mississippi  River 
and  extended  into  the  unknown  and  unexplored  regions  of  the  Great  Northwest. 
Spain's  right  of  ownership  was  based  solely  upon  the  discoveries  in  the  New 
World  made  by  her  subjects  during  the  first  half  of  the  century.  In  15 19  Alvarez 
de  Pineda  discovered  the  Mississippi  River  and  named  it  "Rio  del  Espiritu  Santo" ; 
and  within  the  next  quarter  century  Spanish  explorers  had  crossed  parts  of  the 
present  states  of  New  Mexico,  Arizona,  Texas,  Louisiana,  Arkansas,  Oklahoma, 
■  Kansas  and  Colorado.  The  first  settlements  were  made  upon  the  eastern  coast 
of  the  United  States  at  a  time  when  fully  four-fifths  of  the  present  area  of  the 
Union  was  Spanish  territory,  under  the  rights  of  discovery. 

The  Spanish  held  undisputed  sway  over  this  vast  territory  and  were  not  in 
any  way  threatened  until  the  closing  years  of  the  Seventeenth  Century.  Then  the 
Sieur  de  la  Salle  descended  the  Mississippi  River  and  on  .A.pril  9,  1682,  took  pos- 

20 


CHEYENNE  SPRINGS,  MANITOU 


MANITOU 


22  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

session  of  this  "Father  of  Waters"  in  the  name  of  the  French  Crown.  He  in- 
cluded with  the  Mississippi  all  the  tributaries  and  the  lands  through  which  they 
flowed  and  which  they  drained ;  thus  declaring  ownership  over  a  great  extent  of 
country  from  the  Alleghanies  to  the  Rockies.  He  named  the  new  possession 
"Louisiane,"  in  honor  of  his  sovereign,  Louis  XIV.  Louisiane  comprised  about 
one-half  of  the  present  area  of  the  United  States  and  included  a  large  portion 
of  Colorado.  Spain  naturally  denied  the  right  of  France  to  any  land  west  of 
the  Mississippi,  but  the  French  succeeded  in  holding  all  they  had  claimed  until 
X'ovember,  1762,  when  a  secret  treaty  was  drawn  up,  by  which  the  Mississippi 
again  became  the  eastern  and  northeastern  boundary  of  New  Spain,  or  New 
Mexico  as  it  was  called  by  that  time. 

devaca's  exploration 

Spanish  history  in  the  territory  now  included  in  the  southwestern  part  of 
the  United  States  begins  with  the  story  of  Alvaro  Nunez  Cabeza  de  Vaca,  a 
Spanish  nobleman,  and  his  three  companions,  Andres  Dorantes,  Alonzo  del  Cas- 
tillo Maldonado  and  an  African  negro  named  Estevanico  (Stephen).  These 
were  the  first  Europeans  to  come  into  this  part  of  the  country,  and  were  sur- 
vivors of  the  ill-fated  De  Narvaez  expedition  into  the  Florida  country  in  1528. 
De  Vaca  was  held  a  prisoner  by  Indians  near  Galveston,  Texas,  but  after  several 
years  escaped  and  struck  out  for  the  interior,  where  he  joined  his  companions. 
The  four  started  in  search  of  Spanish  settlements  in  Mexico  and  slowly  made 
their  way  from  one  tribe  of  Indians  to  another.  Their  course  is  not  known,  but 
in  time  they  reached  the  western  coast  of  Mexico,  where  they  met  a  band  of  their 
countrymen.  Supplied  with  guides,  De  Vaca  and  his  companions  later  reached 
the  City  of  Mexico  in  July,  1536,  after  wandering  for  fully  eight  years. 

De  Vaca's  story  of  the  unexplored  country  through  which  he  had  passed  and 
his  account  of  the  tales  which  had  been  told  him  by  the  Indians  fired  the  imag- 
ination of  the  Spaniards  and  they  came  to  believe  of  rich  and  thriving  cities  far 
to  the  northward,  where  the  sole  industry  of  the  people  was  the  making  of  gold 
and  silver  articles.  Nuiio  de  Guzman,  a  high  official  in  the  administration  of 
New  Spain,  inspired  by  De  Vaca's  stories  and  those  of  an  Indian,  guided  an 
expedition  northward  from  Mexico  City,  but  did  not  go  farther  than  the  Yaqut 
River.  Don  Antonio  de  Mendoza,  viceroy  of  all  New  Spain,  also  determined  to 
forage  among  the  rich  cities  of  the  North  and  made  preparations  for  a  large  ex- 
pedition. He  first  despatched  a  scouting  party,  led  by  two  Franciscan  friars, 
Juan  de  la  Asuncion  and  Pedro  Madal,  which  traveled  as  far  as  the  Gila  River  in 
Arizona,  then  abandoned  the  quest.  Not  to  be  discouraged,  however,  Mendoza 
formed  a  second  party  and  chose  Marcos  de  Nizza,  a  Franciscan,  captain.  Ac- 
companied by  the  negro,  Stephen,  and  Onorato,  a  lay  brother  of  the  order,  De 
Nizza  began  his  journey  to  the  northward. 

Onorato  left  the  party  soon  on  account  of  sickness,  so  De  Nizza  and  Stephen 
pushed  on,  acquiring  many  Indians  in  their  party  as  they  progressed.  After  a 
time,  Stephen  and  a  party  of  Indians  were  sent  ahead  of  De  Nizza  and  the  others, 
with  instructions  to  report  by  messenger.  In  June,  1539,  De  Nizza  reached  the 
"Land  of  Cibola" — the  "buffalo  country,"  where  the  seven  rich  cities  were  sup- 
posed to  be  located.     Here  he  learned  that  Stephen  had  been  murdered. 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  23 

Stephen  and  his  Indians  had  discovered  a  great  pueblo  in  the  western  part  of 
tlie  present  New  Mexico.  Despite  the  warnings  of  the  inhabitants,  Stephen  went 
among  them.  After  a  few  days  his  presence  became  so  intolerable  that  the  natives 
put  him  to  death,  with  a  number  of  his  Indian  companions.  Those  of  the  party 
who  escaped  hurried  southward  and  one  of  them  returned  to  De  Nizza  with  the 
account  of  Stephen's  death.  The  intrepid  friar,  though  dismayed  by  the  news, 
refused  to  retreat  until  he  had  obtained  a  view  of  the  "city."  He  reached  a 
high  point  of  land  and  from  this  eminence  saw  the  "City  of  Cibola"  in  the  dis- 
tance. Then  he  returned  home,  where  his  vivid  and  colorful  tales  more  than 
substantiated  the  wildest  of  De  Vaca's  stories  of  the  rich  peoples  to  the  north. 
De  Nizza  really  believed  that  the  pueblo  which  he  had  viewed  from  a  distance  to 
be  larger  and  richer  than  the  City  of  Mexico. 

CORONADO'S    EXPEDITION 

De  Nizza  stirred  the  imagination  of  the  Spaniards  as  no  one  had  done  before. 
Dreams  of  a  country  vastly  richer  than  Peru  were  indulged  in  by  the  people.  The 
remembrance  of  cargoes  of  gold  and  silver  from  that  South  American  country 
only  stimulated  their  desire  to  loot  the  mysterious  cities  of  the  still  more  mys- 
terious north.  Mendoza  in  particular  resolved  upon  a  huge  expedition  for  the 
invasion  of  the  country  which  De  Nizza,  De  Vaca  and  others  had  painted  in  such 
glorious  colors. 

Accordingly,  in  the  fall  of  1539,  Mendoza  financed  and  equipped  an  expedi- 
tion to  be  captained  by  Francisco  de  Coronado,  the  young  governor  of  New 
Galicia.  On  February  23,  1540,  Coronado  left  Compostella,  in  New  Galicia,  with 
Friar  Marcos,  three  other  Franciscans,  260  Spanish  cavaliers,  seventy  Spanish 
footmen,  over  a  thousand  Indians  and  servants,  six  pieces  of  artillery  and  about 
a  thousand  horses.  This  army  entered  what  is  now  the  southeastern  corner  of 
the  State  of  Arizona  by  the  end  of  the  following  spring.  The  rest  of  the  year 
was  spent  in  subduing  the  Pueblo  Indians  and  various  minor  explorations.  Win- 
ter found  the  expedition  encamped  on  the  Rio  Grande  River,  discouraged  and 
disillusioned. 

An  Indian,  supposed  to  have  been  a  Pawnee,  'who  lived  at  the  Pecos  Pueblo 
fifty  miles  north  of  Coronado's  encampment,  told  the  Spaniards  that  he  was  from 
a  rich  city  1,000  miles  to  the  northeast,  where  even  the  commonest  of  utensils 
were  made  of  gold.  The  "Turk,"  as  he  was  called  by  the  Spanish,  promised  to 
lead  them  thither. 

This  incident  had  a  rejuvenating  effect  upon  the  fagged  and  heart-weary  ex- 
plorers, so  on  April  21,  1541,  the  march  was  begim.  Ten  days  later  the  plains 
Indians  were  first  encountered.  A  captain  in  the  expedition,  Juan  Jaramillo, 
afterward  wrote  that  "we  began  to  enter  the  ])lains  where  the  cows  (buffalos) 
are,  although  we  did  not  find  them  for  some  four  or  five  days.  ♦  *  *  We 
found  Indians  among  these  first  cows,  who  were,  on  this  account,  called  'Que- 
rechos'  by  those  in  the  flat-roof  houses."  One  authority  suggests  the  resemblance 
of  the  name  "Querechos"  to  Apaches. 

Having  crossed  the  Canadian  River,  or  the  southerly  branch  of  the  same,  the 
Coronado  party  proceeded  in  a  northeasterly  course.  The  exact  route  taken  by 
Coronado  has  never  been  determined  definitely,  several  different  versions  having 


24  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

been  given  by  as  many  historians  and  investigators.  It  is  probable  that  Coronado 
reached  the  southeastern  part  of  the  present  Colorado;  at  least,  a'  study  of  the 
different  histories  of  the  expedition  would  seem  to  establish  this  fact. 

The  "Turk"  eventually  guided  the  expedition  in  an  easterly,  then  southeasterly, 
course,  diverting  the  Spaniards  from  the  original  trail.  On  the  thirty-fifth  day 
of  the  movement  named  a  halt  was  made  at  another  Indian  village,  the  inhabi- 
tants of  which  were  given  the  name  of  "Teyans,"  and  who  were  undoubtedly 
Comanches.  Coronado  estimated  at  this  time  that  he  had  traveled  fully  650 
miles  from  the  encampment  on  the  Rio  Grande.  They  were  now  probably  in 
what  is  now  Oklahoma,  on  the  north  fork  of  the  Canadian  River.  Here  Coronado 
first  learned  that  De  Vaca  had  visited  this  village. 

A  council  was  held  and  it  was  decided  that  the  main  part  of  the  expedition 
should  go  no  farther  in  search  of  the  mythical  City  of  Quivira,  but  should  return 
to  the  Rio  Grande,  while  Coronado  and  thirty  of  his  picked  horsemen  should  con- 
tinue the  journey  as  planned.  This  was  done  and  forty-two  days  later,  after 
crossing  the  Arkansas  River  and  marching  to  the  northeast,  Coronado  reached 
Quivira. 

Here,  instead  of  finding  a  wealthy  and  populous  city,  the  Spaniards  discovered 
a  lonely  village  of  Indians,  probably  Pawnees,  who  earned  their  living  by  hunting 
buffalo  and  raising  patches  of  corn.  For  twenty-five  days  the  explorers  remained 
at  Quivira,  garroting  the  "Turk"  to  appease  their  anger  and  disappointment  and 
in  punishment  for  his  duplicity. 

Then,  with  several  Quivira  Indians  to  guide  them,  the  party  began  the  return 
journey  to  the  Rio  Grande.  The  route  taken  is  thought  to  have  been  one  familiar 
to  the  Indians  in  their  travels  to  the  "flat-roof"  villages  and  which  undoubtedly 
crossed  southeastern  Colorado. 

Coronado  met  with  a  cold  reception  when  he  returned  to  the  capital  of  Xew 
Spain  and  was  openly  snubbed  by  Mendoza.  He  did  not  deserve  to  be  discredited 
for  his  failure  to  find  the  mythical  cities  of  treasure,  but  the  fact  remains  that 
his  own  sense  of  disgrace  and  the  obscurity  forced  upon  him  by  his  fellows  bore 
upon  him  until  the  day  of  his  death,  while  he  was  yet  a  comparatively  young 
man. 

The  exact  location  of  Quivira  is  not  known.  Coronado  claimed  that  it  was 
"950  leagues,"  or  2,470  miles,  from  the  City  of  Mexico.  It  is  thought  by  the  best 
of  writers  that  Coronado's  farthest  point  into  the  interior  of  what  is  now  the 
United  States  was  in  the  vicinity  of  Junction  City,  Kansas.  Quivira  appeared  on 
both  English  and  French  maps  in  the  early  days,  in  various  latitudes  and  longi- 
tudes, and  was  really  thought  to  exist. 

FATHER  PADILL.^'S   FATE 

When  Coronado  started  upon  his  homeward  trip  one  member  of  his  party. 
Father  Juan  de  Padilla,  decided  to  stay  and  undertake  missionary  work  among 
the  Indians.  With  him  went  Andres  del  Campo  and  three  educated  Indians  of 
Coronado's  band.  They  set  out  with  the  Quivira  guides  who  were  returning  to 
their  own  people.  Upon  the  way  Father  Padilla  crossed  a  corner  of  Colorado. 
After  arriving  among  the  Quivira  Indians  he  found  a  portion  of  them  hostile  to 
him  and  it  was  not  long  before  he  suffered  death  at  the  hands  of  these  savages. 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  25 

Campo  and  the  Mexican  Indians  escaping  and  finally  reaching  Tampico,  Mexico, 
there  to  relate  the  story  of  Father  Padilla  and  his  fate. 

MOSCOSCO'S    MARCH 

In  1542-43  Louis  Moscosco  de  Alvarado,  who  was  one  of  De  Soto's  lieuten- 
ants in  the  Florida  expedition,  explored  deeply  into  the  northern  part  of  New 
Spain.  While  De  Soto  was  in  Florida,  stories  had  been  brought  concerning  the 
activities  in  the  West,  Coronado's  expedition  in  particular.  After  De  Soto's  death 
Moscosco  began  his  march  westward  from  the  Mississippi,  having  been  ap- 
pointed commander  by  De  Soto.  After  many  days'  journey,  it  is  recorded  that 
his  scouts  sighted  mountain  ranges  to  the  westward,  supposedly  the  Rockies.  A 
few  early  geographical  charts  represent  Moscosco's  route  as  having  crossed 
southeastern  Colorado,  but,  allowing  for  discrepancies  in  latitude  and  longitude, 
it  is  improbable  that  he  reached  the  present  borders  of  the  state  by  several  hun- 
dred miles. 

Following  these  many  attemjits  to  thoroughly  explore  the  country  comprised 
in  New  Spain,  there  were  very  few  expeditions  of  any  consequence  for  a  period 
of  over  forty  years.  Friars  went  into  the  country  of  the  Pueblo  Indians,  seeking 
to  establish  missions,  but  most  of  them  met  death  as  their  reward. 

onate's  expedition 

In  1595,  Juan  de  Onate,  a  prominent  Spaniard  of  the  time,  relative  of  Cortez 
and  Montezuma,  attem])ted  a  large  expedition  into  the  northern  country  for  ex- 
ploration and  colonization  if  possible.  His  actual  start  was  about  three  years 
later  and  his  course  followed  up  the  Rio  Grande  Valley  and  into  the  San  Luis 
Park  region  of  Colorado.  About  thirty  miles  above  the  site  of  Santa  Fe.  Onata 
founded  the  Town  of  San  Gabriel,  the  second  in  the  territory  now  the  United 
States.     Seven  years  later  Onate  founded  Santa  Fe. 

A  short  time  after  establishing  San  Gabriel  Onate  despatched  Iiis  nephew. 
Juan  de  Zaldivar,  with  a  company  of  cavaliers,  farther  into  the  interior.  It  is 
believed  that  Zaldivar  progressed  along  the  foothills  nearly  to  the  site  of  Denver. 

I10NILL.\'.S   EXPEDITION 

The  undertaking  of  I">ancisco  Leyva  Bonilla  in  the  year  1595  ^^''^s  one  fraught 
with  tragedy  and  failure.  P)0nilla  was  sent  to  subdue  an  Indian  tribe  among  the 
northern  settlements  and  had  instructions  to  continue  in  search  of  Quivira  if  the 
condition  of  his  men  warranted  it.  Other  authorities  have  claimed  that  Bonilla 
exceeded  his  orders  by  continuing  northward.  Nevertheless,  he  traveled  up  the 
Rio  Grande  Valley  to  the  plains.  Here,  in  a  quarrel  with  Juan  de  Humana,  one 
of  his  officers,  Bonilla  was  killed.  Humana  took  charge  of  the  expedition,  which 
then  had  passed  through  southeastern  Colorado  into  southwestern  Kansas.  After 
crossing  a  large  river  (Arkansas),  Humana  and  his  men  were  surrounded  bv 
Indians  while  encamped.  The  savages  fired  the  dry  grass  around  the  Spaniards 
and  all  were  killed  with  the  exccjition  of  two — .'Vlonzo  Sanchez  and  a  half-Iireed 
Indian  girl.  Sanchez  afterward  became  a  chieftain  in  tlic  tribe  of  his  would-be 
murderers. 


26  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

onate's  second  expedition 

In  1601  Onate  organized  another  expedition  and  started  northeastward,  both 
for  the  purpose  of  continuing  Zaldivar's  search  and  to  learn  more  of  the  ill-fated 
Humana  expedition.  For  over  three  months  he  was  absent  upon  this  journey.  He 
came  as  far  north  as  the  site  of  Denver,  then  turned  eastward  into  eastern  Kan- 
sas and,  according  to  modern  writers,  went  as  far  as  the  Missouri  River,  either 
in  Kansas  or  Nebraska.  Nothing  of  material  advantage  resulted  from  this  sec- 
ond expedition,  aside  from  the  fact  that  Onate  discovered  the  spot  where  Humana 
and  his  soldiers  had  been  annihilated  by  the  Indians. 

Following  Onate's  last  attempt  to  discover  riches  in  the  north,  there  were  no 
more  expeditions  of  consequence  until  1662.  Roving  bands  of  Spaniards  traveled 
north  in  search  of  adventure,  and  generally  found  it,  but  their  result  was  negative. 

PUEBLO  UPRISING 

Near  the  close  of  the  Seventeenth  Century  the  Spanish  settlements  along 
the  Rio  Grande  from  the  Taos  Valley  to  Socorro  had  become  numerous.  Stock 
raising  and  mining  for  gold  were  the  chief  occupations  of  the  people.  Pueblo 
Indians  were  made  slaves  by  the  Spaniards  and  compelled  to  do  all  the  heavy 
work  in  the  mines.  This  naturally  led  to  an  uprising  among  the  natives,  which 
occurred  in  August,  1680.  Then  came  days  of  massacre  and  conflict,  with  the 
result  that  the  Spaniards  were  either  killed  or  driven  southward  toward  El  Paso. 
By  September  ist,  it  is  recorded,  not  a  live  Spaniard  -was  left  upon  the  Upper 
Rio  Grande  and  all  the  settlements  were  destroyed. 

Notwithstanding  their  utter  defeat  at  first,  the  Spanish  quickly  recuperated 
and  sent  out  small  bands  to  engage  the  Indians.  Finally,  in  1693-94,  Don  Diego 
de  Vargas,  after  desperate  fighting,  succeeded  in  retaking  the  land,  but  not  in 
returning  the  Indians  to  a  state  of  slavery. 

THE  FRENCH   MENACE 

With  the  beginning  of  the  Eighteenth  Century  there  appeared  a  distinct 
menace  to  the  Spanish  and  their  rights  in  New  Spain.  This  menace  was  com- 
prised of  French  explorers  and  colonists.  La  Salle  came  from  France  in  the 
winter  of  1684-85,  with  a  party  of  colonists,  and  had  located  on  the  Gulf  Coast 
about  one  hundred  miles  southwest  of  Galveston.  He  had  previously,  in  1682, 
taken  possession  of  the  Mississippi  River,  all  its  tributaries  and  basin,  in  the 
name  of  the  French  Crown.  Settlements  were  made  near  New  Orleans  in  1699 
and  also  in  the  present  southern  part  of  Illinois. 

At  the  same  time  the  Spanish  had  considerably  extended  their  field  of  opera- 
tions. Traders,  missionaries  and  adventurers  had  gone  as  far.  as  Montana  and 
Illinois.  Many  instances  are  recorded  wherein  the  Spanish  and  French  had  found 
evidences  of  each  other's  presence  in  different  places.  The  trails  crossed  many 
times,  but  until  1719  there  were  no  signs  of  resistance  by  either. 

VALVERDE's  EXPEDITION 

In  1 7 19  Governor  Valverde  assembled  about  one  hundred  soldiers  and  their 
followers  for  an  expedition  against  the  French,  whose  inroads  upon  Spanish  ter- 


PIONEER  MONUMENT,  DENVER 


28  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

ritory  had  become  serious.  Their  first  purpose  was  to  settle  with  some  unruly 
Comanche  Indians  and  then  continue  the  campaign  against  the  French.  The 
party  was  joined  later  by  Apaches,  who  had  engaged  in  sanguinary  conflict  with 
the  French.  Although  Valverde  claimed  that  he  advanced  farther  north  than 
any  other  Spanish  explorer,  his  purpose  vczs  unfulfilled  and  the  expedition  was 
devoid  of  important  results. 

In  1720  another  military  force,  imder  Pedro  Villasur,  left  Santa  Fe  to  es- 
tablish a  garrison  on  the  northeast  Spanish  frontier.  The  object,  as  stated  in  the 
De  Montigny  Memoirs,  was  to  destroy  the  Missouri  Indians,  who  were  French 
allies,  and  then  confiscate  the  country,  also  to  form  an  alliance  with  the  Pawnees, 
who  were  hostile  to  the  Missouris.  The  Spanish  first  met  the  Missouri  Indians 
and  mistook  them  for  Pawnees.  Unwittingly  they  bargained  with  these  Indians 
and  thus  exposed  their  whole  plot.  The  Missouris  maintained  their  bluff  and 
three  days  later,  reinforced,  fell  upon  the  Spaniards  and  annihilated  them. 

From  this  time  there  appears  to  have  been  no  more  militar}'  expeditions  by 
the  Spanish  against  the  French  on  the  northeastern  border  of  New  Spain.  The 
latter  were  practically  unrestricted  in  their  operations  in  this  territory.  How- 
ever, the  Spanish  turned  their  attentions  in  another  direction  and  resumed  their 
long  journeys  from  the  Rio  Grande  settlements.  Little  is  known  of  these  explora- 
tions, for  the  simple  reason  that  the  Spanish  did  not  keep  records  or  maps  of  their 
travels,  thus  differing  from  the  French. 

In  the  middle  of  the  Eighteenth  Century  the  present  San  Juan  section  of  Colo- 
rado became  a  district  of  great  interest  and  several  expeditions  were  sent  there 
by  the  Spanish  in  search  of  gold  and  silver.  The  first  of  these  was  that  of  Juan 
Maria  Rivera  in  1761.  This  prospecting  trip,  such  as  it  was,  occupied  a  few 
months'  time  without  noteworthy  result.  Rivera  and  his  companions  are  said 
to  have  been  the  first  white  men  to  visit  the  Gunnison  \"alley. 

escal.'\nte's  exploration 

About  1773  Father  Junipero  Serra,  in  charge  of  the  Spanish  missions  in  Upper 
California,  urged  that  a  road  be  established  from  Santa  Fe  to  his  missions  on  the 
Pacific  Coast.  Until  1776  his  pleas  were  ignored,  then  Father  Francisco  Silvestre 
Velez  Escalante  was  given  the  authority  to  head  such  an  expedition  into  Cali- 
fornia. 

This  exploring  party  started  their  journey  in  a  northwesterly  dii-ection  and 
entered  what  is  now  Archuleta  County.  They  reached  the  San  Juan  River  and 
encamped  at  a  point  three  leagues  below  the  junction  with  the  Navajo  on  August 
5th.  This  spot  they  called  Nuestra  Seiiora  de  las  Nieves  and  it  was  the  first 
named  site  in  Colorado  of  which  the  exact  date  is  known. 

From  this  place  Escalante  again  took  up  his  northwesterly  course,  crossing 
several  tributaries  of  the  San  Juan  and  giving  them  such  names  as  Piedra  Parada, 
Pinos,- Florida,  and  Las  Animas.  In  order  to  avoid  confusion,  it  must  be  stated 
that  the  Rio  las  Animas,  or  Purgatory,  is  a  tributary  of  the  Arkansas  in  the  south- 
eastern part  of  the  state  and  the  Rio  las  Animas  in  southwestern  Colorado  is  a 
tributary  of  the  San  Juan.  Escalante  gave  the  appellation  of  Sierra  de  la  Grulla 
to  the  easterlv  extension  of  La  Plata  Range  and  called  the  La  Plata  River  the 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  29 

Rio  de  San  Joaquim.  In  the  valley  of  the  latter  stream  Escalante  found  evidences 
of  Rivera's  mining  investigations. 

Arriving  at  the  Rio  Mancos,  he  heard  from  the  Indians  tales  of  gold  mines 
to  the  northeast  and  also  saw  the  ruins  of  the  ancient  Cliff  Dwellers  in  this  dis- 
trict. He  was  the  first  white  man  to  visit  these  historic  ruins,  but  he  saw  only 
a  part  of  them.  From  the  Mancos  Escalante  proceeded  northward  to  the  Rio 
Dolores.  Along  this  stream  he  gave  names  to  localities  such  as  Asuncion,  Aqua 
Tapada,  Canon  Agua  Escondida,  Miera  Labarinto,  and  Ancon  San  Bernardo. 
To  a  small  tributary  of  the  Dolores  the  name  of  Paraliticas  was  given,  the  name 
suggested  by  the  sight  of  three  paralyzed  Ute  squaws  the  party  met  there.  Gyp- 
sum Valley  was  entered  about  this  point,  otherwise  called  Cajon  Del  Yeso.  After 
ascending  to  a  mesa,  the  party  went  on  to  the  next  halting  point,  called  San 
Bernabe.  Another  six  leagues  of  march  brought  them  to  the  San  Miguel  River, 
which  they  called  Rio  de  San  Pedro.  Places  of  encampment  upon  this  stream 
were  San  Luis,  San  Felipe  and  Fuento  de  la  Guia.  Leaving  the  San  Miguel  they 
crossed  the  Canada  Honda,  probably  the  Uncompahgre  Park,  and  encamped  again 
at  the  Ojo  de  Lain,  so  named  in  honor  of  their  guide.  Here  Escalante  reached 
the  Uncompahgre  River  and  christened  it  the  Rio  Francisco.  The  first  station 
farther  on  was  named  San  Augustin.  It  was  estimated  by  the  travelers  that  the 
distance  from  the  Uncompahgre  to  the  Gunnison  River,  as  they  went,  was  about 
ten  leagues.  The  Indians  called  the  Gunnison  by  the  name  of  Tomichi,  but  Es- 
calante renamed  it  the  San  Javier.  A  cross  on  the  river  bluff  established  the 
fact  that  Rivera  had  reached  this  point. 

Proceeding  up  the  Gunnison  the  .Spaniards  came  to  another  stream,  which  they 
named  Santa  Rosa,  and  still  farther  they  found  another  which  they  called  Rio 
Santa  Monica.  Then  came  the  Rio  San  Antonia  Martir,  the  present  Divide 
Creek.  The  two  buttes.  North  Mam  and  South  Mam,  they  gave  the  names  of 
San  Silvestre  and  Nebuncari.  Mam  Creek  they  named  Rio  de  Santa  Rosalia. 
Across  the  summit  of  Elk  Range  the  party  took  their  way  and  descended  into 
the  valley  of  the  Grand  River,  which  river  Escalante  named  Rio  de  San  Rafael. 
Continuing  in  a  northwesterly  course  from  the  Grand  they  next  encountered  the 
White  River,  called  by  them  Rio  de  San  Clementc.  Their  point  of  contact  with 
this  river  was  about  the  Colorado-Utah  line  and  the  date  September  9th. 

From  here  the  Escalante  party  passed  into  what  is  now  the  State  of  Utah. 
From  this  state  they  returned  to  Santa  Fe.  .\Uhough  I'^scalante  did  not  succeed 
in  his  original  purpose,  his  name  has  been  prominently  recorded  in  the  history 
of  the  southwest  part  of  the  United  States.  In  the  northwestern  corner  of  Colo- 
rado his  name  has  been  given  to  a  large  range  of  mountain  hills.  Some  years 
later  a  trail  was  laid  down  from  Santa  Fe  to  Los  Angeles,  which  traversed  south- 
western Colorado  for  a  distance  of   115  miles. 

TUK  I.A.ST  SP.VNISir  KXPEDITIOX 

The  last  Sjianish  ex]5cdition  to  travel  into  the  north  country  from  the  south 
was  that  commanded  by  Lieut.  Don  Facundo  Mclgares.  This  was  primarily  a 
military  enterprise,  undertaken  after  the  United  States  had  purchased  the  Prov- 
ince of  Louisiana.  The  Spanish  became  alarmed  over  the  claims  of  the  United 
.States  and  the  rumors  of  Pike's  expedition  into  the  West,     The  Mclgares  expedi- 


30  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

tion  accordingly  was  organized  to  go  out  to  meet  the  incursions  of  Pike,  to  ex- 
plore all  the  country  between  the  Platte  and  Arkansas  rivers  to  the  Missouri 
River,  and  to  make  friends  with  the  Comanche,  Pawnee,  Kansas  and  other  Indian 
tribes.  Melgares  and  his  little  army  marched  into  the  Comanche  country  and 
bestowed  upon  the  Indians  presents  and  commissions,  then  went  northeast  to  the 
Arkansas  River,  to  a  place  now  in  the  southern  part  of  Kansas.  With  a  part  of 
his  force,  Melgares  then  entered  the  Pawnee  country  in  the  northern  section  of 
Kansas,  all  the  time  watching  for  Pike.  Returning  to  the  other  part  of  his  band 
on  the  Arkansas  Melgares  then  followed  the  stream  nearly  to  the  site  of  Canon 
City,  still  in  search  of  Pike.  In  this  quest  he  failed,  as  Pike  came  later,  but  the 
two  had  occasion  to  meet  later  while  Pike  was  a  partial  prisoner  of  the  Spanish 
and  they  became  warm  friends. 

As  stated  before  this  was  the  last  of  the  Spanish  expeditions  in  the  north. 
At  this  writing  there  are  no  evidences  of  any  permanent  settlement  having  been 
made  upon  Colorado  soil  by  them.  From  this  time  on,  that  is  in  1806,  when  the 
Melgares  expedition  went  northward,  Spain's  participation  in  the  affairs  of  the 
Southwest  was  small.  Prior  to  this  time  they  had  been  masters  in  this  country, 
even  over  the  region  to  the  northwest  which  yet  was  unexplored.  The  treaty 
made  between  England  and  France  in  1763  took  from  the  French  all  their  au- 
thority over  the  land  now  in  the  United  States  and  left  it  under  the  control  of 
either  the  Spanish  or  English.  In  1800,  for  some  unknown  reason,  a  treaty  was 
made  by  Spain  and  France,  wherein  Spain  returned  to  France  all  the  territory 
which  the  latter  had  ceded  to  her  in  1762.  Three  years  later  France  sold  all  of 
this  territory  to  the  United  States,  a  negotiation  which  shall  be  described  further 
on.  However,  this  still  left  about  one-half  of  Colorado's  area  in  the  possession 
of  Spain.  Mexico  rebelled  in  the  first  part  of  the  Nineteenth  Century  and  in 
the  region  of  the  Rockies  she  replaced  Spanish  ownership.  About  fifteen  years 
later  the  Republic  of  Texas  came  into  existence  and  claimed  more  than  half  of 
the  present  New  Mexico,  about  two-fifths  of  Colorado  and  a  small  part  of  Wyo- 
ming. This  territory  Texas  held  when  admitted  to  the  Union  as  a  state.  The 
.American  war  with  Mexico  placed  the  boundary  between  the  country  approxi- 
mately the  same  as  at  present  and  made  Colorado  United  States  territory.  In 
1850  Texas  gave  up  claims  to  the  northwestern  part  of  her  territory  in  return 
for  a  large  sum  from  the  United  States  Government. 

The   French 

The  explorations  of  La  Salle,  Joliet  and  Marquette,  were  responsible  for  the 
French  claims  to  the  Mississippi  Valley  in  the  first  years  of  the  Eighteenth  Cen- 
tury. Also,  the  French  settlements  upon  the  Gulf  Coast  were  a  large  force  to 
this  same  end.  Prior  to  La  Salle's  voyage  down  the  Mississippi  very  few  claims 
were  made  by  the  French,  except  in  the  vicinity  of  the  St.  Lawrence  River  and  the 
Great  Lakes.  Afterward,  however,  they  claimed  all  of  the  Mississippi  Valley, 
which  included  fully  half  of  the  present  State  of  Colorado.  In  this  claim  the 
French  not  only  found  opposition  among  the  Spanish,  but  among  the  English 
upon  the  eastern  seaboard,  who  believed  that  their  charters  gave  them  possession 
of  the  land  from  sea  to  sea. 

The  belief  that  the  western  coast  of  .America  was  adjacent  to.  or  a  part  of. 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  31 

the  continent  of  Asia;  the  belief  of  a  great  waterway  leading  directly  from  the 
Mississippi  to  the  western  ocean ;  and  the  prevalence  of  rich  and  large  mines  of 
gold,  formed  the  basis  of  English  and  French  calculations  during  the  early 
period.  Mai>makers  confidently  arranged  their  maps  of  the  northwestern  terri- 
tory according  to  traditions  and  stories  heard  from  the  Indians  and  explorers. 
Unscrupulous  explorers,  such  as  La  Hontan,  conceived  marvelous  stories  of  great' 
rivers  and  Indian  tribes,  which  they  claimed  they  had  found  or  traced.  Boun- 
daries were  indelinite  and  neither  the  French  nor  the  Spanish  could  have  pointed 
out  exactly  the  territory  which  they  believed  to  be  theirs.  Consequently,  when 
the  French  became  the  owners  of  Louisiana,  they  claimed  a  vast  extent  of  coim- 
try- without  regard  to  the  rights  of  the  Spanish  or  English. 

One  of  the  first  attempts  of  the  French  to  explore  the  northwest  occurred  in 
1712,  when  a  band  of  adventurers  journeyed  for  several  months.  No  record  of 
this  enterprise  exists,  but  it  is  known  that  they  reached  the  plains  country  and 
heard  of  the  mountain  ranges  beyond.  At  this  same  time  French  traders  and 
trappers  had  begun  to  navigate  the  Missouri  River  and  its  tributaries.  Although 
it  was  some  time  before  any  of  these  traders  reached  the  site  of  Denver,  excur- 
sions of  equal  distance  in  other  directions  were  taken.  The  Crozat  Government 
in  Louisiana,  which  began  in  171 3,  endeavored  to  open  up  trade  with  the  Span- 
ish region  to  the  southwest  and  in  the  valley  of  the  Arkansas,  basing  its  hopes 
on  the  descriptions  furnished  by  Indians.    However,  this  attempt  was  abortive. 

As  an  instance  of  the  vague  idea  then  held  by  the  French  in  regard  to  their 
western  neighbors,  the  story  of  Bourgmont  may  be  mentioned.  In  171 7,  Bourg- 
mont,  an  explorer  who  had  become  familiar  with  the  lower  part  of  the  Missouri 
River,  reported  that  he  had  learned  of  the  existence  of  a  race  far  to  the  west 
which  traded  with  the  Pawnees.  The  French  accepted  this  story  and,  although 
they  knew  that  the  Spanish  were  in  that  remote  territory  and  that  a  large  ocean 
separated  China  from  America,  they  persisted  in  the  belief  that  this  new  race  was 
Chinese. 

In  1718  a  memorial  was  prepared  in  Paris,  outlining  a  plan  for  the  develop- 
ment of  the  mines  on  the  Missouri  and  for  making  Louisiana  the  commanding 
state  in  the  new  world.  The  memorial  also  stated :  "Inasmuch  as  the  Missouri 
has  one  branch  leading  to  the  South  Sea,  trade  can  also  be  opened  with  Japan 
and  China."  This  branch  assumed  to  lead  to  the  South  Sea  was  the  River 
Platte,  of  which  the  l'"rciuh  had  a  very  hazy  idea. 

DU    TISNE 

In  the  latter  part  of  the  year  1719  two  P^rench  exjilorers  started  for  the  western 
country,  in  order  to  gain  some  definite  knowledge  of  it  and  use  the  same  for  the 
benefit  of  their  country.  One  of  these  expeditions  was  under  command  of  Du 
Tisne.  He  started  from  Kaskaskia  and  eventually  arrived  at  a  Pawnee  village  near 
the  present  Fort  Riley,  Kansas,  where  he  raised  the  French  flag,  as  customary. 
He  made  friends  with  these  Indians,  and  then  proceeded  farther  to  visit  the  Padu- 
cahs,  after  having  gained  the  consent  of  the  Pawnees,  who  were  enemies  of  that 
tribe.  In  November  Du  Tisne  returned  to  Kaskaskia,  without  having  found  the 
supposed  Chinese  or  the  river  route  to  the  South  Sea. 


32  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

LA  HARPE 

The  other  expedition  of  Hke  character  was  under  the  leadership  of  Benard 
de  la  Harpe.  This  expedition  also  entered  the  country  of  the  Paducahs.  La 
Harpe  started  from  the  French  post  on  the  Lower  Red  River,  named  Natchitoches. 
He  ascended  the  Arkansas  River  and  probably  came  very  near,  if' not  into,  the 
plains  of  southeastern  Colorado.  At  the  point  where  the  Santa  Fe  trail  in  later 
years  crossed  the  river.  La  Harpe  found  an  inmiense  gathering  of  Indians  who 
were  friendly.  They  told  of  how  easy  it  would  be  to  reach  the  Spanish  settle- 
ments by  way  of  the  river,  but  cautioned  La  Harpe  against  doing  so,  well  knowing 
the  hostility  shown  by  the  Spanish  toward  the  French  intruders.  La  Harpe  re- 
turned to  his  starting  point  without  discovering  anything  of  value,  other  than 
the  feelings  of  the  Spaniards. 

The  expeditions  of  Du  Tisne  and  La  Harpe  greatly  alarmed  the  Spanish  and 
the  military  expedition  described  in  foregoing  paragraphs  was  despatched  to 
drive  out  the  invaders.  The  terrible  fate  of  this  expedition  at  the  hands  of  the 
Alissouri  Indians  has  been  described. 

In  1/21  La  Harpe  was  sent  upon  another  expedition,  which  was  no  more  suc- 
cessful than  the  first.  The  purpose  was  to  learn  whether  or  not  the  Arkansas  would 
make  a  satisfactory  route  for  trade  with  New  Mexico,  also  to  obtain  cattle  from 
the  Spaniards  upon  the  Rio  Grande. 

uourgmoxt's  second  appearance 

In  1722  Bourgmont,  whose  fifteen  years  among  the  Indians  of  the  Missouri 
country  had  well  qualified  him  for  such  work,  was  employed  by  the  Company 
of  the  West  Indies,  of  French  origin,  and  formed  for  the  purpose  of  extendmg 
commerce  in  Louisiana.  He  was  instructed  to  devise  means  to  hold  the  Spanish 
from  the  Missouri.  Bourgmont's  first  action  was  to  erect  a  fort  upon  an  island 
in  the  vicinity  of  the  present  Jefferson  City,  called  Fort  Orleans.  In  June,  1724, 
he  built  another  fort  up  the  Kansas  River.  Later,  desiring  to  make  friends  with 
the  Indians,  he  took  with  him  a  small  force  of  men  and  journeyed  into  the  ter- 
ritory occupied  by  the  Kansas  Indians.  At  a  council  held  with  these  Indians  they 
promised  Bourgmont  safe  conduct  for  French  traders  through  their  country  to 
the  Spanish  settlements  on  the  Rio  Grande.  This  was  the  last  formal  expedition 
by  the  French  for  a  period  of  fifteen  years.  Individual  traders  and  adventurers 
delved  into  the  mysteries  of  the  region  during  this  time,  returning  each  time  with 
bits  of  information  of  interest  to  the  French  go^'ernment. 

THE  MALLET  BROTHERS 

With  the  purpose  of  finding  a  waterway  into  New  Mexico,  or  to  find  the 
western  ocean  and  its  eastern  shore,  the  two  Mallet  brothers,  with  a  small  party  of 
Frenchmen,  left  the  French  settlements  in  Illinois  in  the  spring  of  1739  and  as- 
cended the  Missouri  River  as  far  as  the  village  of  the  Arickaree  Indians.  These 
Indians  pointed  out  to  them  that  they  were  on  the  wrong  road  to  the  New  Mexi- 
can settlements  and  redirected  them.  Then,  after  descending  the  Missouri  for  a 
distance,  the  Frenchmen  started  across  countrv  to  the  Platte,  then  known  as  the 


MONUMENT    TO    WINFIELD    SCOTT    STRATTON,     STRATTON 
PARK,   COLORADO   SPRINGS 


Vol.  1—8 


34  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

Riviere  des  Padoucas.  The  Mallet  brothers,  in  fact,  gave  this  river  the  name  of 
Riviere  la  Plat.  They  followed  this  stream  to  ihe  junction  of  the  North  and 
South  Platte,  then  proceeded  up  the  latter  to  its  meeting  with  the  Lodge-pole 
Creek,  in  the  vicinity  of  the  present  Julesburg.  The  party  then  left  the  river 
and  again  struck  out  across  the  plains  in  a  southwest  direction.  They  passed  the 
Arkansas,  crossed  the  southern  part  of  the  Sangre  de  Cristo  Range,  then  on  to 
Santa  Fe.  Here  they  remained  until  the  following  spring,  then  returned  toward 
the  Mississippi.  At  a  point  in  western  Oklahoma  the  band  separated,  one  cross- 
ing the  plains  to  the  Missouri,  and  the  other,  with  the  Mallets,  going  down  the 
Canadian  and  Arkansas  rivers  to  the  Mississippi,  thence  to  New  Orleans.  Thus, 
it  will  be  seen,  the  route  of  the  Mallet  brothers  across  Colorado  began  at  the 
northeast  corner  and  led  directly  across  the  state  from  north  to  south. 

Tlie  account  of  this  expedition,  when  told  to  Governor  Bienville  at  New 
Orleans,  led  all  the  officials  to  believe  that  the  Mallets  were  upon  Chinese  soil, 
Eastern  Asia,  when  they  were  tramping  across  Colorado.  The  governor  was  so 
excited  over  the  expedition  that  he  immediately  made  preparations  for  another, 
in  order  to  explore  more  deeply  into  the  West. 

FABREE  DE   LA   BRUYERE 

For  the  command  of  this  expedition  there  was  chosen  Fabree  de  la  Bruyere, 
a  naval  officer.  In  the  party  were  also  the  Mallet  brothers,  who  wished  to  share 
in  the  entrance  to  Asia,  which  they  profoundly  believed  possible.  La  Bruyere 
and  his  men  ascended  the  Mississippi  and  the  Arkansas  in  the  fall  of  1741,  but 
diverted  his  course  into  the  Canadian,  instead  of  continuing  up  the  Arkansas  as 
originally  intended.  About  one  hundred  miles  from  the  latter  stream's  mouth  he 
constructed  a  small  fort,  in  which  the  party  spent  the  winter  months.  During 
the  long  hours  of  this  wait,  the  prospect  of  finding  "Asia"  and  the  Chinese  be- 
came very  discouraging  and  resulted  in  the  decision  to  return  home.  Upon 
the  return  journey  a  stop  was  made  at  the  mouth  of  the  Canadian  and  all  the 
surrounding  region  was  claimed  in  the  name  of  the  French  king. 

La  Bruyere's  journey  ended  forever  the  French  quest  for  the  western  river 
connection  with  the  ocean  and  the  eastern  part  of  Asia.  No  more  expeditions 
were  made  in  the  direction  of  Colorado.  Whether  the  French  were  convinced  at 
last  that  these  things  sought  for  did  not  exist,  or  whether  the  resentment  shown 
by  the  Spanish  caused  them  to  seek  trade  territory  in  other  parts  of  Louisiana, 
is  hard  to  determine.  The  waterway  to  the  western  ocean,  proof  of  which  laid 
only  in  the  Indian  reports,  and  the  existence  of  the  City  of  Quivira,  persisted 
for  many  years. 

GOVERNMENTAL    ASPECTS 

Reference  has  been  made  in  the  earlier  paragraphs  of  this  chapter  to  Spain's 
claim  over  the  entire  northwest  territory.  Her  claim,  naturally,  was  based  upon 
the  "right  of  discovery,"  a  much  abused  phrase  and  one  calculated  to  cover 
a  multitude  of  governmental  sins.  Until  the  closing  years  of  the  Seventeenth 
Century  no  serious  opposition  appeared  from  the  Spanish  in  the  Southwest. 
Then,  in  1682,  when  La  Salle  took  possession  of  the  Mississippi  River  and  all 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  35 

its  immense  valley  from  the  Alleghanies  to  the  Rockies,  the  period  of  French 
government  may  be  said  to  have  begun.  In  1762,  eighty  years  after  La  Salle's 
voyage  down  the  Alississippi,  a  secret  treaty  was  consummated  between  France 
and  Spain,  the  terms  of  which  allowed  the  Mississippi  to  be  the  eastern  boundary 
of  New  Spain,  or  New  Mexico. 

England  declared  war  upon  Spain  in  1739  '^"'^^  upon  France  in  1744.  This 
overseas  struggle  did  not  end  until  1748  and  even  then  the  peace  compact  was 
considered  nothing  more  than  a  truce.  The  interests  of  France  and  England 
in  North  America  immediately  conflicted  and  in  seven  years  resulted  in  another 
war,  which  lasted  seven  years  more.  This  Seven  Years'  War  was  concluded  by 
the  Treaty  of  Fontainebleau  on  November  3,  1762,  by  which  France  ceded  to 
Great  Britain  all  that  part  of  Louisiana  lying  east  of  the  Mississippi  River  "ex- 
cept the  City  of  New  Orleans  and  the  island  upon  which  it  is  situated."  This 
treaty  was  ratified  by  the  Treaty  of  Paris  on  February  10,  1763,  at  which  time 
it  was  announced  that,  by  an  agreement  previously  made  in  secret,  "the  city 
and  island  of  New  Orleans,  and  all  that  part  of  Louisiana  lying  west  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi, including  the  whole  country  to  the  headwaters  of  the  great  river  and 
west  to  the  Rocky  Mountains,"  was  ceded  to  Spain.  In  this  way  Colorado  again 
became  Spanish  territory,  and  continued  so  until  the  beginning  of  the  Nine- 
teenth Century. 

The  French  Revolution  during  the  closing  years  of  the  Eighteenth  Century 
brought  into  prominence  two  of  the  most  noted  characters  in  European  history 
— Napoleon  and  Talleyrand.  These  two  great  Frenchmen,  feeling  deeply  the 
loss  of  their  country's  American  possessions,  soon  began  to  plan  for  the  rebuild- 
ing of  a  colonial  empire,  one  of  the  chief  features  of  which  was  the  recovery 
of  Louisiana.  At  that  time  Don  Carlos  IV  was  King  of  Spain,  but  Channing 
says:  "The  actual  rulers  in  Spain  were  Dofia  Maria  Luisa  de  Parma,  his  queen, 
and  Don  Manuel  Godoy,  el  Principe  de  la  Paz,  which  title  writers  of  English 
habitually  translate   'Prince   of    Peace.'  " 

Godoy,  who  had  been  influential  in  the  formation  and  adoption  of  the  Treaty 
of  Madrid  in  1795,  which  gave  the  United  States  the  free  navigation  of  the 
Mississippi,  knew  that  he  was  not  liked  by  Napoleon  and  Talleyrand.  There- 
fore, when  they  began  overtures  for  the  transfer  of  Louisiana  back  to  France, 
he  resigned  from  the  Spanish  ministry,  leaving  the  king  without  his  most 
efificient  advisor.  In  exchange  for  Louisiana,  Napoleon  and  Talleyrand  offered 
an  Italian  kingdom  of  at  least  one  million  inhabitants  for  the  Duke  de  Parma, 
prince  presumptive,  who  was  at  once  son-in-law  and  nephew  of  the  ruling  mon- 
archs.  The  State  of  Tuscany  was  selected  and  its  transfer  to  Spain  was  the 
condition  imposed  by  the  secret  Treaty  of  San  Ildefonso.  This  treaty  was  con- 
firmed by  the  Treaty  of  Madrid  on  March  21,  1801.  So  Colorado  again  became 
French  territory,  so  to  remain  until  1803,  when  by  the  Louisiana  Purchase,  her 
soil  came  into  the  possession  of  the  United  States.  Of  this  tremendous  negotia- 
tion a  description  is  given  in  the  following  chapter. 

Perhaps  the  first  governor  of  the  territory  now  in  Colorado  was  the  governor, 
or  commandant,  at  St.  Louis,  Captain  St.  Ange  of  the  French  Army,  who  went 
to  St.  Louis  in  1765,  a  short  time  after  the  founding  of  the  city  by  Laclede  and 
Choteau.  St.  Ange  was  succeeded  in  1770  by  the  first  Spanish  commandant, 
Don  Pedro  Piernas,  who  served  until  May  19,   1775,  when  he  was  relieved  by 


36  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

Don  Francisco  Crozat.  The  latter  remained  in  office  until  June  14,  1778, 
then  gave  way  to  Don  Fernando  de  Leyba.  De  Leyba  died  in  June,  1780, 
was  succeeded  by  Lieut.  Silvio  Francisco  Cartabona,  who  served  until  Crozat 
was  reappointed.  Crozat's  second  term  ended  November  25,  1787,  and  then  came 
Don  Manuel  Perez.  Zenon  Trudeau  followed  in  1793  and  stayed  until  1799. 
His  successor  was  Don  Carlos  Dehault  Delassus,  a  Frenchman  who  had  become 
a  Spanish  subject.  In  1800,  when  France  again  became  the  controlling  power 
over  Louisiana,  Delassus  yet  remained  at  his  post  and  governed  until  the  acqui- 
sition of  the  province  by  the  United  States  in  1803.  In  fact,  France  had  very 
little  jurisdiction,  other  than  nominal,  during  the  three  years.  At  this  point 
begins  the  history  of  the  American  development  of  the  Great  West,  which  story 
follows  in  the  next  chapter. 


CHAPTER  III    • 
THE  PERIOD  OF  AMERICAN  EXPLORATION 

THE    LOUISIANA    PURCHASE LEWIS    AND     CLARK ZEBULON     M.     PIKE HIS    FIRST 

AND   SECOND   EXPEDITIONS FIRST    VIEW    OF   THE    MOUNTAINS-^MEETING    WITH 

THE      SPANISH PIKE's      SINCERITY LONG's       EXPLORING       EXPEDITION FIRST 

ASCENT   OF   pike's    PEAK JOHN    C.    FREMONT THE    SECOND    EXPEDITION THE 

third  and  fourth  expeditions  of  fremont— the  gunnison  expedition 

Fremont's  last  expedition. 

the  louisiana  purchase 

A  copy  of  the  secret  treaty  between  France  and  Spain  which  was  confirmed  by 
the  Treaty  of  Madrid  (March  21,  1801)  was  sent  to  President  Jetferson  by  Rufus 
King,  then  United  States  Minister  to  England.  It  reached  the  White  House  on 
May  26,  1 801.  In  August  following,  Robert  R.  Livingston  went  to  France  as 
United  States  minister  and  immediately  upon  his  arrival  asked  Talleyrand,  then 
the  French  Prime  Minister,  if  the  Province  of  Louisiana  had  been  receded  to 
France.  Talleyrand  replied  in  the  negative,  and  in  one  sense  of  the  word  he 
was  justified  in  doing  so,  as  the  Treaty  of  Madrid  was  not  signed  by  the 
King  of  Spain  until  in  October,  1802.  When  President  Jefferson  received  a  copy 
of  the  treaty  sent  by  Mr.  King,  he  wrote  to  James  Monroe :  "There  is  consid- 
erable reason  to  apprehend  that  Spain  cedes  Louisiana  and  the  Floridas  to 
France.  To  my  mind  this  policy  is  very  unwise  for  both  France  and  Spain,  and 
very  ominous  to  us." 

During  the  next  twelve  months,  President  Jefferson  and  his  cabinet  officers 
were  kept  in  a  state  of  suspense  as  to  the  status  of  Louisiana  and  little  progress 
was  made  toward  a  satisfactory  adjustment  of  the  navigation  matter.  On  April 
18,  1802,  the  President  wrote  to  Mr.  Livingston  at  Paris,  advising  him  that  the 
American  people  were  anxiously  watching  France's  movements  with  regard  to 
Louisiana.  In  concluding  his  letter  he  said :  "The  day  that  France  takes  pos- 
session of  New  Orleans  fixes  the  sentence  which  is  to  restrain  her  forever  within 
her  low  water  mark.  It  seals  the  union  of  two  nations  who  in  conjunction  can 
maintain  exclusive  (control)  of  the  ocean.  From  that  moment  we  must  marry 
ourselves  to  the  British  fleet  and  nation.  The  first  cannon  which  .shall  be  fired 
in  Europe  will  be  the  signal  for  tearing  up  any  settlement  she  may  have  made, 
and  for  holding  the  two  continents  of  America  in  sequestration  for  the  common 
purpo.se  of  the  united  British  and  American  nations." 

Jefferson  did  not  desire  an  alliance  with  England,  but  was  firm  in  the  con- 
viction that  French  possession  of  Louisiana  would  force  the  United  States  to 

37 


38  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

adopt  such  a  course.  In  November,"  1802,  news  reached  Washington  that  the 
Spanish  authorities  at  New  Orleans  had  suddenly  and  without  warning  with- 
drawn the  right  of  deposit  at  that  port.  The  country — particularly  in  the  new 
settlements  in  the  Mississippi  and  Ohio  valleys — was  ablaze  with  indignation. 
The  federalists,  Jefferson's  political  opponents,  tried  to  force  the  administration 
into  some  policy  that  would  give  them  a  political  advantage,  but  their  efiforts 
were  futile.  Says  Channing:  "Never  in  all  his  long  and  varied  career  did  Jef- 
ferson's foxlike  discretion  stand  him  in  better  stead.  Instead  of  following  public 
clamor,  he  calmly  formulated  a  policy  and  carried  it  through  to  a  most  successful 
termination." 

In  his  message  to  Congress  at  the  opening  of  the  session  in  1802,  the  Presi- 
dent merely  stated  that  the  change  in  ownership  of  Louisiana  would  necessarily 
make  a  change  in  our  foreign  relations,  but  did  not  intimate  what  the  nature 
of  that  change  would  be.  On  January  7,  1803,  the  lower  house  of  Congress, 
acting  upon  the  President's  recommendation,  adopted  the  following  resolutions : 
"Resolved,  That  it  is  the  unalterable  determination  of  the  United  States  to  main- 
tain the  boundaries  and  rights  of  navigation  and  commerce  through  the  Mis- 
sissippi River,  as  established  by  existing  treaties." 

On  the  13th  of  the  same  month  Mr.  Jefferson  wrote  to  James  Monroe 
that  the  federalists  were  trying  to  force  the  United  States  into  war  in  order  to 
get  into  power.  About  the  same  time  he  wrote  to  Mr.  Livingston  that  if  France 
considered  Louisiana  indispensable  to  her  interests,  she  might  still  be  willing  to 
cede  to  the  United  States  the  island  of  Orleans  and  the  Floridas.  Or,  if  not 
willing  to  cede  the  island,  she  might  be  induced  to  grant  the  right  of  deposit  at 
New  Orleans  and  the  free  navigation  of  the  Mississippi,  as  it  had  previously 
been  under  the  Spanish  regime,  and  directed  him  to  open  negotiations  with  that 
end  in  view.  A  few  days  after  writing  this  letter,  thinking  the  cession  could  prob- 
ably be  more  easily  accomplished  by  sending  an  emissary  direct  from  the  United 
States  for  that  purpose,  he  appointed  James  Monroe  as  minister  plenipotentiary, 
to  cooperate  with  Minister  Livingston.  The  Senate  promptly  confirmed  Mr. 
Monroe's  appointment  and  Congress  placed  at  his  disposal  the  sum  of  $2,000,000 
to  be  used  by  him  and  Mr.  Livingston  to  pay  for  the  island. 

In  this  connection,  it  may  be  well  to  note  that  the  ultimate  success  of  Liv- 
ingston and  Monroe  was  no  doubt  furthered  by  a  letter  written  about  this  time 
by  Pichon,  the  French  minister  to  the  United  States,  to  Talleyrand,  in  which 
he  advised  the  French  prime  minister  that  the  people  of  the  United  States  were 
thoroughly  aroused  over  the  suspension  of  the  right  of  deposit,  and  that  the 
administration  might  be  forced  by  public  opinion  into  an  alliance  with  Great 
Britain.  War  between  England  and  France  had  just  been  renewed  and  Napoleon, 
realizing  the  superior  strength  of  the  British  Navy,  saw  that  it  would  be  a  diffi- 
cult undertaking  to  hold  Louisiana  if  an  alliance  should  be  made  between  Eng- 
land and  the  LTnited  States.  He  had  a  force  of  troops  under  General  Victor  ready 
to  send  to  New  Orleans,  but  learned  that  an  English  fleet  was  lying  in  wait  for 
Victor's  departure  and  countermanded  the  order. 

In  the  meantime  Livingston  had  opened  negotiations  for  the  cession  of  the 
island  of  Orleans  and  West  Florida,  believing  the  Floridas  were  included  in  the 
Treaty  of  San  Ildefonso.  On  April  11,  1803,  Napoleon  placed  the  entire  matter 
of  the  cession  in  the  hands  of  the  Marquis  de  Marbois,  minister  of  the  French 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  39 

Treasury,  and  the  same  day  Talleyrand  startled  Livingston  by  asking  if  the 
United  States  would  not  like  to  own  the  entire  Province  of  Louisiana.  Livingston 
gave  a  negative  reply,  but  Talleyrand  insisted  that  Louisiana  would  be  worth 
nothing  to  France  without  the  city  and  island  of  New  Orleans  and  asked  the 
American  minister  to  make  an  offer  for  the  whole  province.  Another  conference 
was  held  the  next  morning  and  that  afternoon  Mr.  Monroe  arrived  in  Paris. 
That  night  the  two  American  envoys  spent  several  hours  in  consultation,  the 
result  of  which  was  that  Mr.  Livingston  was  selected  to  conduct  the  negotiations. 

Several  days  were  then  spent  in  discussing  the  matter,  Marbois  at  first  asking 
125,000,000  francs  ($25,000,000)  for  the  whole  province,  though  it  afterward 
cropped  out  that  Napoleon  had  directed  him  to  accept  50,000,000  francs,  pro- 
vided that  a  better  price  could  not  be  obtained.  The  price  finally  agreed  upon 
was  80,000,000  francs,  three-fourths  of  that  amount  to  go  directly  to  the  French 
treasury  and  the  remainder  to  be  used  in  settling  claims  of  American  citizens 
against  the  French  government.  The  next  step  taken  was  to  embody  the  terms  in  a 
formal  treaty,  called  the  Treaty  of  Paris.  The  treaty  bears  the  date  of  April  30, 
1803,  and  was  signed  by  Robert  R.  Livingston,  James  Monroe  and  Barbe  Marbois. 

The  original  cost  of  the  entire  territory  thus  ceded  was  about  three  cents 
per  acre,  but  McMaster  says:  "Up  to  June,  1880,  the  total  cost  of  Louisiana 
was  $27,267,621."  Out  of  the  country  acquired  by  the  treaty  have  been  erected 
the  following  states :  Louisiana,  Arkansas,  Missouri,  Kansas,  Nebraska,  Iowa, 
Minnesota,  North  and  South  Dakota,  one-third  of  Colorado,  nearly  all  of  Mon- 
tana, three-fourths  of  Wyoming  and  Oklahoma.  After  the  treaty  was  ratified 
by  both  houses  of  Congress,  Mr.  Jefferson  appointed  William  C.  C.  Claiborne,  gov- 
ernor of  Mississippi,  and  Gen.  James  Wilkinson  as  commissioners  to  receive  the 
province  from  Pierre  Laussat,  the  French  commissary.  The  transfer  was  formally 
made  and  the  Stars  and  Stripes  were  raised  at  New  Orleans  on  December 
20,  1803. 

LEWIS   AND   CLARK 

Not  long  after  the  cession  of  Louisiana  to  the  United  States,  President  Jef- 
ferson began  making  plans  to  send  an  expedition  up  the  Missouri  River  to  dis- 
cover its  sources,  and  to  ascertain  whether  a  water  route  to  the  Pacific  coast  was 
practicable.  As  it  was  late  in  the  year  1803  before  the  Treaty  of  Paris  was  rati- 
fied, the  expedition  was  postponed  until  the  following  spring.  The  President 
selected  as  leaders  of  this  expedition  Capts.  Meriwether  Lewis  and  William 
Clark,  of  the  regular  army.  Both  were  natives  of  Virginia  and  the  latter  was 
a  brother  of  Gen.  George  Rogers  Clark.  On  May  14,  1804,  they  left  the  mouth 
of  the  Missouri  River  and  ascended  that  stream.  Their  company  consisted  of 
fourteen  regular  soldiers,  nine  young  men  from  Kentucky,  two  French  voy- 
ageurs  or  boatmen,  an  Indian  interpreter,  a  hunter  and  a  negro  servant  belonging 
to  Captain  Clark.  Their  main  vessel  was  a  keel-boat,  fifty-five  feet  long,  with 
twenty-two  oars  and  drawing  three  feet  of  water.  It  had  a  cabin,  in  which  were 
kept  the  most  valuable  articles,  and  a  large  square  sail  to  be  used  when  the  wind 
was  favorable.  They  also  had  two  pirogues,  fitted  with  six  and  seven  oars 
respectively.  Two  horses  were  led  along  the  bank,  to  be  used  in  hunting  game. 
These  explorers  continued  to  the  headwaters  of  the  Missouri  River,  then  crossed 
the  Continental  Divide  and  proceeded  to  the  mouth  of  the  Columbia  River. 


40  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

ZEBULON    M.    PIKE 

The  life  and  efforts  of  young  Lieut.  Zebulon  M.  Pike,  a  young  officer  of  the 
regular  army,  are  very  closely  associated  with  the  early  history  of  Colorado. 
Pike  was  a  debonair  and  dashing  officer,  with  individual  ideas,  and  well  fitted 
to  conduct  the  expeditions  into  the  western  country.  Of  his  unfortunate  asso- 
ciation with  the  notorious  General  Wilkinson,  much  has  been  written,  some 
authors  giving  Pike  the  benefit  of  the  doubt,  while  others  hesitate  not  in  proclaiming 
him  a  leader  with  traitorous  designs. 

Pike's  first  expedition  occurred  in  1805.  On  August  9th  of  that  year  he  left 
St.  Louis  with  a  sergeant,  two  corporals  and  seventeen  privates,  to  explore  the 
upper  Mississippi  River.  He  states,  in  his  preface  to  the  "Journal,"  that  "I  was 
chosen  to  trace  the  Mississippi  to  its  source,  with  the  object  in  view  contemplated 
by  my  instructions;  to  which  I  conceived  my  duty  as  a  soldier  should  induce  me 
to  add  an  investigation  into  the  views  of  the  British  traders  in  that  quarter  as 
to  trade,  and  an  inquiry  into  the  limits  of  the  territories  of  the  United  States  and 
Great  Britain." 

In  the  latter  part  of  August,  Lieutenant  Pike  held  a  council  with  the  Indians 
near  the  town  of  Montrose,  Iowa.  No  attempt  was  made  to  conclude  a  treaty 
with  the  Indians,  but  Pike's  words  of  cheer  made  friends  of  them.  Several 
years  later  the  noted  Black  Hawk,  Sac  chieftain,  described  Pike's  visit  as  fol- 
lows :  "A  boat  came  up  the  river  with  a  young  chief  and  a  small  party  of  sol- 
diers. We  heard  of  them  soon  after  they  passed  Salt  River.  Some  of  our  young 
braves  watched  them  every  day,  to  see  what  sort  of  people  were  on  board.  The 
boat  at  last  arrived  at  Rock  River  and  the  young  chief  came  on  shore  with  his 
interpreter,  made  a  speech  and  gave  us  some  presents.  We  in  turn  gave  them 
meat  and  such  other  provisions  as  we  could  spare.  We  were  well  pleased  with 
the  young  chief.  He  gave  us  good  advice  and  said  our  American  father  would 
treat  us  well." 

In  order  to  gain  a  clear  understanding  of  Pike's  first  trip  a  summary  of  his 
journey  is  valuable.  After  leaving  St.  Louis  he  met  a  band  of  Chippewa  chiefs 
at  Prairie  du  Chien  and  persuaded  them  to  better  their  relations  with  the  Sioux 
Indians.  The  falls  of  St.  Anthony  was  reached  September  23d  and  here  Pike 
purchased  a  tract  of  land  nine  miles  square  at  the  mouth  of  the  St.  Croix,  for 
the  location  of  a  fort.  In  the  middle  of  October,  at  Little  Falls,  Pike  constructed 
a  stockade,  where  he  left  seven  men.  He  arrived  at  Leech  Lake  (Lake  La  Sang 
Sue)  and  believed  it  to  be  the  main  source  of  the  Mississippi  River.  He  then 
traveled  thirty  miles  farther  to  Cass  Lake  (Red  Cedar).  Here  Pike  spent  his 
time  combating  the  influence  of  the  British  among  the  Indians,  then  returned 
along  the  Mississippi  to  St.  Louis,  arriving  on  April  30,   1806. 

pike's  second  expedition 

In  1806  Lieutenant  Pike  led  his  second  expedition,  under  the  order  of  Gen. 
James  Wilkinson,  westward  to  the  Rockies,  within  the  present  State  of  Colorado. 
The  object  of  this  expedition  was,  primarily,  to  restore  to  their  people  a  band 
of  Osage  Indians  which  had  been  held  as  captives  by  the  Potawatomi  of  Illinois, 
also  to  take  home  a  number  of  Osage  and  Pawnee  chiefs  who  had  been  to  Wash- 


LIEUT.  ZEBULON  M.  PIKE 

This  portrait  of  Lieutenant  Zebulon  Montgomery  Pike,  of  the  United  States  Army  and 
for  whom  Pike's  Peak  was  named,  is  reproduced  from  a  photot;ra]iliie  enlargement  of  an 
engraved  portrait  of  liim  that  was  made  in  1810.  He  was  the  commander  of  a  military  ex- 
pedition, ostensibly  for  exploring  the  central  parts  of  the  Far  West,  and  which,  departing  from 
Bello  Fontaine,  near  St.  Louis,  crossed  tiio  country  that  now  forms  the  states  of  Missouri 
and  Kansas,  traversed  tlio  southwestern  quarter  of  Colorado 's  area,  and  thcnco  passed  into 
New  Mexico,  in  the  years  1806-07.  Pike  was  born  in  Ijamberton,  N.  J.,  on  January  5, 
1779,  and  having  attained  the  rank  of  brigadier-general  early  in  our  last  war  with  England, 
was  fatally  injured  on  April  27,  181.'!,  while  leading  the  victorious  assault  on  the  British  tovm 
of  York  (Toronto),  Canada. 


42  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

ington  to  visit  the  "Great  Father."  Pike  himself  wrote :  "The  great  objects  in 
view  by  this  expedition,  as  I  conceived  in  addition  to  my  instructions,  were  to 
attach  the  Indians  to  our  government,  and  to  acquire  such  geographical  knowl- 
edge of  the  southwestern  boundary  of  Louisiana  as  to  enable  our  government 
to  enter  into  a  definite  arrangement  for  a  line  of  demarkation  between  that  terri- 
tory and  North  Mexico." 

The  United  States  and  Spain  were  at  this  time  at  swords'  points  over  the 
southwestern  boundary  of  the  Louisiana  Purchase.  Troops  of  the  two  govern- 
ments were  several  times  on  the  verge  of  conflict  along  the  frontiers.  Burr's 
conspiracy  and  its  menace  to  Spanish  territory  caused  great  uneasiness  among 
the  Spaniards ;  consequently.  Pike  was  closely  watched  by  secret  agents  during 
the  time  of  his  preparation  at  St.  Louis. 

On  July  II,  1806,  Pike  went  to  Belle  Fontaine,  six  miles  from  the  mouth 
of  the  Missouri  River,  where  a  cantonment  was  located.  Late  in  the  afternoon 
of  the  15th  he  and  his  party,  accompanied  by  fifty-one  Indians,  left  this  point 
and  proceeded  up  the  Missouri  River  in  two  large  boats ;  the  Indians  traveled  on 
foot  along  the  shore.    Pike's  main  command  consisted  of : 

Lieut.  James  B.  Wilkinson,  son  of  Gen.  James  Wilkinson;  John  H.  Robinson, 
physician ;  Joseph  Ballenger,  sergeant ;  William  E.  Meek,  sergeant ;  Jeremiah 
Jackson,  corporal;  Baroney  \^asquez,  interpreter;  John  Boley,  private;  Henry 
Kennerman,  private ;  Samuel  Bradley,  private ;  John  Brown,  private ;  Jacob 
Carter,  private ;  Thomas  Dougherty,  private ;  W^illiam  Gordon,  private ;  Solomon 
Huddleston,  private;  Theodore  Miller,  private;  Hugh  ]\Ienaugh,  private;  John 
Mountjoy,  private;  Alexander  Roy,  private;  John  Sparks,  private;  Patrick  Smith, 
private;  Freegift  Stout,  private;  John  Wilson,  private. 

The  expedition  traveled  slowly  up  the  Missouri  northward  to  the  Osage 
River,  thence  along  that  stream  and  its  north  fork  to  the  vicinity  of  the  "Grand 
Osage"  village.  One  writer  locates  this  village  "some  fifteen  or  twenty  miles 
northeastward  of  the  present  city  of  Fort  Scott,  Kansas."  Here  the  captives 
Vfc'ere  delivered  to  their  people  and  pack-horses  secured  for  the  remainder  of  the 
westward  journey. 

On  September  ist  Pike  and  his  party,  somewhat  changed  in  personnel,  left 
the  village  of  the  Osage.  His  course  first  took  a  southeast  direction,  then  bore 
northwestward  through  Kansas.  He  arrived  among  the  Pawnees  on  September 
25th  and  on  the  29th  held  a  grand  council.  The  exact  location  of  this  Pawnee 
village  is  in  doubt.  It  has  been  placed  just  north  of  the  Kansas-Nebraska  line 
on  the  Republican  River  and  also  in  the  northwestern  part  of  the  present  Republic 
County,  Kansas.  The  former  version  bears  the  greater  weight  of  opinion.  Here 
Pike  learned  very  interesting  news  regarding  the  Spanish,  namely,  the  Malgares 
expedition,  which  had  previously  visited  the  Pawnees.  In  all.  Pike  learned  that 
the  Spanish  were  apprehensive  of  American  intentions  in  the  Southwest. 

October  8th  was  the  date  of  Pike's  departure  from  the  Pawnees.  He  now 
traveled  south  by  west  and  reached  the  Arkansas  River  on  the  14th,  near  the 
site  of  the  present  Kansas  town  of  Great  Bend.  A  crossing  was  made  and  camp 
tents  pitched  on  the  other  side.  Here  a  rest  of  ten  days  occurred,  while  a  detach- 
ment of  five  soldiers  and  two  Osage  guides,  under  command  of  Lieutenant 
Wilkinson,  descended  the  Arkansas  to  visit  the  post  on  that  river.  Recrossing 
the  river.  Pike  then  proceeded  westward  on  the  north  bank,   following  an  old 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  43 

Spanish  military  trail.    On  the  30th  of  October  the  party  recrossed  the  river 
again  to  the  south  bank  and  entered  the  land  of  Colorado. 

FIRST  VIEW  OF  THE   MOUNTAINS 

On  November  15th  Pike  first  obtained  a  glimpse  of  the  Rockies,  including 
what  is  now  Pike's  Peak.  At  this  time  he  was  near  the  mouth  of  the  Purgatory 
River.     In  his  Journal  Pike  describes  the  incident  thus : 

"At  two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  I  thought  I  could  distinguish  a  mountain 
to  our  right,  which  appeared  like  a  small  blue  cloud ;  viewed  it  with  the  spy-glass, 
and  was  still  more  confirmed  in  my  conjecture,  yet  only  communicated  it  to 
Doctor  Robinson,  who  was  in  front  of  me,  but  in  half  an  hour  it  appeared  in 
full  view  before  us.  When  our  small  party  arrived  on  the  hill,  they  with  one 
accord  gave  three  cheers  to  the  Mexican  Mountains.  Their  appearance  can 
easily  be  imagined  by  those  who  have  crossed  the  Alleghanies,  but  their  sides 
were  white  as  if  covered  with  snow,  or  a  white  stone." 

Two  days  later  Pike  added:  "Marched  at  our  usual  hour;  pushed  on  with 
the  idea  of  arriving  at  the  mountains,  but  found  at  night  no  visible  difference  in 
their  appearance  from  what  we  had  observed  yesterday." 

The  march  was  continued  until  the  23d  when  the  party  arrived  at  the  St. 
Charles,  a  small  tributary  of  the  Arkansas,  and  encamped.  Pike  at  this  point 
determined  to  make  an  ascent  of  the  "Grand  Peak,"  now  called  Pike's  Peak, 
although  the  country  was  in  the  midst  of  winter.  The  distance  to  be  traveled 
seemed  to  him  to  be  short,  a  deception  which  has  occurred  to  many  travelers 
since.  Writing  in  his  Journal  on  the  23d  of  November,  Pike  states  that  "as 
the  river  appeared  to  be  dividing  itself  into  several  small  branches,  and  of 
course  must  be  near  its  extreme  source,  I  concluded  to  put  my  party  in  a  defen- 
sible situation,  and  to  ascend  the  north  fork  to  the  high  point  of  the  Blue  Moun- 
tain, which  we  conceived  would  be  one  day's  march,  in  order  to  be  enabled  from 
its  summit  to  lay  down  the  various  branches  of  the  river  and  the  positions  of 
the  country."  A  small  log  breastwork  was  accordingly  built  the  next  morning 
"five  feet  high  on  three  sides  and  the  other  was  thrown  on  the  river."  This 
insignificant  fortification  has  been  located  at  various  points  on  the  Fontaine,  one 
writer  placing  it  at  a  point  in  Pueblo,  where  Union  Avenue  crosses  the  river. 

However,  it  is  known  practically  for  certain  that  this  small  breastwork  was 
the  first  structure  erected  by  Americans  in  what  is  now  the  State  of  Colorado. 

At  one  o'clock  on  the  24th  Pike,  Doctor  Robinson  and  two  of  the  soldiers 
started  toward  the  peak,  leaving  the  remainder  of  the  company  to  hold  the  fort 
and  guard  the  supplies.  Pike  fully  expected  to  reach  the  mountain  before  even- 
ing. Fifty  miles  was  the  distance  they  had  to  travel  in  order  to  accomplish  this 
feat,  but  they  made  only  twelve  before  night.  Pike's  Journal,  under  date  of  the 
25th,  states:  "Marched  early  with  e.xpectation  of  ascending  the  mountain,  but 
was  only  able  to  camp  at  its  base,  after  passing  over  many  small  hills,  covered 
with  cedars  and  pitch  pines." 

However,  instead  of  being  at  the  base  of  the  "Grand  Peak,"  Pike  was 
fully  ten  miles  from  that  spot,  mistaking  another  peak — probably  Cheyenne — 
for  the  main  elevation.  Upon  the  26th  the  travelers  began  the  torturous  ascent 
of   the   Cheyenne    Peak,   alternately   marched   and   climbed   all   day   and    in   the 


44  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

evening  made  their  camp  in  a  cave.  They  had  brought  no  bedding  or  food  with 
them,  as  they  had  expected  to  make  the  round  trip  in  one  day.  Pike  describes 
the  trip  in  the  following  words : 

"Arose  hungry,  thirsty,  and  extremely  sore  from  the  unevenness  of  the 
rocks  on  which  we  had  lain  all  night ;  but  were  amply  compensated  for  our  toil 
by  the  sublimity  of  the  prospects  below.  The  unbounded  prairie  was  overhung 
with  clouds,  which  appeared  like  the  ocean  in  a  storm,  wave  piled  on  wave,  and 
foaming,  whilst  the  sky  over  our  heads  was  perfectly  clear.  Commenced  our 
march  up  the  mountain,  and  in  about  one  hour  arrived  at  the  summit  of  this 
chain ;  here  we  found  the  snow  middle  deep,  and  discovered  no  sign  of  beast  or 
bird  inhabiting  this  region.  The  thermometer  which  stood  at  9  degrees  above 
zero  at  the  foot  of  the  mountain,  here  fell  to  4  degrees  below.  The  summit  of 
the  Grand  Peak,  which  was  entirely  bare  of  vegetation,  and  covered  with  snow, 
now  appeared  at  the  distance  of  fifteen  or  sixteen  miles  from  us,  and  as  high 
again  as  that  we  had  ascended ;  it  would  have  taken  a  whole  day's  march  to  have 
arrived  at  its  base,  when  I  believe  no  human  being  could  have  ascended  to  its 
summit.  This,  with  the  condition  of  my  soldiers,  who  had  only  light  overhauls 
on,  and  no  stockings,  and  were  every  way  ill-provided  to  endure  the  inclemency 
of  this  region,  the  bad  prospect  of  killing  anything  to  subsist  on,  with  the  further 
detention  of  two  or  three  days  which  it  must  occasion,  determined  us  to  return. 
The  clouds  from  below  had  now  ascended  the  mountain  and  entirely  enveloped 
the  summit,  on  which  rest  eternal  snows.  We  descended  by  a  long  deep  ravine 
with  much  less  difficulty  than  we  had  contemplated.  Found  all  our  baggage 
safe,  but  the  provisions  all  destroyed.  It  began  to  snow,  and  we  found  shelter 
under  the  side  of  a  projecting  rock,  where  we  all  four  made  a  meal  on  one 
partridge,  and  a  pair  of  deer's  ribs  which  the  ravens  had  left  us,  being  the  first 
food  we  had  eaten  for  forty-eight  hours." 

Pike  consumed  two  days'  time  in  returning  to  the  other  men  and  the  breast- 
work. On  the  morning  of  the  30th,  he  abandoned  this  place  and,  under  stormy 
and  adverse  conditions,  moved  up  the  Arkansas.  On  December  3d,  Pike,  with 
the  assistance  of  Doctor  Robinson  and  others,  took  the  altitude  of  the  Grand 
Peak  and  by  their  calculations  judged  it  to  be  18,581  feet  in  height,  an  error  of 
4,400  feet.  This  mistake  was  made  in  over-estimating  the  altitude  of  the  base 
of  the  mountain. 

On  the  5th  the  party  encamped  very  near  the  present  site  of  Caiion  City, 
from  where  he  sent  out  small  scouting  parties  to  locate  traces  of  the  Spaniards. 
This  camp  was  the  starting  point  of  a  month's  wandering  through  the  mountain 
gullies,  canyons  and  across  ridges,  the  men  suffering  during  all  the  time  from 
the  severe  weather.  Provisions  became  scarce,  game  for  themselves  and  food 
for  the  animals  were  almost  impossible  to  find.  A  return  was  made  to  the  Cation 
City  site  on  January  5,  1807.  While  searching  for  the  Red  River,  Pike  came  to 
the  South  Platte,  marched  through  South  Park,  left  it  by  Trout  Creek  Pass  and 
then  struck  over  to  the  Arkansas,  which  he  thought  to  be  the  Red  River.  While 
holding  forth  at  Caiion  City  camp.  Pike  and  others  of  the  party  made  sepa- 
rate excursions  farther  up  the  Arkansas,  both  for  exploration  purposes  and 
to  bag  any  game  which  might  appear.  He  found  evidences  of  the  Spanish 
explorers'  trail,  but  had  no  actual  conflict  with  any  other  white  men.  By  January 
9th  (1807)  the  small  parties  which  had  separated  on  the  loth  of  the  preceding 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  45 

month  were  reunited  at  the  Canon  City  camp.  "The  whole  party  was  once  more 
joined  together,"  writes  Pike,  "when  we  felt  comparatively  happy,  notwith- 
standing the  great  mortification  I  felt  at  being  so  egregiously  deceived  as  to  the 
Red  River." 

"I  now  felt  at  considerable  loss  how  to  proceed,"  he  continues  in  his  Journal, 
"as  any  idea  of  service  at  that  time  from  my  horses  was  entirely  preposterous. 
Thus,  after  various  plans  formed  and  rejected,  and  the  most  mature  deliberation, 
I  determined  to  build  a  small  place  for  defense  and  deposit,  and  leave  part  of 
the  baggage,  horses,  my  interpreter,  and  one  man;  and  with  the  remainder,  with 
our  packs  of  Indian  presents,  ammunition,  tools,  etc.,  on  our  backs,  to  cross  the 
mountains  on  foot,  find  the  Red  River,  and  then  send  back  a  detachment  to 
conduct  the  horses  and  baggage  after  us,  by  the  most  eligible  route  we  could 
discover;  by  which  time  we  calculated  our  horses  would  be  so  far  recovered 
as  to  be  able  to  endure  the  fatigue  of  the  march.  In  consequence  of  this  determi- 
nation, some  were  put  to  constructing  the  blockhouse,  some  to  hunting,  some 
to  take  care  of  horses,  etc.  I  myself  made  preparations  to  pursue  a  course  of 
observations,  that  would  enable  me  to  ascertain  the  latitude  and  longitude  of  the 
situation,  which  I  conceived  to  be  an  important  one." 

This  blockhouse,  or  cache,  was  probably  constructed  within  the  corporate 
limits  of  the  present  Canon  City. 

This  strenuous  journey  in  the  quest  of  the  Red  River  began  on  January  14, 
1807.  In  the  party  were,  besides  Pike,  the  doctor  and  eighteen  soldiers,  according 
to  the  lournal.  There  is  a  discrepancy  here,  as  tliere  were  only  twelve  soldiers 
in  the  whole  party  and  one  of  them  was  left  at  the  Canon  City  site  with  Inter- 
preter Vasquez.  The  course  first  followed  Grape  Creek  into  the  Wet  Mountain 
Valley  and  after  a  few  days  out  the  men  encamped  at  the  foot  of  the  Sangre 
de  Cristo  Range.  Whatever  experiences  Pike  and  his  men  had  undergone  before 
and  whatever  hardships  and  privations  they  suffered  were  minimized  by  the 
intense  and  terrible  suffering  which  lay  just  before  them.  The  air  was  bitter 
cold  and  when  the  encampment  was  made  Pike  found  nine  .of  his  men  with 
frozen  feet.  Sleep  was  impossible  under  these  conditions.  Pike  and  Doctor 
Robinson  sallied  out  the  ne.xt  morning  in  search  of  food  and  on  the  afternoon  of 
the  second  day  were  fortunate  enough  to  kill  a  buffalo.  This  was  the  fourth 
day  since  they  had  eaten.  Nothing  to  be  gained  by  remaining  at  this  point,  Pike 
resolved  to  continue  the  hard  journey,  even  in  the  face  of  the  past  experience. 
Two  of  the  men  were  unable  to  move  and  finally  they  were  left  in  a  shelter, 
with  food  and  ammunition,  to  wait  until  relief  could  come  back  to  them.  This 
second  lap  of  the  trip  was  in  every  way  a  repetition  of  the  first.  A  crossing 
of  the  Sangre  de  Cristo  Range  was  made  and  view  obtained  of  the  Rio  Grande 
River  flowing  through  what  is  now  the  San  Luis  Park.  From  here  Pike  took  a 
southwest  course  and  on  the  evening  of  January  30,  1807,  came  to  the  river, 
about  the  site  of  Alamosa,  Conejos  County,  Colorado. 

After  crossing  the  river  the  party  proceeded  southward  to  the  Conejos.  Here 
a  fortified  station  was  erected  and  the  American  flag  raised.  The  stockade,  which 
was  raised  on  the  north  bank  of  the  river,  is  described  by  Pike  thus:  "The 
stockade  was  situated  on  the  north  bank  of  the  western  branch,  the  west  fork  of 
the  Rio  del  Norte,  about  five  miles  from  its  junction  with  the  main  river,  in  a  small 
prairie.    The  south  flank  joining  the  edge  of  the  river  (which  at  that  place  was 


46  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

not  fordable),  the  east  and  west  curtains  were  flanked  by  bastions  in  the  N.  E. 
and  N.  W.  angles,  which  likewise  flanked  the  curtain  on  the  north  side  of  the 
work.  The  stockade  from  the  center  of  the  angles  of  the  bastions  was  thirty- 
six  feet  square.  There  were  heavy  cottonwood  logs  about  two  feet  in  diameter, 
laid  up  all  around  about  six  feet,  after  which  lighter  ones  until  we  made  it 
twelve  feet  in  height;  these  logs  were  joined  together  by  a  lap  of  about  two 
feet  at  each  end.  We  then  dug  a  small  ditch  on  the  inside  all  around,  making 
it  perpendicular  on  the  internal  side,  and  sloping  next  the  work;  in  this  ditch 
we  planted  small  stakes  of  about  six  inches  diameter,  sharpened  at  the  upper 
end  to  a  nice  point,  slanting  them  over  the  top  of  the  work,  giving  them  about 
two  and  a  half  feet  projection.  We  then  secured  them  below  and  above  in  that 
position,  which  formed  a  small  pointed  frieze,  which  must  have  been  removed 
before  the  works  could  have  been  scaled.  Lastly,  we  dug  a  ditch  round  the 
whole,  four  feet  wide,  and  let  the  water  into  it ;  the  earth  taken  out  being  thrown 
against  the  work,  forming  an  excellent  rampart  against  small  arms,  three  or  four 
feet  high.  Our  mode  of  getting  in  was  to  crawl  over  the  ditch  on  a  plank,  and 
into  a  small  hole  sunk  below  the  level  of  the  work  near  the  river  for  that  pur- 
pose. Our  portholes  were  pierced  about  eight  feet  from  the  ground,  and  a  plat- 
form prepared  to  shoot  from. 

"Thus  fortified,  I  should  not  have  had  the  least  hesitation  in  putting  the 
hundred  Spanish  horse  at  defiance  until  the  first  or  second  night,  and  then  to 
have  made  our  escape  under  cover  of  darkness;  or  made  a  sally  and  dispersed 
them,  when  resting  under  a  full  confidence  of  our  being  panic  struck  by  their 
numbers  and  force." 

From  here  five  men  were  dispatched  northward  to  bring  in  the  men  who 
had  been  left  on  the  trail.  Part  of  them  were  brought  in,  but  two  others  were 
unable  to  come,  "but  they  sent  on  to  me  some  of  the  bones  taken  out  of  their 
feet  and  conjured  me  by  all  that  was  sacred,  not  to  leave  them  to  perish  far 
from  the  civilized  world."  These  men  were  afterward  returned  to  the  main 
party,  also  Interpreter  \'asquez  and  the  soldier  who  had  been  left  in  charge  of 
the  first  fort. 

FIRST    MEETING    WITH    THE    SP.ANISH 

Pike's  first  meeting  with  the  Spanish  occurred  on  February  i6,  1807,  while 
he  and  one  of  his  soldiers  were  engaged  in  hunting.  Pike's  own  account  of  this 
incident  is  as  follows : 

"Immediately  afterwards  (the  wounding  of  a  deer  six  miles  from  the  fort) 
I  discovered  two  horsemen  rising  the  summit  of  a  hill  about  half  a  mile  to  our 
right.  As  my  orders  were  to  avoid  giving  alarm  or  offense  to  the  Spanish  gov- 
ernment of  New  Mexico,  I  endeavored  to  shun  them  at  first,  but  when  we 
attempted  to  retreat,  they  pursued  us  at  full  charge,  flourishing  their  lances,  and 
when  we  advanced  they  would  retire  as  fast  as  their  horses  could  carry  them. 
Seeing  this,  we  got  into  a  small  ravine,  in  hopes  to  decoy  them  near  enough  to 
oblige  them  to  come  to  a  parley,  which  happened  agreeably  to  our  desires.  As 
they  came  on,  hunting  us  with  great  caution,  we  suffered  them  to  get  within 
forty  yards,  where  we  had  allured  them,  but  were  about  running  off  again,  when  I 
ordered  the  soldier  to  lav  down  his  arms  and  walk  towards  them,  at  the  same 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  47 

time  standing  ready  with  my  rifle  to  kill  either  who  should  lift  an  arm  in  a  hos- 
tile manner.  I  then  halloed  to  them,  that  we  were  Americans  and  friends,  which 
were  almost  the  only  two  words  1  knew  in  the  Spanish  language;  after  which, 
with  great  signs  of  fear,  they  came  up,  and  proved  to  be  a  Spanish  dragoon  and 
a  civilized  Indian;  armed  after  their  maimer  *  *  *  We  were  jealous  of 
our  arms  on  both  sides  and  acted  with  great  precaution.  They  informed  me 
that  that  was  the  fourth  day  since  they  had  left  Santa  Fe;  that  Robinson  had 
arrived  there,  and  had  been  received  with  great  kindness  by  the  governor.  As  I 
knew  them  to  be  spies,  I  thought  it  proper  merely  to  inform  them  that  I  was  about 
to  descend  the  river  to  Natchitoches.  We  sat  here  on  the  ground  a  long  time, 
and  finding  they  were  determined  not  to  leave  me,  we  arose  and  bade  them  adieu; 
but  they  demanded  where  our  camp  was,  and  finding  that  they  were  not  about 
to  depart,  I  thought  it  most  proper  to  take  them  with  me,  thinking  we  were  on 
Red  River,  and  of  course  in  the  territory  claimed  by  the  United  States. 

"We  took  the  road  to  my  fort,  and  as  they  were  on  horseback,  they  traveled 
rather  faster  than  myself.  They  were  halted  by  the  sentinel  and  immediately 
retreated  much  surprised.  When  I  came  up  I  took  them  in  and  then  explained 
to  them  as  well  as  I  was  able,  my  intentions  of  descending  the  river  to  Natchi- 
toches but  at  the  same  time  told  them  that  if  Governor  Allencaster  would  send 
out  an  officer  with  an  interpreter,  who  spoke  French  or  English,  I  would  do 
myself  the  pleasure  to  give  his  excellency  every  reasonable  satisfaction  as  to  my 
intentions  in  coming  on  his  frontiers.  They  informed  me  that  on  the  second  day 
they  would  be  in  Santa  Fe,  but  were  careful  never  to  suggest  an  idea  of  my 
being  on  the  Rio  del  Norte.  As  they  concluded  I  did  not  think  as  I  spoke,  they 
were  very  anxious  to  ascertain  our  number,  etc.  Seeing  only  five  men  here,  they 
could  not  believe  we  came  without  horses ;  to  this  I  did  not  think  proper  to  afford 
them  any  satisfaction,  giving  them  to  understand  we  were  in  many  parties." 

On  the  morning  of  February  17th  the  two  visitors  departed  from  the  fort. 
From  this  time  on  Pike  fully  expected  to  be  visited  by  a  large  force  of  Spaniards 
and  in  this  expectation  he  was  not  disappointed.    On  the  26th  they  came. 

"In  the  morning  I  was  apprised  by  the  report  of  a  gun  from  my  look-out 
guard,  of  the  approach  of  strangers ;  immediately  after  two  Frenchmen  arrived. 
My  sentinel  halted  them,  and  I  ordered  them  to  be  admitted  after  some  ques- 
tions. They  informed  me  that  his  excellency.  Governor  Allencaster,  hearing  it 
was  the  intention  of  the  Utah  Indians  to  attack  me,  had  detached  an  officer  with 
fifty  dragoons  to  come  out  and  protect  me,  and  that  they  would  be  with  me  in 
two  days.  To  this  I  made  no  reply,  but  shortly  after,  the  party  hove  in  sight, 
as  I  afterwards  learned ;  fifty  dragoons  and  fifty  mounted  militia  of  the  Province 
armed  in  the  same  manner,  with  lances,  escopates  and  pistols.  My  sentinels 
halted  them  at  the  distance  of  about  fifty  yards.  I  had  the  works  manned; 
I  thought  it  most  proper  to  send  out  the  two  Frenchmen  to  inform  the  com- 
manding officer  that  it  was  my  request  he  should  leave  his  party  in  a  small  copse 
of  the  wood  where  he  halted,  and  that  I  would  meet  him  myself  in  the  prairie,  in 
which  our  work  was  situated ;  this  I  did,  with  my  sword  on  me  only.  I  was  then 
introduced  to  Don  Tgnatio  Saltelo  and  Don  Bartholomew  Fernandez,  two  lieu- 
tenants; the  former  the  commander  of  the  party:  I  gave  them  an  invitation  to 
enter  the  works,  but  requested  the  troops  might  remain  where  tliey  were.  This 
was  complied  with;  but  when  they  came  round  and  discovered  that  to  enter  they 


48  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

were  obliged  to  crawl  on  their  bellies  over  a  small  drawbridge,  they  appeared 
astonished;  they,  however,  entered  without   further  hesitation. 

"VVe  first  breakfasted,  on  some  deer,  meal,  goose,  and  some  biscuit,  which 
the  civilized  Indian  who  came  out  as  a  spy  had  brought  me.  After  breakfast 
the  commanding  officer  addressed  me  as   follows : 

"  'Sir,  the  Governor  of  New  Mexico,  being  informed  that  you  had  missed 
your  route,  ordered  me  to  offer  you  in  his  name  mules,  horses,  money,  or  what- 
ever you  may  stand  in  need  of,  to  conduct  you  to  the  head  of  Red  River;  as 
from  Santa  Fe,  to  where  it  is  sometimes  navigable,  is  eight  days'  journey,  and 
we  have  guides  and  the  routes  of  the  traders  to  conduct  us.' 

"'What,'  interrupted  I,  'is  not  this  the  Red  River?'  'No,  sir,  it  is  the  Rio 
del  Norte.'  I  immediately  ordered  my  flag  to  be  taken  down  and  rolled  up,  feel- 
ing how  sensibly  I  had  committed  myself  in  entering  their  territory,  and  was 
conscious  that  they  must  have  positive  orders  to  take  me  in.  He  now  added 
that  he  had  provided  one  hundred  mules  and  horses  to  take  in  my  party  and 
baggage,  and  stated  how  anxious  his  excellency  was  to  see  me  at  Santa  Fe. 
I  stated  to  him  the  absence  of  my  sergeant,  the  situation  of  the  rest  of  the  party, 
and  that  my  orders  would  not  justify  my  entering  into  the  Spanish  territories. 
He  urged  still  further,  until  I  began  to  feel  myself  a  little  heated  in  the  argu- 
ment, and  told  him  in  a  pieremptory  style  that  I  would  not  go  until  the  arrival 
of  my  sergeant,  with  the  remainder  of  my  party.  He  replied  that  there  was  not 
the  least  restraint  to  be  used,  only  that  it  was  necessary  his  excellency  should 
receive  an  explanation  of  my  business  on  his  frontiers ;  that  I  might  go  now, 
or  on  the  arrival  of  my  party ;  but  that  if  none  went  at  present  he  should  be 
obliged  to  send  in  for  provisions.  He  added  that  if  I  would  now  march,  he  would 
leave  an  Indian  interpreter  and  an  escort  of  dragoons  to  conduct  the  sergeant 
into  Santa  Fe.  His  mildness  induced  me  to  tell  him  that  I  would  march,  but 
must  leave  two  men  in  order  to  meet  the  sergeant  and  party  to  instruct  him  as 
to  coming  in,  as  he  would  never  do  so  without  a  fight,  unless  ordered. 

"I  was  induced  to  consent  to  the  measure  by  conviction  that  the  officer  had 
a  positive  command  to  convey  me  in ;  and  as  I  had  no  orders  to  engage  in  hos- 
tilities, and  indeed  had  committed  myself,  although  innocently,  by  violating  their 
territory,  I  conceived  it  would  be  better  to  show  a  will  to  come  to  an  explanation, 
rather  than  to  be  put  in  any  way  constrained.  Yet  my  situation  was  so  eligible, 
and  I  could  have  so  easily  put  them  to  defiance,  that  it  was  with  great  reluctance 
I  suffered  all  our  labor  to  be  lost,  without  once  trying  the  efficacy  of  it. 

"My  compliance  seemed  to  spread  general  joy  through  the  Spanish  party, 
as  soon  as  it  was  communicated.  But  it  appeared  to  be  different  with  my  men, 
who  wished  to  have  had  a  little  dust  (as  they  expressed  it),  and  were  likewise 
fearful  of  Spanish  treachery. 

"My  determination  being  once  taken,  I  gave  permission  for  the  lieutenant's 
men  to  come  to  the  outside  of  the  works  and  some  of  mine  to  go  out  and  see 
them.  Immediately  the  hospitality  and  goodness  of  the  Creoles  and  Mestis  began 
to  be  manifested  by  their  producing  their  provision  and  giving  it  to  my  men; 
at  the  same  time  covering  them  with  their  blankets. 

"After  writing  orders  to  my  sergeant,  and  leaving  them  with  my  corporal 
and  one  private  who  were  to  remain,  we  sallied  forth,  mounted  our  horses,  and 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  49 

went  up  the  river  about  twelve  miles  to  a  place  where  the  Spanish  officers  had 
made  a  camp  deposit,  from  whence  we  sent  down  mules  for  our  baggage." 

Pike's  experiences  with  the  Spanish  do  not  form  a  part  of  the  history  of 
Colorado,  but  are  interesting  in  demonstrating  the  attitude  of  the  Spanish  toward 
the  Americans.  Pike  and  his  men  were  conducted  to  Santa  Fe  and  there  cour- 
teously received  by  Governor  Allencaster.  The  governor  questioned  Pike  mi- 
nutely and  examined  his  papers,  but  notwithstanding  the  good  treatment  accorded 
him,  Pike  felt  himself  a  prisoner.  From  Santa  Fe  the  Americans  were  taken 
to  El  Paso  and  from  there  to  Chihuahua,  where  they  were  again  questioned, 
this  time  by  General  Salcedo.  Leaving  Chihuahua  eventually,  Pike  and  his  men 
were  escorted  by  a  roundabout  course  through  the  northeastern  part  of  what 
is  now  Mexico  to  the  lower  part  of  the  Rio  Grande,  then  by  way  of  San  Antonio 
across  Texas  to  Natchitoches,  where  they  were  released  on  July  i,  1807. 

pike's  sincerity 

The  name  of  Zebulon  M.  Pike  has  been  associated  with  one  of  the  most 
treasonable  plots  ever  contemplated  in  the  United  States — that  originating  in 
the  minds  of  Aaron  Burr  and  Gen.  James  Wilkinson.  Pike  has  been  treated  as 
equally  treasonable  by  some  writers  of  history,  but  on  the  other  hand  has  had 
staunch  apologists  who  have  endeavored  to  show  that  he  was  a  spirited  young 
military  officer  who  believed  he  was  following  orders.  There  is  no  doubt  that 
the  expedition  of  which  he  was  the  leader  was  formulated  by  Burr  and  Wilkin- 
son and  was  a  move  for  the  purpose  of  planning  a  seizure  of  a  great  part  of 
the  Mississippi  Valley  and  much  of  New  Spain,  and  there  to  establish  another 
empire  with  Burr  in  supreme  command.  Wilkinson,  who  was  proved  a  traitor 
and  of  the  blackest  character  not  only  in  this,  but  in  other  schemes,  readily 
fell  in  with  Burr's  schemes  and  immediately  began  to  learn  the  attitude  of  his 
younger  officers.  Wilkinson  was  at  this  time  at  the  head  of  the  United  States 
Army.  Whatever  Pike's  participation  in  this  plot  was,  it  is  certain  that  he  was 
aware  of  the  real  purpose  of  the  expedition  which  he  led  to  the  Rockies.  Cer- 
tain features  of  the  journey  prove  that  it  was  not  an  exploring  expedition,  but 
something  more  sinister  and  deeper. 

After  the  trial  of  Burr,  Pike  wrote:  "There  have  not  been  wanting  persons 
of  various  ranks  who  have  endeavored  to  infuse  the  idea  into  the  minds  of  the 
public  that  the  last  voyage  was  undertaken  through  sinister  designs  of  General 
Wilkinson;  and  although  this  rejwrt  had  been  amply  refuted  by  two  letters  from 
the  secretary  of  war,  yet  I  cannot  forbear,  in  this  public  manner,  declaring  the 
insinuation  to  be  a  groundless  calumny,  arising  from  the  envenomed  breasts  of 
persons  who,  through  enmity  to  the  general,  would,  in  attempting  his  ruin,  hurl 
destruction  on  all  those  who,  either  through  official  stations  or  habits  of  friend- 
ships, ever  had  any  connection  with  that  gentleman." 

Harry  B.  Tedrow,  of  Denver,  who  has  studied  the  subject  of  Pike's  life 
with  extraordinary  thoroughness,  in  an  article  on  "Zchulon  M.  Pike  and  Aaron 
Burr,"  (Colorado  Springs  Gazette,  .August  18,  K)Oi).  states: 

"His  intimacy  with  Wilkinson  at  the  time  that  bombastic  general  was  hand 
in  hand  with  Aaron  Burr  tinges  his  reputation  with  a  suspicion  that  even  the 
glory  of  his  soldier's  death  cannot  remove.     It  is  almost  too  much  to  believe  that 

Vol.  1—4 


50  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

Pike  was  ignorant  of  Wilkinson's  ulterior  designs  in  sending  him  to  the  Rocky 
Mountain  region.  At  the  same  time  the  duty  of  a  soldier  admitted  of  no  ques- 
tioning and  he  might  have  gone,  as  soldiers  usually  go;  not  because  they  would, 
but  because  they  must.     .      .      .     He  (Pike)  stands  convicted  by  his  own  story." 

In  regard  to  the  ostensible  object  of  Pike's  smoking  the  peace-pipe  with  the 
Indians,  Tedrow  says: 

"But  other  evidence  tends  to  show  that  Wilkinson  also  gave  some  instruc- 
tions which  stopped  short  of  nothing  less  than  premeditated  invasion  of  Spanish 
ground.  It  takes  no  extraordinary  imagination  to  believe  that  the  general  antici- 
pated the  capture  of  Pike  and  his  men." 

It  is  altogether  probable  that  Tedrow's  article  was  one  of  the  first  published 
which  actually  attempted  to  establish  Pike's  connection  with  the  Burr  conspiracy, 
although  Elliott  Coues,  in  his  "The  Expeditions  of  Zebulon  Montgomery  Pike," 
(1895),  established  Pike's  connection  with  Wilkinson  and  Burr  and  his  duplicity 
of  motive. 

It  is  not  the  purpose  here  to  set  forth  in  detail  the  argtiments  pro  and  con 
in  regard  to  the  Pike  expedition.  The  History  of  Colorado  is  concerned  more 
with  the  adventures  of  this  courageous  soldier  in  the  Rockies,  which  have 
been  described  in  preceding  paragraphs.  The  world-famous  Pike's  Peak  has 
been  named  after  him,  although  he  did  not  succeed  in  ascending  this  mountain, 
nor  was  he  the  first  white  man  to  see  it.  The  Spaniards  had  looked  upon  its 
majestic  grandeur,  fur  traders  and  trappers  had  gazed  upon  it,  and  undoubtedly 
the  first  American  who  saw  the  peak  was  James  Purcell,  whose  trail  led  near  it 
about  eighteen  months  before  Pike's  arrival. 

Zebulon  Montgomery  Pike  was  born  in  Lamberton,  New  Jersey,  January 
5,  1779,  and  was  the  son  of  Zebulon  Pike,  an  officer  in  the  Revolution.  At  fifteen 
years  of  age  young  Pike  joined  his  father's  regiment  as  a  cadet  and  at  twenty-one 
years  of  age  received  a  lieutenant's  commission.  Before  his  death  he  reached  the 
rank  of  brigadier  general.  After  his  expedition  to  the  Rockies,  Pike  served 
under  Gen.  Henry  Dearborn  in  the  campaign  against  York  (Toronto),  Canada, 
in  the  spring  of  1813.  On  April  27th  he  led  an  attack  against  the  British  there 
and  dispersed  the  garrison.  As  the  English  fled  they  blew  up  their  powder 
magazine  and  a  piece  of  masonry,  hurtling  through  the  air,  mortally  wounded 
the  gallant  Pike.  A  few  hours  later  he  died.  His  body  was  first  interred  at 
Sackett's  Harbor,  New  York,  then  in  1819  removed  to  the  military  cemetery 
at  Madison  Barracks,  New  York,  where  it  now  lies. 

In  the  collection  of  the  Colorado  State  Historical  and  Natural  History  Society 
at  the  Historical  Building  in  Denver  is  the  sword  which  Pike  wore  at  the  time 
of  his  death. 

long's  exploring  expedition 

The  exploring  expedition  commanded  by  Maj.  Stephen  H.  Long  in  the  year 
1820  was  the  logical  successor  of  the  "Yellowstone  Expedition"  of  1818.  The  pur- 
poses of  the  expedition  were  to  explore  the  Mississippi  River  above  the  mouth 
of  the  Missouri,  then  the  Missouri,  the  Arkansas  and  Red  rivers ;  to  conciliate 
the  Indians ;  to  locate  sites  for  mihtary  posts  on  the  Upper  Missouri  and  to 
locate  exactly  certain  notable  points  in  the  western   country.     This   so-called 


MAJ.  STEPHEN  HARRIMAN  LONG 

This  portrait  is  reproduced  from  a  plintonfrapliic  enlargement  of  an  engraved  copy  of  a 
dapnerreotypo  of  liim  that  was  made  in  or  near  tlie  period  of  our  war  with  Mexico.  Major 
Long  was  of  the  old  corps  of  the  Topograpliical  Engineers  of  the  United  St^ites  Army,  and 
a  native  of  New  Hamjishire.  It  was  for  him  that  Long's  Peak  was  named,  and  lio  commanded 
a  well  organized  and  efBcient  exploring  expedition  into  the  Colorado  section  of  the  Rocky 
Mountains  in  the  year  1820.    He  died  at  Alton,  Illinois,  September  4,  1864. 


52  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

Yellowstone  expedition  was  directly  in  the  interest  of  the  people,  as  it  was  to 
decide  largely  whether  or  not  the  western  country  was   worthy  of  settlement. 

A  small  military  force,  under  command  of  Col.  Henry  Atkinson,  was  sent 
to  the  site  of  Leavenworth,  Kansas,  in  the  fall  of  1818  and  there  passed  the 
winter,  expecting  to  cooperate  with  Long.  The  Western  Engineer,  the  second 
steamboat  to  navigate  the  Missouri,  left  Pittsburgh  on  May  5,  1819,  with  Long  and 
his  party  on  board,  arrived  at  St.  Louis  on  the  19th  and  on  the  21st  began  the 
trip  up  the  river.  Progress  was  slow  and  not  until  September  17th  did  the  boat 
reach  winter  quarters,  which  had  been  established  about  twenty  miles  above  the 
present  City  of  Omaha.  Major  Long  went  back  East  for  the  winter,  returning 
in  the  spring  of  1820.  In  the  meantime,  Congress  had  become  aggravated  over 
the  delay  and  issued  new  instructions,  changing  very  much  the  original  purposes 
of  the  expedition.  An  exploration  of  the  West  to  the  headwaters  of  the  Platte, 
Arkansas  and  Red  rivers,  formed  the  new  plan.  A  treaty  between  the  United 
States  and  Spain  in  1819  decided  the  location  of  the  Spanish  boundary  line  in 
the  Southwest ;  Colorado's  present  area  west  of  the  Continental  Divide  and 
south  of  the  Arkansas  River  was  thereby  made  Spanish  ground. 

Long  soon  had  his  party  organized  for  the  long  march  to  the  Rockies.  The 
personnel  of  the  expedition  was  as  follows : 

Stephen  H.  Long,  major  of  the  U.  S.  Topographical  Engineers ;  J.  R.  Bell, 
captain  of  Light  Artillery,  U.  S.  A.;  W.  H.  Swift,  lieutenant  of  Artillery  Corps, 
U.  S.  A.,  assistant  topographer;  Dr.  Thomas  Say,  zoologist;  Dr.  Edwin  James, 
botanist,  geologist  and  surgeon ;  T.  R.  Peale,  assistant  naturalist ;  Samuel  Sey- 
mour, landscape  painter;  Stephen  Julien,  French  and  Indian  interpreter;  H. 
Dougherty,  hunter;  D.  Adams,  Spanish  interpreter;  Zachariah  Wilson,  baggage 
master;  J.  Oakley,  civilian;  J.  Duncan,  civilian;  John  Sweeney,  private,  Artillery 
Corps ;  William  Parish,  corporal ;  Peter  Barnard,  private ;  Robert  Foster,  pri- 
vate; Charles  Myers,  private;  Mordecai  Nowland,  private;  Joseph  Yerplank, 
private. 

On  June  6,  1820,  the  expedition  started  westward  through  the  present  State 
of  Nebraska,  passed  through  and  tarried  at  the  Pawnee  villages  in  the  Loup 
River  district,  and  on  the  22d  reached  the  forks  of  the  North  and  South  Platte 
rivers.  From  here  they  moved  along  the  South  Platte  and,  according  to  Doctor 
James'  map,  crossed  the  northeastern  corner  of  Colorado  on  the  26th.  Animals 
in  great  number  were  seen  in  this  territory,  including  bison,  deer,  badgers,  wolves, 
hares,  eagles,  buzzards,  ravens  and  owls.  Doctor  James  records  that  "This  barren 
and  ungenial  district  appeared,  at  that  time,  to  be  filled  with  greater  numbers 
of  animals  than  its  meager  productions  are  sufficient  to  support.  It  was,  how- 
ever, manifest  that  the  bisons,  then  thronging  in  such  numbers,  were  moving 
towards  the  south.  Experience  may  have  taught  them  to  repair  at  certain  sea- 
sons to  the  more  lu.xurious  plains  of  the  Arkansas  and  Red  rivers." 

"On  the  30th,"  writes  Doctor  James,  "we  left  our  encampment  at  our  accus- 
tomed early  hour,  and  at  8  o'clock  were  cheered  by  a  distant  view  of  the  Rocky 
Mountains.  For  some  time  we  were  unable  to  decide  whether  what  we  saw  were 
mountains,  or  banks  of  cumulous  clouds  skirting  the  horizon,  and  glittering  in 
the  reflected  rays  of  the  sun.  It  was  only  by  watching  the  bright  parts,  and 
observing  that  their  form  and  position  remained  unaltered,  that  we  were  able 
to  satisfy  ourselves  that  they  were  indeed  mountains.     Our  first  views  of  the 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  53 

mountains  were  indistinct  on  account  of  some  smokiness  of  the  atmosphere, 
but  from  our  encampment  at  noon  we  had  a  very  distinct  and  satisfactory  pros- 
pect of  them.  Snow  could  be  seen  on  every  part  of  them  which  was  visible 
above  our  horizon."  Shortly  after  this,  the  party  noticed  "three  conic  summits, 
each  apparently  of  equal  altitude.  This  we  concluded  to  be  the  point  designated 
by  Pike  as  the  'Highest  Peak.'  " 

However,  it  was  not  the  mountain  peak  which  had  been  described  by  Pike. 
This  was  the  lofty  peak  which  at  present  bears  the  name  of  Major  Long.  From 
the  point  of  view  obtained  by  Long's  party,  there  appeared  to  be  three  peaks,  as 
a  view  from  the  north  now  will  give.  Long's  name  was  not  given  to  the  peak 
at  this  time,  but  within  the  next  decade  trappers  and  traders  began  to  call  it 
Long's  Peak,  an  appellation  which  has  been  maintained. 

On  July  1st  the  Long  party  went  into  camp  on  the  bank  of  the  South  Platte, 
a  short  distance  below  the  mouth  of  the  Cache  a  la  Poudre  River,  and  on  the 
3d  the  march  was  resumed,  crossing  made  of  the  Poudre,  Big  Thompson  and 
Vrain  creeks.  No  side  trip  was  made  to  the  high  peak,  which  was  fully  forty 
miles  distance  on  the  3d.  On  Independence  Day  the  camp  was  made  near  what 
is  now  the  county  seat  of  Adams  County  and  a  lifting  celebration  held  in  honor 
of  the  day.  The  next  day  the  party  ascended  the  Platte  River  about  ten  miles 
and  again  rested.  According  to  Long's  map  this  brought  them  to  the  site  of 
Denver. 

On  the  morning  of  the  6th  the  party  left  tliis  encampment  and  "crossed  Ver- 
million Creek,  a  considerable  tributary  from  the  south."  This  stream  has  been 
identified  as  the  present  Cherry  Creek.  In  the  reports  Long  describes  a  "Cannon- 
ball  Creek"  also,  which  must  have  been  Clear  Creek.  Doctor  James  records  that : 
"Opposite  the  mouth  of  Vermillion  Creek,  is  a  much  larger  stream,  from  the 
northwest,  which  is  called  Medicine-Lodge  Creek,  from  an  old  Indian  medicine 
lodge  which  formerly  stood  near  its  mouth.  A  few  miles  farther,  on  the  same 
side,  is  Grand  Camp  Creek,  heading  also  in  the  mountains.  About  four  years 
previous  to  the  time  of  our  visit,  there  had  been  a  large  encampment  of  Indians, 
namely,  the  Kiawas,  Arrapahoes,  and  Kaskaias  or  Bad-hearts,  had  been  assem- 
bled together,  with  forty-five  French  hunters,  in  the  employ  of  Mr.  Choteau 
and  Mr.  Demun  of  St.  Louis.  They  had  been  assembled  for  the  purpose  of  hold- 
ing a  trading  council  with  a  band  of  Shiennes.  These  last  had  been  recently 
supplied  with  goods  by  the  Briti.sh  traders  on  the  Missouri,  and  had  come  to 
exchange  them  with  the  former  for  horses.  The  Kiawas,  Arrapahoes,  etc.,  who 
wander  in  the  extensive  plains  of  the  Arkansas  and  Red  rivers,  have  always  a 
great  number  of  horses,  which  they  rear  witli  much  less  difficulty  than  the 
Shiennes,  whose  country  is  cold  and  barren  *  *  *  7^0  miles  beyond  Grand 
Camp  Creek  is  the  mouth  of  Grape  Creek,  and  a  little  above  on  the  opjwsite  side 
that  of  Defile  Creek,  a  tributary  to  the  Platte,  from  the  south,  which  has  its 
course  in  a  narrow  defile,  lying  along  the  base  of  the  mountains." 

The  names  of  the  creeks  mentioned  in  James'  leport  are  not  those  at  present 
applied  to  these  streams.  It  is  even  hard  to  identify  the  streams  as  described 
by  the  historian.  It  has  been  presumed,  however,  by  modern  writers,  that  Grand 
Camp  Creek  is  the  same  as  Bear  Creek,  Grape  Creek  the  present  Deer  Creek, 
and  Defile  Creek  the  Plum  Creek. 

P.y  noon  of  the  C)\h  the  parly  arrived  at  the  foothills  and  at  the  entrance  of 


54  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

Platte  Canon  remained  for  two  days.  Doctor  James  and  other's  expected  to 
ascend  the  distant  mountains  and  return  the  same  day,  but,  as  Pike  had  been, 
were  deceived  by  the  telescopic  condition  of  the  atmosphere.  Having  obtained 
the  height  of  one  ridge,  the  others  appeared  just  as  far  in  the  distance,  so  the 
party  returned  to  the  camp. 

They  left  the  Platte  Canon  camp  on  the  morning  of  the  9th  of  July,  ascended 
Willow  Creek  to  its  source,  then  crossed  a  ridge  to  Plum  Creek  and  followed 
this  stream  for  some  distance,  before  making  camp.  Pike's  Peak  first  came  into 
view  on  the  9th,  while  the  explorers  were  upon  the  top  of  a  mesa  "elevated 
about  one  thousand  feet,  about  eight  hundred  yards  in  length  and  five  hundred  in 
breadth,  the  summit  of  which  was  of  an  oval  form."  On  the  loth  the  expedition 
discovered  and  named  Castle  Rock,  of  which  Doctor  James  remarks :  "One  of 
these  singular  hills,  of  which  Mr.  Seymour  has  preserved  a  sketch,  was  called 
the  Castle  rock,  on  account  of  its  striking  resemblance  to  a  work  of  art.  It 
has  columns,  and  porticos,  and  arches,  and,  when  seen  from  a  distance,  has  an 
astonishingly  regular  and  artificial  appearance." 

A  southern  course  was  then  taken.  Monument  Creek  forded,  and  toward 
evening  of  the  nth  the  discovery  was  made  that  the  base  of  Pike's  Peak  had 
been  passed.  As  it  was  the  intention  of  the  party  to  make  an  ascent  of  this 
height,  in  order  to  obtain  the  altitude,  a  stop  was  made  at  this  point.  Of  their 
view  Doctor  James  says :  "From  this  camp  we  had  a  distinct  view  of  "the  Highest 
Peak.'  It  appeared  about  twenty  miles  distant,  towards  the  northwest ;  our  view 
was  cut  off  from  the  base  by  an  intervening  spur  of  less  elevation,  but  all  the 
upper  part  of  the  peak  was  visible,  with  patches  of  snow  extending  down  to  the 
commencement  of  the  woody  region.  As  one  of  the  objects  of  our  excursion 
was  to  ascertain  the  elevation  of  the  peak,  it  was  determined  to  remain  in  our 
present  camp  for  three  days,  which  would  afford  an  opportunity  for  some  of 
the  party  to  ascend  the  mountain." 

FIRST  ASCENT  OF  PIKe's  PEAK 

The  journey  to  the  summit  was  begun  early  on  the  13th  of  July.  Doctor 
James,  Lieutenant  Swift,  the  French  guide,  Bijeau,  and  four  soldiers  comprised 
the  party.  The  doctor  and  two  men  were  to  make  the  last  climb  to  the  top,  while 
the  others  were  to  remain  at  the  base  to  obtain  measurements  to  assist  in  com- 
puting the  elevation  of  the  peak.  Noon  found  the  party  at  the  foot  of  the  peak, 
whence  James  and  his  two  men  started  upon  the  last  lap,  carrying  a  supply  of 
provisions  and  blankets.  Slide  rock,  loose  sand  and  gravel  impeded  their  course 
very  much  during  the  afternoon  and  at  night  they  were  forced  to  make  camp 
among  the  fir  trees.  The  next  morning  the  doctor  established  a  cache  at  this 
point  and  continued  up  the  mountain,  passing  the  timber  line  about  noonday. 
The  summit  was  attained  about  4  o'clock  in  the  afternoon.  So,  the  first  white 
men,  according  to  all  historj',  had  reached  the  summit  of  Pike's  Peak.  Doctor 
James  describes  the  impression  made  by  the  wonderful  view :  "To  the  east  lay 
the  great  plain,  rising  as  it  receded,  until,  in  the  distant  horizon,  it  appeared  to 
mingle  with  the  sky.  *  *  *  The  Arkansas  with  several  of  its  tributaries, 
and  some  of  the  branches  of  the  Platte,  could  be  distinctly  traced  as  on  a  map, 
by  the  line  of  timber  along  their  courses.    On  the  south  the  mountain  is  con- 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  55 

tinued,  having  another  summit  at  the  distance  of  eight  or  ten  miles.  This,  how- 
ever, falls  much  below  the  High  Peak  in  point  of  elevation,  being  wooded  quite 
to  its  top.  Between  the  two  lies  a  small  lake,  about  a  mile  long  and  half  a 
mile  wide,  discharging  eastward  into  the  Boiling-spring  Creek.  A  few  miles 
farther  towards  the  south,  the  range  containing  these  two  peaks  terminates 
abruptly."  After  a  half-hour's  rest  upon  the  summit  the  three  men  began  the 
descent.  They  were  forced  to  camp  for  the  night  without  food  or  covering,  hav- 
ing left  their  luggage  at  the  cache  among  the  fir  trees.  These  supplies,  which 
had  been  hung  in  a  tree,  were  found  to  have  been  burned  by  some  agency  when 
they  reached  them  the  next  morning. 

The  bubbling  springs  at  Manitou,  and  the  beads  which  were  thrown  into  the 
waters  by  the  Indians,  were  of  great  interest  to  the  explorers,  also  a  "large  and 
frequented  road"  which  passed  the  springs  into  the  mountains.  This  road  was 
an  old  trail  through  the  Ute  Pass.  Lieutenant  Swift,  after  allowing  3,000  feet 
altitude  for  the  base,  estimated  the  summit  of  Pike's  Peak  to  be  11,507.5  feet 
above  the  sea  level.  His  measurement  of  8,507.5  from  the  base  to  the  top  was 
not  far  wrong,  but  his  error  was  made  in  the  altitude  of  the  base,  which  should 
have  been  5,700  feet. 

The  journey  was  then  resumed  and  on  the  evening  of  the  i6th  camp  was 
made  on  the  north  bank  of  the  Arkansas,  near  the  mouth  of  Turkey  Creek.  The 
next  morning  Doctor  James,  Captain  Bell  and  two  others  started  the  ascent  of 
the  Arkansas  to  the  mountains.  The  first  day  they  reached  a  point  some  dis- 
tance below  the  site  of  Cafion  City  and  the  next  day  reached  the  lower  end  of 
the  Royal  Gorge.  Here  their  journey  up  the  Arkansas  was  halted  by  the  im- 
passable condition  of  the  gorge.  After  a  short  stay  here  James  and  his  men 
returned  to  the  Turkey  Creek  camp,  and  then  preparations  were  made  for  the 
return  journey.  The  journey  was  begun  on  the  19th,  following  down  the  Ar- 
kansas along  the  north  bank.  Pueblo's  site  was  crossed  during  the  day.  The 
party  proceeded  down  the  Arkansas  to  about  the  one  hundredth  parallel  at  the 
intersection  with  the  Arkansas.  Keeping  upon  the  American  side  of  the  Span- 
ish boundary  line,  they  continued  their  journey  to  the  end.  Camping  places  within 
Colorado's  domain  were  frequently  made  and  the  line  of  the  state  crossed  on 
the  afternoon  of  July  31st. 

Although  Long's  expedition  was  a  noteworthy  one  in  point  of  view  of  the 
ascent  of  Pike's  Peak  and  geographical  observations,  his  reports  gave  a  grossly 
exaggerated  account  of  the  "Great  American  Desert"  a  vast  outlay  of  land  be- 
tween the  Missouri  and  the  Rockies,  which  he  claimed  to  be  an  arid  waste  of 
sand  and  stone.  Many  years  passed  before  actual  settlement  in  this  territory 
began,  due  in  principal  part,  to  this  erroneous  impression  given  by  the  Long  ex- 
ploring expedition.  The  existence  of  this  American  Sahara  was  taught  in  the 
public  schools  of  the  East  and  it  is  said  that,  even  to  this  late  day,  there  are 
typical  Easterners  who  believe  in  the  existence  of  this  "desert."  Although  Major 
Long  gave  the  name  of  James'  Peak  to  our  Pike's  Peak,  this  title  did  not  last 
long.  Doctor  James  was  undoubtedly  the  first  white  man  to  reach  the  summit 
of  this  elevation,  but  Pike's  personal  popularity  among  the  traders  and  trappers 
led  them  to  use  his  name  whenever  speaking  of  the  peak  and  so  it  has  come  down 
in  history  as  Pike's  Peak.  Some  of  the  early  map-makers  gave  it  the  name  of 
Doctor  James,  but  the  practice  was  of  short  duration.    However,  Doctor  James' 


56  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

name  has  since  been  given  to  another  peak  of  the  Continental  Divide  in  the 
southeastern  corner  of  Grand  County.    This  peak  is  13,283  feet  in  height. 

How  little  these  explorers  knew  of  the  real  worth  of  the  country  through 
which  they  passed,  or  how  little  they  wished  to  know,  may  be  understood  by  the 
following  quotations  from  Doctor  James'  record: 

"We  have  little  apprehension  of  giving  too  unfavorable  an  account  of  this 
portion  of  the  coiuitry.  Though  the  soil  is  in  some  places  fertile,  the  want  of 
timber,  of  navigable  streams,  and  water  for  the  necessities  of  life,  render  it  an 
unfit  residence  for  any  but  a  nomad  population.  The  traveler  who  shall  at  any 
time  have  traversed  its  desolate  sands,  will,  we  think,  join  us  in  the  wish  that 
this  region  may  forever  remain  the  unmolested  haunt  of  the  native  hunter,  the 
bison,  and  the  jackal." 

And  again :  "In  regard  to  this  extensive  section  of  coimtry,  we  do  not  hesi- 
tate in  giving  the  opinion  that  it  is  almost  wholly  unfit  for  cultivation,  and  of 
course  uninhabitable  by  a  people  depending  upon  agriculture  for  their  subsist- 
ence. Although  tracts  of  fertile  land,  considerably  extensive,  are  occasionally 
to  be  met  with,  yet  the  scarcity  of  wood  and  water,  almost  uniformly  prevalent, 
will  prove  an  insuperable  obstacle  in  the  way  of  settling  the  country.  This  ob- 
jection rests  not  only  against  the  immediate  section  under  consideration,  but  ap- 
plies with  equal  propriety  to  a  much  larger  portion  of  the  country.  Agreeably  to 
the  best  intelligence  that  can  be  had  concerning  the  country  both  northward  and 
southward  of  the  section,  and  especially  from  the  inferences  deducible  from  the 
account  given  by  Lewis  and  Clark,  of  the  country  situated  between  the  Missouri 
and  Rocky  Mountains,  above  the  River  Platte,  the  vast  region  commencing  near 
the  sources  of  the  Sabine,  Trinity,  Brasis  and  Colorado  rivers,  and  extending 
northwardly  to  the  forty-ninth  degree  of  north  latitude,  by  which  the  United 
States  territory'  is  limited  in  that  direction,  is  throughout,  of  a  similar  character. 
The  whole  of  this  region  seems  peculiarly  adapted  as  a  range  for  buffaloes,  wild 
goats,  and  other  wild  game,  incalculable  multitudes  of  which  find  ample  pastur- 
age and  subsistence  upon  it. 

"This  region,  however,  viewed  as  a  frontier,  may  prove  of  infinite  importance 
to  the  United  States,  inasmuch  as  it  is  calculated  to  serve  as  a  barrier  to  prevent 
too  great  an  extension  of  our  population  westward,  and  secure  us  against  the 
machinations  or  incursions  of  an  enemy,  that  might  otherwise  be  disposed  to 
annoy  us  in  that  quarter." 

JOHN    C.    FREMONT 

The  first  of  the  Fremont  expeditions  in  1842  was  the  next  to  be  despatched 
into  the  western  country  by  the  United  States  Government.  John  C.  Fremont, 
a  lieutenant  of  topographical  engineers  in  the  United  States  army,  in  his  several 
trips  to  the  West,  covered  more  ground  than  any  previous  explorer  and,  although 
in  many  ways  not  the  first  to  discover  various  trails  and  passes,  has  been  given 
the  sobriquet  of  "Pathfinder"  by  the  majority  of  historians. 

Fremont's  first  expedition  was  organized  late  in  the  spring  of  1842  and  was 
for  the  purpose  of  exploring  the  frontiers  beyond  the  Missouri  River  and  es- 
pecially the  Rockies  in  the  vicinity  of  the  South  Pass,  through  which  the  Amer- 
ican immigrants  traveled  to  the  Oregon  country ;  also  to  locate  sites  for  military 


JOHN  CHARLES  FREMONT 

This  portrait,  whicli  is  an  iiiuisual  one,  is  roproiluccd  from  a  photographic  enlargement  of 
an  engraved  copy  of  an  early  ])hotoj;raph  of  him.  Ho  traversed  ('olorado's  soil  on  several  of 
his  exploring  expeditions  aeross  tlie  old-time  Far  Wcft,  the  first  of  which  was  made  in  the  year 
1842  and  the  last  in  185.'!.  Genornl  Fiemont  was  a  native  of  Savannah,  Georgia,  and  died  in 
New  York  City  on  Jnly  ^2,  1890. 


58  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

posts,  in  order  to  protect  the  American  fur  companies  from  the  inroads  of  the 
Hudson's  Bay  Company.  In  his  company  upon  this  first  expedition,  and  in 
others,  was  Kit  Carson,  the  noted  guide  and  scout  of  the  frontier. 

Having  gone  from  St.  Louis  to  Chouteau's  Landing,  about  ten  miles  from 
the  mouth  of  the  Kansas  River,  Fremont  there  made  final  preparations  for  the 
trip.  Departure  was  made  on  June  lo,  1842,  to  the  westward.  He  proceeded 
along  the  south  bank  of  the  Kansas  for  several  days,  crossed  to  the  Blue  River, 
then  went  northwest  to  the  Platte  and  along  this  until  the  great  forks  were 
reached,  this  occurring  about  the  first  of  July.  Here  Fremont  split  his  command 
into  two  sections,  sending  one  to  Fort  Laramie  and  taking  the  other  with  him. 
For  about  a  week  the  course  led  along  the  South  Platte  and  on  July  loth  Long's 
Peak  came  into  view.  He  then  continued  as  far  as  the  St.  Vrain  trading  post, 
which  was  as  near  the  site  of  Denver  as  he  came  upon  this  expedition.  After 
a  short  stay  here,  Fremont  started  northward  to  Fort  Laramie.  The  homeward 
journey  was  along  the  North  Platte  to  the  Platte,  thence  to  the  Missouri  and 
down  that  stream  to  St.  Louis.  Fremont  then  went  to  Washington,  made  his 
report,  and  was  authorized  to  conduct  a  second  expedition.  In  the  four  months 
he  was  absent  upon  this  first  trip,  he  surveyed  the  Pass  and  ascended  the  highest 
of  the  Wind  River  Mountains  since  known  as  Fremont's  Peak.  His  right  of 
discovery  of  the  South  Pass  is,  of  course,  of  negligible  quality,  as  there  was  a 
well-defined  and  well-trodden  roadway  through  the  pass  when  he  arrived.  Had 
it  not  been  for  his  intrepid  guide — Kit  Carson — the  little  he  did  in  the  way  of 
climbing  mountains  and  exploring  might  never  have  been  done  quite  so  thor- 
oughly. 

THE    SECOND    EXPEDITION 

The  second  expedition  was  organized  at  Westport  Landing,  now  a  part  of 
Kansas  City,  Missouri,  with  thirty-nine  persons,  well-equipped  and  provided 
with  a  small  piece  of  brass  artillery.  On  May  29,  1843,  the  expedition  moved 
in  a  southwest  direction  to  the  Santa  Fe  Trail  and  there  was  joined  by  William 
Gilpin,  afterwards  the  first  governor  of  Colorado  Territory.  The  Santa  Fe  Trail 
was  followed,  then  the  Valley  of  the  Kansas  and  also  the  Republican  River. 
Finding  the  progress  of  the  expedition  to  be  too  slow,  Fremont  on  the  l6th 
separated  his  party,  one  division  to  follow  with  the  heavier  supplies  while  the 
one  led  by  himself  was  to  push  on  with  greater  speed.  Fremont  reached  the 
South  Platte  on  June  30th,  at  a  point  near  the  present  southeastern  corner  of 
Logan  County,  Colorado.  He  then  marched  up  the  right  bank  of  this  river  to 
the  north  to  Fort  St.  Vrain,  where  he  arrived  July  4th.  Two  days  later  he  left 
the  fort  and  began  his  journey  up  the  South  Platte,  encamping  the  night  of  the 
7th  "a  little  above  Qiern,'  Creek."  which  is  a  point  now  within  the  limits  of  west 
Denver.  In  the  river  bottoms  here  they  found  a  large  village  of  Arapahoe  In- 
dians, consisting  of  about  one  hundred  and  sixty  tepees.  The  next  day  he 
continued  up  the  river  almost  to  the  mountains,  then  up  Plum  Creek,  noted  by 
him  as  "Vermillion  Creek."  a  name  given  by  Doctor  James  to  Cherry  Creek.  He 
then  crossed  over  to  the  Bijou,  thence  to  the  Fontaine-qui-Bouille,  which  stream 
he  followed  to  the  mouth.  Here  he  again  met  Kit  Carson  and,  recognizing  his 
worth  to  the  party,  Fremont  hastened  to  add  the  hunter  and  guide  to  his  ex- 
pedition. 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  59 

From  the  mouth  of  the  Fontaine,  Fremont  returned  northward  along  the 
stream  to  the  springs  at  Manitou,  thence  up  Monument  Creek,  over  the  divide 
to  the  head  of  Plum  Creek,  and  down  this  waterway  to  Fort  St.  Vrain.  Leav- 
ing St.  Vrain,  the  expedition  then  went  northward  to  the  North  Platte,  then 
across  the  mountains  to  Salt  Lake  and  the  Columbia  River  country. 

Upon  his  return  in  1844,  Fremont  entered  the  land  of  Colorado  about  noon 
of  the  15th  of  June  at  the  northwestern  corner.  He  followed  a  southwest  course, 
with  the  mountains  on  his  right  and  the  North  Platte  on  the  left.  He  described 
this  phase  of  the  journey  as  follows :  ''The  valley  narrowed  as  we  ascended  and 
presently  degenerated  into  a  gorge,  through  which  the  river  passed  as  through  a 
gate.  We  entered  it,  and  found  ourselves  in  the  New  Park  (North  Park) — a 
beautiful  circular  valley  of  thirty  miles  diameter,  walled  in  all  around  with  snowy 
mountains,  rich  with  water  and  with  grass,  fringed  with  pine  on  the  mountain 
sides  below  the  snow  line,  and  a  paradise  to  all  grazing  animals.  The  Indian 
name  for  it  signifies  'Cow  Lodge',  of  which  our  own  may  be  considered  a  transla- 
tion; the  enclosure,  the  grass,  the  water,  and  the  herds  of  buffalo  roaming  over 
it,  naturally  presenting  the  idea  of  a  park." 

Coursing  up  the  west  fork  of  the  North  Platte,  Fremont  crossed  the  Divide 
on  the  17th  and  came  into  what  is  now  Middle  Park.  By  the  21st,  the  northwest 
part  of  South  Park  was  reached  and  the  course  followed  down  the  south  fork 
of  the  South  Platte  River.  During  the  journey  down  this  stream  "the  face  of 
an  old  familiar  friend,"  (Pike's  Peak),  came  into  view,  also  sounds  of  a  conflict 
between  the  Ute  and  Arapahoe  Indians  were  borne  to  their  ears.  The  party 
left  the  river  on  June  22d  and  "taking  a  southeasterly  direction,  in  about  ten 
miles  we  crossed  a  gentle  ridge,  and  issuing  from  the  South  Park,  we  found  our- 
selves involved  among  the  broken  spurs  of  the  mountains  which  border  the  great 
prairie  plains.  Although  broken  and  extremely  rugged,  the  country  was  very 
interesting,  being  well  watered  by  numerous  affluents  to  the  Arkansas  River,  and 
covered  with  grass  and  a  variety  of  trees.  The  streams  which,  in  the  upper  part 
of  their  courses,  ran  through  grassy  and  open  hollows,  after  a  few  miles  all  de- 
scended into  deep  and  impracticable  canyons,  through  which  they  found  their 
way  to  the  Arkansas  Valley.  Here  the  buffalo  trails  we  had  followed  were  dis- 
persed among  the  hills,  or  crossed  over  into  the  more  open  valleys  of  other 
streams.  During  the  day  our  road  was  fatiguing  and  difficult,  reminding  us 
much,  by  its  steep  and  rocky  character,  of  our  traveling  the  year  before  among 
the  Wind  River  Mountains ;  but  always  at  night  we  found  some  grassy  bottom, 
which  afforded  us  a  pleasant  camp.  In  the  deep  seclusion  of  these  little  streams 
we  found  always  an  abundant  pasturage  and  a  wild  luxuriance  of  plants  and 
trees.  After  several  days'  laborious  traveling  we  succeeded  in  extricating  our- 
selves from  the  mountains,  and  on  the  morning  of  the  28th  encamped  immedi- 
ately at  their  foot,  on  a  handsome  tributary  of  the  Arkansas  River.  In  the 
afternoon  we  descended  the  stream,  winding  our  way  along  the  bottoms,  which 
were  densely  wooded  with  oak,  and  in  the  evening  encamped  near  the  main 
river.  Continuing  the  next  day  our  road  along  the  Arkansas,  and  meeting  on 
the  way  a  war  party  of  Arapahoe  Indians  (who  had  recently  committed  some 
outrages  at  Bent's  Fort,  killing  stock  and  driving  off  horses),  we  arrived  before 
sunset  at  the  pueblo  near  the  mouth  of  the  Fontaine  qui  Bouit  River,  where 
we  had  the  pleasure  to  find  a  number  of  our  old  acquaintances." 


60  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

The  last  stage  of  the  journey  led  them  down  the  Arkansas  to  Bent's  Fort, 
eastward  across  country  to  the  Missouri  at  the  Town  of  Kansas,  and  then  down 
the  Missouri  to  St.  Louis.  Fremont  was  advanced  by  President  Tyler  to  the 
rank  of  captain  of  engineers  in  reward  for  his  services  upon  this  expedition. 

THE  THIRD  EXPEDITION 

The  third  expedition  commanded  by  John  C.  Fremont  was  equipped  and 
organized  in  the  spring  of  1845.  The  object  was  to  explore  the  great  basin  west 
of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  little  of  which  had  been  thoroughly  traversed,  and  did 
not  include  much  work  to  be  done  within  the  present  State  of  Colorado.  Per- 
haps the  great  purpose  of  this  third  expedition  was  to  see  whether  or  not  a  rail- 
road could  be  constructed  through  the  Rockies. 

The  expedition  left  the  old  point  at  the  mouth  of  the  Kansas  River  and 
traveled  the  Santa  Fe  Trail  to  the  Arkansas,  thence  up  that  river  to  Bent's 
Fort,  arriving  Augvist  2d.  Fremont  left  the  fort  on  August  i6th,  proceeded  up 
the  Arkansas  on  the  north  side,  detoured  the  Royal  Gorge,  traversed  the  main 
mountain  range  at  the  head  of  Eagle  River  and  after  going  down  the  Eagle  to  a 
point  near  the  Town  of  Minturn.  he  turned  northwest  and  crossed  the  Grand 
River.  From  here  he  continued  northwestward  to  the  head  of  White  River, 
down  which  he  traveled  into  what  is  now  Utah.  Fremont  reached  California  in 
December  of  the  same  year. 

THE    FOURTH    EXPEDITION 

The  fourth  expedition  commanded  by  Fremont  was  not  a  government  enter- 
prise, but  a  private  scheme  in  the  interest  of  the  City  of  St.  Louis  and  for  the 
purpose  of  surveying  a  route  for  a  railroad  to  the  Pacific  Coast.  Fremont  and 
Senator  Benton  were  those  chiefly  interested  in  the  affair,  Fremont  having  pre- 
viously resigned  his  position  of  lieutenant  colonel  in  the  United  States  army. 
The  expedition  was  fitted  out  at  Westport,  now  a  part  of  Kansas  City,  in  the 
autumn  of  1848,  and  numbered  thirty-three  men,  most  of  whom  had  traveled 
before  with  Fremont. 

Departure  was  made  on  October  19th  and  a  route  taken  across  the  plains  of 
Kansas  by  way  of  the  Kansas  River.  From  the  headwaters  of  its  Smoky  Hill 
fork  Fremont  journeyed  southwest  to  the  Arkansas  and  then  to  Fort  Bent.  Up 
the  Arkansas  to  the  Pueblo  the  caravan  went  and  here  the  party  was  enlarged 
by  one  "Old  Bill"  Williams,  trapper  and  guide,  whom  Fremont  engaged  to  lead 
the  party  through  the  mountains.  After  reaching  the  mouth  of  the  Hardscrab- 
ble,  Fremont  turned  southwest,  crossed  the  Sangre  de  Cristo  Range  by  Roubi- 
deaux's  Pass,  and  about  the  first  of  December  entered  the  San  Luis  Valley. 
Shortly  the  explorers  found  themselves  at  the  mouth  of  the  Rio  Grande  Cafion, 
among  the  most  rugged  of  the  mountain  ranges,  but  intrepidly  they  followed 
Williams  across  this  divide.  Ever>'  day  they  encountered  more  difficulties  and 
now  that  the  range  was  crossed  their  hardships  became  greater  and  more  bitter. 
Fremont's  narrative  of  the  journey  at  this  point  contains  many  passages  which 
show  the  extreme  suffering  endured  by  the  men,  a  portion  of  which  story  fol- 
lows: 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  61 

"We  pressed  up  toward  the  summit,  the  snow  deepening;  and  in  four  or  five 
days  reached  the  naked  ridges  which  lie  above  the  timbered  country,  and  which 
form  the  dividing  grounds  between  the  waters  of  the  Atlantic  and  Pacific  oceans. 
Along  these  naked  ridges  it  storms  nearly  all  winter,  and  the  winds  sweep  across 
them  with  remorseless  fury.  On  our  first  attempt  to  cross  we  encountered  a 
pouderie  (dry  snow  driven  thick  through  the  air  by  violent  wind,  and  in  which 
objects  are  visible  only  at  a  short  distance),  and  were  driven  back,  having  some  ten 
or  twelve  men  variously  frozen,  face,  hands  or  feet.  The  guide  became  nigh 
frozen  to  death  here,  and  dead  mules  were  already  lying  about  the  fires.  Mean- 
time, it  snowed  steadily.  The  next  day  we  made  mauls,  and  beating  a  road  or 
trench  through  the  snow  crossed  the  crest  in  defiance  of  the  pouderie,  and  en- 
camped immediately  below  in  the  edge  of  the  timber.  The  trail  showed  as  if  a  de- 
feated party  had  passed  by;  pack-saddles  and  packs,  scattered  articles  of  clothing, 
and  dead  mules  strewn  along.  A  continuance  of  stonriy  weather  paralyzed  all 
movement.  We  were  encamped  somewhere  about  twelve  thousand  feet  above  the 
sea.  Westward,  the  country  was  buried  in  deep  snow.  It  was  impossible  to 
advance,  and  to  turn  back  was  equally  impracticable.  We  were  overtaken  by 
sudden  and  inevitable  ruin.  It  so  happened  that  the  only  places  where  any 
grass  could  be  had  were  the  extreme  summit  of  the  ridges,  where  the  sweeping 
winds  kept  the  rocky  ground  bare  and  the  snow  could  not  lie.  Below  these,  the 
animals  could  not  get  about,  the  snow  being  deep  enough  to  bury  them.  Here, 
therefore,  in  the  full  violence  of  the  storms  we  were  obliged  to  keep  our  animals. 
They  could  not  be  moved  either  way.  It  was  instantly  apparent  that  we  should 
lose  every  animal. 

"I  determined  to  recross  the  mountain  more  towards  the  open  country,  and 
haul  or  pack  the  baggage  (by  men)  down  to  the  Del  Norte.  With  great  labor 
the  baggage  was  transported  across  the  crest  to  the  head  springs  of  a  little  stream 
leading  to  the  main  river.  A  few  days  were  sufficient  to  destroy  our  fine  band 
of  mules.  They  generally  kept  huddled  together,  and  as  they  froze,  one  would 
be  seen  to  tumble  down  and  the  snow  would  cover  him ;  sometimes  they  would 
break  oflf  and  rush  down  towards  the  timber  until  they  were  stopped  by  the 
deep  snow,  where  they  were  soon  hidden  by  the  pouderie.  The  courage  of  the 
men  failed  fast ;  in  fact,  I  have  never  seen  men  so  soon  discouraged  by  mis- 
fortune as  we  were  on  this  occasion.  *  *  *  i^i  this  situation,  I  determined  to 
send  in  a  party  to  the  Spanish  settlements  of  New  Mexico  for  provisions,  and 
mules  to  transport  our  baggage  to  Taos.  With  economy,  and  after  .we  should 
leave  the  mules,  we  had  two  weeks'  provisions  in  the  camp.  These  consisted  of  a 
store  which  I  had  preserved  for  a  hard  day,  macaroni  and  bacon.  From  among 
the  volunteers  T  chose  King,  Brackenridgc,  Creutzfeldt  (the  botanist  of  the 
expedition),  and  llie  guide  Williams;  the  party  under  the  command  of  King. 
In  case  of  the  least  delay  at  the  settlements,  he  was  to  send  me  an  express.  In 
the  meantime,  we  were  to  occupy  ourselves  in  removing  the  baggage  and  equip- 
age down  to  the  Del  Norte,  which  we  reached  with  our  baggage  in  a  few  days 
after  their  departure   (which   was  the  day  after  Christmas)." 

Fremont  waited  sixteen  days  without  news  from  King  or  a  relief  party.  One 
of  his  party  froze  to  death,  which  event  determined  the  leader  to  go  in  search 
of  the  missing  men.  Leaving  part  of  the  men  with  instructions  to  follow  after 
a  certain  time,   Fremont  and  three  others  set  out  on   foot,   intending  to  either 


62  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

find  King  or  to  reach  the  nearest  Mexican  settlements  and  send  back  assistance. 
A  week  later  Fremont  met  a  small  band  of  Indians,  from  whom  he  secured  a 
guide  and  four  horses,  and  in  the  evening  of  the  same  day  discovered  Creutz- 
feldt,  Brackenridge  and  Williams,  almost  frozen  to  death  and  unable  to  go 
farther.  King  had  died  from  the  combined  effects  of  starvation  and  cold  a  few 
days  before.  They  had  lost  their  way  soon  after  leaving  the  Fremont  party  and 
for  days  had  wandered  aimlessly  over  the  San  Luis  Valley.  The  stricken  men 
were  placed  on  the  horses  and  the  southern  journey  resumed.  Small  Mexican 
settlements  were  reached  on  January  20,  1849,  and  from  there  Fremont  and  a 
companion  hurried  to  Taos  on  horseback.  From  Taos  a  posse  of  Mexicans,  led 
by  Godey,  a  member  of  Fremont's  expedition,  started  back  along  the  trail  to 
bring  in  the  remainder  of  the  party.  These  latter,  who  had  been  left  at  the  Del 
Norte,  had  waited  the  arranged  length  of  time,  then  started  down  the  river. 
Food  was  low  and  after  a  few  days  the  band  broke  up  into  small  parties  which 
separated,  three  or  four  men  having  died  in  the  meantime.  It  is  said  that  their 
hunger  became  so  severe  that  a  few  were  forced  to  cannibalism  in  order  to 
avoid  certain  death.  Godey  and  his  Mexicans  succeeded  in  assisting  them  to  the 
settlements,  but  when  the  roll  was  finally  called  eleven  men  were  missing. 

Fremont  remained  at  Taos  for  a  time  as  the  guest  of  his  former  guide  and 
friend.  Kit  Carson,  then,  in  the  middle  of  February,  with  a  new  outfit  and  com- 
pany, left  Santa  Fe  for  California,  routing  his  journey  down  the  Rio  Grande 
and  westward  through  southern  New  Mexico  and  Arizona.  He  reached  the  coast 
in  April.  Fremont  always  blamed  the  guide,  "Old  Bill"  Williams,  for  the  dis- 
aster in  the  mountains,  but  Williams  claimed  that  Fremont  ignored  his  repeated 
warning  not  to  enter  the  mountains  at  such  a  season.  The  so-called  "explorers" 
of  the  West  who  were  sent  out  by  the  Government  owe  much  to  the  picturesque 
guides  and  trappers  who  accompanied  them.  It  is  doubtful  whether  or  not  any 
degree  of  success  could  have  been  attained  by  these  men  had  it  not  been  for 
the  sagacity  and  knowledge  of  the  frontiersmen.  More  shall  be  said  in  a  later 
chapter  of  this  type  of  men. 

THE  GUNNISON   EXPEDITION 

By  an  act  approved  March  3,  1853,  Congress  authorized  the  Secretary  of 
War,  under  the  leadership  of  the  President,  to  employ  engineers  to  find  a  prac- 
ticable route  for  a  railroad  from  the  Mississippi  River  to  the  Pacific  Coast,  also 
appropriated  $I50,CXX)  for  this  work.  Fremont  was  supposed  to  be  the  logical 
man  to  survey  this  route,  but,  contrary  to  expectations,  Jefferson  Davis,  then 
Secretary  of  War,  appointed  Capt.  John  W.  Gunnison,  of  Vermont,  to  head  the 
expedition.  In  the  instructions  issued  to  Gunnison,  defining  the  purpose  of  the 
journey,  he  was  told  "to  explore  and  survey  the  pass  through  the  Rocky  Moun- 
tains in  the  vicinity  of  the  headwaters  of  the  Rio  del  Norte,  by  way 'of  the  Huer- 
fano River  and  Coo-che-to-pa,  or  some  other  eligible  pass,  into  the  region  of 
Grand  and  Green  rivers,  and  westwardly  to  the  Vegas  de  Santa  Clara  and  Nicol- 
let River  of  the  Great  Basin,  and  thence  northwardly  to  the  vicinity  of  Lake 
Utah  on  a  return  route,  to  explore  the  most  available  passes  and  canyons  of 
the  Wasatch  Range  and  South  Pass  to  Fort  Laramie." 

The  party  was  organized  at  Westport  and  the  journey  begun  on  June  23d. 


CAPT.  JOHN  W.  GUNNISON 

Captain  Gunnison,  of  the  Uiiito<l  States  Army,  was  in  cliarge  of  explorations,  niado  in  1853, 
for  a  route  for  a  P.-u'lfic  railway  in  the  vicinity  of  the  :!8tli  and  39th  parallels,  which  traverse 
tho  central  part  of  the  area  of  Colorado.  While  in  that  service  Captain  Gunnison  and  several 
of  his  assistants  were  killed  by  the  Indians  near  Sevier  Lake,  in  Utah.  A  river,  a  county  and 
a  city  in  Colorado  bear  his  name.  The  portrait  is  a  photographic  enlargement  from  a  dag- 
uerreotype, somewhat  impaired  by  age. 


64  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

On  July  24th  the  expedition  crossed  the  border  of  Colorado  upon  the  east,  passed 
the  abandoned  Fort  Bent,  went  up  the  Arkansas  to  the  Apishapa  and  Huerfano, 
through  the  Sangre  de  Cristo  Pass  to  the  San  Luis  Park,  then  through  the 
Saguache  and  Coochetopa  Pass,  down  the  Gunnison  River  to  its  junction  with 
the  Grand,  and  then  westward  across  Utah  to  the  valley  of  Sevier  Lake.  On 
the  morning  of  September  25th,  Captain  Gunnison  and  a  number  of  his  men  left 
the  camp  to  explore  in  the  vicinity  of  Sevier  Lake.  At  daylight  the  following 
morning  they  were  unexpectedly  attacked  by  a  superior  band  of  Pah  Utes.  Only 
four  of  the  soldiers,  who  escaped  on  their  horses,  lived  to  return.  The  others 
were  massacred,  including  Captain  Gunnison.  The  remainder  of  the  expedition 
went  to  Salt  Lake  City  and  there  spent  the  winter.  In  the  spring  the  work  was 
reorganized  and  commanded  by  Lieut.  E.   G.   Beckwith. 

Fremont's  last  expedition 

At  this  time,  the  fifth  and  last  expedition  commanded  by  John  C.  Fremont 
was  under  way.  The  selection  of  Captain  Gunnison  by  Secretary  Davis  had 
not  been  to  Fremont's  liking  and  he  had  hastened  from  Paris,  France,  where 
he  had  been  living,  to  resume  his  work  in  the  Rockies.  The  expedition  was  or- 
ganized in  1853  and  most  of  the  expense  borne  by  Fremont  himself  and  Senator 
Benton. 

A  start  was  made  and  the  journey  to  the  Utah  Basin  accomplished  over  prac- 
tically the  same  route  as  taken  by  Gunnison — along  the  Arkansas,  across  the 
Sangre  de  Cristo  Range,  San  Luis  Park  westward,  through  the  Coochetopa  Pass 
and  down  the  Gunnison.  Again,  while  in  the  western  part  of  Colorado,  Fremont 
encountered  severe  weather  conditions;  most  of  his  pack  animals  died  or  were 
killed  for  food ;  and  one  man  died  of  exposure.  Late  in  March,  California  was 
reached  and  from  there  Fremont  returned  by  the  Panama  route  to  the  East. 

This  was  the  last  exploring  expedition  into  the  West  actuated  by  such  pur- 
poses as  guided  Fremont  and  Gunnison.  During  all  this  time  roads  had  been 
established  across  the  mountains  by  the  immigrants  and  many  routes  were  dis- 
covered here  and  there  which,  for  all  practicable  purposes,  fulfilled  the  desires 
of  Congress  expressed  in  their  act  of  March  3,  1853. 


CHAPTER  IV 
ANCIENT  AND  MODERN  INDIAN  TRIBES 

THE  CLIFF  DWELLERS — DISCOVERY  OF  RUINS THE  DWELLING SPRUCE  TREE  HOUSE 

CLIFF  PALACE THE  SUN  TEMPLE — ORIGIN  OF  CLIFF  DWELLERS THE  AMER- 
ICAN INDIAN COLORADO  TRIBES CHIEFTAINS COL.  HENRY  DODGE's  EXPEDI- 
tion  the      kearny      expedition beginning      of      depredations the 

uprising  of  1864 alarm  in  denver reign  of  terror council  at  denver 

the  affair  at  sand  creek the  aftermath effect  upon  the  indians 

— Forsyth's  battle  on  the  arickaeee — roman  nose — beecher's  death — 

THE  outcome UTE  UPRISING  OF  1879 ATTACK  ON  THORNBURGH THE  AT- 
TACK at  THE  AGENCY 

THE  CLIFF  DWELLERS 

The  most  remarkable  ruins  of  prehistoric  chff  dwelhngs  in  the  southwestern 
part  of  the  United  States  are  those  in  the  side  canyon  of  the  Mancos  on  the  Mesa 
Verde  in  Montezuma  County,  Colorado.  When  Columbus  landed  in  America  in 
1492  there  were  many  tribes  of  Indians  living  upon  the  Continent,  of  numerous 
types  and  with  varying  degrees  of  civilization.  There  were  tribes  of  low  grade 
and  others  of  very  high  standard — such  as  the  Mayas  and  Aztecs.  Little  is 
known  of  the  character  of  the  Cliff  Dwellers  other  than  that  learned  from  their 
dwellings,  which  have  so  recently  been  exposed  to  the  view  of  mankind. 

It  is  strange  that  these  greatest  of  American  prehistoric  ruins  should  have 
escaped  discovery  until  1888.  Years  before,  innumerable  ancient  ruins  left  in 
other  states  by  the  ancestors  of  the  Pueblo  Indians  had  been  described  and  pic- 
tured. They  had  been  the  subjects  of  popular  lectures ;  they  had  been  treated  in 
books  of  science  and  travel — they  had  become  a  familiar  American  spectacle. 
Even  the  ruins  in  the  Mancos  Canon  in  Colorado  were  explored  as  early  as  1874. 
Mr.  W.  H.  Jackson,  who  led  the  Government  party,  found  there  many  small 
dwellings  broken  down  by  the  weather.  The  next  year  he  was  followed  by 
Prof.  W.  H.  Holmes,  later  chief  of  the  Bureau  of  American  Ethnology,  who 
drew  attention  to  the  remarkable  stone  towers  so  characteristic  of  the  region. 
But  these  discoveries  attracted  little  attention  because  of  their  inferiority  to 
the  better-known  ruins  of  Arizona  and  New  Mexico.  Had  either  of  the  explorers 
followed  up  the  side  canyon  of  the  Mancos  they  would  have  then  discovered  ruins 
which  are,  in  the  words  of  Baron  Gustav  Nordenskiold,  the  talented  Swedish 
explorer,  "so  magnificent  that  they  surpass  anything  of  the  kind  known  in  the 
United  States." 

Stone  ruins  of  pueblos  were  found  in  general  on  the  top  of  isolated  plateaus, 

Vol.  1—5 

65 


66  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

called  in  the  Southwest  from  their  Spanish  names — mesas  or  tables.  The  de- 
pressions between  these  mesas  have  been  worn  down  by  the  rains  of  centuries, 
which  have  eroded  deep  gorges  called  canyons,  often  extending  many  miles, 
showing  on  their  sides  alternating  layers  of  rock  of  difterent  colors  and  degrees 
of  hardness.  When  softer  layers  of  rock  occur  below  the  harder  in  the  sides  of 
these  mesas,  there  is  worn  a  cavern  often  fifty  feet  high  and  several  hundred 
feet  long. 

The  Mesa  Verde,  or  Green  Mesa,  is  so  called  from  the  cedar  and  pine  trees 
which,  growing  upon  it,  impart  to  it  a  green  color.  The  mesa  is  large,  fifteen 
miles  long  and  eight  miles  wide.  Rising  abruptly  from  the  valley  on  the  north 
side,  its  top  slopes  gradually  southward  to  the  high  clifil:  bordering  the  valley  of 
the  Mancos  on  the  south.  Into  this  valley  there  opens  a  number  of  small  high- 
walled  canyons,  through  which  occasionally,  in  times  of  rains,  raging  torrents  of 
water  flow  into  the  Mancos.  In  the  shelter  of  the  sides  of  these  small  canyons 
occur  some  of  the  best  preserved  clift  dwellings  in  America. 

In  prehistoric  times  a  large  population  of  Indians,  whom  we  call  Cliff  Dwell- 
ers, lived  in  these  cavern  dwellings.  They  raised  small  and  scanty  crops  of  com 
and  other  grains  on  the  mesa  tops,  hunted  and  fished  in  the  streams  below,  and 
in  other  ways  eked  out  their  existence.  The  Cliff  Dwellers  left  no  written 
language  other  than  various  symbols,  which  were  drawn  upon  the  walls  of 
their  homes  or  carved  into  the  surface  of  the  rocks.  However,  scientists  who 
have  studied  the  Mesa  Verde  ruins  have  been  enabled  to  assign  to  them  -a  definite 
place  in  history  and  to  learn  much  of  the  customs,  habits,  character  and  religion 
of  the  Cliff'  Dwellers,  among  whom  there  were  twenty-three  clans.  Each  clan, 
or  social  unit,  as  it  were,  had  its  "kiva,"  or  men's  room,  which  was  exclusive 
property. 

DISCOVERY  OF  RUINS 

Baron  Nordenskiold  thus  describes  in  his  book  "The  Cliff  Dwellers  of  the 
Mesa  Verde"  (Stockholm,  1893),  the  discovery  of  the  wonderful  dwellings  in 
this  side  canyon  of  the  Mancos : 

"The  honor  of  discovery  of  these  remarkable  ruins  belongs  to  Richard 
and  Alfred  Wetherill,  of  Mancos.  The  family  own  large  herds  of  cattle  which 
wander  about  on  the  Mesa  Verde.  The  care  of  these  herds  often  calls  for  long 
rides  on  the  mesa  and  in  its  labyrinth  of  canyons.  During  these  long  excursions 
ruins,  the  one  more  magnificent  than  the  other,  have  been  discovered.  The  two 
largest  were  found  by  Richard  Wetherill  and  Charley  Mason  one  December  day 
in  1888,  as  they  were  riding  together  through  the  pinyon  wood  on  the  mesa  in 
search  of  a  stray  herd.  They  had  penetrated  through  the  dense  scrub  to  the 
edge  of  a  deep  canyon.  In  the  opposite  cliff,  sheltered  by  a  huge,  massive  vault 
of  rock,  there  lay  before  their  astonished  eyes  a  whole  town,  with  towers  and 
walls,  rising  out  of  a  heap  of  ruins.  This  grand  monument  of  bygone  ages  seemed 
to  them  well  deserving  of  the  name  of  Cliff'  Palace.  Not  far  from  this  place,  but 
in  a  different  canyon,  they  discovered,  on  the  same  day,  another  very  large  cliff 
dwelling.  To  this  they  gave  the  name  of  Spruce  Tree  House,  from  a  great 
spruce  that  jutted  forth  from  the  ruins. 

"During  the  course  of  years  Richard  and  Alfred  Wetherill  have   explored 


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68  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

the  mesa  and  its  canyons  in  all  directions.  They  have  thus  gained  a  more  thor- 
ough knowledge  of  its  ruins  than  anyone.  Together  with  their  brothers,  John, 
Clayton  and  Wynn,  they  have  also  carried  out  excavations,  during  which  a  num- 
ber of  extremely  interesting  finds  have  been  made." 

THE  DWELLING 

In  many  cases  the  word  dwelling  is  misleading,  for  most  of  the  dwellings,  or 
buildings,  were  in  reality  whole  villages.  Spruce  Tree  House,  for  instance,  was 
undoubtedly  a  town  of  importance,  harboring  at  least  three  hundred  and  fifty 
inhabitants. 

The  arrangement  of  houses  in  a  cliff  dwelling  of  the  size  of  Cliff  Palace,  for 
example,  is  characteristic  and  intimately  associated  with  the  distribution  of  the 
social  divisions  of  the  inhabitants.  As  mentioned  before,  the  population  was  com- 
posed of  a  number  of  units,  possibly  clans,  each  of  which  had  its  own  social  or- 
ganization more  or  less  distinct  from  others,  a  condition  that  appears  in  the 
arrangement  of  rooms.  The  rooms  occupied  by  a  clan  were  not  necessarily  con- 
nected, although  generally  neighboring  rooms  were  distinguished  from  one  an- 
other by  their  uses.  Thus,  each  clan  had  its  men's  room,  which  was  ceremonially 
called  the  "kiva."  Here  the  men  of  the  clan  practically  lived,  engaged  in  their  oc- 
cupations. Each  clan  had  also  one  or  more  rooms,  whidi  may  be  styled  the  living 
rooms,  and  other  inclosures,  for  granaries  or  storage  of  corn.  The  corn  was 
ground  into  meal  in  another  room  containing  the  metate  set  in  a  bin  or  stone 
box,  and  in  some  instances  in  fireplaces,  although  these  were  generally  placed 
in  the  plazas  or  on  the  housetops.  All  these  different  rooms,  taken  together, 
constitute  the  houses  that  belonged  to  one  clan. 

The  conviction  that  each  kiva  denotes  a  distinct  social  unit,  as  a  clan  or 
family,  is  supported  by  the  general  similarity  in  the  masonry  of  the  kiva  walls 
and  that  of  adjacent  houses  ascribed  to  the  same  clan.  From  the  number  of 
these  rooms  it  would  appear  that  there  were  at  least  twenty-three  social  units 
or  clans  in  Cliff  Palace.  The  kivas  were  the  rooms  where  the  men  spent  most 
of  the  time  devoted  to  ceremonial  meetings,  councils  and  other  gatherings.  In 
the  social  conditions  prevalent  at  Cliff  Palace  the  religious  fraternity  was  limited 
to  the  men  of  the  clan. 

Apparently  there  was  no  uniformity  in  the  distribution  of  the  kivas.  As  it 
was  prescribed  that  these  rooms  should  be  subterranean,  the  greatest  number 
were  placed  in  front  of  the  rectangular  buildings,  where  it  was  easiest  to  exca- 
vate them.  But  when  necessary  these  structures  were  built  far  back  in  the 
cave  and  inclosed  by  a  double  wall,  the  intervals  between  whose  sections  were 
filled  with  earth  or  rubble  to  raise  it  to  the  level  of  the  kiva  roof.  In  that  way 
they  were  artificially  made  subterranean,  as  the  ritual  required. 

The  highest  part  of  the  Mesa  Verde  National  Park  is  Park  Point,  8,574 
feet  above  sea  level,  while  Point  Lookout,  the  most  prominent  point  on  the  Mesa 
Verde,  has  an  elevation  of  8,428  feet  above  sea  level.  The  northern  edge  of 
the  mesa  terminates  in  a  precipitous  bluff,  averaging  two  thousand  feet  above  the 
floor  of  the  Montezuma  Valley.  The  general  slope  of  the  mesa  is  to  the  south, 
so  that  a  person  on  the  northern  rim  has  a  view  in  all  directions. 

The  park  is  placed  under  the  exclusive  control  of  the  Secretary  of  the  In- 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  69 

terior  and  he  is  represented  in  the  actual  administration  of  the  park  by  a  super- 
intendent, assisted  by  a  hmited  number  of  park  rangers  who  patrol  the  reser- 
vation. 

The  principal  and  most  accessible  ruins  are  the  Spruce  Tree  House,  Cliff 
Palace,  Balcony  House,  Tunnel  House  and  Sun  Temple.  Spruce  Tree  House  is 
located  in  the  head  of  Spruce  Tree  Canon,  a  branch  of  tlie  Navajo  Caiion.  It 
originally  contained  about  130  rooms,  built  of  dressed  stone  laid  in  adobe 
mortar,  with  the  outside  tiers  chinked  with  chips  of  rock  and  broken  pottery. 
Cliff  Palace  is  located  about  two  miles  east  of  Spruce  Tree  House,  in 
a  left  branch  of  Cliff  Canon,  and  consists  of  a  group  of  houses  with  ruins 
of  146  rooms,  including  twenty  round  kivas,  or  ceremonial  rooms,  and  a  taper- 
ing loopholed  tower,  forming  a  crescent  of  about  one  hundred  yards  from 
horn  to  horn,  which  is  reputed  to  be  one  of  the  most  famous  works  of  prehistoric 
man  in  existence.  Balcony  House,  a  mile  east  of  Cliff  Palace,  in  Ruin  Canon, 
contains  about  twenty-five  rooms,  some  of  which  are  in  almost  perfect  condition. 
Tunnel  House,  about  two  miles  south  of  Spruce  Tree  House,  contains  about 
twenty  rooms  and  two  kivas  connected  by  an  elaborate  system  of  underground 
passages  and  a  burial  ground  of  5,cx30  square  feet.  In  each  of  these  villages  is 
an  elaborate  system  of  fortification,  with,  in  some  cases,  walls  2.3  feet  thick  and 
twenty  feet  high,  watch  towers  thirty  feet  high,  and  blockhouses  pierced  with 
loopholes.  The  Sun  Temple  was  discovered  in  the  summer  of  191 5  and  is 
located  on  the  mesa  opposite  Cliff  Palace. 

SPRUCE  TREE   HOUSE 

The  total  length  of  Spruce  Tree  House  is  2t6  feet,  its  width  at  the  widest 
part  89  feet.  There  were  counted  in  the  Spruce  Tree  House  114  rooms,  the 
majority  of  which  are  secular  and  eight  ceremonial  chambers  or  kivas.  Spruce 
Tree  House  in  places  was  three  stories  high ;  the  third-story  rooms  had  no  arti- 
ficial roof,  but  the  wall  of  the  cave  served  that  purpose.  Several  rooms,  the 
walls  of  which  are  now  two  stories  high,  formerly  had  a  third  story  above  the 
second,  but  their  walls  have  now  fallen,  leaving  as  the  only  indication  of  their 
former  union  with  the  cave  lines  destitute  of  smoke  on  the  top  of  the  cavern. 
Of  the  114  rooms,  at  least  fourteen  were  uninhabited,  being  used  as  storage  and 
mortuary  chambers.  If  we  eliminate  these  from  the  total  number  of  rooms  we 
have  100  inclosures  which  might  have  been  dwellings.  Allowing  four  inhabi- 
tants for  each  of  these  100  rooms  would  give  about  four  hundred  persons  as  an 
aboriginal  population  of  Spruce  Tree  House.  But  it  is  probable  that  this  esti- 
mate should  be  reduced,  as  not  all  the  100  rooms  were  inhabited  at  the  same 
time,  there  being  evidence  that  several  of  them  had  occupants  long  after  others 
were  deserted.  Approximately,  Spruce  Tree  House  had  a  population  not  far 
from  three  hundred  and  fifty  people,  or  about  one  hundred  more  than  that  of 
Walpi,  one  of  the  best  known  Hopi  pueblos. 

CLIFF    PAL.\CE 

Cliff  Palace  lies  in  an  eastern  spur  of  Cliff  Canon,  under  the  roof  of  an 
enormous  cave  which  arches  fiftv  to  one  hundred  feet  above  it.    The  floor  of  this 


70  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

cavern  is  elevated  several  hundred  feet  above  the  bottom  of  the  canyon.  The 
entrance  faces  the  west,  looking  across  the  canyon  to  the  opposite  side,  in  full 
view  of  the  promontory  upon  which  stands  the  Sun  Temple.  The  floor  of  the 
recess  in  which  Cliff  Palace  is  built  is  practically  covered  with  buildings,  some 
of  which,  especially  those  at  each  end,  extend  beyond  the  shelter  of  the  cave 
roof.  The  total  length '  of  the  Cliff  Palace  is  approximately  three  hundred 
feet.  The  floor  of  the  cave  in  which  CHff  Palace  was  built  had  practically  one 
level,  determined  no  doubt  by  a  layer  of  comparatively  hard  rock,  which  re- 
sisted erosion  more  successfully  than  the  softer  strata  above  it.  The  floor  was 
strewn  with  great  angular  boulders  that  in  the  process  of  formation  of  the  cave 
had  fallen  from  the  roof.  These  were  too  large  to  be  moved  by  primitive  man 
and  must  have  presented  to  the  ancient  builders  uninviting  foundations  upon 
which  to  erect  their  structures.  The  spaces  between  the  rocks  were  better 
suited  for  their  purposes.  These  were  filled  with  smaller  stones  that  could  be  re- 
moved, leaving  cavities  which  could  be  utilized  for  the  construction  of  subter- 
ranean rooms.  The  upper  surfaces  of  the  large  rocks,  even  those  which  are 
angular,  served  as  foundations  for  houses  above  ground  and  determined  the 
levels  of  the  plazas.  From  the  bases  of  these  rocks,  which  formed  the  outer 
edge  of  the  level  cave  floor,  a  talus  extended  down  the  canyon  side  to  the  bottom. 
The  rooms  forming  the  front  of  the  ancient  village  were  constructed  in  this 
talus,  and  as  their  site  was  sloping  they  were  necessarily  situated  at  lower  levels 
on  terraces  bounded  by  retaining  walls  which  are  marked  features  in  this  part 
of  Cliff  Palace.  At  least  three  different  terraces,  indicating  as  many  levels,  are 
recognized.  These  levels  are  indicated  by  the  rows  of  kivas,  or  ceremonial  rooms, 
which  skirt  the  southern  and  middle  sections  of  this  ancient  village. 

An  examination  of  the  correct  ground  plan  of  Cliff  Palace  shows  that  the 
houses  were  arranged  in  a  crescent,  the  northern  extension  of  rooms  corre- 
sponding roughly  to  one  point.  The  curve  of  the  village  follows,  generally 
speaking,  that  of  the  rear  of  the  cave  in  which  it  was  constructed.  There  is 
little  regularity  in  the  arrangement  of  the  rooms,  which,  as  a  rule,  are  not 
crowded  together;  most  of  the  subterranean  chambers  are  situated  on  terraces 
in  front  of  the  secular  rooms.  There  is  one  passageway  that  may  be  desig- 
nated as  a  street ;  this  is  bordered  by  high  walls.  No  open  space  of  considerable 
size  is  destitute  of  a  ceremonial  chamber,  and  the  largest  contains  five  of  these 
rooms.  It  is  not  possible  to  count  the  exact  number  of  rooms  that  Cliff  Palace 
formerly  had,  as  many  upper  stories  have  fallen  and  a  considerable  number  of 
terraced  rooms  along  the  front  are  indicated  only  by  fragments  of  walls.  Roughly 
speaking,  two  hundred  is  a  fair  estimate. 

The  Cliff  Palace  kivas,  provided  with  pedestals  or  roof  supports,  furnish 
examples  of  some  of  the  finest  masonry  in  prehistoric  buildings  of  our  South- 
west. Every  kiva  of  the  first  type  has  a  ventilator,  firehole  and  deflector.  There 
were  two  types  of  ceremonial  rooms,  which  might  indicate  a  division  of  the  ritual 
into  two  distinct  parts  performed  by  the  summer  and  the  winter  people,  re- 
spectively, a  specialization  still  perpetuated  among  some  modern  Pueblos.  Secu- 
lar rooms  in  Cliff  Palace  may  be  classified  as  living  rooms,  storage  rooms,  mill 
rooms,  granaries,  dark  rooms,  probably  for  sleeping,  towers  both  round  and 
square,  and  round  rooms  not  towers. 


72  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

THE  SUN  TEMPLE 

The  Sun  Temple  is  the  latest  of  the  Mesa  Verde  ruins  to  be  explored  and  re- 
claimed. This  was  discovered  in  the  summer  of  191 5  and  since  then  the  work 
of  excavating  and  repairing  the  Temple  has  been  continued,  under  the  direction 
of  J.  Walter  Fewkes.    Professor  Fewkes  describes  the  work  as  follows : 

"At  the  close  of  a  report  on  field  work  at  Clif?  Palace  in  1909  I  called  atten- 
tion to  a  mound  of  stones  on  tjie  point  of  the  mesa  directly  across  Cliff  Canon 
and  suggested  that  it  might  conceal  an  ancient  pueblo  ruin.  The  majority  of 
stones  strewn  over  this  mound  showed  pecking  on  their  surfaces  and  other  well- 
marked  signs  of  having  been  worked  artificially,  indicating  the  character  of  the 
masonry  in  the  walls  of  the  ancient  building  buried  beneath  it.  Enough  soil  had 
accumulated  on  the  mound  formed  by  these  stones  to  allow  the  growth  of  red 
cedar  and  pinyon  trees,  the  size  of  which  indicated  great  age.  A  more  important 
consideration  was  that  it  presented  evidences  that  the  buried  building  belonged 
to  an  unique  type  of  ruin  in  the  Mesa  Verde,  and  gave  promise  of  adding  an 
important  chapter  to  our  knowledge  of  the  prehistoric  people  who  formerly 
made  their  home  in  the  Mesa  Verde  National  Park.  These  hopes  were  realized 
and  the  results  of  three  months'  work  on  this  mound  were  more  striking  than 
had  been  expected.  There  was  brought  to  light  a  type  of  ruin  hitherto  unknown 
in  the  park,  and,  as  well  expressed  by  a  visitor,  the  building  excavated  shows 
the  best  masonry  and  is  the  most  mysterious  structure  yet  discovered  in  a  region 
rich  in  so  many  prehistoric  ruins.  Although  at  first  there  was  some  doubt  as  to 
the  use  of  the  building,  it  was  early  recognized  that  it  was  not  constructed  for 
habitation,  and  it  is  now  believed  that  it  was  intended  for  the  performance  of 
rites  and  ceremonies;  the  first  of  its  type  yet  recognized  in  the  Southwest. 

"The  ruin  was  purposely  constructed  in  a  comm.anding  situation  in  the  neigh- 
borhood of  large  inhabited  cliff  houses.  It  sets  somewhat  back  from  the  edge  of 
the  canyon,  but  near  enough  to  present  a  marked  object  from  all  sides,  especially 
in  the  neighboring  mesas.  It  must  have  presented  an  imposing  appearance  rising 
on  top  of  a  point  high  above  inaccessible,  perpendicular  cliffs.  The  mound  is 
situated  on  a  spur  of  the  picturesque  Chapin  Mesa  separating  two  deep  canyons. 
From  it  one  can  look  southward  down  Soda  Canon  to  the  Mancos  River,  on  the 
banks  of  which  a  group  of  cottonwood  trees  can  be  seen  on  a  clear  day.  This 
superb  view  is  rivaled  by  one  of  almost  equal  beauty,  looking  east  across  Cliff 
Caiion  into  the  cave  in  which  is  situated  Cliflf  Palace.  In  a  cave  of  the  precipice 
below  Sun  Temple  there  is  a  solitary,  almost  inaccessible  cliff  house,  and  in  a 
cavern  not  far  up  the  canyon  is  Oak  Tree  (Willow)  House,  and  the  mysterious 
dance  plaza,  called  Painted  House.  Other  clifT  dwellings  are  visible  from  the 
ruin,  which  is  practically  situated  near  the  central  point  of  a  considerable  pre- 
historic population.  No  better  place  could  have  been  chosen  for  a  religious 
building  in  which  the  inhabitants  of  many  cliff  dwellings  could  gather  and  to- 
gether perform  their  great  ceremonial  dramas. 

"The  ground  plan  has  been  well  compared  to  the  letter  D.  The  building  is 
formed  of  two  sections,  the  larger  of  which,  taken  separately  is  also  D-shaped 
and  may  be  called  the  original  building,  while  the  smaller,  forming  the  west  end, 
is  of  later  ( ?)  construction.  The  foundation  walls  of  the  building,  throughout 
most  of  their  length,  rest  on  the  solid  rock  of  the  cliflf.     There  are  about  one 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  73 

thousand  feet  of  walls  in  the  whole  building  and  its  inclosed  kivas ;  it  has  28,000 
cubic  feet,  or  1,292  perches,  of  stone  masonry  in  its  present  condition,  and  had 
not  far  from  1,900  perches  before  the  walls  began  to  crumble.  The  width  of 
the  ruin  at  its  widest  portion  is  sixty-four  feet.  The  walls  average  four  feet 
in  thickness  and  are  composed  of  a  central  core  made  of  rubble  and  adobe,  with 
two  facings  made  of  well-dressed  rock,  which,  however,  were  not  tied  to  the  core 
and  present  a  serious  architectural  defect. 

"The  rooms  in  this  building  vary  in  form  and  type,  one  kind  being  circular, 
the  other  rectangular.  The  circular  rooms  are  identified  as  kivas  or  sacred 
rooms ;  the  purpose  of  the  rectangular  room  is  unknown.  *  *  *  We  f^nd 
in  this  ruin  numerous  examples  of  an  early  attempt  to  embellish  the  walls  of  a 
building  by  geometrical  figures  cut  in  their  surfaces.  Many  cliff  houses  are 
known  to  have  their  walls  painted,  but  designs  sculptured  on  component  stones 
are  rare.  Several  stones  with  incised  figures  were  set  in  the  walls,  but  the  ma- 
jority were  found  on  rocks  that  had  fallen  from  the  top  of  the  walls.  No  uni- 
formity in  their  position  in  the  rooms  was  noticeable,  and  the  figures  were  not 
continuous  enough  to  form  a  band  about  the  room.  *  *  *  There  are  two 
circular  rooms  or  kivas  of  about  equal  size  in  the  original  building  and  a  third 
occupied  the  center  of  the  Annex.  There  are  twenty-three  other  rooms,  four- 
teen of  which  are  in  the  original  building. 

"One  of  the  most  remarkable  structures  built  on  the  outside  walls  of  the 
building  is  near  the  southwest  corner  of  the  Annex.  This  corner  stands  on  a 
solid  rock  that  projects  one  and  a  half  or  two  feet  above  the  otherwise  level  foun- 
dation of  the  wall.  The  cornerstone  or  foundation  of  the  corner  wall  protrudes 
two  feet  beyond  the  building,  and  on  its  upper  surface  is  a  fossil  with  central 
depressed  zone  with  sharp  radiating  ridges.  The  figure  is  not  artificial,  but  is 
possibly  helped  out  by  artificial  means.  A  natural  object  with  these  characters 
would  greatly  affect  a  primitive  mind,  and  no  doubt  was  regarded  with  more 
or  less  reverence  by  the  builders.  At  all  events  they  have  partially  inclosed  this 
emblem  with  walls  in  such  a  way  as  to  inclose  the  figure  on  three  sides,  leaving 
the  inclosure  open  on  the  fourth  or  west  side.  There  can  be  no  doubt  that  the 
walled  inclosure  was  a  shrine,  and  the  figure  in  it  may  be  a  key  to  the  purpose  of 
the  building.  The  shape  of  the  figure  on  the  rock  suggests  a  symbol  of  the 
sun,  and  if  this  suggestion  be  correct  there  can  hardly  be  a  doubt  that  solar  rites 
were  performed  about  it  long  before  the  Sun  Temple  was  built." 

Professor  Fewkes  estimates  the  antiquity  of  the  Sun  Temple  to  be  about 
1300  A.D.  "From  absence  of  data  the  relative  age  of  Sun  Temple  and  Cliff  Pal- 
ace is  equally  obscure,  but  it  is  my  firm  conviction  that  Sun  Temple  is  the 
younger,  mainly  because  it  showed  unmistakable  evidences  of  a  higher  socio- 
logical condition  of  the  builders ;  but  here  we  again  enter  a  realm  of  speculation 
which  merely  adds  to  the  mystery  of  the  building." 

The  Mesa  Verde  ruins  are  now  readily  accessible  to  tourists.  The  Govern- 
ment has  just  completed  a  thirty-two  mile  automobile  road  from  the  Town  of 
Mancos.  Much  of  the  increased  interest  shown  in  the  cliff  dwellings  by  students 
and  visitors  alike  is  due  to  the  reclamation  efforts  of  Prof.  J-  Walter  Fewkes,  of 
the  Bureau  of  Ethnology.  Under  his  direction  the  ruins  have  been  cleared  of 
debris,  reconstructed  so  far  as  practicable  and  described  in  more  comprehensive 
language  than  has  ever  been  used  before.     The  greater  part  of  the  above  de- 


74  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

scriptions  are  taken  bodily  from  his  reports  to  the  Department  of  the  Interior 
and  pubHshed  by  the  latter  for  the  benefit  of  those  interested.  Future  years  will 
bring  to  light  many  other  clifT  dwellings  and  Sun  temples  which  are  known  to 
exist  under  the  mounds  in  the  vicinity;  governmental  support  and  investigation 
will  eventually  add  much  to  the  knowledge  we  have  of  the  primitive  peoples  of 
southwestern  Colorado. 

ORIGIN    OF   THE   CLIFF   DWELLERS 

The  exact  origin  of  the  ClifT  Dwellers  is  in  doubt,  although  it  is  generally 
supposed  that  they  were  descendants  of  a  race  which  had  disappeared  as  such, 
just  as  the  Cliff  Dwellers  themselves  were  fated  to  do.  Toltecs  these  ancient 
peoples  were  called ;  then  again,  the  Cliff  Dwellers  were  supposed  to  have  de- 
scended from  the  Aztecs.  They  might  have  descended  from  the  Mound  Build- 
ers or,  in  fact,  from  one  of  the  many  other  tribes  which  occupied  the  south- 
western countr}'  ages  ago.  There  is  no  doubt  today,  if  the  racial  and  ethnological 
similarities  may  be  considered,  that  there  is  a  distinct  relationship  between  the 
Clift'  Dwellers  and  the  modern  Pueblo  Indian.  Their  ceremonies  seem  to 
be  similar  and  their  houses  are  greatly  alike.  The  Pueblo  Indian  may 
be  the  remnant  of  the  Cliff  Dweller  race,  which  was  either  driven  out  of 
the  country  now  in  southwestern  Colorado  or  migrated  when  food  became 
unobtainable.  As  stated  in  a  preceding  paragraph,  future  investigations 
may  disclose  the  great  riddle  of  these  dwellers  of  the  cliffs,  of  whose  life 
no  written  record  or  tradition  exists. 

THE   AMERICAN    INDIAN 

The  phrase  "American  Indian"  has  been  criticized  by  a  number  of  writers. 
Columbus  gave  the  red  men  the  name  of  "Indios,"  a  Spanish  word,  believing  the 
country  he  discovered  a  part  of  India.  This  led  to  the  adoption  of  the  word 
Indian,  or  its  equivalent,  in  practicallv  all  the  principal  languages.  Then  came 
the  classification  of  the  Indian  as  we  know  him  as  the  American  Indian,  a  name 
that  has  remained  despite  the  efforts  to  abolish  the  use  of  the  title.  The  name 
"Amerind-'  enjoyed  a  short  prestige  as  a  compromise  expression.  However, 
for  our  purposes,  the  name  "Indian,"  simple  and  self-explanatory,  is  sufficient. 

The  history  of  Colorado  is  chiefly  concerned  with  the  Indians  who  came 
under  the  classification  of  Shoshonean  and  Siouan  stocks.  These  tribes  cov- 
ered all  of  what  is  now  the  states  of  Colorado,  Wyoming,  Texas,  Oregon,  Ne- 
vada, Montana,  California,  Idaho  and  New  Mexico  when  the  first  white  settle- 
ments were  made  in  this  state.  In  what  is  now  Colorado  the  tribal  divisions 
comprised  the  Utes,  Arapahoes,  Cheyennes  and  Kiowas.  The  Sioux  warred 
continually  upon  the  Cheyennes  and  forced  them  into  other  parts  of  the  country, 
while,  on  the  other  hand,  the  Utes  were  bitter  enemies  of  both  the  Cheyennes 
and  Arapahoes.  The  Potawatomi,  Pawnee,  Arkansas,  Choctaw,  Creek,  Chero- 
kee, Padouca,  Sac,  Kickapoo,  Osage,  Delaware,  Otoe,  Missouri  and  Omaha, 
with  other  tribes,  also  occupied  land  now  in  Colorado  at  different  times,  but  not 
to  the  extent  of  the  Utes  and  Arapahoes. 

The   Shoshonean  Indians   were  in   greater  numbers   west   of   the   Missouri 


VIEW  OF  THE  "CLIFF  PALACE,"  WHICH  18  SITUATED  IN  A  BRANCH  OF  CLIFF 
CANON,  AS  IT  APPEARED  IN  1899 

The  building  is  about  425  feet  in  length  and  in  the  central  part  is  about  80  feet  in  depth. 


VIEW  OF  CLTFF  DWELLERS'  TOWERLTKE  STKI^CTUIiES  THAT  STAND  AT  THE 
VERCE  OF  A  CANON  PliF.ril'lCE  AND  OVKK'LOOK  A  MKSA  l!A<'K(i ROUND,  IN 
THAT  PART  OF  MESA  VERDE  DISTRICT  Wlllcl!  LIES  IN  THE  FAR  SOUTH- 
WESTERN SECTION  OF  COLORADO 


76  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

River  when  explorations  were  first  made  to  the  Rockies  and  foothills.  The 
seven  tribes  of  the  Utes  camped  in  the  valleys  and  on  the  mountains  of  Colo- 
rado, and  along  the  Platte  and  Arkansas  rivers.  East  of  the  Front  Range  and 
north  of  the  Arkansas  were  the  Cheyennes  and  Arapahoes,  while  south  of  the 
Arkansas  were  the  Kiowas  and  Comanches.  The  Navajoes  and  Apaches,  of  the 
Athabascan  group,  later  came  to  the  Rockies.  It  is  said  that  the  Spaniards 
found  Navajoes  along  the  Rio  San  Juan  in  the  Sixteenth  Century,  at  which 
time  they  were  hostile  to  the  Utes. 

The  early  Spanish  and  French  explorers  came  into  frequent  contact  with 
the  Indians,  with  whom  they  traded  and  from  whom  they  obtained  information, 
often  fanciful,  of  the  country.  These  foreigners  gave  the  Indian  tribes  names 
which  have  long  since  disappeared  from  use.  The  early  maps  gave  to  the  various 
tribes  certain  sections  of  the  country'  such,  for  instance,  as  that  of  Delisle's  map 
of  Moscosco's  journey  west  of  the  Mississippi.  Here  what  is  now  Colorado  and 
the  northern  part  of  New  Mexico  was  designated  as  the  "Country  of  the  Apaches 
and  Padoucas,"  and  upon  a  later  map  the  country  between  the  North  and  South 
Platte  is  occupied  by  the  "White  Padoucas"  and  the  valley  of  the  Arkansas  by 
the  "Black  Padoucas."  The  Padoucas  apparently  were  in  the  majority  at  the 
time  of  French  exploration,  as  the  name  predominates  in  every  French  descrip- 
tion of  the  country.  Upon  other  old  charts  of  the  country  the  Platte  River  has 
been  given  the  name  of  Riviere  des  Padoucas. 

The  central  part  of  Colorado,  in  the  vicinity  of  Denver,  was  occupied  largely 
by  the  Arapahoes.  Of  this  tribe  little  can  be  said  in  commendation.  They  com- 
bined all  the  characteristics  which  go  to  make  up  the  "bad  Indian."  Crafty, 
treacherous,  cruel,  pugnacious,  dishonest  and  even  murderous  they  were.  The 
site  of  Denver  was  a  favorite  camping  ground  for  them  and  when  the  first  set- 
tlements were  made  there  arose  many  difficulties  between  them  and  the  white 
people.  The  contact  of  civilization  did  them  no  good,  as  it  brought  to  them  all 
the  vices,  including  whiskey,  to  further  inflame  their  warlike  propensities. 

Left  Hand,  Little  Raven,  and  Bufifalo  Billy  were  noted  Arapaho  chiefs  of 
this  day ;  the  former  met  his  death  when  Chivington  massacred  the  Indian  band 
at  Sand  Creek  in  1864  and  the  latter  was  killed  in  i860  during  a  drunken  spree 
at  the  camp  southeast  of  Denver. 

The  Pawnees  occupied  only  a  part  of  what  is  now  Colorado,  to  be  exact,  the 
northeast  corner.  Their  country  was  along  the  Platte  River  principally,  in  the 
west  half  of  Nebraska,  but  their  excursions  took  them  over  into  Colorado  many 
times ;  whence  they  were  generally  driven  back  by  the  enemy  tribes. 

The  Cheyennes,  probably  of  the  Algonquin  family,  were  so  relentlessly  warred 
upon  by  the  Sioux  that  they  were  driven  from  their  native  habitat  along  the 
Cheyenne  River  and  a  large  number  of  them  came  southward  to  form  an  alli- 
ance with  the  Arapahoes.  They  were  good  warriors  and  hunters  and  consider- 
ably strengthened  the  latter  tribe.  Roman  Nose,  whose  name  is  identified  with 
the  history  of  Colorado,  was  a  Cheyenne  chieftain  who  fomented  a  large  amount 
of  trouble  wherever  he  went,  and  whose  activities  eventually  cost  him  his  life 
on  the  Arickaree  while  attacking  Forsyth's  troops. 

The  Crows,  an  exiled  branch  of  the  Sioux,  were  feared  in  Colorado  on  ac- 
count of  their  depredations.     The  Sioux  Indians  considered  a  Crow  a  natural 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  77 

enemy  despite  the  distant  relationship  and,  for  that  matter,  the  white  settlers 
never  trusted  one  of  the  tribe  whose  raids  reached  as  far  as  the  site  of  Denver. 

The  Kiowas,  thought  by  many  writers  to  be  of  Shoshone  blood,  were  once 
inhabitants  of  the  upper  valley  of  the  Arkansas  and  on  the  South  l^latte.  From 
here  the  Arapahoes,  with  the  Cheyennes,  compelled  them  to  migrate  southeast- 
ward, where  they  found  refuge  on  the  lower  Arkansas  and  its  tributaries. 

The  Utes,  of  the  Shoshone  family,  were  closely  identified  with  Colorado's 
period  of  settlement  and  were  the  cause  of  most  of  the  Indian  troubles  of  the 
time.  They  once  occupied  all  of  the  mountain  country  of  Colorado,  the  south- 
western part  of  Wyoming  and  a  great  part  of  Utah.  They  were  at  peace  with 
no  other  Indian  tribe,  except  the  notorious  Apache  on  the  South,  with  whom  they 
were  allied  mostly  for  defensive  purposes.  The  Ute  Indian  was  of  a  high  order 
and  possessed  many  qualities  not  ordinarily  associated  with  the  American  In- 
dian. 

At  least  two  chieftains  of  more  than  ordinary  intelligence  were  produced 
among  the  Utes.  Ouray,  without  question  the  best  of  the  Utes,  was  a  man  of 
great  sagacity  and  administrative  ability.  He  was  a  pacifist  and  continually 
strived  for  peace  between  his  people  and  the  whites.  The  White  River  massacre 
by  the  Utes  was  contrary  to  his  advice  and  his  services  in  the  investigation  after- 
wards were  meritorious.  Ouray  was  born  in  1839,  the  son  of  a  Ute  father  and 
an  Apache  mother,  and  died  at  the  Southern  Ute  Agency  in  Colorado  during  tlie 
year  1883. 

Ignacio,  of  the  Weeminuche  tribe  of  Southern  Utes,  was  another-  chieftain  of 
high  intellect  and  wisdom.  He  succeeded  Ouray  as  the  head  of  the  tribe  and 
always  followed  in  his  predecessor's  course  of  promoting  peace  and  prosperity 
among  his  people.  He  understood  thoroughly  that  the  Indian  could  not  with- 
stand the  civilization  of  the  white  man,  also  that  hostile  opposition  only  hastened 
the  doom  of  his  people.  With  this  view  strongly  inculcated  into  his  every  pur- 
pose, he  performed  a  notable  work  during  his  life — that  of  keeping  his  subjects 
at  peace. 

On  the  other  hand  there  were  a  number  of  Ute  chieftains  who  were  personi- 
fications of  everything  despicable — treachery,  cruelty,  immorality,  inebriety  and 
love  of  bloodshed.  Captain  Jack,  chief  of  the  Yampai  White  River  Utes,  was  a 
man  of  this  character.  He  refused  to  acknowledge  the  wisdom  of  keeping  peace 
with  the  whites,  was  forever  an  cnf-my  of  the  settlers,  and  strongly  resisted  any 
attempt  to  civilize  his  race.  Land  cultivation  or,  to  his  mind,  manual  labor,  was 
very  distasteful.  He  led  the  band  of  Utes  which  ambushed  Major  Thornburg 
and  his  troops  in  1879,  at  the  time  of  the  attack  on  the  White  River  Agency. 
Captain  Jack  was  killed  in  October,  1897,  during  a  drunken  carousal  at  Navajo 
Springs,  Colorado. 

Douglas,  who  led  the  attack  on  the  White  River  Agency  in  1879,  was  a  chief- 
tain of  ability  and  intelligence,  but  combining  with  those  laudable  qualities  others 
of  criminal  character,  which  made  him  all  the  more  dangerous.  Until  the  time 
of  his  dastardly  attack  on  the  Meeker  family  he  iiad  professed  a  desire  for  peace 
with  the  whites.  However,  the  opportunity  had  no  sooner  arrived  than  he 
changed  and  literally  bathed  his  hands  in  blood.  Douglas  was  never  punished 
for  this  act  and  lived  until  1885,  dying  at  the  Uintah  Agency,  While  Rocks, 
Utah. 


78  HISTORY  OF  COLOR.\DO 

Colorow  was  a  chieftain  who  was  more  thoroughly  dishked,  both  by  the  whites 
and  the  Indians  themselves,  than  any  other  leader  of  the  Utes.  He  had  the 
qualities  of  a  wolf  and  a  coyote,  with  not  enough  character  to  inspire  respect 
even  among  his  kinsmen.  It  is  said  that  he  traveled  around  the  country  alone, 
visiting  ranch  houses  when  the  men  were  absent  and  frightening  the  women. 
After  the  White  River  Agency  massacre,  he  was  taken  to  the  Uintah  Reserva- 
tion in  Utah.  He  declared  boastfully  that  he  would  not  stay  in  Utah  and  in 
1887  he,  with  his  small  band,  left  and  came  back  to  southwestern  Colorado.  He 
speedily  got  into  a  quarrel  with  the  authorities  of  Garfield  County  and  state 
troops  were  sent  there  to  subdue  him.  The  troops  came  into  conflict  with  the 
Utes,  killed  several  of  them  and  suffered  slight  casualties  themselves,  but  old 
Colorow  was  taken  back  to  Utah.     He  died  there  in   18S8. 

Buckskin  Charley,  a  chieftain  of  the  Southern  Utes,  was  a  natural  leader. 
He  was  very  tactful  and  shrewd,  but  did  not  rank  with  Ouray  and  Ignacio  in 
intelligence.  Having  had  an  Apache  father,  it  was  hardly  possible  for  him  to 
be  wholly  good.  However,  he  did  not  antagonize  the  whites  to  any  extent  and 
always  managed  to  maintain  a  high  position  of  leadership  among  his  people. 
He  was  a  familiar  figure  in  Denver  during  the  later  years  of  his  life. 

COL.    HENRY  DODGE's   EXPEDITION 

The  desire  of  the  United  States  Government  to  bring  about  a  peaceable  re- 
lationship and  amicable  understanding  with  the  Indian  tribes  of  the  Great  West 
and  also  to  encourage  friendship  between  the  tribes  was  the  foundation  of  sev- 
eral military  expeditions  to  the  western  country  about  the  middle  of  the  Nine- 
teenth Century. 

The  first  of  these  was  that  of  Col.  Henry  Dodge,  of  the  First  Regiment  of 
United  States  Dragoons,  in  1835.  This  was  the  first  expedition  of  strictly  mili- 
tary character  to  march  to  the  Rockies.  The  personnel  of  the  expeditionary 
force,  as  described  by  Colonel  Dodge's  own  adjutant,  was  as  follows: 

"Company  G,  37  men,  commanded  by  Captain  Ford. 

"Company  C,  40  men,  commanded  by  Captain  Duncan. 

"Company  A,  40  men,  commanded  by  Lieutenant  Lupton. 

"Lieutenant  Wheelock  doing  duty  in  Company  C ;  Lieutenant  Steen,  ord- 
nance officer,  in  command  of  two  swivels.  Lieutenant  Terrett.  assistant  commis- 
sary of  subsistence,  etc.  Lieutenant  Kingsbury,  acting  adjutant,  and  Doctor 
Fellows,  assistant  surgeon.  Major  Dougherty,  Indian  agent,  was  to  accompany 
the  command  as  far  as  the  Pawnee  village ;  and  Captain  Gantt,  Indian  trader, 
who  was  well  acquainted  with  the  country  over  which  we  were  to  march,  accom- 
panied the  detachment  in  the  capacity  of  guide. 

"The  companies  were  directed  to  take  sixty  days'  rations  of  flour,  and  ten 
days'  rafions  of  pork;  and  the  assistant  commissary  of  subsistence  to  take  twenty- 
five  beeves  and  two  wagon  loads  of  flour." 

The  Dodge,  expedition  left  Fort  Leavenworth  on  May  29th  and  proceeded 
to  the  Platte  River  at  a  point  forty  miles  above  its  mouth,  where  a  grand  council 
was  held  with  the  Otoe  Indians.  Later,  the  Omaha  Indians  under  Big  Elk  met 
Colonel  Dodge  here  and  another  council  was  held.  The  journey  was  then  con- 
tinued up  the  south  side  of  the  Platte  to  the  camp  of  the  Grand  Pawnees  (below 


80  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

the  foot  of  the  Grand  Island).  Although  the  Pawnees  distrusted  the  Americans, 
they  received  Colonel  Dodge  with  all  Indian  hospitality  and  despatched  messen- 
gers to  outlying  Indian  villages,  calling  the  chiefs  in  to  a  grand  council.  This 
formal  gathering  was  held  on  June  23d  and  was  a  success.  The  Indians  promised 
to  be  more  friendly  among  themselves  and  also  to  make  peace  with  the  Chey- 
ennes  and  Arapahoes. 

Upon  the  continuation  of  the  march  up  the  Platte,  negotiations  were  opened 
with  the  Arickaras,  considered  to  be  the  most  warlike  of  the  tribes  west  of  the 
Missouri.  A  council  was  held  with  this  tribe  a  short  distance  beyond  the  forks 
of  the  Platte,  when  Dodge  assured  them  of  the  Whites'  friendship  and  desire 
for  their  welfare.  Nothing  of  interest  or  pertinent  to  the  history  of  Colorado 
occurred  at  this  meeting. 

On  the  afternoon  of  July  9th  the  expedition  entered  Colorado  at  the  north- 
eastern corner  of  the  state,  following  the  right  bank  of  the  South  Platte.  The 
command  went  up  the  east  side  of  the  river,  crossing  Denver's  site,  and  pro- 
ceeded almost  to  the  Platte  Canon  mouth,  then  up  Plum  Creek,  over  the  ridge 
to  Monument  Cr.eek,  down  the  Monument  to  the  Fontaine  qui  Bouille,  thence 
down  the  stream  to  a  place  within  fifteen  miles  of  the  mouth,  thence  south- 
east to  the  Arkansas  and  down  this  stream  into  Kansas.  Bent's  Fort  was 
visited  on  the  route. 

In  his  formal  report  to  the  Government,  Colonel  Dodge  writes  as  follows : 

"On  the  28th  of  July,  I  encamped  in  full  view  of  Pike's  Peak,  on  the 
Rocky  Mountains.  The  next  morning  two  Spaniards  arrived  at  my  camp  and 
stated  that  they  had  been  sent  by  traders  from  the  Arkansas  River  in  search 
of  the  Arepaha  (Arapaho)  Indians.  On  the  30th  of  July,  I  arrived  at  the  Arkan- 
sas River,  about  five  miles  from  the  point  where  that  river  leaves  the  Rocky 
Mountains.  Here  I  saw  about  sixty  lodges  of  the  Arepaha  Indians  with  their 
families.  This  nation  claims  the  country  from  the  south  fork  of  the  Platte 
River  to  the  Arkansas,  and  numbers  about  eleven  hundred  warriors.  They 
have  never  entered  into  a  treaty  with  the  United  States.  They  are  said  to  have 
come  from  the  Rocky  Mountains,  and  are  the  descendants  of  the  Blackfeet 
Indians,  whose  tongue  they  speak.  I  found  them  desirous  of  cultivating  the  most 
friendly  understanding  with  me.  From  this  place  I  despatched  a  messenger, 
with  a  few  dragoons,  in  search  of  some  of  the  principal  chiefs  of  the  Arepaha, 
with  some  of  the  Cheyenne  and  Blackfeet  Indians,  who  were  on  the  waters  of 
the  Platte. 

"On  the  31st  of  July,  I  commenced  my  march  down  the  Arkansas,  and  arrived 
at  the  fort  of  Bent  and  St.  Vrain  on  the  4th  of  August.  This  fort  is  built  on 
the  Arkansas  River,  about  one  hundred  and  thirty  miles  from  the  Rocky  Moun- 
tains, and  its  owners  are  trading  under  a  license  from  the  superintendent  of 
Indian  affairs  at  St.  Louis.  They  erected  the  fort  to  protect  them  against 
a  sudden  attact  of  the  Indians,  and  have  a  six-pounder  and  several  light  field- 
pieces;  they  trade  with  the  Arepaha  and  Cheyenne  Indians,  and  also  with  the 
Camanches  of  the  Red  River.  At  this  place  I  met  a  number  of  the  Cheyenne 
Indians.  On  the  6th  of  August,  my  messenger  arrived  with  one  of  the  principal 
chiefs  of  the  Arepaha  Indians  and  some  of  the  Blackfeet  who  reside  with  the 
Arepahas.  At  Fort  William  (Fort  Bent),  on  the  7th  of  August,  I  met  a  large 
assembly  of  Indians  in  council,  and  endeavored  to  explain  to  them  the  views 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  81 

and  wishes  of  the  Government  in  relation  to  them.  A  small  deputation  of 
Pawnees  accompanied  my  command  from  the  Pawnee  village,  and  had  a  friendly 
understanding  with  their  old  enemies,  the  Arepahas  and  Cheyenne  Indians.  I 
made  a  few  presents  to  them,  in  the  name  of  the  great  father,  the  President 
of  the  United  States,  which  appeared  to  have  a  great  effect  upon  them,  they 
being  the  first  ever  made  to  the  Arepaha  or  Blackfeet.  At  this  council,  I  learned 
that  the  Osages  and  the  Arepahas,  who  had  been  at  war  for  many  years,  had  made 
peace,  and  that  a  party  of  the  Osages  had  gone  to  the  Camanches,  on  the  Red 
River,  to  confirm  the  peace  made  between  them  last  year.  Mr.  Bent,  of  the 
trading-house  of  Bent  and  St.  Vrain,  arrived  at  Fort  William,  on  the  Arkansas, 
the  day  after  I  had  held  the  council  with  these  Indians.  He  had  visited  the 
Camanches  on  the  Red  River,  and  stated  that  he  had  seen  upwards  of  two 
thousand,  and  they  treated  him  with  great  kindness,  and  expressed  a  desire  to 
be  included  in  the  peace  made  by  me  with  the  Camanches  last  year. 

"When  the  boundary  line  is  run  between  the  United  States  and  Mexico,  I 
believe  that  more  than  one-half  of  the  country  now  claimed  by  the  Camanches 
will  be  within  the  territorial  limits  of  the  United  States. 

"On  the  I2th  of  August,  I  took  up  my  line  of  march  down  the  Arkansas, 
and  on  the  14th  arrived  at  a  village  of  the  Cheyenne  Indians,  composed  of  about 
sixty  skin  lodges.  In  the  evening  after  my  arrival,  I  held  a  council  with  the 
principal  braves  of  this  band.  About  eight  o'clock,  next  morning,  my  attention 
was  directed  to  the  firing  of  a  number  of  small-arms  in  quick  succession,  at  the 
distance  of  about  one-half  mile;  more  than  one  hundred  guns  were  fired  in  one 
or  two  minutes.  Supposing  this  firing  to  be  an  attact  on  the  Cheyenne  Indians 
by  some  of  their  enemies,  and  that  this  band  might  ask  protection  from  me,  I 
instantly  formed  the  dragoons  in  order  of  battle,  until  I  could  be  informed  as 
to  the  cause  of  the  firing.  It  was,  however,  soon  ascertained  to  be  a  party  of 
the  Pawnees  and  Arickaras,  about  one  hundred  'V.  number,  under  the  command 
of  one  of  the  principal  chiefs  of  the  Pawnees,  which  Indians,  upon  arriving 
in  the  vicinity  of  their  enemies,  the  Cheyennes,  had  fired  their  guns,  to  prove 
to  them  their  friendly  disposition,  by  approaching  with  empty  guns.  I  was  much 
gratified  to  meet  the  Pawness  and  Arickaras  at  the  village  of  the  Cheyennes, 
on  the  Arkansas  River.  I  had  advised  them  in  council,  on  the  river  Platte,  to 
make  peace  with  their  old  enemies,  the  Arepahas  and  Cheyennes.  This  I  con- 
sidered a  fortunate  meeting  of  the  old  enemies,  as  it  enabled  me,  as  the  mutual 
friend  of  all,  to  effect,  I  hope,  a  lasting  peace  between  them.  The  Cheyennes 
made  presents  to  the  Pawnees  and  Arickaras,  of  upwards  of  one  hundred  horses; 
and  the  latter  made  a  present  of  fifty  of  their  guns  to  the  Cheyennes.  I  en- 
deavored to  impress  strongly  on  tlie  minds  of  these  Indians,  the  mutual  advantage 
that  would  result  to  them  by  making  a  lasting  peace." 

Lieutenant  Kingsbury  was  the  chief  journalist  of  the  expedition  and  recorded 
in  excellent  language  the  appearance  of  the  Colorado  country  through  whidi  they 
passed  and  the  Indians  with  whom  they  became  acquainted.  He  found  the 
country  literally  blackened  with  buffalo  herds,  also  saw  droves  of  wild  horses. 
The  sight  of  the  mountains,  with  their  snow-capped  peaks  extending  above  the 
clouds,  impressed  him  with  their  "beautiful  and  splendid  appearance."  Not- 
withstanding the  intelligence  of  the  members  of  the  Dodge  expedition,  the 
description   of   the    route   taken,   distances,   and   names   of   rivers   are    recorded 


82  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

incorrectly  many  times.  The  official  map  published  after  the  return  is  also 
seriously  in  error.  Of  the  Indian  descriptions,  however,  more  confirmation  can 
be  given.  Colonel  Dodge  and  Lieutenant  Kingsbur}'  both  made  accurate  and 
colorful  narratives  of  the  red  man,  his  life  and  habits.  Naturally,  as  their 
principal  object  was  to  make  friends  with  the  native,  their  observation  was 
both  thorough  and  unbiased.  Of  the  Cheyennes  the  record  states :  "The  Chey- 
ennes  are  a  bold  and  warlike  band  of  Indians,  and  at  the  time  of  our  arrival 
were  in  a  state  of  great  disorganization.  They  had  just  killed  their  principal 
chief,  and  had  separated  into  three  villages,  and  were  wandering  about  the 
prairie  without  any  leader.  They  were  at  war  with  the  Camanches,  Kiowas, 
Pawnees  and  Arickaras ;  a  large  war  party  had  gone  out  against  the  Camanches, 
and  had  not  returned  at  the  time  of  our  arrival.  The  Osages  had  visited  the 
Cheyennes  and  Arepahas  early  in  the  summer,  and  had  made  peace  with  them. 
A  party  of  the  Arepahas  then  went  with  the  Osages  to  visit  the  Camanches, 
with  whom  they  wished  to  establish  friendly  relations.  The  Cheyennes  are  a 
better  looking  race  of  Indians  than  any  we  have  seen,  and  more  cleanly  in  their 
appearance.  The  women  are  remarkable  for  their  beauty  and  the  neatness  of 
their  personal  appearance.  The  Cheyennes  formerly  lived  on  the  Missouri 
River,  where  they  were  visited  by  General  Atkinson  in  1825.  They  left  that 
country  shortly  after,  and  came  to  the  south  fork  of  the  Platte,  and  have  since  been 
living  with  the  Arepahas,  with  whom  they  have  entered  into  the  strictest  terms 
of  alliance,  both  offensive  and  defensive,  and  will,  doubtless,  in  a  few  years, 
become  incorporated  with  that  nation.  They  are  now  about  two  hundred  and 
twenty  lodges,  six  hundred  and  sixty  men,  or  two  thousand  six  hundred  and  forty 
souls  in  all.  They  range  between  the  Platte  and  Arkansas,  near  the  mountains, 
and  subsist  entirely  upon  buffalo  and  the  wild  fruit  they  gather  along  the  moun- 
tains. 

"Of  the  Arepahas,  there  are  about  three  hundred  and  sixty  lodges,  one 
thousand  and  eighty  men,  or  three  thousand  six  hundred  souls  in  all.  They 
are  a  less  warlike  nation  than  the  Cheyennes,  and  appear  to  be  a  small  and 
more  delicate  looking  race  of  Indians,  and  are  governed  in  their  war  movements 
almost  entirely  by  the  Cheyennes.  The  names  of  their  principal  chiefs:  Ena- 
cha-ke-kuc,  or  buffalo  bull  that  carries  a  gun ;  Oe-che-ne,  or  old  raven ;  E-thaw- 
ete,  or  strong  bow ;  Waw-lau-nah,  or  black  dog ;  Waw-hin-e-hun,  or  mad  bear ; 
Naw-tuh-tha,  or  buffalo  belly.  They  are  less  neat  in  their  appearance  than  the 
Cheyennes,  and  make  their  clothes  of  buffalo  skins.  They  range  with  the  Chey- 
ennes between  the  Platte  and  the  Arkansas,  and  subsist  entirely  upon  buffalo. 
The  bow  and  arrow  is  the  principal  weapon  they  make  use  of  in  war,  and  in 
killing  game.  Some  few  of  them  have  guns  and  ammunition  that  they  have  bought 
of  the  American  traders  for  robes  and  fur.  They  kill  their  buffalo  upon  horses, 
by  running  at  full  speed  into  a  large  gang  and  shooting  them  with  their  arrows. 
The  Arepahas  formerly  lived  upon  Maria's  River,  near  the  forks  of  the  Missouri, 
but  emigrated  to  this  country  a  long  time  since. 

"The  Gros-ventres  of  Fort  du  Prairie,  now  living  with  the  Arepahas,  are  a 
band  of  the  Blackfeet.  They  speak  the  same  language  with  the  Arepahas, 
emigrated  from  the  same  country,  and  have  the  same  manners  and  customs. 
There  are  now  about  three  hundred  and  fifty  of  them  living  with  the  Arepahas. 
Seven  hundred  lodges  came  to  the  Arkansas  in  the  summer  of  1824  and  returned 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  83 

in  1832,  and  are  expected  again  on  the  Platte  and  Arkansas,  in  September,  1835. 
The  names  of  their  principal  chiefs  are  Nash-hin-e-thow,  or  elk  tongue;  Ka-aw- 
che,  or  bear  tooth.  There  is  also  a  small  band  of  the  Blackfeet  proper,  consisting 
of  about  fifty,  who  live  with  the  Cheyennes  and  the  Arepahas.  A  band  of 
Kiowas,  called  the  upper  band,  consisting  of  one  thousand  eight  hundred  or 
two  thousand,  and  another  who  are  called  the  Apaches  of  the  plains,  consisting 
of  about  twelve  hundred,  also  frequent  this  portion  of  the  country.  All  these 
Indians  frequent  the  Arkansas  and  the  Platte  near  the  mountains,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  killing  buffalo,  upon  which  they  subsist,  and  make  their  clothes  of  the 
skins.  They  all  have  large  numbers  of  horses,  upon  which  they  hunt  buffalo 
and  pack  their  baggage.  The  women  do  all  the  work,  and  wait  upon  the  men, 
who  do  nothing  but  kill  the  game." 

Throughout  his  journey  among  the  plains  Indians,  Colonel  Dodge  never  was 
met  with  hostility.  He  was  an  emissary  of  peace  and  as  such  he  was  ex- 
tremely successful;  for  the  time  being  he  aroused  better  feelings  among  the 
Indians,  both  toward  the  white  men  and  toward  each  other.  He  pointed  out 
to  the  savage  the  economic  benefits  to  be  gained  by  friendly  intercourse.  Maj. 
Gen.  Edmund  P.  Gaines,  writing  to  the  adjutant-general  at  Washington,  stated 
that  the  results  obtained  "are  not  only  altogether  deeply  interesting,  but  are, 
in  part,  extraordinary,  and  I  may  add,  unprecedented.  For  example,  the  ex- 
pedition embracing  a  traverse  of  1600  miles  of  continuous  wilderness,  alternate 
prairie  and  woodland,  in  which  many  nations  of  Indians  were  conferred  with, 
and  most  judiciously  impressed  with  the  justice,  humanity  and  poiver  of  our 
Government  and  Country,  and  then  passed  by  without  sustaining  any  injury 
or  loss  by  any  casualty,  excepting  only  the  short  illness  and  death  of  one  of  the 
brave  dragoons,  and  without  loss  or  any  material  injury  done  to  the  horses  of  the 
battalion." 

Henry  Dodge  reached  the  rank  of  colonel,  which  he  bore  at  the  time  of  his 
expedition;  served  in  the  War  of  1812  and  the  Black  Hawk  war;  was  the  first 
governor  of  Wisconsin  Territory;  elected  the  first  junior  senator  from  the 
State  of  Wisconsin  in  1848  and  continued  until  1857.    He  died  July  9,  1867. 

THE   KEARNEY    EXPEDITION 

Of  slightly  different  character  was  the  military'  expedition  commanded  by 
Col.  Stephen  W.  Kearney,  which  visited  the  plains  Indians  in  1845.  Wherein 
Colonel  Dodge  effected  his  purpose  by  conciliation  and  mediation,  Colonel 
Kearney  sought  to  accomplish  his  purpose  by  an  exhibition  of  the  "mailed  list." 
Indian  raids  had  been  made  upon  the  emigrants  traveling  to  the  Oregon  country 
and  more  were  anticipated,  so  it  was  believed  by  the  governmental  authorities 
at  Washington  that  a  lasting  impression  should  be  made  upon  the  Indians  by 
proving  to  them  the  military  power  of  the  white  men.  Colohel  Kearney  was  in 
command  of  the  First  Regiment  of  United  States  Dragoons. 

With  several  companies  of  this  regiment,  Kearney  left  Fort  Leavenworth 
on  May  18,  1845,  and  pursued  a  westerly  course  until  he  arrived  at  the  Oregon 
Trail  in  the  valley  of  the  Big  Blue.  He  followed  this  trail  to  the  Platte  River, 
thence  up  the  North  Fork  to  Fort  Laramie,  from  where  he  journeyed  beyond 
the  South  Pass.     He  returned  to  Fort  Laramie  during  the  middle  of  July,  then 


84  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

struck  out  in  a  southerly  direction  through  what  is  now  Colorado,  along  the 
foothills,  to  the  Arkansas.  The  expedition  then  turned  eastward,  followed  the 
river  to  the  Santa  Fe  Trail,  thence  to  Leavenworth.  In  his  official  report. 
Colonel  Kearney  stated : 

"During  our  march  we  met  with  the  Pawnees — with  several  tribes  of  the 
Sioux  Indians — with  the  Cheyennes  and  Arapahoes.  They  were  distinctly  told 
that  the  road  opened  by  the  dragoons  must  not  be  closed  by  the  Indians,  and 
that  the  white  people  traveling  upon  it  must  not  be  disturbed,  either  in  their 
persons  or  property.  It  is  believed  that  the  Indians  will  remember  to  observe 
what  has  been  told  to  them  on  this  subject.     *     *     * 

"There  are  a  number  of  white  men  from  our  own  states,  who  have  nomin- 
ally their  residence  near  Taas  (Taos)  and  Santa  Fe,  and  who  come  frequently 
into  the  Indian  country  between  the  upper  Arkansas  and  the  Platte,  between 
'Bent's  Fort'  and  'Fort  Laramie' ;  bringing  whiskey  with  them,  which  they 
trade  to  the  Indians ;  consequently  causing  much  difficulty  and  doing  much  harm. 
This  should  be  prevented;  and  possibly  might,  by  the  appointment  of  a  sub-agent, 
which  I  recommend,  located  at  'Bent's  Fort,'  who,  under  instructions  from  the 
War  Department,  might  put  a  stop  to  that  traffic  in  that  section  of  the  country." 

Colonel  Kearney  strongly  advocated  placing  the  entire  Indian  country  under 
martial  law ;  in  fact,  he  believed  in  controlling  the  Indians  with  threats,  and  with 
brute  force,  in  general  with  an  iron  hand.  The  relative  value  of  the  Kearney 
and  Dodge  theories  of  Indian  government  is  a  matter  of  debate,  but  the  prepon- 
derance of  opinion  seems  to  be  in  favor  of  Dodge's  conciliatory  methods,  for 
ultimate  ends  if  not  for  immediate. 

In  1846  Colonel  Kearney  was  again  present  upon  Colorado  soil,  but  with  a 
different  purpose.  He  had  with  him  the  forces  which  he  employed  in  the  "blood- 
less" conquest  of  New  Mexico  in  August  of  that  year.  The  soldiers  marched 
from  Leavenworth  to  a  point  nine  miles  below  Fort  Bent,  where  all  were 
assembled.  The  army  thus  gathered  went  into  New  Mexico  by  way  of  the  Raton 
Pass.  Shortly  after,  Colonel  Price's  command,  consisting  of  1700  men,  followed 
practically  the  same  route  and  crossed  Colorado  ground. 

BEGINNING   OF  DEPREDATIONS 

The  presence  of  such  great  bodies  of  United  States  troops  upon  the  plains  thor- 
oughly aroused  the  militant  spirit  of  the  Indians  of  the  central  and  south  west. 
The  Comanches,  Kiowas,  Apaches,  Osages  and  Pawnees  soon  began  to  attack 
the  wagon  trains  on  the  Santa  Fe  Trail.  The  depredations  committed  along 
this  great  highway,  the  cold  and  ruthless  murders  and  the  accompanying  atrocities 
were  many  during  the  summer  and  autumn  of  1847.  The  Utes  and  Navajoes, 
also  the  Apaches,  began  to  don  their  war-paint  in  northern  New  Me.xico  and 
make  trouble.  TrlDops  from  New  Mexico  were  despatched  in  detachments 
to  drive  out  these  bands  of  Indians  and  were  more  or  less  successful. 

One  particularly  successful  command  was  given  to  Lieut. -Col.  William  Gilpin, 
afterwards  the  first  governor  of  Colorado  Territory.  Gilpin  had  taken  part  in 
the  conquest  of  New  Mexico  and  the  march  to  Chihuahua  City  as  a  major  in 
the  First  Missouri  Volunteer  Cavalry.  He  returned  to  Missouri  in  1847  ^"^ 
then  was  given  the  command  of  a  volunteer  force  organized  for  the  purpose  of 


VIEW  OF  A  SMALL  PAHT  OK  TlIK  CLIFF  DWELLKHS'  "CLIFF  PALACE,"  IN  THE 
MESA  VERDE  DISTRICT,  IN  THE  FAR  SOUTHWESTERN  SECTION  OF  COLORADO 


86  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

suppressing  the  Indians  who  were  committing  the  depredations  along  the  Santa 
Fe  Trail.  There  were  three  companies  of  infantry  and  two  of  cavalry,  com- 
prising about  eight  hundred  and  fifty  men,  in  Gilpin's  new  command.  The 
expedition  started  from  Fort  Leavenworth  in  October  and  on  November  ist 
reached  a  point  where  Walnut  Creek  enters  the  Arkansas.  Colonel  Gilpin 
stated  in  his  report  that  "By  careful  inquiry,  I  estimated  the  losses  sustained 
from  Indian  attacks  during  the  summer  of  1847  to  have  been:  Americans, 
killed,  47;  wagons  destroyed,  330;  stock  plundered,  6,500.  The  greater  amount 
of  these  losses  were  sustained  by  government  trains,  passing  with  supplies  to 
and  from  Santa  Fe.  *  *  *  Such  had  been  the  losses  sustained  from  the 
Pawnees,  and  from  the  allied  tribes  and  Camanches  and  Kiowas,  upon  the 
Arkansas  and  the  Cimaron,  and  from  the  Apaches,  upon  the  Canadian  River, 
farther  west.  Rumors  reached  me  from  all  directions,  that,  inflamed  by  these 
excesses,  an  arrangement  was  negotiating  between  the  latter  people,  and  the 
powerful  tribes  of  the  Cheyennes  and  y\rapahoes  to  carry  on  the  war  with  their 
united  strength,  as  the  season  of  1848  should  open." 

Gilpin  decided  that  the  best  strategy  would  be  to  enter  the  Cheyenne  and 
Arapaho  country  boldly.  He  proceeded  to  the  abandoned  Fort  Mann,  where 
the  Santa  Fe  Trail  crossed  the  Arkansas,  there  left  a  portion  of  his  troops  as 
a  garrison,  and  then  took  the  remainder  of  the  command  directly  into  the  hostile 
country.  He  encamped  on  the  north  side  of  the  upper  Arkansas,  near  what  is 
now  Pueblo  City.  "Being  without  provisions  and  transportation,  my  command, 
dismounted  for  the  most  part,  endured  in  tents  the  rigors  of  the  long  winter, 
subsisting  the  men  upon  such  provisions  as  could  be  procured  from  New  Alexico 
and  the  Indians,  and  the  horses  upon  the  dead  winter  grass.  The  Indians  were, 
however,  overawed  by  this  immediate  contrast  of  a  military  force,  abandoned 
all  intercourse  with  the  southern  tribes,  and  invited  the  Kiowas  to  withdraw 
from  the  Camanche  alliance ;  to  unite  with  them  in  pacific  relations  with  the 
Americans."  The  Kiowas  obeyed  the  request  of  the  Cheyennes  and  Arapahoes 
and  ceased  their  warlike  activities  for  the  time. 

The  two  divisions  of  American  troops  were  again  united  and  a  definite 
campaign  begun  upon  the  Comanches  and  Apaches  along  the  Santa  Fe  Trail. 
Many  encounters  occurred  between  the  troops  and  Indians,  none  of  them  in 
Colorado,  however,  and  the  savages  suffered  heavy  casualties.  Colonel  Gilpin 
reported:  "It  will  be  perceived,  then,  in  what  manner  so  many  tribes  of  Indians 
inhabiting  an  immense  and  various  territory,  have  been  defeated  by  a  single 
battalion.  By  the  winter  march  and  residence  of  my  cavalry  command  at  the  foot 
of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  the  Kiowas,  Cheyennes  and  Arapahoes  were  forced 
to  abstain  from  hostilities.  These  tribes  being  cut  off  and  kept  in  the  rear  by 
the  subsequent  operations  during  the  spring  and  summer  upon  the  Canadian, 
Cimaron  and  middle  Arkansas,  the  Camanches,  Apaches,  Pawnees  and  Osages 
were  attacked,  defeated  and  driven  off  in  opposite  directions.  As  neither  treaties 
of  peace  nor  fortified  points  nor  troops  now  exist  to  control  this  numerous 
cloud  of  savages,  it  is  clear  that  all  of  the  atrocities  of  a  very  severe  Indian 
war  may  be  momentarily  looked  for,  and  are  certain  to  burst  forth  with  the 
early  spring.  *  *  *  The  continually  crippled  condition  and  destitution  of 
supplies  caused  by  the  ignorance,  the  laziness  and  the  vicious  character  of  the 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  87 

officers  in  the  frontier  depots,  has  fatally  retarded  the  pacification  of  the  Indian 
country,  and  heaped  up  unmeasured  trouble  for  the  national  government." 

In  1 85 1  the  Comanches  again  went  upon  the  war-path,  not  only  against  the 
Americans,  but  against  several  other  Indian  tribes.  This  outbreak  was  quelled 
by  the  military  force  under  Col.  John  B.  Sanborn.  From  the  Arkansas  River 
crossing  of  the  Santa  Fe  Trail,  Colonel  Sanborn  and  his  troopers  marched  north- 
ward through  Colorado  to  Fort  Laramie,  after  the  Indian  trouble  was  quieted. 
Thereafter  several  other  small  military  expeditions  came  through  the  Colorado 
country,  generally  following  the  foothills;  the  destination  of  these  detachments 
was  usually  Fort  Laramie.  One  of  these,  that  of  Captain  Marcy  in  November, 
1857,  followed  the  route  through  the  San  Juan  Mountains,  and  hardships  and 
sufferings  only  comparable  to  those  of  Fremont  were  experienced.  An  account 
of  Marcy's  hazardous  journey  is  given  elsewhere. 

The  gold-seekers  of  the  late  '50s  had  very  little  trouble  with  the  Indians. 
The  Cheyennes  and  Arapahoes  were  disposed  to  be  friendly  with  the  prospectors 
who  had  located  along  the  eastern  slope  of  the  mountains,  as  the  latter  formed 
a  sort  of  buffer  between  them  and  the  Ute  tribes.  For  the  same  reason,  the  Utes 
were  strongly  opposed  to  the  new  white  settlements.  A  lone  prospector  named 
Banker  was  killed  during  the  summer  near  the  site  of  Golden,  also  several  other 
miners  in  the  Clear  Creek  district  were  murdered  by  the  Utes.  On  June  26th 
a  party  of  prospectors  consisting  of  J.  L.  Shank,  J.  L.  Kennedy  and  William 
M.  Slaughter  were  attacked  while  they  were  working  just  south  of  Mt.  Evans. 
The  first  fire  from  the  Utes  killed  Kennedy  and  mortally  wounded  Shank,  but 
Slaughter  escaped.  Another  tragedy  was  reported  in  September.  The  bodies 
of  six  white  men  and  one  Indian,  scalped  and  mutilated  in  Indian  fashion,  were 
found  in  Dead-men's  Gulch,  Gunnison  County. 

THE    UPRISING    OF    1864 

The  Indian  uprising  of  1864  had  its  beginning  in  1861,  when  the  North  and 
South  became  locked  in  warfare.  The  Indians  of  the  plains  did  not  fully  under- 
stand this  great  struggle  which  had  begun  east  of  the  Missouri  River;  they 
thought  that  the  "tribes"  of  the  North  and  South  would  quickly  exterminate 
each  other  and  leave  them  in  complete  freedom  of  the  great  plains  as  of  yore. 
The  Indians  were  not  slow  to  take  advantage  of  the  opportunity.  In  order  to 
facilitate  the  redemption  of  their  hunting  grounds  and  the  expulsion  of  the 
Americans  they  began  quietly  to  prepare  for  a  concentrated  attack.  They  were 
wise  enough  to  realize  that  only  in  united  effort  could  their  wish  be  gratified, 
and  not  by  desultory  attacks  or  unorganized  movement.  In  this  they  were  only 
partially  successful.  Some  of  the  larger  tribes  were  willing  to  confederate,  but 
others  hesitated  to  ally  themselves  with  those  hitherto  their  bitter  enemies.  An- 
other factor  which  prevented  an  expeditious  union  was  the  lack  of  guns  and  am- 
munition. The  day  of  the  bow  and  arrow  as  an  offensive  weapon  was  past. 
Accordingly,  with  stealth  and  diplomacy,  all  of  the  plains  Indians  began  to 
accumulate  weapons  from  the  white  men.  They  would  either  steal,  trade  or 
buy  rifles  and  ammunition.  The  suspicion  of  some  ominous  occurrence  to  fall 
upon  the  settlements  became  general  among  the  Americans,  but  all  questions 
put  to  the  Indians  in  regard  to  their  consuming  desire  for  ordnance  were  an- 


88  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

swered  evasively  or  by  skillful  falsehood.  The  Cheyennes  and  Arapahoes, 
although  of  the  most  peaceful  attitude  apparently,  were  also  making  prepara- 
tions for  war.  The  Utes  did  not  conceal  their  true  feelings  so  well,  but  main- 
tained an  openly  hostile  front.  The  small  depredations  and  killings  reported 
from  the  mining  districts  in  the  late  '50s  and  the  early  '60s  were  all  perpetrated 
by  the  Utes,  generally  small  bands  acting  independently  of  the  main  tribe. 

By  the  summer  of  1862  the  necessity  arose  of  making  a  serious  effort  to 
counteract  the  growing  restlessness  of  the  Indians  of  the  plains.  On  July  18, 
1862,  Governor  Evans,  in  his  message  to  the  Territorial  Legislature,  strongly 
advocated  the  organization  of  a  militia  force  and  recommended  a  statute  for 
that  purpose.  The  Legislature  immediately  complied  with  this  request.  But 
action  upon  the  new  law,  with  immediate  advantage  to  be  gained  from  its  enact- 
ment, was  impossible  of  accomplishment  and  the  settlers  were  left  during  the  re- 
mainder of  the  year  with  inadequate  protection.  It  is  true  that  the  Second  Colo- 
rado Volunteer  Infantry  had  been  organized,  but  this  regiment  was  poorly 
equipped  and  in  all  probability  could  not  have  withstood  a  very  severe  attack. 
In  August,  1862,  several  stage  stations  along  the  Arkansas  River  in  Kansas  were 
plundered  by  Indian  bands,  but  no  men  killed.  In  the  same  summer,  northwestern 
Iowa,  southwestern  Minnesota  and  southeastern  Dakota  received  their  baptism 
of  blood  at  the  hands  of  the  Sioux.  New  Ulm  became  history  and  over  a 
thousand  men,  women  and  children  were  slaughtered.  Hostilities  there  really 
began  as  early  as  1855,  when  the  massacre  at  Lake  Okoboji,  Iowa,  occurred 
and  four  white  women  were  carried  away  to  hideous  captivity. 

The  first  raid  within  the  borders  of  Colorado  occurred  in  March,  1863.  At 
this  time  a  band  of  Cheyennes  and  Kiowas  appeared  at  the  settlement  located 
at  the  mouth  of  the  Cache  a  la  Poudre  and  confiscated  every  iiorse  and  g^n 
they  could  find.  No  murders  were  committed  here,  showing,  without  question, 
that  the  Indians  had  decided  upon  a  definite  course  and  were  not  yet  ready 
to  begin  killing.  Other  raids  of  similar  nature  were  conducted  by  the  Indians 
along  the  Platte  and  the  South  Platte  during  the  remainder  of  the  year,  all  the 
time  enlarging  their  means  of  warfare.  Governor  Evans  appreciated  the  neces- 
sity of  quick  and  forceful  action  on  the  part  of  the  government  and  repeatedly 
conveyed  his  fears  and  knowledge  of  conditions  to  Washington.  However,  the 
government  had  its  hands  full  fighting  the  Southern  Confederacy  and  was  unable 
to  hasten  any  material  aid  to  the  western  plains.  From  reliable  sources  in- 
formation had  come  that  the  Indians  were  to  be  ready  the  following  spring 
and  would  then  turn  loose  with  all  their  pent-up  ferocity  and  hellish  purposes, 
beginning  with  the  sparser  settlements  and  gradually  consuming  the  larger  centers 
of  population. 

With  the  coming  of  spring  in  1864  the  Indian  activities  began  to  assume 
definite  character.  A  central  ground  was  established  on  the  Smoky  Hill  fork 
of  the  Republican  River,  in  western  Kansas,  and  here  the  Indians  gathered, 
sending  out  raiding  parties  on  the  eve  of  their  offensive,  both  to  learn  of  the 
disposition  of  the  Whites  and  to  gather  more  supplies.  The  only  military 
organization  in  Colorado  Territory  then  was  the  First  Colorado  Cavalry.  A 
detachment  of  this  regiment,  consisting  of  a  hundred  men  armed  with  two 
howitzers,  met  fully  three  hundred  Cheyennes  about  ten  miles  from  Fort  Earned. 
The   Indians   immediately  attacked  openly,   but  were   repulsed   with  heavy  loss 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  89 

and  were  scattered.  About  the  same  time  a  smaller  detachment  of  soldiers  of 
the  First  met  a  half  hundred  Cheyenncs  at  the  mouth  of  Kiowa  Creek,  in  Morgan 
County,  Colorado,  engaged  in  rustling  a  drove  of  horses.  The  soldiers  de- 
manded the  surrender  of  the  animals  and  were  answered  by  a  volley,  which 
killed  one  cavalryman  and  wounded  three  others.  The  troops  did  not  have  their 
carbines,  so  permitted  the  Indians  to  escape  with  the  stolen  horses. 

These  skirmishes  resulted  in  the  quick  despatch  of  a  full  company  of  the 
First  Colorado  down  the  South  I'latte.  At  Cedar  Canon,  in  what  is  now  Logan 
County,  the  company  encountered  an  encampment  of  about  three  hundred  In- 
dians and  quickly  opened  fire  upon  them.  The  engagement  became  bitter,  but 
at  last  the  Indians  were  defeated,  with  a  loss  of  thirty-eight  killed.  One 
cavalryrrtan  was  shot  during  the  melee.  Quite  a  number  of  horses  were  captured 
by  the  troops,  more  than  recompense  for  those  stolen  by  the  Indians  just 
previous. 

Governor  Evans  then  sent  word  to  Fort  Leavenworth,  requesting  of  Gen. 
S.  R.  Curtis,  commander  of  the  Department  of  Kansas  and  the  Indian  Ter- 
ritory, a  sufficient  number  of  troops  to  protect  the  settlers  in  Denver  and 
vicinity.  Curtis  replied  that  he  had  no  soldiers  to  spare.  Governor  Evans  then 
repeated  the  request  to  the  authorities  in  New  Mexico,  but  again  was  refused. 

ALARM    IN  DENVER 

To  increase  the  general  alarm,  a  report  came  to  Denver,  during  the  first 
week  of  June,  that  a  large  body  of  Indians  was  approaching  the  city  from  the 
north  and  east,  with  the  intention  of  massacring  the  inhabitants  and  sacking  the 
homes.  Governor  Evans  practically  placed  Denver  under  martial  law,  and 
ordered  all  business  houses  to  close  at  6:30  o'clock  in  the  evening,  in  order  that 
the  citizens  might  assemble  at  the  corner  of  14th  and  Larimer  streets  for  drill. 
The  women  and  children  were  congregated  in  the  brick  buildings  during  the 
night  and  a  close  network  of  sentinels  established  on  the  outskirts.  The  report 
soon  proved  to  be  false,  however,  although  the  situation  was  rapidly  becoming 
desperate.  Just  one  company  of  the  First  Colorado  was  left  at  Denver,  the 
remainder  of  the  regiment  haying  been  sent  to  Fort  Lyon  a  few  days  before. 
It  is  easy  to  understand  that  a  concerted  attack  by  even  a  thousand  Indians 
at  this  time  would  have  resulted  in  a  massacre  greater  than  any  which  after- 
wards occurred  during  the  Indian  wars.  The  people  of  Denver  were  not  in 
a  position  to  defend  themselves  to  any  extent  and  would  have  been  quickly 
overcome  by  the  savages.  The  bloodshed  which  would  have  followed  is  hor- 
rible to  contemplate. 

Under  the  provisions  of  a  territorial  act  of  1862,  Governor  Evans  attempted 
to  form  a  military  force  and  began  by  appointing  Henry  M.  Teller  as  major- 
general  of  such  force  and  with  the  authority  to  organize  the  same.  At  the 
same  time  he  requested  the  authorities  at  Washington  to  allow  him  to  organize 
a  volunteer  cavalry  troop  for  the  period  of  one  hundred  days,  .^ftc^  much 
delay  this  was  granted.  In  the  meantime  the  citizens  of  Denver  fortified  every 
available  building  in  the  town  and  made  all  preparations  for  an  attack. 

On  June  i8lh  word  came  to  Denver  of  the  massacre  of  a  .settler  named 
Hungate,  with  his  wife  and  two  children,  at  his  ranch  on  Running  Creek,  twenty- 


90  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

five  miles  east  of  the  city.  A  band  of  savages  led  by  Roman  Nose,  a  northern 
Cheyenne  chieftain,  had  committed  the  deed  and  burned  the  houses  after 
taking  all  the  plunder  and  stock  desired.  The  scalped  and  terribly  mutilated 
bodies  of  the  Hungate  family  were  carried  to  Denver  and  here  exhibited  to  pub- 
lic view  as  a  rather  ghastly  warning  to  the  people. 

REIGN    OF    TERROR 

By  autumn  of  1864  the  Indian  uprising  was  in  full  force.  The  whole  plains 
region  between  the  Rockies  and  the  Missouri  River  and  from  the  Canada 
boundary  to  the  Rio  Grande  was  in  the  throes  of  Indian  war.  All  routes  of 
travel  were  the  scenes  of  bloody  massacres  and  running  fights.  Lurking  bands  of 
Indians  awaited  the  stages  and  either  compelled  them  to  seek  safety  in  headlong 
flight  or  submit  to  capture,  which  meant  slow  torture  for  the  passengers  and  driv- 
ers until  death  relieved  them.  Freight  caravans  traveled  only  in  large  groups  and 
even  then  they  were  subject  to  attack  and  in  some  cases  the  Indians  killed  all  the 
defenders  and  carried  oft"  the  women  and  merchandise.  During  this  "reign 
of  terror"  on  the  plains  the  Indian  mind  devised  every  known  means  of  inflicting 
torture  upon  his  captives.  Bodies  of  white  men  were  found  in  an  vmmentionable 
state  of  mutilation,  this  having  been  accomplished  before  death.  Ranch  houses 
were  raided  and  the  owners  killed  or  carried  into  captivity.  The  latter  recourse 
applied  only  to  women  and  their  fate  was  even  worse  than  death.  iVIany  of 
the  American  women  were  driven  insane  or  to  suicide  by  the  inhuman  and 
brutal  treatment  accorded  them  by  the  savages.  When  one  reads  of  the  whole- 
sale slaughter  by  the  Indians,  the  tortures  inflicted  upon  helpless  people,  the 
destruction  of  property,  the  acts  committed  upon  the  white  women — and  all 
of  it  according  to  the  plan  they  had  so  carefully  wrought  during  the  pre- 
ceding years,  the  massacres  just  for  the  pure  love  of  killing  and  sight  of  blood, 
the  heavy  toll  exacted  by  Chivington  at  Sand  Creek  seems  to  have  been,  as  pun- 
ishment, a  mere  reprimand.  Notwithstanding  the  Indians'  apologists  in  later 
years,  the  savage  was  at  heart  a  beast,  of  primitive  impulses  and  atrocious 
motives.  Had  not  their  deeds  of  crime  during  the  uprising  proved  this,  their 
life,  personal  habits,  and  their  customs  would  have  substantiated  the  fact. 

Governor  Evans  sent  messages  to  certain  Indians  whom  he  thought  to  be 
peaceable  and  advised  them  to  seek  safety  at  some  military  post,  but  none  of 
them  so  warned  heeded  his  words.  At  the  same  time  the  governor  gave  all 
citizens  of  Colorado  authority  to  kill  Indians  wherever  they  were  found  and 
to  take  their  property,  but  to  avoid  attacking  peaceful  Indians,  if  there  were  any. 
Col.  J.  M.  Chivington  was  the  commander  of  the  Colorado  Military  Division, 
subordinate  to  General  Curtis  at  Fort  Leavenworth,  but  little  aid  was  expected 
from  this  source,  as  the  Confederates  in  Missouri  under  Price  compelled  the  re- 
tention of  all  Federal  troops  there. 

In  the  latter  part  of  August  a  large  force  of  Indians  congregated  on  Beaver 
Creek,  near  its  junction  with  the  South  Platte,  with  the  intention  of  attacking 
the  white  settlements  along  the  foothills  through  Colorado.  Word  of  this  came 
to  Denver  on  the  night  of  the  20th  of  August.  Colonel  Chivington  immediately 
called  together  all  the  available  military  forces,  including  a  company  of  home 
guards  which  had  been  organized  by  Attorney  General  Samuel  E.  Browne  and 


92  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

Gen.  Henry  M.  Teller.  This  force  of  men  was  sent  down  the  river  to  prevent 
the  raid  at  all  costs.  The  Indians,  who  had  counted  greatly  upon  the  element  of 
surprise,  gave  up  their  plan  when  they  learned  of  the  approach  of  the  troops 
and  returned  to  their  depredations  on  the  Platte  River  Trail. 

In  September,  1864,  a  proposal  was  made  to  the  commander  of  the  Fort 
Lyon  post  by  the  Indians  in  the  Smoky  Hill  district  to  make  peace,  provided 
that  the  agreement  included  the  Kiowas,  Comanches,  Arapahoes,  Apaches  and 
Sioux.  This  written  proposal,  coming  from  a  mere  encampment  of  five  or  six 
hundred  Indians,  was  signed  by  Black  Kettle  and  other  chiefs.  The  sincerity  of 
the  proposal  was  questioned,  as  the  matter  seemed  to  have  been  presented  too 
casually  to  bear  much  weight.  The  Indians  also  agreed  to  surrender  some  white 
women  and  children  whom  they  had  captured.  One  of  the  women,  a  Mrs.  Sny- 
der, had  hung  herself  a  few  weeks  before  rather  than  endure  the  shameful  treat- 
ment accorded  her. 

COUNCIL   AT   DENVER 

Finally,  an  arrangement  was  concluded  whereby  five  of  the  chieftains  were 
to  go  to  Denver  for  a  peace  conference.  These  turned  out  to  be  Black  Kettle, 
his  brother.  White  Antelope,  Bull  Bear,  a  Cheyenne,  Neva  and  Bosse,  Arapahoes. 
Before  going  to  Denver  the  Indians  gave  up  four  prisoners  to  the  Fort  Lyon  com- 
mander and  then  on  the  28th  of  September  a  council  was  held  with  Governor 
Evans,  Colonel  Chivington  and  others  of  the  white  leaders.  Black  Kettle  and 
Bull  Bear  addressed  the  meeting ;  the  former  blamed  the  murders  upon  the  young 
men  of  the  tribes,  while  the  latter  stated  that  the  uprising  originated  with  the 
Sioux.  Governor  Evans  spoke  to  the  Indians  then  and  warned  them  against 
further  warfare,  but  it  remained  for  Chivington  to  end  the  meeting  with  his 
characteristic  strenuosity.  He  told  the  Indians  plainly  and  in  nOne  too  mild 
language  that  to  continue  their  depredations  would  mean  just  one  of  two  things 
— submission  to  the  white  man's  will  or  extermination.  Nothing  definite  was 
decided  at  this  council  and  the  Indians  returned  to  Fort  Lyon  under  escort. 

Within  the  week,  Governor  Evans  left  Denver  for  Washington,  leaving  the 
administration  in  the  hands  of  Acting  Governor  Elbert  and  Colonel  Chivington. 
He  remained  in  the  East  for  seven  months. 

By  this  time  the  Third  Colorado  Volunteer  Cavalry  had  been  organized.  This 
was  the  organization  of  one-hundred-days'  men  which  Evans  had  requested  per- 
mission to  organize.  George  L.  Shoup  was  the  colonel  of  the  regiment  and  the 
encampment  was  located  in  Denver.  A  few  small  reconnaissances  were  made, 
but  no  serious  conflict  was  had  with  the  Indians  during  the  recruiting  stages. 
Camp  was  moved  to  the  head  of  Bijou  Creek  about  the  first  of  November. 

During  the  autumn  months  Indian  activities  had  increased  alarmingly  along 
the  Missouri  River  trails  and  on  the  Arkansas.  People  ceased  to  travel  overland 
and  freighters  refused  to  move  unless  adequately  protected  by  the  military. 
Hundreds  of  emigrants  from  the  East  waited  at  the  Missouri  River  during  the 
summer,  until  the  conditions  upon  the  plains  became  better.  The  more  adven- 
turous pushed  on  despite  all  warnings  and  generally  came  to  grief.  The  total 
loss  of  life  during  this  time  has  never  been  accurately  computed,  but  it  is  safe 
to  say  that  over  one  hundred  white  people  lost  their  lives  while  traveling  through 
the  plains  country. 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  93 

THE  AFFAIR  AT  SAND  CREEK 

Black  Kettle  and  his  four  companions  returned  to  the  Smoky  Hill  rendez- 
vous after  the  council  in  Denver.  The  Arapahoes  under  Left  Hand,  to  which 
band  Neva  and  Bosse  belonged,  went  to  Fort  Lyon  in  October  and  surrendered 
much  of  the  plunder  that  had  been  taken,  to  the  officers  of  the  post.  The  com- 
mander kept  them  at  the  fort  for  a  few  days,  then  advised  Left  Hand  to  take 
his  warriors  to  an  encampment  upon  Sand  Creek,  a  tributary  of  the  Arkansas. 
The  Arapahoes  did  as  they  were  bidden  and  proceeded  to  a  point  forty  miles 
west  of  the  fort,  where  they  were  joined  by  Black  Kettle  and  his  Cheyennes. 
The  whole  band  formed  a  village  of  some  eight  hundred  men,  although  the  In- 
dians claimed  after  the  massacre  that  there  were  only  about  two  hundred  of 
them.  The  real  purpose  of  the  Indians  at  this  time  is  not  known  for  certain. 
Some  writers  have  claimed  that  they  believed  themselves  to  be  under  the  protec- 
tion of  the  forts  and  that  they  were  peaceable,  while  other  historians  have  ad- 
vanced the  theorj'  that  the  Indians  were  simply  taking  a  breathing  spell  and  were 
planning  to  go  upon  the  warpath  again. 

After  the  conference  at  Denver,  Colonel  Chivington  began  to  make  preparations 
for  dealing  a  severe  blow  to  the  Indians  before  winter.  General  Curtis,  at  Fort 
Leavenworth,  advocated  ruthless  measures  to  punish  the  savages  for  their  past 
crimes,  consequently  Chivington  felt  secure  in  whatever  he  might  do.  Soon  he 
developed  a  plan  to  attack  the  Cheyennes  and  Arapahoes  encamped  on  Sand 
Creek  and  so  carry  into  effect  the  threats  he  had  made  to  Black  Kettle  in  Den- 
ver. For  his  campaign  he  selected  the  greater  part  of  the  Third  Colorado  Cavalry 
and  several  units  of  the  First  Cavalry ;  two  field-pieces  of  light  artillery  were 
also  taken.  With  this  outfit  he  marched  rapidly  toward  the  Sand  Creek  encamp- 
ment, first  going  to  Fort  Lyon.  He  arrived  at  the  fort  on  November  28th  and 
after  a  few  hours'  rest  here  he  continued  toward  the  Indian  village,  with  125 
extra  men  and  two  more  cannon.  He  came  upon  the  Indians  at  sunrise  the  next 
morning. 

Chivington  had  given  definite  orders  to  his  men  while  at  Fort  Lyon  and 
these  orders  in  a  word  were — no  quarter!  They  were  to  kill  without  mercy, 
sparing  neither  man,  woman  nor  child.  His  intentions  had  been  a  secret  before 
reaching  Fort  Lyon,  as  he  desired  more  than  anything  to  take  the  Indians  com- 
pletely by  surprise. 

The  hour  was  early  and  many  of  the  Indians  had  not  come  from  their  lodges. 
A  raking  artillery  and  musketry  fire  met  them  as  they  ran  wildly  about,  endeav- 
oring to  organize  for  defense.  Their  horses  were  stampeded  by  a  detachment 
of  soldiers.  Many  of  the  Indians,  thinking  the  soldiers  had  mistaken  them  for 
a  war  party,  ran  toward  the  troops,  with  their  hands  raised  in  token  of  peace. 
This  was  of  no  avail  and  they  were  shot  down  without  consideration.  Fully  a 
hundred  of  the  other  warriors  began  to  fight  and  continued  desperately,  but 
against  such  heavy  odds  that  they  were  quickly  slaughtered.  White  Antelope 
and  Left  Hand  fell  early  in  the  fight,  the  former  with  his  hands  raised  in  sur- 
render and  the  latter  standing  motionless,  refusing  to  fight  men  whom  he  had 
always  considered  friends.  The  women  and  children  crowded  together  for 
safety,  but  the  troopers  killed  them  as  they  stood.  Nor  were  the  wounded  spared; 
the  white  men  scalped  and  mutilated  the  bodies  in  a  manner  unsurpassed  by  any 


94  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

bloodthirsty  savage  in  the  past.  By  the  testimony  given  during  the  Federal  in- 
vestigation of  this  massacre  it  would  seem  that  the  soldiers  became  fiends  incar- 
nate. The  condition  of  the  bodies  and  the  evidence  of  frenzied  butchery  is  hard 
to  believe  as  the  work  of  Americans,  but  such  it  was.  Not  content  with  merely 
killing  the  savages  and  their  families,  some  of  the  soldiers  insanely  cut  the 
bodies  to  pieces,  mashed  the  heads  of  others,  and  in  numerous  ways  satiated  their 
abnormal  desires.  Black  Kettle  and  200  of  the  warriors  succeeded  in  escaping 
about  midday  and  were  not  apprehended.  By  2  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  the 
soldiers  ceased  their  bloody  work,  as  there  were  no  more  Indian.s  left  to  kill.  A 
few  women  were  found  hidden  in  the  lodges,  but  these  were  quickly  murdered. 
Then  began  the  work  of  pillage. 

The  results  of  this  massacre  were  far-reaching  and  many.  Chivington,  after 
a  few  days'  search  for  another  band  of  Arapahoes  supposed  to  be  under  the 
leadership  of  Little  Raven,  returned  to  Denver  where  he  was  received  with  ac- 
claim. His  losses  had  been  small,  ten  men  killed  and  thirty-eight  wounded,  of 
whom  four  died.  He  reported  boastfully  that  he  had  captured  no  prisoners  and 
that  he  had  left  between  five  and  six  hundred  Indians  dead  upon  the  field.  In 
the  matter  of  estimating  the  number  of  Indians  engaged,  the  number  killed,  etc., 
there  is  a  wide  variance  of  opinion.  Deeds  committed  in  white  heat  are  not 
easily  reduced  to  figures  afterwards.  A  trader  by  the  name  of  Smith,  who  was 
in  the  Indian  encampment  at  the  time  of  the  massacre,  said  there  were  only  about 
two  hundred  fighting  men  engaged.  One  person  actually  "counted"'  four  hundred 
and  fifty  corpses  on  the  ground,  while  Major  Anthony,  of  Chivington's  force,  esti- 
mated that  there  were  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  Indians  killed.  As  to  the 
whole  number  of  Cheyennes  and  Arapahoes  in  the  encampment,  there  is  a  still 
greater  variance.  From  a  study  of  all  reports,  it  is  believed  that  there  were 
not  over  six  hundred  men,  women  and  children  in  all.  Colonel  Chivington  reported 
that  he  had  with  him  "about  five  hundred  men  of  the  Third  Regiment,  and  about 
two  hundred  and  fifty  of  the  First  Colorado;  Anthony's  battalion  of  the  First 
Colorado,  and  Lieutenant  Wilson's  battalion  of  the  Third  Colorado ;  in  all  about 
one  thousand  men." 

THE  AFTERMATH 

The  people  of  Denver  welcomed  Chivington  and  his  troops  when  they  re- 
turned, proclaiming  him  as  their  deliverer.  But  it  was  different  in  other  parts 
of  the  country.  Chivington  was  denounced  with  the  same  terms  as  had  been 
hitherto  applied  to  the  Indians.  In  January,  1865,  Congress  took  heed  of  the 
wave  of  indignation  which  had  spread  over  the  land  and  ordered  an  investiga- 
tion to  be  made  of  the  massacre.  Many  things  of  interest  were  brought  out  at 
this  formal  probe  into  the  details  of  Sand  Creek. 

The  testimony  showed  that  Black  Kettle  hoisted  a  white  flag  over  his  lodge 
when  the  troops  were  first  seen  and  that  it  was  disregarded  by  Chivington.  On 
the  other  hand,  it  was  proved  that  numerous  scalps  taken  from  the  heads  of  white 
people  were  found  in  the  lodges,  some  of  them  still  fresh.  Other  articles  of 
plunder  which  were  recognized  as  having  come  from  Americans  were  discovered. 
Various  bits  of  testimony  were  given  and  the  circumstances  of  the  tragedy  were 
built  up  detail  by  detail. 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  95 

Notwithstanding  the  fact  that  the  people  of  Colorado,  that  is,  the  majority 
of  them,  stood  up  for  Chivington  and  the  Territorial  Legislature  passed  resolu- 
tions of  approbation,  Congress  took  a  different  view  of  the  matter.  The  com- 
mittee which  had  conducted  the  investigation  reported  the  following  May  and  in 
no  uncertain  terms  condemned  the  act  committed  by  Chivington.  The  report 
stated  that  "it  is  difficult  to  believe  that  beings  in  the  form  of  men,  and  disgracing 
the  uniform  of  United  States  soldiers  and  officers,  could  commit  or  countenance 
the  commission  of  such  acts  of  cruelty  and  barbarity  as  are  detailed  in  the  testi- 
mony." In  regard  to  the  leader  the  committee  stated:  "As  to  Colonel  Chiving- 
ton, your  committee  can  hardly  find  fitting  terms  to  describe  his  conduct.  Wear- 
ing the  uniform  of  the  United  States,  which  should  be  the  emblem  of  justice  and 
humanity ;  holding  the  important  position  of  commander  of  a  military  district, 
and  therefore  having  the  honor  of  the  Government  to  that  extent  in  his  keeping, 
he  deliberately  planned  and  executed  a  foul  and  dastardly  massacre  which  would 
have  disgraced  the  veriest  savage  among  those  who  were  the  victims  of  his 
cruelty.  *  *  *  The  truth  is  that  he  surprised  and  murdered,  in  cold  blood, 
the  unsuspecting  men,  women  and  children  on  Sand  Creek,  who  had  every  reason 
to  believe  they  were  under  the  protection  of  the  United  States  authorities,  and 
then  returned  to  Denver  and  boasted  of  the  brave  deeds  he  and  the  men  under 
his  command  had  performed.  *  *  *  j^  conclusion,  your  committee  are  of 
the  opinion  that  for  the  purpose  of  vindicating  the  cause  of  justice  and  uphold- 
ing the  honor  of  the  nation,  prompt  and  energetic  measures  should  at  once  be 
taken  to  remove  from  office  those  who  have  thus  disgraced  the  Government  by 
whom  they  are  employed,  and  to  punish,  as  their  crimes  deserve,  those  who 
have  been  guilty  of  these  brutal  and  cowardly  acts." 

After  the  governmental  investigation,  the  reaction  came  to  the  people  of 
Colorado.  There  arose  a  constantly  growing  group  of  citizens  who  condemned 
Chivington.  The  matter  became  a  political  issue,  a  social  question  and,  in  fact, 
pervaded  the  very  life  of  the  territory.  The  question  of  statehood  was  before 
the  people  then  and  those  favoring  statehood  were  Chivington  men ;  conse- 
quently, those  opposed  to  statehood  became  anti-Sand  Creek  men. 

Colonel  Chivington  stoutly  defended  his  actions,  claiming  that  he  had  un- 
doubtedly saved  Denver  and  other  Colorado  communities  from  imminent  attack 
and  suffering  and  that  such  treatment  was  the  only  kind  the  Indians  appreciated. 
In»this  radical  view,  Chivington  had  many  supporters,  particularly  among  those 
familiar  with  the  Indian  and  his  character.  On  the  other  hand,  he  held  many 
enemies  throughout  the  remainder  of  his  life,  enemies  in  such  number  that  his 
future  activities  were  failures.  Chivington  left  Denver  in  1867  and  went  to 
San  Diego,  Cal.  In  1873  ^^  moved  to  Cincinnati,  O.,  remained  there  until 
1883  and  then  returned  to  Denver.  He  held  a  few  minor  public  offices  here 
before  he  died  October  4,  1894.  It  may  be  interesting  to  note  that  he  was  a 
Methodist  minister  before  entering  the  Government  service. 

EFFECT   UPON   TITE    INDIANS 

Instead  of  cowing  the  plains  Indians  into  submission,  the  Sand  Creek  mas- 
sacre only  added  fuel  to  the  flame  of  their  hatred  and  hostility.  The  killing  of 
their  tribesmen  brought  all  the  tribes  together  in  a  unity  otherwise  impossible 


96  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

and  in  hundreds  of  ways  they  exacted  their  toll  from  the  Americans.  They  cre- 
ated a  reign  of  terror  unknown  before  and  the  whole  plains  region  from  the 
Colorado  settlements  to  those  of  Kansas  and  Nebraska  became  an  untenable 
space.  Stage  stations  were  burned  and  the  keepers  killed,  all  livestock  had  been 
captured,  the  overland  telegraph  line  was  destroyed,  and  even  the  troops  occupy- 
ing posts  were  compelled  to  remain  behind  their  stockades.  The  absence  of  any 
freighting  upon  the  trails  brought  about  a  panic  in  Colorado  Territory.  Sup- 
plies were  low,  prices  arose  exorbitantly  and  the  winter  months  were  of  extra- 
ordinary severity.  The  Third  Colorado  Cavalry  had  been  mustered  out  previ- 
ously and  there  arose  the  necessity  for  more  troops.  Acting  Governor  Elbert 
issued  a  call  for  several  companies  of  volunteers,  mounted,  but  the  sentiment 
against  Sand  Creek  was  too  strong  and  the  volunteering  was  negligible.  Colonel 
Chivington  was  succeeded  as  commander  of  the  Colorado  District  by  Col.  Thomas 
Moonlight,  of  the  Eleventh  Kansas  Volunteer  Cavalry,  in  January,  1865.  Colonel 
Moonlight  suggested  amendments  to  the  territorial  militia  law,  so  as  to  provide 
pay  and  bounties,  also  horses,  for  the  proposed  volunteers,  and  while  the  Legis- 
ture  filibustered  for  a  fortnight  over  the  bill,  he  declared  martial  law  in  the  ter- 
ritory and  closed  all  business  houses  and  industries  except  those  dealing  in 
necessities.  Governor  Elbert  now  asked  for  seven  companies ;  two  from  Ara- 
paho  County,  two  from  Gilpin  County,  one  from  Jefferson,  one  from  Clear  Creek 
and  one  from  Boulder,  Weld  and  Larimer  counties  together.  The  outcome  was 
satisfactory  and  the  companies  were  quickly  recruited  to  full  strength  and  placed 
under  the  command  of  Samuel  E.  Browne. 

The  Indian  depredations  continued  without  abatement.  Colonel  Moonlight, 
in  his  report  to  Gen.  Grenville  M.  Dodge,  then  in  command  of  the  Department 
of  Missouri,  said :  "The  Indians  are  bold  in  the  extreme.  They  have  burned 
every  ranch  between  Julesburg  and  Valley  Station,  and  nearly  all  the  property 
at  the  latter  place ;  driven  off  all  stock,  both  public  and  private.  These  Indians 
are  led  by  white  men,  and  have  complete  control  of  all  the  country  outside  my 
district,  so  that  I  am  hemmed  in."  It  is  said  that  the  glare  of  flaming  homes 
could  be  seen  at  night  from  Denver ;  in  fact,  almost  all  of  the  surrounding  coun- 
try was  in  the  hands  of  the  redskins.  The  stage  route  from  Denver  to  Julesburg 
had  been  devastated  every  mile  of  the  way,  every  ranch  and  every  station  de- 
stroyed. Warehouses  and  the  station  at  Julesburg  were  burned.  It  is  needless 
to  describe  the  fate  of  the  Americans  who  were  captured  by  the  Indians. 

The  Wisconsin  Ranch,  about  one  hundred  miles  northeast  of  Denver,  was 
attacked  by  a  large  force  of  Cheyennes  and  defended  by  the  owner,  Holon  God- 
frey, and  three  other  men.  Four  women  were  there  and  assisted  in  every  way 
during  the  fighting  which  continued  all  day,  the  attack  having  been  made  in  the 
morning.  After  nightfall,  one  of  the  defenders,  Perkins,  escaped  from  the 
ranch  and  rode  for  help  to  an  encampment  of  soldiers  near  Fort  Morgan.  Four 
soldiers  and  a  corporal  accompanied  Perkins  back  to  the  ranch  and  succeeded 
in  stealing  into  the  house  unmolested.  With  this  reinforcement  Godfrey  repelled 
the  Indians  and  won  for  himself  a  reputation  among  them  as  "Old  Wicked." 

Another  ranch  owned  by  Elbridge  Gerry,  located  about  seventy  miles  north- 
east of  Denver,  was  attacked  at  the  same  time  as  that  of  Godfrey.  There  were 
five  men,  one  woman  and  a  child,  there  at  the  time  and  they  made  a  heroic  de- 
fense of  the  house  before  the  Cheyennes  and  Arapahoes  forced  an  entrance.    The 


VIEW  OF  A  TOWER  OF   THE   CLIFF  ])WKLLi;i{S,  STANDING  UNDER  THE  BROW 

OF  A  PRECIPICE  ON  MoELMO  CREEK,  IN  THE  MESA  VERDE  DISTRICT 

IN   THE   FAR   SOUTHWESTERN   SECTION   OF   COLORADO 

It  is  probable  that  in  its  original  height  the  top  of  the  tower  afforded  a  wide  view  of 
the  mesa  that  lies  back  of  it. 


98  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

Indians  killed  all  but  the  woman,  whom  they  carred  away  to  a  worse  fate.  These 
are  but  instances,  two  of  the  countless  stories  which  could  be  told  of  the  incidents 
which  happened  in  Colorado  during  this  period. 

The  efficiency  of  General  Dodge  began  to  have  effect  shortly  after  he  took 
office.  Many  of  the  more  important  trails  were  opened,  including  that  along  the 
Platte  River,  and  before  summer  the  Santa  Fe  Trail  was  again  a  comparatively 
safe  highway.  The  Colorado  volunteers  engaged  in  guarding  the  Denver-Jules- 
burg  stage  route  until  the  last  of  April,  when  they  were  mustered  out  of  service. 
They  were  the  last  of  the  Colorado  volunteers  to  see  active  service  against  the 
Indians. 

The  close  of  the  Rebellion  released  many  troops  for  service  in  the  West 
and  several  military  posts  were  established,  more  for  the  purpose  of  protecting 
the  trails  than  to  carry  on  an  organized  warfare  against  the  Indians.  This  gave 
the  Indians  the  opportunity  to  continue  killing  white  men,  holding  up  stages  and 
capturing  women,  which  they  did  to  the  full  extent  of  their  ability.  Hardly  a 
day  passed  but  some  new  atrocity  occurred ;  and  it  is  equally  safe  to  say  that  not 
a  stage,  nor  an  emigrant  train,  succeeded  in  crossing  the  plains  without  one  or 
more  fights  with  the  Indians,  sometimes  winning  and  other  times  suffering  an- 
nihilation. 

Although  a  treaty  was  made  in  October,  1865,  between  the  hostile  tribes  and 
the  United  States,  the  Indians  considered  their  agreement  as  a  "mere  scrap  of 
paper"  and  in  the  next  year  resumed  their  old  tactics.  1866  was  not  a  year  of 
such  intense  activity  as  1865  and  during  the  greater  part  of  the  time  emigrant 
and  freight  caravans  crossed  the  plains  to  Colorado  without  serious  interrup- 
tion. 

However,  the  year  1867  brought  a  renewal  of  the  Indian  outbreaks.  The 
depredations,  burnings,  killings  and  other  deeds  once  more  grew  common  and 
the  trails  through  Colorado  again  became  impassable.  Several  stage  stations  in 
northern  Colorado  were  destroyed.  This  resumption  of  hostilities  led  the  United 
States  Government  to  inaugurate  a  more  extensive  and  enlarged  campaign  against 
the  savages,  the  details  of  which  are  not  associated  with  the  history  of  Colorado. 
The  courses  of  the  Platte  and  Arkansas  rivers  continued  to  be  dangerous  coun- 
try for  Americans,  as  the  Indians  maintained  their  warfare  against  small  bands 
of  settlers  and  travelers  despite  the  expeditions  launched  against  them  by  the 
Government.  But  they  were  doomed  to  complete  and  utter  defeat;  the  white 
troops  hunted  them  down  in  all  parts  of  the  great  plains;  tribe  after  tribe  was 
compelled  to  sue  for  peace,  until  finally,  late  in  the  spring  of  1869,  ^^^^  '^^t  of 
the  tribes  had  been  subdued. 

The  Cheyennes  and  Arapahoes  were  moved  from  their  reservation  in  Colo- 
rado to  Oklahoma  in  1867,  which  ended  the  occupancy  of  Colorado  by  the  plains 
Indians.  In  1868,  however,  having  been  reinforced,  the  Cheyennes  and  their 
allies  again  went  upon  the  warpath,  confining  their  ravages  to  the  western  part 
of  Kansas.  In  August  a  number  of  the  Cheyennes  and  Arapahoes  came  into 
eastern  Colorado,  bearing  letters  which  certified  that  they  were  peaceable  In- 
dians, these  letters  having  been  issued  the  year  before  when  their  treaty  was 
made  and  which  were  now  void,  or  rather,  forfeited  by  their  behavior.  They 
attacked  and  killed  a  number  of  settlers  on  Bijou  and  Kiowa  creeks.  Some  of 
them  penetrated  into  the  South  Park  by  way  of  the  Ute  Pass  and  there  attacked 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  99 

their  old  enemies — the  Utes,  kiUing  several  of  them.  In  the  meantime,  they  had 
secured  entrance  to  Colorado  City  by  their  letters,  the  citizens  believing  them  to 
be  peaceable.  After  their  skirmish  with  the  Utes,  the  supposed  friendly  In- 
dians stole  all  the  livestock  they  could  in  Colorado  City  and  escaped.  A  short  time 
afterward  several  attacks  were  made  along  Monument  Creek,  in  which  a  num- 
ber of  the  white  settlers  lost  their  lives.  Three  men  were  murdered  in  the 
southeast  part  of  Larimer  County  by  a  small  band  of  Cheyennes. 

No  troops  were  available  in  the  territory  and  appeals  to  General  Sheridan, 
at  Fort  Hays,  in  western  Kansas,  were  fruitless.  On  August  2Sth  a  small  force 
was  hastily  thrown  together  in  Denver  and  before  daylight  on  the  following 
morning  had  started  for  Bijou  Creek,  led  by  Maj.  Jacob  Downing.  But  the 
Indians  had  gone,  taking  their  plunder  with  them. 

Forsyth's  b.\ttle 

One  of  the  most  remarkable  battles  between  United  States  troops  and  hostile 
Indians  during  the  whole  plains  war  occurred  on  Colorado  soil.  The  details  of 
this  singular  engagement  follow. 

Brev.  Col.  George  A.  Forsyth,  serving  on  the  staff  of  General  Sheridan 
during  the  sunmier  of  1868,  requested  to  be  appointed  to  active  service  in  the 
field.  Forsyth  had  won  his  spurs  and  was  considered  a  good  Indian  tighter,  con- 
sequently his  request  was  granted.  Sheridan  ordered  him  to  organize  a  company 
of  fifty  trained  scouts,  for  duty  along  the  Colorado-Kansas  frontier.  Forsyth 
speedily  recruited  his  men,  fifty  in  number,  in  addition  to  himself.  First  Lieut. 
Frederick  H.  Beecher,  of  the  Third  United  .States  Infantr}',  and  Acting  Assistant 
Surgeon  J-  H.  Mooers,  unattached. 

Forsyth  left  Fort  HayS  on  August  29th  and  campaigned  for  a  few  days  with- 
out noteworthy  result.  On  the  evening  of  September  i6th  he  and  his  men  pitched 
their  tents  on  the  Arickaree,  or  Middle  Fork  of  the  Republican  River,  at  a  f)oint 
about  fifteen  miles  south  of  tlie  Town  of  Wray,  Yuma  County,  Colorado.  They 
had  reached  this  place  by  following  an  Indian  trail  which  appeared  to  be  fresh 
and  to  denote  rather  a  strong  aggregation. 

The  soldiers  opened  their  eyes  the  next  morning  to  see  hundreds  of  Indians 
on  the  bluffs  overlooking  the  river  on  the  opposi<:e  side.  Men,  women  and  chil- 
dren there  were,  literally  swarming  along  the  bank.  At  the  head  of  the  band 
was  Roman  Nose,  a  notorious  character,  who  had  participated  in  the  Indian 
war  since  the  beginning.  The  Indians  immediately  opened  fire  upon  the  troops, 
whereupon  Forsyth  selected  a  small,  sandy  island  in  the  center  of  the  river  and 
there  moved  his  men.  In  this  way  he  had  the  protection  of  water  on  all  sides. 
The  men  quickly  dug  rifle  pits  in  the  sand,  also  using  the  bodies  of  some  of  the 
horses  which  had  been  shot  for  barricades.  Then  ensued  a  battle  which  consti- 
tutes one  of  the  most  heroic  and  brilliant  features  of  American  military  history. 

ROM.\N    NOSK 

Forsyth  received  three  wounds  early  in  the  fight,  but  protected  himself  as 
nnirh  as  possible  and  directed  his  men.  Charge  after  charge  of  the  Indians  was 
broken  up  by  the  accurate  fire  of  the  .^mericans.     Several  of  the  troopers  were 


100  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

hit,  one  of  them  killed.  Roman  Nose,  a  magnificent  type  of  Cheyemie,  led  the 
warriors,  but  in  one  of  the  earlier  charges  received  his  death  wound.  Forsyth, 
in  Harper's  Magazine,  June,  1895,  described  Roman  Nose  thusly :  "As  Roman 
Nose  dashed  gallantly  forward,  and  swept  into  the  open  at  the  head  of  his  superb 
command  he  was  a  very  beau  ideal  of  an  Indian  chief.  Mounted  on  a  large  clean- 
limbed chestnut  horse  he  sat  well  forward  on  his  bare-backed  charger,  his  knees 
passing  under  a  horse-hair  lariat  that  twice  loosely  encircled  the  animal's  body, 
his  horse's  bridle  grasped  in  his  left  hand,  which  was  also  closely  wound  in  its 
flowing  mane,  and  at  the  same  time  clutched  his  rifle  at  the  guard,  the  butc  of 
which  lay  partially  upon  and  across  the  animal's  neck,  while  its  barrel,  crossing 
diagonally  in  front  of  his  body,  rested  slightly  against  the  hollow  of  his  left  arm, 
leaving  his  right  free  to  direct  the  course  of  his  men.  He  was  a  man  over  six: 
feet  three  inches  in  height,  beautifully  formed,  and  save  for  a  crimson  silk  sash 
knotted  around  his  waist,  and  his  moccasins  on  his  feet,  perfectly  naked.  His 
face  was  hideously  painted  in  alternate  lines  of  red  and  black,  and  his  head 
crowned  with  a  magnificent  war  bonnet,  from  which,  just  above  his  temples  and 
curving  slightly  forward,  stood  up  two  short  black  bufifalo  horns,  while  its  ample 
length  of  eagles'  feathers  and  herons'  plumes  trailed  wildly  on  the  wind  behind 
him;  and  as  he  came  swiftly  on  at  the  head  of  his  charging  warriors,  in  all  his 
barbaric  strength  and  grandeur,  he  proudly  rode  that  day  the  most  perfect  type 
of  a  savage  warrior  it  had  been  my  lot  to  see.  *  *  *  he  drew  his  body  to 
its  full  height  and  shook  his  clenched  fist  defiantly  at  us ;  then,  throwing  back 
his  head  and  glancing  skyward,  he  suddenly  struck  the  palm  of  his  hand  across 
his  mouth  and  gave  tongue  to  a  war-cry  that  I  have  never  heard  equaled  in 
power  and  intensity.  Scarcely  had  its  echoes  reached  the  river's  bank  when  it 
was  caught  up  by  each  and  every  one  of  the  charging  warriors  with  an  energy 
that  bafiles  description,  and  answered  back  with  blood-curdling  yells  of  exulta- 
tion and  prospective  vengeance  by  the  women  and  children  on  the  river's  bluffs, 
and  by  the  Indians  who  lay  in  ambush  around  us.  On  they  came  at  a  swinging 
gallop,  rending  the  air  with  their  wild  warwhoops,  each  individual  warrior  in  all 
his  bravery  of  warpaint  and  long  braided  scalp  lock  tipped  with  eagle's  feathers, 
and  all  stark-naked  but  for  their  cartridge  belts  and  moccasins,  keeping  in  line 
almost  perfectly,  with  a  front  of  about  sixty  men,  all  riding  bare-back,  with  only 
a  loose  lariat  about  their  horses'  bodies,  about  a  yard  apart,  and  with  a  depth  of 
six  or  seven  ranks,  fonning  together  a  compact  body  of  massive  fighting  strength 
and  of  almost  resistless  weight." 

beecher's  death 

The  charge  was  received  with  a  galling  fire  from  the  troops  and  after  a  half- 
dozen  volleys  the  Indians  broke  ranks  and  retreated.  The  ambushed  Indians 
maintained  a  fusilade  upon  the  troops  while  the  charge  was  in  progress  and  suc- 
ceeded in  killing  at  least  two  of  the  Americans  and  wounding  several  others. 
After  the  failure  of  the  attack  and  the  death  of  Roman  Nose,  also  the  medicine 
man  of  the  tribe,  the  Indians  were  disconcerted  and  rode  wildly  about,  while  the 
squaws  kept  up  an  unearthly  wailing  in  grief  over  the  loss  of  their  men.  Other 
charges  were  attempted  during  the  day,  but  like  the  first,  were  not  successful. 


^B^^^f^^^^Hfr 

jH^& 

^^■k 

I^^Pi^^Hl 

"/<i8^^^^^^Mj.-/  AJjy^^^JMHBBF' 

Ti^p-Tpr 

Spotted  Tail  (Sintegaleshka)  a  Brule 
Teton  Sioux.  A  distinguished  leader  of  the 
Siouan  people. 


Red  Cloud,  Chief  of  the  Oglalla  Sioux, 
who  in  his  prime  was  the  great  military 
leader  of  the  Sioux  Nation.  He  was  born 
in  1822  and  died  on  December  10,  1909. 


Mon-ehu-nonzhin  (Standing  Hear),  of 
the  Ponca  Branch  of  the  Dhcgiha  Sioux.  Ho 
was  an  exceptional  chieftain,  and  devoted  to 
the  welfare  of  his  people. 


Geronimo,  a  Chiricahun-Apnche.  His 
Indian  niuno  is  Coyatlilay — "One  Who 
Yawns."  He  wa.i  a  leader,  and  always  hos- 
tile  to   the  white    people. 


102  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

Toward  the  end  of  the  da)-  the  brave  Lieutenant  Beecher  received  his  death 
wound.     Forsyth  thus  describes  Beecher's  untimely  end : 

■'Lieutenant  Beecher  rose  from  his  rifle  pit,  and,  leaning  on  his  rifle,  half 
staggered,  half  dragged  himself  to  where  I  lay,  and  calmly  lying  down  by  my 
side,  with  his  face  turned  downward  on  his  arm,  said  quietly,  and  simply:  'I  have 
my  death  wound,  General,  I  am  shot  in  the  side  and  dying.' 

"  'Oh,  no,  Beecher — no  !     It  can't  be  as  bad  as  that !' 

"  'Yes.  Good  night.'  And  then  he  immediately  sank  into  half  unconscious- 
ness. In  a  few  moments  I  heard  him  murmur  'My  poor  mother,'  and  then  he 
soon  grew  slightly  delirious  and  at  times  I  could  hear  him  talking  in  a  semi-uncon- 
scious manner  about  the  fight ;  but  he  was  never  again  fully  conscious,  and  at  sunset 
his  life  went  out.  And  thus  perished  one  of  the  best  and  bravest  officers  iu  the 
United  States  Army." 

While  Surgeon  Mooers  bent  over  examining  the  wounds  sustained  by  For- 
syth he,  too,  received  a  fatal  wound,  from  which  he  died  on  the  second  day 
after. 

THE  OUTCOME 

With  the  coming  of  night  upon  that  first  day,  two  of  the  scouts — Jack  Stil- 
well  and  Pierre  Trudeau — volunteered  to  attempt  to  reach  Fort  Wallace,  there 
to  procure  help  for  the  besieged  men.  During  the  night  they  succeeded  in  es- 
caping from  the  island  and  eluding  the  watchful  Indians. 

On  the  second  day  of  the  battle  another  charge  was  attempted  and  failed. 
Whereupon  the  Indians  changed  their  tactics  and  prepared  for  a  slow  siege,  to 
compel  the  men  to  surrender  from  starvation.  This  was  continued  until  the 
ninth  day  thereafter,  except  for  one  small  charge  on  the  last  day.  The  troopers, 
especially  those  who  were  wounded,  suffered  much  from  the  heat  during  the 
days,  while  food  became  exhausted.  The  flesh  of  the  dead  horses  was  eaten  and 
the  rest  buried  in  the  ground  to  retard  putrefaction.  Water  was  obtained  by  dig- 
ging into  the  sand.  On  the  evening  of  the  third  day,  two  more  scouts  crept  from 
the  island,  to  try  to  make  Fort  Wallace  for  aid.  A  greater  part  of  the  Indian 
band  had  left,  but  there  remained  a  sufficient  number  to  hold  the  troops  on  the 
island.  Sniping  was  the  main  pastime  during  the  long  hours  and  many  of  the 
soldiers  received  wounds. 

On  the  morning  of  the  ninth  day  after  the  first  attack,  and  after  a  half-hearted 
charge,  the  Indians  suddenly  withdrew.  The  reason  soon  became  apparent.  In 
a  short  time  the  fluttering  pennons  of  American  cavalrymen  were  seen  by  the 
desperate  soldiers  on  the  island.  A  troop  of  the  Tenth  United  States  Cavalry 
had  arrived  from  Fort  Wallace.  The  mission  of  the  four  brave  scouts  who 
escaped   from  the  island  had  been  accomplished. 

When  the  casualties  were  noted,  it  was  found  that  besides  Lieutenant  Beecher 
and  Surgeon  Mooers,  three  of  the  scouts  were  dead,  one  was  mortally  wounded, 
and  seventeen  were  wounded  more  or  less  seriously.  Forsyth  recovered  from 
his  wounds  and  became  a  distinguished  soldier  in  the  United  States  Army.  A 
monument  was  erected  on  this  historic  island  in  September,  1898,  and  the  island 
itself  has  always  been  preserved  as  one  of  the  most  honorable  spots  upon  the 
western  plains.  Beecher  Island,  as  it  is  called,  has  upon  it  the  graves  of  the 
men  who  there  died. 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  103 

UTE  UPRISING  OF  1879 

The  last  Indian  uprising  upon  Colorado  soil  occurred  in  September,  1879,  ^^ 
the  White  River  Agency,  near  the  present  Town  of  Meeker,  Rio  Blanco  County, 
Colorado.  What  is  now  Rio  Blanco  County  was  at  that  time  a  part  of  the 
White  River  Ute  reservation. 

In  the  forepart  of  the  year  1878  N.  C.  Meeker,  one  of  the  founders  of  the 
Town  of  Greeley,  had  been  appointed  to  the  position  of  agent  at  the  White  River 
Agency.  There  he  found  that  the  Utes  were  not  in  the  best  of  humor  and,  in 
fact,  had  been  sullen  and  dissatisfied  for  two  years  previous.  Meeker  was  not 
a  man  of  sufficient  ability,  or  personally  fitted,  to  manage  Indians.  He  was 
sincere  in  his  desire  to  reform  their  methods  of  living,  but  was  too  much  of  an 
idealist.  The  Utes  had  previously  made  several  raids  into  the  Middle  and  North 
parks,  killing  several  white  men  and  stealing  everything  they  could  carry  away. 
After  Meeker  took  charge  of  the  agency  two  parties  of  Utes,  led  by  "George 
Washington"  and  Piah,  made  a  foray  upon  the  plains  and  killed  a  settler  named 
McLean  near  the  head  of  the  Republican  headwater  forks.  Returning  to  their 
home,  the  Indians  came  through  Denver,  then  into  Middle  Park.  Here  one  of 
the  savages  was  killed  by  a  white  man,  in  revenge  for  which  they  murdered  a 
settler  named  Elliott  shortly  after. 

A  posse  of  men  was  formed  at  Hot  Sulphur  Springs  and  sent  to  the  White 
River  Agency  to  apprehend  the  guilty  Indians.  The  Indians  persisted  in  holding  a 
council,  at  which  time  they  denied  any  knowledge  of  the  Elliott  murder  or  other 
depredations. 

Conditions  at  the  agency  became  worse  and  Meeker  was  unable  to  stem  the 
tide  of  unrest  arising  among  the  Utes.  The  chieftains  assumed  the  upper  hand, 
while  Meeker  became  really  a  subordinate  to  such  notorious  Indians  as  Colorow. 
The  visit  of  the  white  men  after  Elliott's  death  quieted  them  to  some  extent 
until  the  spring  of  1879,  when  fresh  deeds  were  committed.  Bands  of  the  Utes 
burned  houses  and  stole  stock,  also  maliciously  started  forest  fires.  Meeker 
became  alarmed  and,  although  he  had  repeatedly  stated  that  he  would  have  no 
troops  at  the  agency,  he  decided  that  it  had  become  necessary  to  have  military 
protection.  He  reported  to  Washington  to  that  effect  and  also  requested  of  Gov- 
ernor Pitkin  of  Colorado  some  sort  of  military  aid.  At  the  same  time,  the  Indians 
made  efforts  to  have  Meeker  removed  from  office,  as  they  strongly  resented  his 
efTorts  to  civilize  them.  A  number  of  them,  led  by  Captain  Jack,  visited  Governor 
Pitkin  at  Denver  to  this  effect. 

Finally,  Gen.  John  Pope,  under  instructions  from  Washington,  ordered  Capt. 
I'Yancis  S.  Dodge,  with  a  company  of  fifty  colored  soldiers  from  tiie  Ninth  United. 
States  Cavalry,  then  at  Fort  Garland  in  the  San  Luis  Valley,  to  conduct  a  small 
camf)aign  in  the  Middle  and  Xorth  parks,  to  protect  the  settlers  and  keep  the 
Indians  within  the  bounds  of  their  reservation.  Despite  the  presence  of  the  hated 
negro  troops — "buffalo  soldiers"  as  called  by  the  Indians — the  Utes  continued  to 
send  out  marauding  parties  and  create  havoc  among  the  settlements. 

The  settlers  themselves  attempted  to  resist  and  one  of  them,  Maj.  J.  B.  Thomp- 
son, obtained  warrants  for  the  arrest  of  "Bennett"  and  "Chinaman,"  two  of  the 
Indian  leaders.  Sheriff  Bessey,  of  Grand  County,  with  four  men,  went  to  the 
agency  to  arre.st  the  culprits,  but  was  informed  by  Douglass,  another  chief,  that 


104  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

the  two  Indians  were  not  there.  This  enraged  the  Indians  more  than  ever  and 
shortly  afterward  Meeker  himself  was  attacked  by  "Johnson,"  the  medicine  man 
of  the  tribe,  and  would  have  lost  his  life  had  it  not  been  for  timely  assistance. 
Several  other  attempts  to  injure  the  white  men  occurred,  all  of  which  forecasted 
an  approaching  crisis  at  the  agency. 

Further  representations  were  made  to  the  Indian  Bureau,  by  both  Meeker  and 
Governor  Pitkin,  concerning  the  situation.  Meeker  was  warned  time  after  time 
to  leave  before  he  was  killed,  but  he  took  no  heed  of  this  advice,  believing  that 
the  Indians  would  not  go  that  far. 

On  September  loth  a  war  dance  was  begun  at  the  agency  and  was  continued, 
notwithstanding  Meeker  ordered  the  Indians  to  cease  and  return  to  their  lodges. 

ATTACK   ON    TIIORNIiURGH 

In  the  meantime,  the  authorities  at  Washington  moved.  General  Sheridan 
was  ordered  to  send  a  sufficient  force  to  the  agency  to  keep  the  Utes  in  abeyance. 
From  Fort  Steele,  near  Rawlins,  this  expedition  set  out.  It  consisted  of  a  com- 
pany of  the  Fourth  United  States  Infantry,  commanded  by  Lieut.  Butler  D.  Price, 
E  Troop  of  the  Third  United  States  Cavalry,  in  command  of  Captain  Lawson,  D 
and  F  Troops  of  the  Fifth  United  States  Cavalry,  commanded  by  Lieut.  J.  V.  S. 
Paddock  and  Capt.  J.  S.  Payne.  The  whole  force  was  led  by  Maj.  T.  T.  Thorn- 
burgh,  of  the  Fourth  United  States  Infantry  and  accompanied  by  Acting  Assistant 
Surgeon  Grimes,  also  of  the  Fourth  Infantry.  On  September  14th  the  slow  jour- 
ney southward  was  begun.  At  a  spot  known  as  Old  Fortification  Camp,  on  Forti- 
fication Creek,  a  branch  of  the  Yampa,  the  commander  left  Lieutenant  Price  with 
the  infantry  company  to  protect  the  line  of  communication.  Then,  with  the  three 
companies  of  cavalry,  he  moved  forward.  After  going  some  distance  he  encoun- 
tered a  party  of  ten  Utes,  who  raised  their  hands  in  friendship.  Believing  them 
to  be  upon  a  hunting  expedition  only,  Thornburgh  permitted  them  ro  proceed. 
Later,  the  same  Indians  again  met  the  troops  and  oiTered  to  guide  them  to  the 
agency,  but  upon  the  advice  of  one  of  the  scouts  this  ofifer  was  refused. 

On  the  morning  of  September  24th,  as  the  troops  were  moving  along  the  valley 
of  Milk  Creek,  they  were  ambushed  by  about  three  hundred  Utes,  led  by  Cap- 
tain Jack.  F  and  E  Troops  were  in  the  advance  and  so  received  the  first  fire  of 
the  Indians.  For  the  soace  of  a  few  moments  the  soldiers  resisted  the  sudden 
attack,  then  fell  back  to  the  wagon  train,  in  charge  of  D  Troop,  a  half  mile  in  the 
rear.  Major  Thornburgh  and  several  of  his  men  had  been  killed  by  the  first  shots 
and  many  others  were  wounded.  The  cavalrymen,  now  under  Captain  Payne, 
placed  the  wagons  so  as  to  make  a  fortification,  further  strengthened  by  the  bodies 
of  dead  horses.  Here  the  soldiers  were  besieged  for  eleven  days,  until  the  morn- 
ing of  the  5th  of  October.  A  messenger  was  sent  out  on  the  first  night  to  Raw- 
lins for  reinforcements  and  also  on  the  night  of  the  second  day  two  more  men 
were  slipped  through  the  lines  to  find  Dodge's  colored  cavalry.  All  were  suc- 
cessful. 

On  the  morning  of  the  2d  Dodge's  troops  arrived  and  galloped  into  the  be- 
sieged camp,  but  even  then  an  attempt  to  attack  the  Indians  would  have  resulted 
disastrously. 

On  October  ist  the  news  of  the  attack  upon  Thornburgh  reached  Fort  Russell. 


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106  HISFf^RV  OF  COLORADO 

at  Cheyenne,  Wyo.,  and  immediately  four  troops  of  the  Fifth  United  States  Cav- 
alry were  sent  to  Rawlins  by  railroad,  thence  overland  to  the  battleground  on 
Milk  Creek.  At  Rawlins  four  companies  of  the  Fourth  United  States  Infantry 
joined  the  cavalry.  On  the  morning  of  the  5th  of  October  this  force  reached  the 
besieged  men,  passing  a  short  distance  back  a  destroyed  wagon  train,  with  the 
murdered  and  mutilated  bodies  of  the  men  who  had  accompanied  it.  These  bodies 
had  been  partly  burned,  without  doubt  while  the  \ictims  were  still  living. 

Under  General  Merritt,  with  the  infantry  and  three  troops  of  the  cavalry,  an 
advance  was  made  toward  the  Indians,  who  had  not  tired  at  the  newcomers.  A 
few  scattering  volleys  met  the  troops,  but  did  not  t.top  them,  and  all  the  morning  a 
desultory  fire  was  maintained.  About  noon  a  white  flag  was  shown  by  the  In- 
dians and  one  of  them  approached  General  Merrill,  stating  that  word  had  come 
from  Ouray,  chieftain  of  the  whole  Ute  tribe,  that  the  fighting  had  to  stop.  This 
ended  the  engagement  on  both  sides.  The  Americans  had  lost  thirteen  killed  and 
forty-seven  wounded.  After  a  rest  and  attention  had  been  given  to  the  wounded, 
Merritt's  men  moved  on  toward  the  White  River  Agency  and  the  troops  under 
Payne  and  Dodge  started  on  their  homeward  journey. 

THE   ATT.VCK   AT  THE   AGEXCV 

On  the  same  day  that  Thornburgh  and  his  men  were  ambushed  on  Milk  Creek, 
the  agency  at  White  River  had  been  subjected  to  a  brutal  attack  by  a  band  of 
twenty  or  thirty  Utes,  led  by  Douglass.  This  was  on  the  29th  of  September.  All 
of  the  men  were  killed,  most  of  the  buildings  burned,  and  the  women  carried  into 
captivity.  General  Merritt  arrived  at  the  agency  on  the  nth  of  October  and  dis- 
covered the  bodies  of  the  slain  lying  near  the  buildings  and  along  the  trail.  They 
were  for  the  most  part  stripped,  obscenely  mutilated,  and  presented  a  horrible 
sight. 

The  men  killed  here  were:  N.  C.  Meeker,  agent,  William  H.  Post,  assistant 
agent,  Henry  Dresser,  Frank  Dresser,  George  Eaton,  E.  W.  Eskridge,  Carl  Gold- 
stein, E.  L.  Mansfield,  Julius  Moore,  E.  Price,  Frederick  Sheppard  and  W.  H. 
Thompson — twelve  in  all.  Eskridge's  body  was  found  upon  the  northern  trail 
leading  from  the  agency  and  in  the  pocket  of  his  coat  was  found  the  following 
letter : 

"White  River.  September  29.  i  o'clock  p.  m. 

"Major  Thornburgh; — I  will  come  with  Chief  Douglas  and  another  chief  and 
meet  you  tomorrow.  Everything  is  quiet  here,  and  Douglas  is  flying  the  United 
States  flag.  We  have  been  on  guard  three  nights,  and  will  be  tonight — not  that 
we  expect  any  trouble,  but  because  there  might  be.  Did  you  have  any  trouble 
coming  through  the  canyon  ? 

"N.  C.  Meeker,  United  States  Indian  Agent." 

Evidently  this  was  written  but  an  hour  or  so  before  the  attack  and  Eskridge 
despatched  northward  to  meet  the  troops.  Eskridge  was  accompanied  by  two 
Utes,  one  a  chieftain  named  Antelope,  and  it  is  believed  that  they  murdered  him 
when  a  short  distance  from  the  agency  buildings. 

The  white  women  sought  refuge  in  one  of  the  outbuildings  when  the  Indians 
began  their  ghastly  work.    The  Indians  fired  the  building  and  compelled  them  to 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  107 

* 

give  themselves  up.  Douglass  was  compelled  bj-  Ouray,  the  head  chieftain  of 
the  Utes,  to  surrender  his  captives  in  November.  During  this  time  they  had 
suffered  untold  miseries.  In  the  Federal  investigation  of  the  massacre,  Mrs. 
Price,  Mrs.  Meeker  and  Josie  Meeker,  the  agent's  wife  and  daughter,  testified  of 
the  cruel  treatment  accorded  them  by  Douglass,  Pahson  and  other  of  the  Indians. 
These  chiefs  repeatedly  outraged  the  white  women,  confined  them  to  the  lodges, 
and  in  addition  they  were  made  the  sport  of  the  squaws  and  children  of  the  band. 
No  punishment  was  ever  meted  out  to  the  offending  Indians  as  individuals,  al- 
though Congress  assigned  to  the  rebellious  Utes  a  new  reservation  in  eastern 
Utah,  known  as  the  Uintah  Reservation.  The  Southern  Utes,  who  had  taken  no 
part  in  the  trouble,  were  left  upon  the  reservation  in  southwestern  Colorado,  where 
they  yet  remain. 

The  prompt  intervention  of  that  splendid  chieftain  of  the  Southern  Utes — 
Ouray — undoubtedly  ended  what  would  have  otherwise  been  a  widespread  slaugh- 
ter of  white  men.  He  ended  the  fighting  at  Milk  Creek  by  a  word  and  afterward 
forced  Douglass  to  surrender  the  white  women.  By  these  acts,  and  many  others, 
Ouray  has  taken  place  as  one  of  the  greatest  characters  in  Colorado  history,  a  man 
of  attainments  and  intellect  immeasurably  superior  to  his  race. 


CHAPTER  V 
TRADERS  AND  TRAPPERS 

THE  CHARACTER  OF  THE  TRAPPER THE  FIRST  TRADERS — CHOUTEAU  AND  DE    MUNN 

THE  GLENN-FOWLER  EXPEDITION THE  BENTS THE  PUEBLO THE  FIRST  POST 

ON    THE   SOUTH    PLATTE FORT    LANCASTER FORT    ST.    VRAIN ANTOINE    ROUBI- 

DEAU FORT  LARAMIE THE  SANTE  FE  TRAIL THE  LAST  TRADER ^DR.  F.  A.  WIS- 

LIZENUS'    JOURNEY 

THE  CHARACTER  OF  THE  TRAPPER 

The  period  from  the  latter  part  of  the  Eighteenth  Century  until  the  middle 
of  the  Nineteenth  may  be  termed  that  of  fur  trading  and  trapping.  In  no  way  was 
this  period  constructive,  nor  was  it  a  period  of  notable  events;  on  the  contrary, 
during  this  time,  what  is  now  Colorado  was  but  a  part  of  an  immense  area  over 
which  roamed  the  traders  and  trappers  and,  consequently,  no  permanent  settle- 
ments were  made,  except  at  the  trading  posts.  These  were  not  permanent  set- 
tlements in  fact,  but  supplied  the  only  community  life  of  this  vast  territory  then. 
The  prosaic  life  of  the  trapper  was  occasionally  interspersed  by  days  of  excite- 
ment ;  the  Indians  at  times  become  obstreperous ;  but  otherwise  few  things  hap- 
pened which  could  be  called  factors  in  the  life  of  Colorado. 

But  what  romance  and  what  legend  have  been  written  about  the  frontiers- 
man, the  Indian  fighter  and  the  trapper !  The  lore  of  these  picturesque  characters 
occupies  a  large  place  in  American  literature.  Tradition  has  made  of  the  frontier 
and  its  inhabitants  a  colorful  and  thrilling  story.  Never  again  will  such  life  be 
duplicated  in  this  country  or  upon  this  globe,  so  it  has  been  the  effort  of  all  writers 
of  the  Great  West  to  preserve  the  history  of  those  days  and  the  stories  which 
have  been  told  of  the  frontiersman. 

The  history  of  the  great  fur  companies  which  occupied  the  West  before  per- 
manent settlements  were  made  is  one  of  great  interest.  Bitter  rivaln,^  existed 
between  these  companies — rivalry  which  assumed  the  proportions  of  organized 
warfare.  Trading  posts  were  established  at  advantageous  points  and  here  the 
hunters  and  trappers  brought  their  pelts  after  a  season  had  closed. 

Then  the  trapper  himself.  He  has  been  immortalized,  it  is  true,  but  generally 
he  was  not  a  man  to  invite  intimate  companionship.  In  the  first  place,  he  was 
illiterate  and  uncultured,  but  generally  with  "five  strong  senses,  which  he  knew 
how  to  use."  Secondly,  he  was  a  nomad.  He  cared  not  for  a  home ;  wherever  he 
found  hunting  and  trapping  he  called  his  place  of  abode.  The  pinch  of  civiliza- 
tion drove  him  farther  along  the  trail,  ever  seeking  the  openness  and  freedom  of 
the  frontier.    Long  seasons  he  spent  in  the  solitude  of  the  mountains  and  forests, 

108 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  109 

gathering  his  furs;  then  came  the  return  to  the  post — and  Mexican  whiskey,  a 
drink  venomous  to  the  extreme.  A  wild,  dissipated  orgy  followed,  which  was 
continued  so  long  as  the  money  lasted  or  the  factor  would  advance  additional 
funds.  Many  of  the  fur  dealers  held  the  trappers  perpetually  in  their  debt  in  this 
way,  thereby  having  full  rights  for  their  services.  It  was  customary  for  the  trap- 
per to  have  an  Indian  wife,  as  much  of  his  trading  was  done  with  the  Indians 
whom  he  unmercifully  cheated.  In  general,  the  trapper  and  Indian  were  indis- 
pensable to  each  other.  From  the  Indian  the  white  man  secured  valuable  pelts 
for  a  pint  of  whiskey  or  similar  articles  of  little  \alue  and  from  the  white  man 
the  Indian  obtained  flour,  cloth  and  tobacco  which  he  desired. 

In  another  class  altogether  must  be  placed  the  so-called  "free"  trapper.  This 
type  of  trapper  worked  independently  of  all  the  fur  companies,  quoted  his  own 
prices  for  furs  and  sold  to  all  the  posts.  They  were  men  of  higher  character  and 
among  them  were  such  as  Christopher  "Kit"  Carson,  who  have  lived  through 
history  by  their  reputations  as  trappers,  guides,  Indian  fighters  and  red-blooded 
adventurers.  Much  of  the  credit  received  by  such  explorers  as  Fremont  should 
have  been  given  to  the  frontier  guides  who  conducted  them  across  the  mountains 
and  pointed  out  trails  which  they  had  discovered  long  before.  They  were  expo- 
nents of  law  and  order  and  sturdily  fought  the  encroachments  of  banditry  and 
crime  which  overran  the  West  for  so  many  years. 

THE    FIRST    TRADERS 

The  Missouri,  Platte  and  Arkansas  rivers  were  familiar  to  many  of  the  early 
French  trappers  during  the  latter  part  of  the  Eighteenth  Century.  Just  how 
many  of  them  reached  the  land  now  in  Colorado  is  unknown,  but  it  is  to  be  pre- 
sumed that  some  few  did.  One  of  the  first  expeditions  of  this  character  of  which 
any  record  exists  was  that  of  Maisonneuve  and  Preneloupe  in  1799.  In  the  spring 
of  the  year  this  expedition,  consisting  of  perhaps  a  score  of  men,  left  St.  Louis 
and  proceeded  up  the  Missouri  to  the  mouth  of  the  Platte,  taking  with  them  a 
quantity  of  goods,  which  they  exchanged  with  the  Indians  for  furs  of  all  kinds. 
The  two  leaders  despatched  the  furs  back  to  St.  Louis  under  guard  and  then,  with 
a  small  detachment,  continued  westward  via  the  Platte  and  South  Fork.  By  the 
middle  of  July  they  reached  what  is  now  the  site  of  Denver,  where  they  found 
numbers  of  Indians  and  a  small  Spanish  scouting  party. 

In  the  History  of  Colorado  (1913)  Jerome  C.  Smiley  writes:  "The  great  body 
of  the  American  people  believed  for  many  years  that  the  western  and  northwestern 
parts  of  the  Louisiana  Purchase  formed  a  region  that  was  practically  unknown 
by  any  of  their  countrj-mcn  before  Fremont  put  forth  to  explore  it.  It  was  the 
common  supposition  that  all  previous  knowledge  of  this  vast  domain  by  American 
citizens  was  limited  to  the  somewhat  meager  results  of  the  going  and  coming  of 
Lewis  and  Clark  through  its  northern  section,  and  to  those  of  the  expeditions  of 
Captain  Pike  and  Major  Long  across  the  central  plains  to  the  mountains  in  what 
is  now  the  State  of  Colorado;  Colonel  Dodge's  being  unknown  outside  of  military 
circles.  From  the  voluminous  and  fulsome  exploitations  of  Fremont  as  'the 
Pathfinder  of  the  Far  West,'  most  of  the  people  in  the  older  parts  of  the  United 
.States  were  given  to  understand  that  until  he  began  to  search  this  wide  land  of 
plains  and  mountains  its  paths  were  few  and  hard  to  find. 


no  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

"Some  Americans  from  Illinois  had  been  trading  on  the  Missouri  River  before 
Lewis  and  Clark  ascended  that  tortuous  stream  upon  their  way  to  the  Pacific 
C  oast ;  and  prior  to  Pike's  expedition  others  had  been  well  up  on  both  the  Platte 
and  Arkansas.  It  is  known  that  one  American  had  been  in  the  mountain  section 
of  Colorado  before  Pike  saw  the  Rockies,  and  some  French  traders  from  St.  Louis 
doubtless  had  built  cabins  upon  soil  of  our  state  in  advance  of  Long's  summer  visit 
to  our  eastern  foothills.  A  great  merchandizing  business,  carried  on  in  fortified 
posts  and  stations,  large  and  small,  scattered  between  the  northern  border  of  New 
Mexico  and  the  headwaters  of  the  Missouri,  and  that  gave  employment  directly 
and  indirectly  to  hundreds  of  American  citizens  and  caused  the  western  plains 
as  well  as  the  recesses  of  the  mountains  to  be  seamed  by  many  paths  and  trails, 
had  reached  its  prime  when  Fremont  set  out  upon  his  first  expedition  into  the 
Far  West.  The  trans-Mississippi  fur  trade  of  that  period  attained  relatively  a 
large  development  within  the  bounds  of  Colorado,  the  trading-posts  upon  the  up- 
per Arkansas  and  the  South  Platte,  together  with  Fort  Laramie,  which  was 
located  seventy-five  miles  north  of  the  site  of  the  present  City  of  Cheyenne,  Wyo., 
forming  a  chain  of  business  establishments  that  made  this  part  of  the  West  rather 
a  busy  region  as  long  as  the  trade  flourished." 

History  has  stated  that  the  first  American  to  tread  Colorado  soil  was  James 
Purcell,  a  trader  among  the  Indian  tribes.  Pike  mentioned  him  prominently  in  his 
Tournal,  calling  him  "Pursley,"  and  strongly  recommended  his  character  after 
their  meeting  in  Santa  Fe.  Purcell  was  a  native  Kentuckian  and  came  to  St. 
Louis  to  enter  the  trapping  business  in  1799.  Purcell  and  some  companions,  while 
engaged  in  trapping  along  the  South  Platte  in  1803,  were  attacked  by  Sioux  In- 
dians and  driven  into  the  mountains.  It  is  thought  that  Purcell  reached  the  South 
Park  by  way  of  the  Platte  Canon  when  fleeing  from  the  Indians.  Purcell  later 
went  to  New  Mexico  and  for  many  years  was  a  citizen  there. 

Many  other  traders  and  trappers,  both  French  and  American,  came  into  the 
West  at  this  period  and  until  the  first  of  the  American  expeditions.  Few  of 
them  gained  much  notoriety  or  left  any  record  of  their  work  here.  Ezekiel  Wil- 
liams, a  Missourian,  came  to  this  vicinity  in  the  fall  of  181 1,  in  company  with 
nineteen  other  trappers.  They  experienced  much  difficulty  with  the  Indians  and 
were  plundered  several  times.  Shortly  after  all  but  six  left  this  country  and 
went  elsewhere,  leaving  Williams  as  one  of  the  half  dozen  who  elected  to  stay. 
Three  of  these  were  killed  by  the  Arapahoes,  but  Williams  and  the  other  two 
were  protected  by  friendly  Indians  on  the  Arkansas.  He  spent  one  winter  at  the 
camp  and  then  returned  to  his  home  in  Missouri.  In  1812  other  adventurers  of 
like  character,  including  Joseph  Miller,  John  Hoback,  Jacob  Rezner,  Edward  Rob- 
inson and  a  Mr.  Cass,  came  within  the  boundaries  of  Colorado.  Their  hardships 
were  many  and  in  addition  they  were  robbed  on  several  occasions  by  the  Arapa- 
hoes. One  of  the  party — Cass — was  lost  in  some  mysterious  fashion,  presumably 
killed  by  the  Indians,  while  the  others  were  rescued  when  upon  the  verge  of 
starvation. 

In  1814,  in  the  forepart  of  the  year,  "Phillebert's  Company,"  consisting  of 
Phillebert,  a  trader  of  St.  Louis,  and  a  score  of  French  hunters  and  trappers,  en- 
tered the  mountains  in  Colorado  upon  a  fur-gathering  expedition.  From  all  ac- 
counts, this  party  of  men  made  a  large  haul  during  the  season.    Ezekiel  Williams, 


DENVER  PUBLIC  LIBRARY 


THE   STATE   MTREUM,  DENVER 


112  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

mentioned  before,  was  a  member  of  the  party,  having  returned  to  the  Colorado 
countr}'  to  secure  some  furs  which  he  had  hidden  two  years  previously. 

CHOUTEAU  AXD  DE  MUNN 

The  experiences  of  Chouteau  and  De  Munn  in  Colorado  and  their  conflict 
with  the  Spaniards  forms  an  interesting  incident  in  the  history  of  Colorado. 
Auguste  Pierre  Chouteau  and  Jules  de  Munn  were  St.  Louis  traders  and  were 
interested  together  in  a  scheme  to  trap  extensively  around  the  headwaters  of  the 
Arkansas  and  Platte  rivers.  Li  September,  1S15,  they  started  for  the  mountains, 
with  nearly  a  half-hundred  Frenchmen  with  them,  including  Phillebert,  who  was 
going  back  to  get  a  quantity  of  furs  he  had  cached  the  year  before.  Chouteau 
and  De  Munn  learned  that  he  had  left  a  portion  of  his  men  behind  with  the  furs 
and,  desiring  to  increase  their  own  outfit  as  much  as  possible,  bargained  success- 
fully with  Phillebert  for  the  furs  and  also  for  the  services  of  his  men.  After  a 
grand  council  with  the  Indians  on  the  Platte,  a  few  miles  north  of  Denver's  site, 
the  party  went  to  the  junction  of  the  Arkansas  and  the  Huerfano,  where  Phille- 
bert's  men  were  to  wait.  But  in  this  they  were  disappointed,  learning  from  the 
Indians  that  the  men  had  waited  until  provisions  had  become  scarce  and  then 
gone  to  Taos. 

De  Munn  was  appointed  by  the  others  to  go  to  Taos  for  the  men  and  also  to 
obtain  permission  from  Governor  Maynez,  of  New  Mexico,  to  trap  upon  Spanish 
territory  south  of  the  upper  Arkansas  and  along  the  headwaters  of  the  Rio  Grande. 
De  Munn  was  successful  in  finding  Phillebert's  men  at  Taos,  but  in  his  other  quest 
he  was  not  so  fortunate.  The  Spaniards  were  not  trustful  of  the  American  inten- 
tions in  the  Southwest,  a  suspicion  which  had  been  heightened  by  Pike's  expedi- 
tion. Also  the  southwest  boundary  of  the  Louisiana  Purchase  was  yet  in  doubt, 
so  the  Spanish  were  alert  and  watchful  of  any  move  from  the  states.  The  gov- 
ernor was  evasive  with  De  Munn,  so  the  latter  returned  to  his  companions.  He 
then  went  to  St.  Louis  for  supplies  and  equipment,  while  Chouteau  and  the  rest 
were  to  remain  until  spring  and  then  take  the  furs  to  the  mouth  of  the  Kansas, 
there  to  be  joined  by  De  Munn.  By  September,  181 6,  the  expedition  had  again 
reached  the  Huerfano,  thence  proceeded  southwest  to  the  base  of  the  Sangre  de 
Cristo  Mountains,  where  they  encamped.  From  here  De  Munn  started  for  Santa 
Fe,  again  to  request  his  former  favor  of  the  Spanish.  Governor  De  Allande  had, 
in  the  meantime,  succeeded  Maynez  as  the  administrative  head  of  the  Province 
and  was  not  so  gracious  with  the  American  "intruder."  He  peremptorily  ordered 
him  to  remove  himself  and  his  men  from  Spanish  soil.  De  Munn  returned  to 
the  Sangre  de  Cristo  and  withdrew  his  men  to  the  Arkansas,  where  the  winter 
was  spent  in  hunting  and  trapping — part  of  the  time  on  the  Spanish  side,  contrary 
to  the  governor's  orders. 

In  the  spring  of  181 7  De  Munn  went  to  Taos,  still  endeavoring  to  obtain  the 
desired  permission  from  the  Spanish  governor  at  Santa  Fe.  He  was  received  at 
Taos  in  hostile  manner  and  was  conducted  back  to  the  Arkansas  by  200  Spanish 
soldiers.  It  is  said  that  Governor  De  Allande  had  received  the  startling  news  of 
a  force  of  20.000  Americans  upon  the  upper  Arkansas  who  had  fortified  them- 
selves strongly.  The  leader  of  De  Munn's  military  escort  was  to  ascertain  tlie 
truth  of  this  report  and.  if  found  to  be  without  foundation,  was  to  drive  De  Munn 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO-  113 

and  his  exploring  expedition  to  the  Missouri.  In  this  he  did  not  obey  orders 
strictly,  as  he  permitted  the  Americans  to  remain  so  long  as  they  trapped  only 
upon  the  American  side  of  the  river. 

But  Chouteau  and  De  Munn,  anticipating  further  trouble  with  their  Latin 
neighbors  on  the  south,  decided  to  strike  out  for  the  Columbia  River  country.  The 
impassable  condition  of  the  mountain  trails  prevented  this  journey,  however,  and 
the  decision  was  made  to  remain  on  the  Arkansas  and  South  Platte,  to  continue 
their  operations  as  heretofore  and  to  take  the  furs  already  gathered  back  to  St. 
Louis — De  Munn  to  perform  this  task. 

Just  as  he  was  about  to  k'a\'e,  though,  there  appeared  a  company  of  Spanish 
troopers,  with  positive  orders  to  take  Chouteau  and  De  Munn,  with  all  their  men, 
supplies  and  furs,  back  to  Santa  Fc.  Once  in  Santa  Fe,  they  were  seized  and 
cast  into  prison,  their  belongings  were  confiscated  and  in  other  ways  they  were 
subjected  to  insult.  Two  months  later  they  were  tried  by  court-martial  and  or- 
dered to  leave  New  Mexico  without  further  ado  or  loss  of  time.  F.ach  man  was 
given  a  horse  in  order  to  expedite  this  sentence.  Their  treatment  by  the  Spanish 
authorities  was  severe  and  is  well  described  by  De  Munn  in  a  letter  written  to 
William  Clark,  governor  of  Missouri  Territory,  on  November  25,  1817.  De  Munn 
states : 

"After  forty-eight  days'  imprisonment,  we  were  presented  before  a  court- 
martial,  composed  of  six  members  and  a  president  who  was  the  governor  him- 
self. Only  one  of  the  six  members  appeared  to  have  any  information,  the  others 
not  even  knowing  how  to  sign  their  names.  Many  questions  were  asked,  but 
particularly  why  we  had  stayed  so  long  in  Spanish  dominions.  I  answered  that, 
being  on  the  Arkansas  River  we  did  not  consider  ourselves  in  the  domains  of 
New  Spain,  as  we  had  a  license  to  go  as  far  as  the  headwaters  of  said  river.  The 
president  denied  that  our  Government  had  a  right  to  give  such  a  license,  and  en- 
tered into  such  a  rage  that  it  prevented  his  speaking,  contenting  himself  with 
striking  his  fist  several  times  on  the  table,  saying,  'Gentlemen,  we  must  have  this 
man  shot.' 

"At  such  conduct  of  the  president  I  did  not  think  much  of  my  life,  for  all  the 
members  were  terrified  in  his  presence,  and  tmwilling  to  resist  him ;  on  the  con- 
trary (were  ready)  to  do  anything  to  please  him. 

"He  talked  much  of  a  big  river  that  was  the  boundary  line  between  the  two 
countries,  but  did  not  know  its  name.  When  mention  was  made  of  the  Mississippi 
he  jumped  up,  saying  that  that  was  the  big  river  he  meant;  that  Spain  had  never 
ceded  the  west  side  of  it.  It  may  be  easy  to  judge  of  our  feelings  to  see  our 
lives  in  the  hands  of  such  a  man. 

"That  day  the  court  did  not  come  to  any  determination,  because  the  president 
(as  I  heard  him  say  to  Lieutenant  de  Arce)  had  forgotten  everything  he  had  to 
say.  Next  day  we  were  again  presented  to  the  court,  but  as  I  knew  the  kind  of 
man  we  had  to  deal  with,  I  never  attempted  to  justify  myself  of  any  of  his  false 
assertions.  We  were  dismissed,  and  Mr.  Chouteau  and  myself  put  in  the  same 
room. 

"Half  an  hour  afterward  the  lieutenant  came  in  with  a  written  sentence;  we 
were  forced  to  kneel  down  to  hear  the  citure  (recital)  of  it.  and  forced,  likewise, 
to  kiss  the  unjust  and  iniquitous  sentence  that  deprived  harmless  men  of  all  they 
pos.sessed— of  the  fruits  of  two  vcnrs'  labors  and  perils. 

Vol.  1— « 


114  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

"What  appears  the  more  extraordinary  is  that  the  governor  acknowledged  to 
me  afterward  in  the  presence  of  Don  Pedro  Piero,  the  deputy  of  New  Mexico  to 
the  Cortes,  and  several  otliers,  that  we  were  very  innocent  men ;  yet  notwith- 
standing this,  all  our  property  was  kept  and  we  were  permitted  to  come  home, 
each  with  one  of  the  worst  horses  we  had." 

Notwithstanding  the  visible  unfairness  of  the  Spaniards,  De  Munn  never 
received  reparation. 

Following  the  experiences  of  Chouteau  and  De  Munn  in  Colorado  little  fur 
traffic  occurred  here  until  after  1821.  The  site  of  the  City  of  Pueblo  became  a 
mecca  then  for  fur-gatherers,  adventurers  and  traders  and  continued  as  the 
favored  spot  for  this  class  until  the  middle  of  the  Nineteenth  Century. 

THE  GLENN-FOWLER  EXPEDITION 

The  expedition  headed  by  Hugh  Glenn  and  Jacob  Fowler,  the  former  from 
Cincinnati  and  the  latter  a  native  of  Kentucky,  entered  the  land  of  Colorado  on 
November  5,  1821,  by  way  of  the  Arkansas  River.  The  party,  numbering  twenty 
in  all,  carried  a  stock  of  merchandise  which  they  intended  to  take  to  Santa  Fe. 
Their  entrance  into  Colorado  was  inauspicious,  except  for  the  fact  that  one  of 
their  men — Lewis  Dawson — was  killed  by  an  enraged  grizzly  bear  and  a  meeting 
was  had  with  a  large  encampment  of  Comanches,  Arapahoes,  Cheyennes,  Kiowas 
and  Snakes.  The  journey  was  continued  up  the  Arkansas  to  a  point  near  the 
mouth  of  the  St.  Charles,  where  Glenn  decided  to  leave  Fowler  with  the  goods  and 
a  few  companions,  while  he  went  to  Santa  Fe  In  company  with  some  Mexican  trad- 
ers whom  he  met  to  investigate  conditions  in  Mexico. 

No  history  of  Colorado  would  be  complete,  nor  has  one  ever  been  written, 
without  quotations  from  Fowler's  diary.  This  classic  bit  of  English,  if  such  it 
may  be  called,  has  been  published  in  recent  years,  and  forms  an  interesting  nar- 
rative of  frontier  life.  In  regard  to  Glenn's  departure  for  Santa  Fe  from  the 
Arkansas  and  other  matters  Fowler  wrote : 

"Jany  2nd  1822  this  morning  the  Spanierds  Began  to  Collect  their  Horses  and 
load  for  their  departure — Conl  glann  and  four  men  Set  out  with  them — leaveing 
me  with  Eight  men  in  an  oppen  Camp  With  the  ballence  of  the  goods  after  takeing 
Some  things  With  Him  to  Sell  So  as  to  pay  their  Exspences.  We  are  now  in 
the  Hart  of  the  Inden  Cuntry  and  Emedetly  on  the  great  Ware  (war)  Road — not 
only  of  one  nation  against  the  others — in  the  road  to  all  the  Spanish  Settlements 
With  Which  the  Indeans  on  this  Side  of  the  mountains  are  at  War — So  that  our 
Setuation  is  not  of  the  most  Plesent  kind — We  Have  no  meet  In  Camp — and  Con 
elude  to  Send  two  Hunters  out  with  Horses  in  the  morning  to  kill  Some  meat 
Intending  to  Set  the  ballence  of  the  Hands  at  Work  to  build  a  Hous  and  a  Strong 
Peen  (pen)  for  the  Horses  at  night. 

"Jany  the  3rd  1822  Roas  Early  to  Start  the  Hunters  ordered  two  of  the  men 
to  Prepare  the  Horses  While  the  Hunters  got  Readey — but  the  men  lay  Still  I 
maid  the  Second  Call  but  With  no  better  Sucsees — I  then  discovered  that  a 
mutney  Was  Intended — and  Emedetly  drew  one  of  the  men  from  His  heed  by  the 
top  of  His  Head,  but  (some)  of  his  friends  in  the  Plott  asisted  Him — and  We 
Ware  Soon  all  In  a  Scoffel,  but  Robert  Fowler  Soon  Came  to  my  assistance — and 
the  bisness  as  Soon  Ended — tho  it  Was  Some  time  before  the  gave  up  their  In- 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  115 

tended  muteney  and  five  of  them  Separated  to  them  Selves  and  declared  the 
Wold  do  (as)  the  plased  and  Wold  not  be  ordered  by. any  other  person — 1  soon 
discovered  that  the  Exspected  the  Spanierds  Wold  not  let  Conl  glann  Return  and 
that  they  Intended  to  make  the  best  of  the  goods  the  Cold — aledgeing  the  Ware 
the  Strongest  party  and  that  the  Wold  pay  them  Selves — on  Which  discovery  I 
told  them  that  un  less  the  Wold  Return  to  their  dutey  I  Wold  send  for  the  Arra- 
poho  Cheef  Who  Wold  be  gld  to  asist  me  to  take  Care  of  the  goods  and  that  the 
might  go  Whare  the  plased — and  that  I  Wold  not  Suffer  them  to  meddle  With 
the  goods — the  then  Held  a  Councle  and  sent  one  man  to  tell  me  that  if  I  Wold 
be  acountable  to  them  for  their  pay — the  Wold  go  to  their  dutey  and  do  What  I 
ordored  them — to  Which  I  toled  them  I  wold  make  no  new  Bargen  with  them — 
and  that  If  the  Chose  the  might  go  on  With  their  mutenous  Seeen — that  I  could 
protect  the  goods  till  the  Indeans  Came  for  Which  I  Wold  Soon  Send — the  then 
All  Came  and  Stated  that  the  Wold  do  What  I  told  them  and  Wold  go  to  Work 
Emedetley — and  asked  me  to  think  of  them  and  Secure  the  pay  for  them  If  Conl 
glann  Shold  not  Return  Which  the  Espected  He  never  Wold,  and  that  it  Wold  be 
Heard  for  them  to  loos  all  their  Wages — to  Which  I  toled  them  if  the  Continued 
to  do  as  good  and  Honest  men  aught  that  as  fare  as  the  goods  Wold  Reech  they 
Shold  be  paid — the  two  men  Went  out  to  Hunt  but  Returned  With  out  killing  any 
thing — now  all  Hands  Went  to  Worke  Willingly  and  by  night  We  Head  the 
Hors  Peen  finished  and  the  Hous  With  two  pens  four  logs  High — Which  maid 
part  of  the  Hors  Pen  and  the  door  of  the  Hous  in  the  Hors  Peen  Which  Was 
So  Strong  that  a  few  Indeans  Cold  not  take  the  Horses  out  With  out  Choping 
Some  of  the  logs — and  must  Waken  us  all  tho  We  Slept  Ever  So  Sound — 

"Friday  4th  Jany  1822  Went  to  Work  Early  got  our  House  nine  loggs  High 
— and  began  to  pitch  the  tents  on  the  top  by  Way  of  a  Roof  Just  Wide  Enof  for 
that  purpose.     *     *     * 

"Saterday  5th  Jany  1822.  *  *  *  this  day  finished  our  House  and  Packed 
in  all  the  goods." 

A  fortnight  later,  having  become  worried  on  account  of  no  news  from  (Jlenn, 
Fowler  decided  to  abandon  the  south  side  of  the  Arkansas,  where  the  above  de- 
scribed camp  had  been  located,  and  occupy  a  new  site  farther  up  the  river  on  tho 
north  side.  This  new  location  was  on  the  site  of  the  City  of  Pueblo.  Fowler 
wrote  of  this: 

"tusday  15th  Jany  1822  *  *  *  j  then  Went  to  look  out  a  good  Setuation 
for  a  new  .Settlement  on  the  north  Side  of  the  River — Intending  to  move  tomorrow 
Should  no  acoumpt  Reach  us  from  Conl  glann — as  We  began  to  Sopose  He  is 
now  not  at  liverty  to  send  or  Return  there  being  the  full  time  Elapsed  in  Which 
He  promised  to  Send  an  Exspress — and  We  think  that  a  party  of  Spanirds  may  be 
Sent  to  take  us  prisnors — for  Which  Reason  Intend  makeing  a  Strong  Hous  and 
Hors  Pen  on  the  Bank  of  the  River  Wheare  it  Will  not  be  In  the  Powe  of  an 
Enemy  to  aproch  us  from  the  River  Side — and  Shold  the  Spanierds  appeer  In 
a  Hostill  manner  We  Will  fight  them  on  the  Ameraken  ground,  the  Riyer  Hear 
being  the  line  by  the  last  tretey — 

"Wensday  i6th  Jany  1822  moved  Camp  Early  up  the  River  on  the  north  Side 
to  the  Spot  I  looked  out  yesterday — We  P.uiit  a  Strong  Hors  Peen  and  i)ut  up  the 
Horses  at  night — no  Word  from  Conl  glaim^We  begin  to  Conclude  as  Is  not 
Well  Him.     *     *     * 


116  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

"Friday  i8th  Janv  1822  *  =^-  *  We  built  the  Hoiis  With  three  Rooms 
and  but  one  out  Side  door  and  that  Close  to  the  Hors  Pen  So  that  the  Horses 
Cold  not  be  taken  out  at  night  Without  our  knowledge  We  got  the  Hous  Seven 
logs  High  and  Well  Chinked  the  goods  all  stoed  a  Way  before  night.     *     *     *     " 

Glenn,  having  found  that  the  Spanish  rule  in  New  Mexico  had  been  overthrown 
by  the  Mexicans  and  that  the  feeling  toward  the  Americans  had  become  cordial, 
despatched  messengers  back  to  Fowler.  They  arrived  at  the  Arkansas  "Hous"  on 
January  28th  and  requested  Fowler  to  proceed  into  New  Mexico,  there  to  join- 
Glenn.  On  the  30th  Fowler  started  for  Taos  with  the  men  and  supplies  and 
reached  there  nine  days  later.  The  party  remained  in  New  Mexico  until  June  ist 
and  then  returned  to  the  United  States,  crossing  southeastern  Colorado  while  en 
route  to  the  Arkansas  River.  The  Glenn-Fowler  expedition  was  a  success,  in  that 
it  accomplished  its  original  purpose  of  trading  and  merchandizing  in  New  Mex- 
ico. 

John  McKnight  was  another  trader  who  established  a  small  post  upon  the 
upper  Arkansas.  McKnight  met  his  death  at  the  hands  of  the  Comanche  In- 
dians in  1823  and  the  post  was  never  occupied  again. 

THE   BENTS 

The  Bent  brothers  were  the  most  prominent  of  the  traders  who  established 
posts  in  Colorado.  In  1826  Charles,  William  W.,  Robert  and  George  Bent,  of 
St.  Louis,  built  a  small  post  on  the  Arkansas  River,  half  way  between  Pueblo  and 
the  foothills.  Associated  with  the  Bents  in  this  small  undertaking  was  Ceran 
St.  \'rain,  a  young  Frenchman,  and  who  was  later  to  make  a  natiie  for  himself 
as  a  trader.  The  post  which  was  thus  established  was  but  a  small  affair,  consist- 
ing of  little  more  than  a  stockade,  for  protection  against  marauding  Indians.  A 
few  years  later  it  was  deserted. 

In  1829  the  Bents,  in  company  with  St.  \^rain,  established  a  larger  and  more 
important  trading  post  on  the  north  bank  of  the  Arkansas,  at  a  point  near  the 
eastern  boundary  of  the  present  Otero  County.  The  firm  was  known  as  Bent  & 
St.  Vrain,  also  as  Bent,  St.  Vrain  &  Company.  Four  years  were  spent  in  com- 
pleting this  new  trading  station  and  in  the  fall  of  1832  the  company  moved  into 
it,  at  which  time  the  old  post  on  the  Arkansas,  built  in  1826,  was  abandoned. 

The  post  was  a  strongly  fortified  one.  The  dimensions  were  100  by  150  feet; 
the  stockade  was  seventeen  feet  high  and  six  feet  in  thickness  at  the  base.  One 
gate  opened  to  the  outside  and  at  the  northeast  and  southwest  corners  there  were 
bastions,  ten  feet  in  diameter,  upon  the  top  of  which  were  cannon.  The  walls  of 
these  fortified  towers  were  filled  with  loopholes  for  the  use  of  the  defenders  in 
case  of  attack.  The  interior  of  the  post,  or  fort,  was  as  comfortable  as  the  condi- 
tions would  permit.  Except  the  rafters  and  the  gates,  which  were  of  wood,  the 
adobe  construction  was  used  throughout.  Something  of  the  general  appearance 
of  the  post  is  described  by  Doctor  Wislizenus,  excerpts  of  which  article  are  given 
later  in  this  chapter. 

The  post  was  first  named  Fort  William,  in  honor  of  William  Bent,  but 
this  name  soon  became  obsolete  and  the  place  was  thereafter  known  as  Fort 
Bent  or  Bent's  Fort.  This  post  became  the  largest  and  most  popular  of  the 
Rocky  Mountain  fur  stations.     From  here  great  trading  operations  were,  launched. 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  117 

not  only  with  the  Comanches,  Arapahoes,  Cheyennes,  Pawnees,  Utes,  Sioux, 
Crows  and  Snakes,  but  with  the  Mexicans  and  the  hordes  of  French  and  Amer- 
ican trappers  who  infested  the  region.  In  certain  seasons,  June,  August  and  Sep- 
tember, thousands  of  Indians  came  to  the  post  and  encamped  in  the  vicinity.  At 
these  times  no  little  apprehension  was  felt  by  the  dwellers  of  the  post;  a  certain 
amount  of  safety  lay  in  the  fact  that  the  Indians  were  not  agreeable  to  one  another, 
but  there  remained  the  omnipresent  fear  of  attack. 

Fort  Bent  was  even  more  than  a  trading  post.  Next  to  Fort  Laramie,  in  what 
is  now  the  State  of  Wyoming,  it  was  one  of  the  few  touches  of  civilization  sought 
by  the  droves  of  emigrants  bound  for  the  Great  West.  Military  expeditions  such 
as  those  of  Col.  Henry  Dodge,  Gen.  Stephen  W.  Kearney  and  Gen.  Sterling  Price 
stopped  at  Fort  Bent  and  there  left  those  of  the  forces  incapacitated.  It  was  a 
rendezvous  for  every  type  of  humanity. 

William  Bent  was  the  principal  trader  at  this  post,  the  other  brothers,  also  St. 
Vrain,  remaining  at  Taos  most  of  the  time.  He  began  negotiations  in  the  late  '40s 
for  the  sale  of  the  post  to  the  Government  and  demanded  the  sum  of  $16,000. 
However,  the  Government  agreed  to  give  only  $12,000,  which  was  far  from  satis- 
factory to  the  owner.  Bent  desired  to  establish  a  new  post  at  another  location  and 
the  Government  wished  the  property  on  the  Arkansas  to  convert  into  a  military 
station.  Finally.  Bent  became  so  disgusted  and  enraged  over  the  dilatory  tactics 
of  the  Government  and  his  inability  to  obtain  his  price  that  he  deliberately  de- 
stroyed his  whole  property.  After  removing  everything  of  value,  he  set  fire  to  the 
buildings  and  the  flames  soon  reached  the  magazine,  resulting  in  a  heavy  explo- 
sion, which  destroyed  the  walls  and  left  only  a  heap  of  smoking  ruins.  This  ended 
the  active  era  of  fur  trade  in  the  land  of  Colorado — indeed,  some  years  previous 
the  business  had  declined,  for  many  reasons.  One  writer  places  the  year  1838  as 
the  last  period  of  active  fur-gathering  and  marketing. 

There  were  six  of  the  Bent  brothers  in  all^William  W.,  Charles,  John,  George, 
Robert  and  Silas,  the  sons  of  Silas  Bent  of  St.  Louis.  All,  except  John  and  Silas, 
engaged  in  trading.  John  resided  in  St.  Louis,  while  Silas  enlisted  in  the  United 
States  Navy  service.  Charles  and  William  Bent  were  the  most  prominent  of  the 
large  family  of  boys  and  both  engaged  in  trafficking  between  Santa  Fe  and  the 
northern  settlements  in  addition  to  their  regular  vocation  of  fur  trading.  Charles 
was  appointed  the  hrst  American  governor  of  the  Province  of  New  Mexico  in  184!') 
and  was  the  incumbent  of  this  office  when  killed  January  19,  1847,  during  the  revolt 
of  the  Pueblo  Indians.  William  Bent  died  at  Las  Animas,  Colorado,  May  19, 
1869. 

Gantt's  trading-post,  or  "fort,"  was  another  ])ioiieer  post  on  the  ui^per  Arkan- 
sas, established  in  1832  by  two  St.  Louis  traders  named  Gantt  and  Blackwell. 
From  the  best  of  sources,  it  is  believed  that  this  post  was  situated  on  the  north 
bank  of  the  river  about  five  miles  above  the  mouth  ()f  h'ountain  Creek.  Little  else 
is  known  of  this  post. 

M.  Le  Doux,  a  French  trader,  Ijuilt  a  small  habitation  which  might  lie  called  a 
post  in  1830  at  the  junction  of  the  Arkansas  and  .Xdobe  Creek,  in  what  is  now 
Fremont  County.  A  number  of  Mexicans  were  ciuartered  near  this  place  during 
this  time  and  shortly  afterward. 


118  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

THE  PUEBLO 

The  Gantt-Blackwell  fort  was  succeeded  by  the  trading-post  known  as  "the 
Pueblo,"  a  habitation  built  in  the  style  of  Bent's  Fort,  of  adobe,  and  which  became 
a  meeting-place  of  various  desperate  characters  as  well  as  Indians  and  bona  fide 
traders.  The  identity  of  the  founder  of  this  post  is  somewhat  in  doubt.  Writers 
of  history  are  nearly  unanimous  in  designating  George  Simpson,  an  Indian  trader, 
and  his  two  companions,  Doyle  and  Barclay,  as  the  founders  of  the  fort.  James 
P.  Beckwourth,  a  notorious  personage  of  the  times,  claimed  that  he  erected  tlie  post 
about  the  first  of  October,  1842.  His  veracity  in  this  and  other  matters  has  been 
seriously  doubted,  however,  and  it  is  generally  conceded  that  Simpson  established 
"Pueblo"  in  the  summer  of  the  year  1842.  The  post  eventually  became  a  harbor- 
age for  a  motley  collection  of  individuals. 

The  Hardscrabble  post  was  built  by  Simpson,  Doyle  and  Barclay  the  year 
after  the  Pueblo  was  established  and  was  located  on  the  north  bank  of  the  Arkan- 
sas, near  the  mouth  of  Hardscrabble  Creek.  The  similarity  of  population  and  the 
general  character  of  the  community  caused  it  to  be  considered  as  a  part  of  Pueblo, 
or  an  adjunct,  although  there  was  a  distance  of  twenty-five  or  thirty  miles  be- 
tween the  two. 

Francis  Parkman,  in  his  book,  "The  Oregon  Trail"  (Boston,  1847),  described 
his  visit  to  the  Pueblo  in  August,  1846,  during  his  journey  through  the  Far  West. 
He  wrote : 

"The  Arkansas  ran  along  a  valley  below,  among  woods  and  groves,  and  closely 
nestled  in  the  midst  of  wide  corn-fields  and  green  meadows,  where  cattle  were 
grazing,  rose  the  low  mud  walls  of  the  Pueblo.  *  *  *  Jt  yf^^  3  wretched 
species  of  fort,  of  most  primitive  construction,  being  nothing  more  than  a  large, 
square  inclosure,  surrounded  by  a  wall  of  mud,  miserably  cracked  and  dilapidated. 
The  slender  pickets  that  surmounted  it  were  half  broken  down,  and  the  gate  dan- 
gled on  its  wooden  hinges  so  loosely  that  to  open  or  shut  it  seemed  quite  likely  to 
fling  it  down  altogether.  Two  or  three  squalid  Mexicans,  with  their  broad  hats 
and  their  vile  faces  overgrown  with  hair,  were  lounging  about  the  bank  of  the 
river  in  front  of  it.  They  disappeared  as  they  saw  us  approach;  and  as  we  rode 
up  to  the  gate  a  light,  active  little  figure  came  out  to  meet  us.  It  was  our  old 
friend  Richard  (a  Fort  Laramie  trader).  *  *  *  Shaking  us  warmly  by  the 
hand,  he  led  the  way  into  the  area.  Here  we  saw  his  large  Santa  Fe  wagons 
standing  together.  A  few  squaws  and  Spanish  women,  and  a  few  Mexicans,  as 
mean  and  miserable  as  the  place  itself,  were  lazily  sauntering  about.  Richard  con- 
ducted us  to  the  state  apartment  of  the  Pueblo,  a  small  mud  room,  very  neatly 
furnished,  considering  the  material,  and  garnished  with  a  crucifix,  a  looking-glass, 
a  picture  of  the  Virgin,  and  a  rusty  horse-pistol.  There  were  no  chairs,  but  in- 
stead of  them  a  number  of  chests  and  boxes  ranged  about  the  room.  There  was 
another  room  beyond,  less  sumptuously  decorated,  and  here  three  or  four  Spanish 
girls,  one  of  them  very  pretty,  were  baking  cakes  at  a  mud  fireplace  in  the  comer. 
They  brought  out  a  poncho,  which  they  spread  upon  the  floor  by  way  of  a  table- 
cloth. A  supper,  which  seemed  to  us  luxuriant,  was  soon  laid  out  upon  it,  and 
folded  buffalo-robes  were  placed  around  it  to  receive  the  guests.  Two  or  three 
Americans  besides  ourselves  were  present.  *  *  *  When  we  took  leave  of 
Richard  it  was  near  sunset.     Passing  out  of  the  gate,  we  could  look  down  the  little 


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120  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

valley  of  the  Arkansas;  a  beautiful  scene,  and  doubly  so  to  our  eyes,  so  long  ac- 
customed to  deserts  and  mountains.  Tall  woods  lined  the  river,  with  green 
meadows  on  either  hand ;  and  high  bluffs,  quietly  basking  in  the  sunlight,  flanked 
the  narrow  valley.  A  Mexican  on  horseback  was  driving  a  herd  of  cattle  towards 
the  gate,  and  our  little  white  tent,  which  the  men  had  pitched  under  a  tree  in  the 
meadow,  made  a  pleasing  feature  in  the  scene." 

Frederick  Ruxton,  who  visited  the  Pueblo  in  1847,  describes  it  briefly  as  fol- 
lows :  "The  Pueblo  is  a  small  square  fort  of  adobe  with  circular  bastions  at  the 
corners,  no  part  of  the  walls  being  more  than  eight  feet  high,  and  around  the  in- 
side of  the  yard  or  corral  are  built  some  half-dozen  little  rooms  inhabited  by  as 
many  Indian  traders  and  mountain  men.  They  live  entirely  upon  game,  and  the 
greater  pa^-t  of  the  year  without  even  bread,  since  but  little  maize  is  cultivated. 
As  soon  as  their  supply  of  meat  is  exhausted  they  start  to  the  mountains  with  two 
or  three  pack-animals  and  bring  them  back  in  two  or  three  days  loaded  with  buff^alo 
or  venison.  In  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  fort  game  is  very  scarce,  and  the 
buffalo  have  within  a  few  years  deserted  the  neighboring  prairie,  but  they  are 
always  found  in  the  mountain  valleys,  particularly  in  one  called  Bayou  Salado,  in 
the  South  Park,  which  abounds  in  every  species  of  game,  including  elk,  bears,  deer, 
big  horns  or  Rocky  Mountain  sheep,  buffalo,  antelope,  etc." 

Among  the  better  class  of  trappers  and  hunters  the  Pueblo  suffered  a  decreas- 
ing popularity.  Dwellers  at  this  whiskey-ridden  and  immoral  post  became  fewer 
and  fewer  and 'those  that  remained  comprised  only  the  riff-raff  of  the  frontier, 
many  of  whom  found  safety  here  which  would  have  been  denied  them  elsewhere. 

Then,  on  Christmas  Day,  1854,  occurred  the  Indian  massacre  at  the  Pueblo, 
which  forever  afterward  caused  the  fort  to  be  deserted  and  shunned.  Accounts 
of  this  massacre  differ  materially ;  there  are  as  many  as  a  half-dozen  versions  of 
the  story.  One  story  is  that  the  fort  was  occupied  on  Christmas  Day  by  a  few 
Mexicans  and  seventeen  Americans,  all  of  them  hunters  and  trappers.  They  were 
engaged  in  celebrating  the  season  with  a  generous  supply  of  ^Mexican  whiskey  and 
had  reached  the  stage  of  inebriety  when  a  large  band  of  Indians  appeared,  were 
invited  to  join  the  festivities  and  accepted.  When  the  Indians  had  fairly  caught 
up  with  the  white  men  a  quarrel  arose,  which  culminated  in  a  general  fight,  with 
the  result  that  fifteen  white  men  were  killed  in  cold  blood.  According  to  this 
story  the  only  survivor  was  a  teamster,  who  had  gone  from  the  Pueblo  in  the 
morning  and  did  not  return  until  after  nightfall,  in  time  to  escape  the  massacre. 

Another  account  places  the  date  as  tlie  morning  of  the  24th  of  December, 
rather  than  Christmas.  A  large  war-party  of  Utes  appeared  before  dawn  at  the 
post  and  asked  to  be  admitted  inside  the  stockade.  When  the  white  men  refused 
this,  they  attacked  and  forced  an  entrance,  killing  all  the  men  and  carrying  off  a 
Mexican  woman  and  two  children.  The  woman  they  murdered  shortly  afterward, 
but  the  children  were  recovered. 

Milo  Lee  Whittaker,  in  his  book,  "Pathbreakers  and  Pioneers  of  the  Pueblo 
Region"  (1917),  describes  the  massacre  with  the  following  words : 

"The  most  notable  Indian  massacre  occurring  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of 
Pueblo  was  the  one  which  took  place  on  Christmas  Day,  1834,  when  the  entire 
population  of  the  old  Pueblo  fort  was  massacred. 

"The  Utes  who  occupied  the  foothills  region  west  of  Pueblo  had  been  restless 
for  several  days  before  the  date  above  mentioned  and  had  begun  wandering  away 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  121 

from  their  usual  confines  out  into  the  valley.  Uncle  Dick  Wooten,  who  lived 
down  at  the  mouth  of  the  Huerfano,  had  been  out  on  a  hunting  expedition  to  the 
Hardscrabble  region  above  Pueblo.  Noticing  indications  that  an  Indian  outbreak 
was  imminent,  he  put  out  immediately  for  home  to  make  ready  for  a  visit  from 
these  savages.  This  was  the  day  before  Christmas,  and  as  Wooten  passed  the 
Pueblo  fort  he  stopped  and  warned  its  inhabitants  not  to  permit  any  Utes  to  come 
within  the  fort.  From  this  place  he  hastened  on  to  his  home  on  the  Huerfano  to 
make  ready  for  the  expected  attack. 

"Unfortunately,  the  inhabitants  of  the  fort  did  not  take  this  warning  seriously, 
as  we  shall  see.  On  the  afternoon  of  Christmas  a  single  Indian  was  seen  gallop- 
ing his  horse  up  the  trail  to  the  fort.  Upon  his  arrival  he  met  the  men  with  a 
friendly  greeting  and  suggested  to  Sandoval,  who  was  in  charge  of  the  fort,  that 
they  set  up  a  target  and  try  their  skill  as  marksmen.  Sandoval,  believing  that  no 
danger  could  possibly  arise  from  the  presence  of  one  Indian  within  the  enclosure, 
permitted  him  to  enter.  A  target  was  set  up  and  with  the  entire  group  of  men 
standing  by  the  shooting  began.  Sandoval  fired  first  and  was  followed  immedi- 
ately by  the  Indian;  whereupon,  two  more  Utes  appeared  riding  up  the  trail. 
Upon  their  arrival  they  greeted  the  group  with  a  friendly  'How'  and  took  their 
places  among  the  other  spectators.  The  next  time  four  shots  were  fired  and  four 
Indians  appeared.  It  was  evident  that  the  firing  of  the  shots  was  a  signal  for 
more  Indians  to  appear.  The  shooting  was  resumed  and  in  a  short  time  the  entire 
band  of  Indians,  fifty  in  number,  had  arrived  and  were  intently  watching  the 
contest. 

"Blanco,  the  Ute  chief,  requested  food  for  his  followers,  whereupon  the  entire 
group  entered  the  fort.  Food  was  given  them  as  well  as  a  liberal  quantity  of 
'Taos  lightning.'  Suddenly,  at  a  given  signal,  the  entire  band  of  savages  fell  upon 
the  occupants  of  the  fort  and  begun  their  massacre. 

"Against  such  odds  these  men  were  unable  to  contend  and  in  a  few  minutes 
they  were  all  killed  except  four,  one  woman,  the  two  sons  of  Sandoval,  seven  and 
twelve  years  old,  and  one  man  who  was  shot  through  the  cheek  and  left  for  dead. 
The  woman  was  killed  at  a  spring  near  by  as  they  were  leaving  the  fort,  but  the 
boys  were  kept  as  captives,  and  were  finally  restored  to  their  people  after  peaco 
was  made." 

No  attempt  was  ever  made  to  renew  life  at  this  post,  and,  among  the  Indians 
and  trappers,  the  deserted  rooms  and  walls  were  believed  to  harbor  the  spirits  of 
the  slain,  whose  wailings  and  moanings  could  be  heard  almost  any  night.  The 
place  was  regarded  with  superstitious  dread  and  rapidly  fell  into  decay  and  demo- 
lition. Reliable  authorities  have  placed  the  exact  site  of  this  post  adjacent  to  the 
spot  where  the  Ferris  Hotel  in  Pueblo  stood  for  many  years.  The  other  frontier 
post  at  Hardscrabble  had  disappeared  several  years  before  the  massacre  at  Pueblo, 

El  Pueblo,  or  Fort  Pueblo,  was  another  small  post  established  upon  the  north 
bank  of  the  Arkansas,  about  live  miles  above  Bent's  Fort.  This  is  not  In  be  con- 
fused with  the  Pueblo  trading-post  mentioned  in  the  preceding  paragraphs.  Two 
other  small  stations  were  built  during  this  same  period — both  near  the  mouth  nf 
Timpns  Creek,  on  opposite  sides  of  the  river.  These  three  posts  were  inhabited 
and  utilized  mainly  by  Mexicans  and  Frenchmen,  wliosc  principal  business,  accord- 
ing to  the  general  knowledge  of  the  frontiersmen,  was  the  snniggling  of  had 
whiskey  across  the  international  boundary. 


122  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

FIRST  POST  ON  SOUTH  PLATTE 

In  1832  the  first  fur-trading  station  was  built  along  the  South  Platte.  Vas- 
quez,  a  trader,  brother  to  Pike's  interpreter,  is  thought  to  have  been  the  builder  of 
this  post,  using  cottonwood  logs  which  he  obtained  in  the  vicinity.  The  site  was 
about  opposite  the  mouth  of  Clear  Creek,  almost  within  the  present  city  limits  of 
Denver.  In  this  connection,  it  may  be  said  that  Clear  Creek  bore  the  name  of 
\'asquez  Fork  at  that  time  and  until  the  middle  of  the  Nineteenth  Century. 

Dr.  F.  A.  Wislizenus  in  his  narrative  treating  of  his  trip  through  the  Rockies 
in  1839,  and  from  which  extensive  quotations  have  been  used  in  another  part  of 
this  chapter,  wrote  of  a  fort  owned  by  Vasquez  and  Sublette,  located  on  the  South 
Platte  five  or  six  miles  above  Fort  St.  Vrain.  This  was  undoubtedly  the  same 
Vasquez  and  the  other  owner,  William  L.  Sublette,  one  of  the  builders  of  Fort 
Laramie. 

In  1833  Peter  A.  Sarpy,  a  St.  Louis  Frenchman,  erected  a  log  trading-post  on 
the  South  Platte,  five  miles  down  the  river  from  that  of  Vasquez.  Little  is  known 
of  this  post,  or  that  of  Vasquez,  as  the  amount  of  business  transacted  was  small 
and  the  posts  themselves  were  short-lived.  Both  Sarpy  and  Vasquez  were  veteran 
fur  traders;  the  former  afterward  entered  the  employ  of  the  American  Fur  Com- 
pany on  the  Missouri,  while  \"asquez  was  known  as  a  "free"  trapper  in  the  moun- 
tains until  the  late  '40s. 

FORT  L.\NC.\STER 

In  1836  or  1837  Fort  Lancaster  was  constructed  on  the  east  side  of  the  South 
Platte,  "about  seven  miles  north  of  the  south  line  of  our  Weld  County."  The 
builder  was  Lancaster  P.  Lupton,  a  lieutenant  attached  to  Col.  Henry  Dodge's  ex- 
pedition to  Colorado  in  1835  and  in  command  of  Company  A,  First  Regiment,  U.  S. 
Dragoons.  Lieutenant  Lupton  resigned  from  the  United  States  service  March  31, 
1836,  for  the  purpose  of  entering  the  fur-trading  business,  which,  he  had  convinced 
himself,  held  great  opportunities  for  money-making. 

It  is  not  known  whether  Lupton  made  money  with  his  trading-post,  but  it  is 
known  that  he  abandoned  it  within  the  decade.  Hunters  and  trappers  called  it 
"Fort  Lupton"  and  "Lupton's  Fort"  rather  than  the  original  appellation  of  Fort 
Lancaster.  In  fact,  some  writers  have  stated  that  Lupton  built  two  forts  in  the 
vicinity,  one  known  as  Fort  Lancaster  and  one  as  Fort  Lupton. 

J.  C.  Smiley  states  in  his  History  of  Colorado  (1913)  that  "The  change  gave 
rise  in  our  settlement  period  to  rather  a  general  belief,  which  has  been  transmitted 
to  the  present  time,  that  Lupton  had  built  two  trading-posts  in  that  vicinity,  the 
earlier  being  Fort  Lancaster,  which  was  supposed  to  have  stood  upon  the  eastward 
side  of  the  South  Platte,  several  miles  above  the  mouth  of  St.  Vrain  Creek ;  and 
that  the  trader  had  bestowed  his  given  name  upon  the  first,  and  his  surname  upon 
the  second.  But  some  of  our  pioneers  thought  that  Fort  Lancaster  was  the  prede- 
cessor of  Fort  Lupton,  upon  the  same  site. 

"In  a  'Table  of  Distances  from  Omaha,  N.  T.  (Nebraska  Territory),  to  the 
Cherry  Creek  and  South  Platte  Gold  Mines,'  by  way  of  the  Platte  and  South 
Platte  rivers,  originally  compiled  and  printed  at  Omaha  in  the  winter  of  1858-59, 
and  pulilished  in  the  Rocky  Mountain  News,  in  the  settlement  at  the  mouth  of 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  123 

Cherry  Creek,  in  April  and  May,  1859,  and  which  contained  various  references  to 
the  character  of  the  route  and  also  indicated  the  better  camping-places,  'Fort 
Lancaster'  is  located  seven  miles  above  (south  of)  Fort  St.  Vrain;  and  'Fort 
Lupton,'  six  miles  above  (south  of)  Fort  Lancaster.  Each  of  the  two  is  noted 
as  affording  'good  camp.'  " 

Fremont  visited  Fort  Lancaster  and  described  it  as  it  appeared  on  July  6,  i843,' 
when  he  stopped  to  visit  the  lieutenant,  as  in  a  fairly  prosperous  condition  with 
an  abundance  of  live  stock  and  poultry.  Fremont,  in  his  Memoirs,  also  mentions 
that,  after  leaving  Fort  .St.  Vrain  for  Fort  Lancaster,  he  passed  "two  abandoned 
forts,"  one  of  which  was  undoubtedly  that  of  Vasqucz  and  Sublette.  The  other, 
it  is  thought,  once  belonged  to  obscure  traders. 

FORT  ST.  VRAIN 

The  trading-post  known  as  Fort  St.  Vrain  was  the  largest  of  its  kind  on  the 
South  Platte  and  was  the  third  largest  in  the  whole  fur-trading  region  of  the 
Central  West,  Fort  Laramie  and  Fort  Bent  being  of  greater  size  and  importance. 
It  was  constructed  on  the  right  side  of  the  South  Platte,  about  a  mile  below  the 
mouth  of  St.  Vrain  Creek,  by  the  Bent  brothers  and  Ceran  St.  Vrain.  The  post 
was  built  of  sun-dried  bricks  (adobe)  and  measured  approximately  seventy-five 
by  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  feet  in  width  and  length,  with  fourteen-foot  walls. 
The  construction,  or  architecture,  of  the  fort  was  similar  to  that  of  Fort  Bent, 
having  a  central  court,  picketed  walls,  one  gate  and  corner  bastions. 

During  the  few  years  of  existence  Fort  St.  Vrain  was  a  lively  competitor  of 
Fort  Lancaster,  and  was  the  half-way  point  between  Fort  Bent  and  Fort  Laramie. 
It  was  located  on  the  well-beaten  trail  which  led  from  the  upper  Arkansas  to  Fort 
Laramie.  This  trail,  of  which  15th  Street  in  Denver  is  a  part,  became  one  of  the 
most  important  of  the  frontier  highways  and  was  for  several  years  part  of  a 
pony-express  route  from  Fort  St.  Vrain  to  Fort  Bent,  thence  to  Taos.  Six  and  a 
half  years  Fort  St.  Vrain  maintained  its  popularity  among  the  emigrants,  traders, 
trappers,  adventurers  and  other  what-not  of  the  frontier.  Parkman  visited  the 
place  after  its  abandonment  and  in  his  "Oregon  Trail"  speaks  of  it  thusly: 

"At  noon  we  rested  under  the  walls  of  a  large  fort,  built  in  these  solitudes  some 
years  since  by  M.  St.  Vrain.  It  was  now  abandoned  and  fast  falling  into  ruin. 
The  walls  of  unbaked  bricks  were  cracked  from  top  to  bottom.  Our  horses 
recoiled  in  terror  from  the  neglected  entrance,  where  the  heavy  gates  were  torn 
from  their  hinges  and  flung  down.  The  area  within  was  overgrown  with  weeds, 
and  the  long  ranges  of  apartments  once  occupied  by  the  motley  concourse  of 
traders,  Canadians  and  squaws  were  now  miserably  dilapidated." 

Like  many  of  the  frontiersmen,  Ceran  St.  Vrain  was  of  French  descent  and  a 
native  of  St.  Louis.  All  of  his  life  he  engaged  in  the  fur-trading  and  trafficking 
business,  operating  a  wagon-train  over  the  !-!anta  Fc  Trail  in  trading  with  New 
Mexico.     His  death  occurred  at  Mora,  New  Mexico,  in  1870. 

ANTOINE  ROUBIDEAU 

.^ntnine  Roubideau  was  another  St.  Louis  Frenchman  who  built  for  himself  a 
log  trading-station  on  the  left  shore  of  the  Gunnison  River,  a  distance  of  between 


124  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

one  and  two  miles  below  the  mouth  of  the  Uncompahgre,  near  the  present  Town 
of  Delta,  Colorado.  Roubideau  started  this  small  post  some  time  in  the  '30s  and 
continued  his  lonely  trade  for  several  years.  He  became  unpopular  with  the  Utes 
and  finally  they  mercilessly  burned  his  buildings  and  drove  him  from  the  vicinity. 
This  intrepid  Frenchman,  in  honor  of  whom  a  pass  in  the  Sangre  de  Cristo  Range 
has  been  named,  was  a  wanderer  over  the  entire  West,  following  his  trade  and 
undergoing  hardship  and  adventure  wherever  he  went.  He  is  known  to  have 
been  in  the  western  part  of  what  is  now  Colorado  as  early  as  1824,  and  in  1844  he 
was  the  proprietor  of  Fort  Uintah,  a  hundred  miles  southeast  of  Salt  Lake  City. 
His  garrison  here  was  annihilated  by  the  Indians,  but  Roubideau  himself  hap- 
pened to  be  absent  on  that  particular  day. 

In  the  extreme  northwestern  corner  of  Colorado  stood  Fort  Davy  Crockett,  or 
just  Fort  Crockett,  on  the  left  bank  of  Green  River,  just  on  or  near  the  present 
state  line.  Three  Americans — St.  Clair,  Craig  and  Thompson — constructed  this 
post.  Doctor  Wislizenus  visited  the  post  and  described  it  as  a  one-story  adobe 
building,  with  three  wings,  but  no  stockade.  This  fort  was  abandoned  in  the 
early  '40s. 

Fraeb's  Post,  built  by  "Jim"  Bridger  and  Henry  Fraeb  about  1840,  was  located 
on  St.  Vrain's  Fork,  but  several  miles  beyond  the  northern  boundary  of  Colorado. 
Fraeb  and  several  of  his  men  were  killed  during  an  engagement  between  his  garri- 
son of  over  half  a  hundred  men  and  a  band  of  hostile  Sioux.  It  is  thought  that 
the  post  was  abandoned  shortly  after  this  occurrence. 

FORT  L.^RAMIE 

Although  Fort  Laramie's  history  properly  belongs  to  the  history  of  Wyoming, 
within  whose  boundaries  it  was  located,  this  historic  fort  played  such  an  important 
part  in  the  drama  of  the  Great  West  that  a  few  words  must  be  said  of  it  in  con- 
nection with  the  other  forts,  which  were  situated  within  Colorado.  Fort  Laramie 
was  located  near  the  junction  of  the  North  Platte  and  Laramie  rivers,  and  received 
its  name  from  Jacques  Loramie,  or  Laramee,  a  French  trader  who  was  killed  in 
1821.  In  1834  William  L.  Sublette  and  Robert  Campbell  constructed  a  trading- 
post  near  the  confluence  of  the  North  Fork  and  the  Laramie,  and  named  it  Fort 
William,  after  Sublette.  In  the  next  year  the  firm  of  Fitzpatrick,  Sublette  & 
Bridger,  with  strong  affiliations  with  the  American  Fur  Company,  purchased  the 
post  and  renamed  it  Fort  John  in  honor  of  John  B.  Sarpy.  Notwithstanding  the 
official  cognomen  of  the  post,  the  trappers  soon  began  to  call  it  Fort  Laramie. 
Then,  in  the  early  '40s  the  owners  of  Fort  John  built  a  larger  and  stronger  post  a 
short  distance  farther  up  the  Laramie  River  and  called  it  Fort  Laramie,  old  Fort 
John  being  abandoned  at  the  same  time.  This  new  fort  became  the  strongest  and 
most  important  in  the  Central  West.  Surrounded  by  a  sixteen-foot  wall  of  stone 
and  adobe,  with  bastions  at  two  corners  and  a  tower  above  the  gate,  the  fort  pre- 
sented an  imposing  appearance.  Fort  Laramie  was  a  stopping  point  for  all  the 
emigrants  to  Oregon  and  California,  and  in  1849  the  United  States  Government 
purchased  the  property,  improved  and  enlarged  it.  and  utilized  it  as  a  military  post 
until  the  end  of  the  Indian  wars. 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  125 

THE  SANTA  FE  TRAIL 

The  Santa  Fe  Trail,  that  great  highway  of  trade  and  travel,  which  extended 
from  the  Missouri  River  to  the  capital  of  New  Mexico,  crossed  the  southeastern 
corner  of  what  is  now  Baca  County,  in  the  State  of  Colorado.  This  trail  was  the 
principal  highway  through  the  Great  West.  Adventures  of  infinite  variety  and 
numerically  greater  tlian  could  be  recorded  in  a  work  of  this  scope  were  experi- 
enced by  the  hundreds  who  journeyed  along  this  trail. 

When  trade  first  began  with  New  Mexico  the  traders  usually  followed  a  route 
straight  west  from  the  Missouri  River  to  the  mountains,  then  turned  south  to 
Santa  Fe  by  the  trail  from  Taos.  It  was  not  long,  however,  until  the  amount  of 
travel  increased  to  such  an  extent  that  an  easier  and  quicker  route  had  to  be 
devised.  The  road  then  followed  along  the  left  bank  of  the  Arkansas  River  until 
the  stream  turned  to  the  northwest,  and  then  crossed  the  river  and  went  southwest 
to  Raton  Pass. 

Baptiste  La  Lande  and  James  Purcell  (Pursley),  in  the  years  1804  and  1805 
respectively,  were  the  first  to  open  a  regular  trade  with  the  New  Mexicans,  while  _ 
representing  American  interests.  Purcell  liked  the  New  Mexican  countr}'  so  well 
that  he  became  a  permanent  resident  of  Santa  Fe.  In  November,  i8og,  three 
other  American  traders — McClanahan,  Patterson  and  Smith — left  St.  Louis  for 
Santa  Fe.  for  the  purpose  of  trading,  but  were  never  heard  of  afterward. 
Whether  they  were  killed  by  Indians  or  met  other  mishap  is  not  known.  Another 
and  larger  party  of  Americans,  including  Samuel  Chambers,  James  Baird  and  Rob- 
ert McKnight,  went  to  Santa  Fe  to  trade  in  1812,  but  they  were  received  as  enemies 
and  imprisoned  at  Chihuahua,  where  they  remained  for  nine  years,  or  until 
Mexico  revolted  successfully  from  Spanish  rule. 

After  the  downfall  of  the  Spanish  administration  in  New  Mexico  the  Santa  Fe 
Trail  as  a  route  from  the  Missouri  to  Santa  Fe  became  an  established  highway. 
The  revolution  occurred  in  1821  and  late  in  the  same  year  William  Becknell,  of 
Missouri,  with  a  large  party,  went  to  the  capital.  He  has  been  termed  "the 
founder  of  the  Santa  Fe  trade  and  the  father  of  the  Santa  Fe  Trail."  His  journey 
was  undoubtedly  the  first  of  any  importance  after  the  Spanish  were  downed  by 
the  Mexicans,  and  for  this  reason  was  probably  the  first  to  obtain  unmolested 
entrance  to  the  markets  of  the  southern  province.  His  route  led  him  straight 
west  to  the  mountains,  all  the  time  following  the  Arkansas  River,  and  then  turned 
southward.  In  1822  several  caravans  followed  the  trail  to  Santa  Fe  and  in  tlii"^ 
year  the  trade  may  be  said  to  have  opened  in  earnest. 

The  original  eastern  terminus  of  the  Santa  Fe  Trail  was.  the  small  hamlet  ol 
Franklin,  located  on  the  Missouri  River,  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles  west 
of  St.  Louis.  After  ten  years  or  so  the  terminus  was  changed  to  the  town  of  Inde- 
pendence, Missouri,  near  the  present  Kansas  City,  then  in  the  '50s  to  Westport 
and  to  Kansas  City.  From  Independence  the  Trail  ran  southwest  to  the  extreme 
northern  point  of  the  great  bend  in  the  Arkansas,  then  along  the  north  bank  to  the 
looth  meridian.  .\t  this  point  a  crossing  of  the  Arkansas  was  made  at  a  place 
known  as  the  Cimarron  Crossing,  and  the  course  continued  southwest  to  the 
Cimarron  River,  thence  along  the  north  bank  of  this  river,  crossing  the  south- 
eastern corner  of  the  present   I'.aca  County.  Colorado,  over  the  Cimarron   Pass 


126  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

through  Oklahoma,  northeastern  New  Mexico  to  Santa  Fe.  The  total  distance 
covered  by  the  Trail  is  estimated  to  have  been  840  miles. 

After  the  Mexican  War  traffic  upon  the  Trail  vastly  increased.  Mails  were  car- 
ried over  its  route,  troops  were  marched  and  transported  along  its  broad  stretches 
and  caravan  after  caravan  of  "prairie  schooners,"  pack-animals,  riders  and  pedes- 
trians followed  its  course  to  the  mountains  and  the  Far  West.  The  Bent  brothers 
opened  a  branch  road  from  their  first  trading-post,  following  the  north  bank  of  the 
upper  Arkansas  to  the  Santa  Fe  Crossing.  This  is  now  a  public  road  from  the 
mountains  to  the  eastward.  The  trail  from  the  upper  Arkansas  to  Fort  Laramie, 
via  Fort  St.  Vrain,  has  been  mentioned  before.  Another  trail  afterwards  led 
from  the  second  Bent  trading-post,  which  was  Fort  Bent,  into  New  Mexico  by 
way  of  the  Raton  Pass,  joining  the  Santa  Fe  Trail  after  entering  the  Territory  of 
New  Mexico.  There  were  numerous  other  and  smaller  trails  established  during 
this  period,  iiaany  of  them  to  suit  the  convenience  of  the  trappers  alone. 

The  Santa  Fe  Trail  continued  as  a  highway  of  commerce  until  after  the  Civil 
War  and  the  coming  of  the  first  railroads.  The  Atchison,  Topeka  &  Santa  Fe 
Railway  was  built  up  the  Arkansas  \'alley  in  the  early  '70s  and  as  its  steel  rails 
were  advanced  the  old  Trail  was  just  so  much  shortened.  Freighters  used  the 
Trail  only  so  far  as  to  reach  the  beginning  of  the  railroad.  On  February  9,  1880, 
the  first  train  over  this  railroad  by  way  of  the  Raton  Pass  entered  Santa  Fe  and 
the  famous  Santa  Fe  Trail  became  a  thing  of  the  past. 

THE  L.XST  TRADER 

William  Bent  was  the  last  fur  trader  within  the  limits  of  the  present  State  of 
Colorado.  After  he  had  wilfully  destroyed  Fort  Bent,  he  constructed  a  few  log 
houses  on  the  left  bank  of  the  Arkansas  at  a  point  known  as  the  "Big  Timbers," 
in  what  is  now  Prowers  County,  Colorado.  In  1854,  having  abandoned  his  cab- 
ins, he  began  the  construction  of  the  New  Fort  Bent,  on  the  Arkansas,  eight 
miles  west  of  Lamar.  Although  smaller,  in  general  appearance  and  equipment 
this  new  fort  was  very  similar  to  the  original  Fort  Bent.  Bent  maintained  a  trad- 
ing-post here  and  also  negotiated  with  the  government  for  its  sale  as  a  military 
post.  In  this  latter  he  had  better  success  than  formerly,  and  in  1859  the  govern- 
ment purchased  the  fort  and  renamed  it  Fort  Wise,  in  honor  of  the  Governor  of 
\'irginia  at  that  time.  In  1861  it  was  again  renamed  Fort  Lyon,  after  Gen. 
Nathaniel  Lyon.  Afterward  it  was  rebuilt  and  relocated  at  the  mouth  of  the  Las 
Animas  or  Purgatory  River.  Of  the  picturesque  characters  developed  in  the 
Great  West  during  the  fur-trading  period  more  shall  be  said  in  a  later  chapter. 
Such  men  as  "Kit"  Carson,  "Jim"  Bridger,  "Uncle  Dick"  Wooten  and  Tom  Tobin 
were  classed  as  "free"  trappers,  and,  although  possessing  many  of  the  rough  traits 
of  the  frontier,  were  ever  staunch  defenders  of  law  and  order,  valiant  fighters, 
true  friends  and  in  all  men  of  red  blood  and  iron  sinew. 

DOCTOR  WISLIZENUS'  JOURXEV 

In  his  journey  to  the  Columbia  River  region  in  the  year  1839,  Dr.  F.  A.  Wis- 
lizenus  saw  parts  of  Colorado,  also  passed  through  the  state  upon  his  return  jour- 
ney.    Doctor  Wislizenus  wrote  a  narrative  of  his  trip,  which  was  published  in  the 


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128  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

original  German  by  W'ilhelni  Weber  at  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  in  1840.  In  191 1  a 
translation  was  made  of  this  book  for  the  Colorado  Historical  and  Natural  His- 
tory Society  by  Mr.  Alfred  Patek.  It  is  from  this  translation  that  the  following 
excerpts  are  taken : 

"About  the  middle  of  April,  1839,  I  left  St.  Louis  for  the  purpose  of  traveling 
westward.  I  took  the  steamer  St.  Peter  up  the  Missouri  to  'Chouteau's  Land- 
ing.' This  took  six  days,  as  the  water  was  low  and  it  was  a  trip  of  no  particu- 
lar interest.  The  little  western  border  town  of  Westport  lies  six  miles  from 
Chouteau's  Landing,  and  it  was  there  that  I  determined  to  await  the  departure  of 
the  annual  caravan  westward.  This  little  town  contains  thirty  to  forty  houses  and 
lies  hardly  more  than  a  mile  from  the  western  border  of  Missouri.  It  is  the  ac- 
customed gathering  place  for  travelers  to  the  Rocky  Mountains.  Its  neighboring 
town.  Independence,  which  lies  twelve  miles  away,  is  also  a  rendezvous  for 
those  who  are  traveling  to  Santa  Fe. 

"I  bought  a  horse  and  a  mule,  the  former  to  ride  upon  and  the  latter  for  bag- 
gage. I  prepared  myself  in  other  ways  for  a  long  journey.  On  the  4th  of  May  the 
company  that  was  to  make  this  journey  had  arrived  and  prepared  itself  for  the 
trip,  and  the  first  stop  was  eight  miles  from  Westport  at  a  place  called  Sapling 
Grove.  The  journey  to  this  point  was  through  the  land  of  the  Shawnees,  friendly 
Indians,  who  have  settled  here  and  who  have  become  the  owners  of  valuable 
farms.  Their  customs  are  very  much  like  those  of  the  whites,  some  of  them 
even  speaking  English.  My  first  day's  travel  was  not  auspicious,  for  I  did  not 
understand  how  to  pack  the  baggage  upon  the  mule's  back.  The  usual  way  con- 
sists in  dividing  the  luggage  into  two  equal  halves,  tightening  each  separately 
and  then  with  loops  adjusting  it  accurately  to  the  shape  of  the  pack  saddle. 
After  this  has  l>een  done  a  lash  rope,  made  of  bufifalo  leather,  is  bound  around 
the  belly  of  the  animal  and  then  eft'ectively  wound  around  the  baggage.  My 
entire  outfit  weighed  from  150  to  200  pounds,  wliich  is  the  usual  burden  of  one 
of  the  animals,  but  it  was  not  properly  divided,  so  that  I  was  compelled  to  unpack 
repeatedly,  and  I  did  not  arrive  at  the  first  stopping  place  until  after  dark  and 
long  after  all  the  others  had  reached  the  place." 

Speaking  of  the  difficulties  of  pack-saddling.  Doctor  Wislizenus  states  later: 
■'During  the  first  days  of  a  journey  it  is  the  custom  to  lead  the  pack  animals 
with  ropes,  but  later  they  are  permitted  to  run  free  and  are  driven  in  front  of  the 
caravan.  The  amateur  travelers  have  considerable  trouble  with  their  baggage. 
.  At  one  point  the  pack  has  turned  to  one  side  ;  at  another  point  it  is  under  the  very 
belly  of  the  animal.  At  times  when  the  animal  sees  its  load  falling,  it  stops  and 
awaits  the  coming  of  the  master,  but  some  of  them,  frightened,  start  on  a  wild 
run  and  do  their  utmost  to  free  themselves  of  their  loads.  But  the  caravan,  like 
an  army  deserting  its  fallen,  moves  forward.  The  older  ones  repair  the  damage 
in  silence,  but  with  angry  faces,  and  the  younger  ones  do  not  hesitate  to  give  vent 
to  their  feelings  in  picturesque  language,  to  say  the  least." 

Of  the  personnel  of  the  company  the  Doctor  says:  "Our  caravan  was  small, 
for  it  consisted  of  only  twenty-seven  persons.  Of  these,  nine  were  in  the  employ 
of  the  Fur  Company  of  St.  Louis,  Choteau,  Pratte  &  Company,  and  were  going  to 
the  annual  rendezvous  on  the  Green  River  with  a  transport  of  trading  goods. 
Their  leader  was  a  Mr.  Harris,  a  mountaineer  of  no  particular  culture,  but  with 
five  healthv  senses  which  he  knew  how  to  use.     The  others  had  joined  the  excur- 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  129 

sion  for  purely  personal  reasons.  Among  tliem  were  three  missionaries,  two  of 
whom  were  accompanied  by  their  wives  and  who  were  on  their  way  to  the  Colum- 
bia, that  they  might  aid  in  converting  the  tribes  in  the  Northwest.  Several  others 
were  talking  of  a  permanent  settlement  on  the  Columbia  River,  others  had  Cali- 
fornia in  mind,  but  nearly  all  were  impelled  by  trading  interests.  The  majority 
of  the  company  consisted  of  Americans,  the  remainder  were  Canadians,  French 
and  Germans,  with  one  solitary  Dane. 

"Our  direction  during  those  first  two  days  was  due  west.  For  one  day  we 
traveled  along  the  broad  Santa  Fe  Trail,  then  turned  to  our  right  into  a  narrower 
road,  which  had  been  blazed  by  the  early  travelers  to  the  Rockies,  but  which  was 
often  so  faint  in  its  outline  that  even  the  leaders  lost  it,  and  were  governed  by  the 
camps.  Our  path  took  us  through  a  prairie  with  rolling  and  fertile  ground, 
watered  here  and  there  by  brooks  and  streams.  Upon  these  shores  we  found  as  a 
rule  a  narrow  strip  of  undergrowth.  On  the  prairie  we  found  no  timber.  For 
several  days  we  were  forced  to  drink  dirty  and  stagnant  water,  but  usually  we 
found  pleasant  and  romantic  places  along  clear  streams.  We  saw  but  little  animal 
life  and  shot  only  a  few  prairie  chickens.  The  weather-beaten  elk  skull  and  elk 
horn  were  evidence  to  us  that  at  some  time  those  old  residents  of  the  wilderness 
were  grazing  in  these  regions.  On  the  fifth  day  we  arrived  at  the  Kansas,  or,  as 
it  was  called,  the  Kaw  River.  *  *  *  -^^e  were  now  about  one  hundred  miles 
above  its  junction  with  the  Missouri." 

On  the  afternoon  of  May  23d  the  party  came  into  view  of  the  Platte  River. 
"A  short  distance  below  the  junction  of  the  two  forks  (North  and  South)  the 
stream  separates  anew  and  forms  a  large  and  long  island.  It  was  at  this  point 
that  we  reached  the  Platte." 

The  caravan  proceeded  along  the  Platte  to  the  forks  and  then  followed  the 
course  of  the  South  Platte  for  a  few  days.  Shortly  the  journey  was  taken  in  a 
northwest  direction,  to  the  North  Platte.  Nothing  of  importance  happened  along 
this  route,  except  a  glimpse  of  a  drove  of  wild  horses.  Wislizenus  describes  the 
country  as  follows :  "The  North  Fork  and  its  environment  is  much  like  the  South 
Fork — much  sand,  very  little  wood  and  no  buffalo.  *  *  *  The  bluffs  on  our 
side  of  the  stream,  and  on  which  I  noticed  pine  for  the  first  time,  grew  smaller 
as  we  advanced  and  were  at  last  merged  entirely  in  the  prairie.  Farther  back, 
however,  we  saw  the  first  red  cliffs,  precipitous  and  imposing.  In  these  the  sand 
formation  is  also  predominant.  Many  of  these  rows  of  cliffs  seemed  to  have 
been  telescoped  into  each  other.  Leading  up  to  them  are  grass  mounds  which 
are  in  the  nature  of  foothills,  and  these  in  turn  flatten  out.  Along  the  range  are 
numerous  cliffs  that  seem  thrown  apart  from  the  main  range  and  shape  them- 
selves into  most  peculiar  forms.  The  first  cliff  at  the  beginning  of  the  range  and 
about  eight  miles  from  the  stream  had  the  appearance  of  an  old  castle  or  citadel. 
More  remarkable  still  is  the  last  one  in  the  same  range.  Its  tower-like  pinnacle 
can  be  seen  for  thirty  or  forty  miles  and  it  has  therefore  been  named  'The  Chim- 
ney.' It  is  not  more  than  a  mile  from  the  stream.  Its  cone-formed  basis  is  about 
three-quarters  its  height,  while  the  pyramid-like  pinnacle  takes  up  the  other  quar- 
ter. The  upper  part  of  the  formation  is  of  sandstone  and  the  foundation  is  calca- 
reous.    The  entire  height  of  the  cliff  is  525  feet — the  pinnacle  about  125  of  this." 

Without  further  mishap,  the  party  reached  the  Green  River  rendezvous  and 

on  July  loth  Wislizenus  began  his  return  journey. 
Vol.  1—9 


130  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

"We  left  Fort  Crockett  on  August  i8th  and  moved  easterly  toward  the  North 
Fork  of  the  Platte.  For  several  miles  our  path  led  along  the  Green  River  and 
then  turned  into  a  gulch,  six  to  eight  miles  long,  known  as  Brown's  Hole.  At  the 
end  of  the  gulch  we  camped.  The  following  morning  we  gathered  up  the  shreds 
left  in  our  meatsacks  and  ate  them,  hoping  to  come  across  fresh  meat  before  long. 
Our  path,  however,  led  over  a  sand  waste,  sparsely  covered  with  grass  and  no 
game.  During  the  morning  we  crossed  the  Vermillion,  a  brook  with  reddish- 
looking  water,  which  flows  into  the  Green.  *  *  *  q^  August  25th,  in  the 
evening,  we  reached  the  left  bank  of  the  North  Fork  of  the  Platte,  at  a  point 
which  we  had  not  touched  in  our  westward  journey.  This  was  probably  100  miles 
in  a  straight  line  from  Fort  Laramie.  The  stream  here  was  wide,  but  shallow, 
and  we  forded  it  with  ease.  We  left  it  at  once,  however,  going  southwest  to 
reach  the  South  Fork.  We  arrived  there  in  about  eight  days.  On  the  first  day 
we  crossed  over  fairly  high  hills  the  range  that  belongs  to  this  North  Fork  terri- 
tory. On  the  5th  we  crossed  the  range  which  divides  the  terrain  of  the  North 
Fork  from  that  of  the  South  Fork  and  over  which  there  is  a  comparatively  easy 
path.  The  mountain  formation  was  again  sand  and  limestone.  On  their  sides 
were  mostly  pines.  On  the  seventh  day  we  reached  the  Cache  a  la  Poudre  Creek, 
which  empties  into  the  South  Fork.  On  the  ninth  day  we  were  at  the  South 
Fork.  On  September  3d  we  were  unexpectedly  to  the  left  bank  of  the  South 
Fork  and  crossed.  On  the  right  bank  here  there  are  three  forts  only  a  few  miles 
apart.  These  are  Penn's  and  Savory's  Fort,  Vasquez  and  Sublette's  Fort  and 
Lupton's  Fort.  They  are  of  the  customary  construction,  the  outer  walls  being 
of  doby.  There  is  much  enmity  and  jealousy  between  these  places.  *  *  *  In 
the  second  I  met  the  famous  Fitzpatrick,  whose  adventures  in  the  mountains  have 
been  many  and  marvelous.  He  is  a  slim,  bony  figure,  with  expressive  face  and 
snow-white  hair.  His  whole  being  seemed  to  breathe  emotion  and  passion.  *  *  * 
"On  September  7th  we  left  the  South  Fork  forts  on  the  way  to  the  Arkansas. 
For  but  half  a  day  we  followed  the  course  of  the  former  stream.  At  the  sruth- 
west,  along  the  left  shore  of  the  Platte,  there  came  into  view  a  mountain  range 
whose  topmost  peaks  were  partially  covered  with  snow.  It  made  a  beautiful 
background  for  the  cottonwood  lines  along  the  Platte  and  for  the  broad  prairie 
which  stretches  along  its  opposite  bank. 

"On  the  fourth  day  we  traveled  in  the  country  that  lies  between  the  water- 
sheds of  the  Platte  and  Arkansas.  The  country  is  somewhat  hilly  and  covered 
here  and  there  with  pine  woods.  In  this  wide  prairie  which  stretches  to  the 
Arkansas  we  came  across  buflfalo  herds  again.  Here,  too,  we  met  two  lodges  of 
Arapahoes  who  had  just  killed  a  buflfalo  cow  and  invited  us  to  the  repast.  The 
squaws  were  still  busy  cutting  away  the  meat,  and  we  smoked  for  a  time  and 
assisted  in  gathering  buffalo  chips,  which  we  had  to  use  for  fire,  as  no  wood  was 
available.  We  traveled  together  after  our  meal.  The  squaws  pack  their  animals 
with  wonderful  economy.  One  horse  carries  a  pack  weighing  300  pounds,  but 
also  the  squaw  and  her  children,  she  deftly  preserving  the  equilibrium  of  it  all. 
Even  one  of  the  dogs  carried  a  load  of  fifty  pounds.  We  camj>ed  at  a  sandy  creek 
in  the  evening.  The  Indians  were  also  going  to  the  Arkansas,  but  they  traveled 
too  slowly  for  us  and  so  we  separated,  reaching  the  Arkansas  in  two  days. 

"The  Arkansas  and  the  region  round  about  are  much  like  the  Platte  country. 
It  rises  in  the  same  range  on  the  South  Fork  and  courses  eastward  toward  the 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  131 

Mississippi.  At  times  its  shores  are  bleak,  at  times  lined  with  cottonwoods. 
There  is  rolling  country  on  both  sides.  It  is  a  rushing  stream,  but  shallow  and 
navigable  only  for  small  boats.  Catfish  abound  in  it.  We  moved  along  the  left 
shore  for  sixty  miles  toward  Penn's  (Bent's)  Fort,  the  environment  changing  but 
little.  Here  and  there  along  the  shore  we  found  wild  grapes,  which,  though  sour, 
were  extremely  palatable.  They  were  larger  than  any  I  had  seen  before  in  the 
United  States.  We  also  found  a  red  fruit,  something  on  the  cactus  order,  sweet 
to  the  taste.  The  grass  was  getting  dryer  as  we  moved  along.  Only  by  the  side 
of  the  stream  was  it  fresh.  The  -high  grass  burns  like  tinder  once  it  is  lit. 
Through  carelessness  this  happened  in  camp,  and  it  was  with  the  utmost  difficulty 
that  we  saved  our  baggage.  Buffalo  were  no  longer  plentiful.  On  September 
15th  we  reached  Penn's  (Bent's)  Fort.  This  lies  on  the  left  bank  of  the  Arkan- 
sas River  and  is  the  largest  and  most  beautiful  fort  we  had  visited  on  our  entire 
journey.  The  walls  are  doby  (adobe)  and  a  watch  tower,  with  loop-holes,  rises 
on  each  side  of  the  front  wall.  In  the  spacious  center  cattle  are  herded.  They 
have  in  addition  to  these  herds  of  cattle,  sheep  and  goats  and  three  buffalo  calves 
that  graze  in  the  nearby  fields.  They  have  no  surplus  of  horses,  for  Indians  with 
unbelieveable  boldness,  recently  drove  oft'  a  hundred  head.  The  fort  lies  about 
one  hundred  and  fifty  miles  from  Taos,  in  Mexico,  and  about  three  hundred  miles 
from  Santa  Fe.  Many  little  expeditions  leave  quite  often  for  Taos  to  get  flour, 
bread,  beans,  sugar,  etc.  In  addition,  ox  wagons  bring  large  consignments  of 
goods  annually  from  the  Missouri  border.  About  four  miles  above  this  is  a  sec- 
ond smaller  fort  called  Bublo's  Fort,  which  is  occupied  largely  by  French  and 
Mexicans.  We  purchased  some  Spanish  flour,  which  might  better  have  been 
called  bran.  But  our  appetites  had  not  been  spoiled,  so  it  was  palatable  to  us. 
We  left  on  the  17th.  The  many  wagons  that  make  the  journey  annually  have 
carved  out  a  well-defined  road  which  lies  largely  along  the  river  and  joins  the 
Santa  Fe  Trail  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles  below.  We  followed  this  road. 
It  was  the  same  monotonous,  treeless,  sandy  prairie.  On  the  second  day  we 
reached  what  is  called  the  'Big  Timber,'  a  spot  on  the  Arkansas  which  for  several 
miles  is  well-wooded.  But  below  it  is  again  destitute  of  trees.  The  Comanches, 
who  here  play  about  the  same  part  the  Blackfeet  do  in  the  North,  scour  the  region 
for  prey.  We  were  fortunate  enough  not  to  make  their  acquaintance.  On  the 
fifth  day  we  again  encountered  buffalo  herds.  On  the  sixth  we  reached  the  Santa 
Fe  Trail.  This  broad  road,  like  a  chaussee,  had  gradually  been  made  by  the 
great  ox  caravans  which  annually  cover  the  distance  between  the  Missouri 
boundary  and  Santa  Fe.  The  distance  between  Independence  and  Santa  Fe  is 
alxDut  nine  hundred  miles  and  the  direction  is  southwest  through  the  prairie. 

"At  a  point  less  than  half  way  between  the  towns  is  crossed  the  Arkansas. 
The  stream  there  is  shallow  and  is  easily  forded.  It  was  at  this  crossing  that  we 
hit  the  trail.  The  road  gradually  left  the  river  and  wound  its  way  toward  smaller 
.streams  which  empty  into  it  from  the  north.  The  first  day  we  traveled  over  a 
broad  plateau,  on  which  there  were  countless  buffalo,  but  very  little  water.  On 
September  26th  we  reached  Pawnee  Fork,  on  the  next  day  Ash  Creek,  in  the 
vicinity  of  which  there  is  a  cliff  right  in  the  midst  of  a  prairie.  This  is  said  to 
mark  the  half-way  point  between  Missouri  and  Penn's  (Bent's)  Fort.  Many 
travelers  have  engraved  their  names  on  this. 

"An  unfortunate  accident  here  separated  mc  from  my  companions.    My  horse 


132  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

had  weakened  in  the  days  that  preceded  and  I  was  compelled  to  walk  more  than 
I  care  to.  As  there  was  some  delay  in  breaking  camp  the  next  morning  I  took 
my  animals  by  the  bridle  and  walked  them  ahead  in  the  hope  that  the  party  would 
soon  overtake  us.  I  tried  afterwards  to  drive  the  animals  ahead  of  me,  but  they 
ran  to  the  side  so  often  that  I  finally  got  into  the  tracks  of  another  road,  which 
gradually  became  less  and  less  defined  and  finally  disappeared.  It  was  foggy 
and  I  could  not  see  my  companions  in  any  direction.  In  order  to  lose  no  more 
time  I  determined  to  move  east  and  thus  strike  the  trail  farther  along.  After 
going  a  few  miles  I  came  to  a  swamp.  I  ceuld  not  see  clear  land  either  to  the 
north  or  south.  In  the  east  it  seemed  to  be  only  a  few  miles  in  length.  The 
water  was  not  deep,  the  soil  fairly  solid  and  I  therefore  determined  to  move 
along.  Slowly  I  sent  my  horse  forward.  It,  however,  slipped  after  going  over 
the  wet  grass  and  reeds.  My  packhorse  I  led  by  a  rope.  Waterbirds  of  all  kinds 
swarmed  about  us.  I  do  not  recall  having  seen  such  quantities  of  swans,  cranes, 
pelicans,  wild  geese  and  ducks  in  one  small  area.  The  marsh  was  covered  with 
them  and  they  felt  so  secure  that  I  could  have  killed  hundreds  of  them  with  my 
gun  barrel.  At  this  time  I  was  not  anxious  to  hunt,  but  rather  to  get  safely  out 
of  the  miserable  swamp.  My  horse  was  getting  weaker  and  I  barely  covered  a 
mile  an  hour.  With  a  great  effort  I  finally  reached  what  I  thought  from  the 
distance  were  trees,  but  which  turned  out  to  be  high  reeds,  and  the  other  half 
of  the  swamp  lay  before  me.  I  could  no  longer  get  my  horse  to  move  while 
riding  it,  and  I  therefore  dismounted  and  led  it  by  the  bridle.  At  times  the  water 
was  breast  high.  It  was  with  measured  and  slovv  step  that  I  moved  along,  my 
dog  swimming  after  the  bedraggled  procession.  It  was  sunset  when  I  finally 
reached  the  end  of  the  swamp.  Before  me  lay  a  chain  of  small  hills  and  nearby 
a  creek  with  a  wooded  shore  line.  To  this  I  led  my  wornout  animals.  The  lone- 
someness  of  it  all  would  at  any  other  time  have  seriously  afifected  me.  Now  it 
actually  had  a  charm.  I  built  a  fire  and  dried  my  clothes.  On  the  following 
morning,  just  as  I  was  at  breakfast,  a  herd  of  deer  visited  me.  They  came  very 
close,  but  I  did  not  shoot  at  them,  for  I  still  had  a  supply  of  dried  meat,  nor  did 
I  care  to  attract  the  attention  of  the  Pawnees  who  were  accustomed  to  crossing 
this  district.  I  still  moved  eastward.  The  grass  was  often  man-high  and  going 
was  miserable.  Nowhere  did  I  strike  a  sign  of  a  road.  The  country  looked  as 
if  it  had  never  been  traversed  by  a  human  being.  I  crossed  several  small  brooks, 
the  bottom  of  some  of  which  were  so  treacherous  that  my  animals  sunk  in  them. 
Several  times  I  had  to  take  the  baggage  off  the  pack  animal.  In  the  afternoon  I 
reached  a  larger  wooded  creek,  probably  Cow  Creek,  and  camped  there.  My 
horses  were  tired  and  worn  out,  so  I  remained  there  all  of  the  next  day  as  well, 
dried  my  baggage  and  animadverted  on  the  solitude. 

"The  following  morning  I  started  again  and  struck  the  last  buffalo  herds  of 
the  journey.  I  sank  into  a  few  more  creeks  and  camped  on  the  Little  Arkansas, 
a  stream  with  a  precipitous  shore  line.  It  took  me  a  long  time  to  find  a  place  to 
water  my  horses.  The  following  morning  my  animals  were  gone.  On  climbing 
a  tree  I  spied  them  a  mile  away.  It  was  impossible  to  get  them  across  with  the 
pack,  so  I  dragged  this  over  myself  and  then  came  back  and  got  the  animals 
over.  After  going  eastward  several  hours  longer  I  suddenly  struck  the  Santa 
Fe  Trail  again.  Even  my  animals  seemed  overjoyed.  I  found  traces  of  my 
companions.    That  night  I  camped  at  a  pool  filled  with  frogs.    This  was  for  lack 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  133 

of  a  better  place.  I  had  now  been  separated  from  my  companions  for  six  days. 
On  the  following  morning  I  traveled  twenty-five  miles  in  one  stretch  to  Cotton- 
wood Creek,  a  wooded  stream  which  here  makes  a  half  circle.  I  was  just  about 
to  select  a  camping  place  when  I  heard  a  shot  that  must  have  been  fired  from  a 
hollow  nearby.  I  rode  toward  it  and  found  my  companions.  They  had  waited 
for  me  a  day  at  the  Little  Arkansas,  but  finally  concluded  that  I  was  ahead  of 
them.     We  still  had  200  miles  to  the  Missouri  River." 

Doctor  Wislizenus  reached  Westport,  now  part  of  Kansas  City,  and  from 
there  went  to  St.  Louis,  arriving  on  the  last  day  of  October. 

How  well  Doctor  Wislizenus  prophesied  the  future  life  of  the  Great  West 
and  the  coming  of  civilization  is  shown  by  his  words  in  concluding  his  journal, 
which  follow : 

"The  fate  of  the  western  Indian  may  be  foretold  by  the  history  of  those  who 
once  occupied  the  eastern  half  of  the  country.  Civilization  will  conquer  even 
the  last  remnant,  aided  as  it  is  by  disease  and  whiskey.  Many  eastern  tribes,  as 
terrible  as  the  Blackfeet  are  now  in  the  West,  have  disappeared  and  hardly  their 
names  remain.  Some  have  taken  up  agriculture  and  live,  but  as  shadow  pictures 
of  a  vanished  people.  The  western  tribes,  it  must  be  admitted,  are  protected  from 
the  advance  of  civilization  by  the  vast  sandy  prairie  which  stretches  from  the 
boundary  of  Missouri  1,000  miles  to  the  foot  of  the  range.  They  have  also  the 
great  wall  of  the  Rockies  and  the  sand  steppes  beyond  to  add  to  their  security. 

"But  civilization  will  not  find  these  difficulties  insurmountable.  Fully  half 
of  the  prairie  lands  can  be  put  under  cultivation,  and  the  lack  of  timber,  which  is 
due  less  to  the  nature  of  the  soil  than  to  the  many  prairie  fires  and  the  great 
herds  of  game,  particularly  bufl^alo,  will  not  count  for  much  with  the  advance 
of  civilization.  Illinois,  too,  had  many  treeless  stretches  which  later  civilization 
changed  to  wooded  sections. 

"When  the  waves  of  civilization  from  east  and  west  will  cover  the  vast  sand 
dunes,  and  break  against  the  mountains,  the  few  free  tribes  will  fight  for  exist- 
ence, but  the  waves  will  rise  higher  and  higher  until  they  reach  and  submerge 
them  where  they  will  make  their  last  stand  in  the  Rockies.  The  buffalo  and  the 
antelope  and  the  bloody  tomahawk  will  disappear  in  the  flood.  But  there  will 
be  no  peace  pipe  to  smoke,  for  the  new  people  will  bring  with  the  virtues  all  the 
evils  of  civilization.  They  will  wallow  in  the  lap  of  these  Rockies  to  bring  to 
light  the  precious  metals  that  lie  buried  there.  When  they  have  found  these, 
greed  and  envy  and  every  ignoble  quality  will  be  aroused  and  the  civilized  race 
will  find  itself  no  happier  than  the  vanished  red  brother." 


CHAPTER  VI 
EARLY  SETTLEMENT  IN  COLORADO 

SETTLEMENT    ON    DENVER    SITE ST.    CHARLES    TOWN    ASSOCIATION THE    AURARIA 

TOWN     COMPANY THE    DENVER     CITY     TOWN     COMPANY FIRST     BUSINESS     AT 

CHERRY    CREEK BOULDER    CITY    TOWN    COMPANY LA    PORTE EL    PASO    CITY 

FOUNTAIN    CITY    TOWN    COMPANY MOUNTAIN    CITY GOLDEN    CITY COLORADO 

CITY CANON    CITY OTHER    TOWNS    OF    1859 CENTRAL    CITY PUEBLO    CITY 

LEADVILLE GRAND  JUNCTION DELTA MONTROSE GLENWOOD  SPRINGS GUN- 
NISON  SILVERTON— OURAY TELLURIDE DURANGO 

SETTLEMENT  ON  DENVER  SITE 

On  September  7,  1858,  the  Lawrence  party  of  prospectors,  whose  history  is 
narrated  elsewhere,  having  estabhshed  their  camp  north  of  the  Russell,  or  Platte 
River,  "diggings,"  organized  the  "Montana  Town  Company."  The  purpose  of 
this  company  was  to  start  a  town  to  be  called  "Montana  City,"  the  site  of  which 
is  within  the  present  city  limits  of  Denver,  4V2  miles  south  of  the  state  capitol 
on  the  east  side  of  the  South  Platte.  Josiah  Hinman  was  elected  president  of 
this  company;  and  William  J.  Boyer  was  chosen  secretary.  A  few  log  cabins 
were  constructed  upon  the  site  of  this  first  Pike's  Peak  town  and  the  community 
began  to  show  signs  of  becoming  the  principal  town  of  the  gold  region.  How- 
ever, the  creation  of  other  communities  at  the  mouth  of  Cherry  Creek  defeated 
the  ambitions  of  "Montana  City"  and  before  the  next  summer,  1859,  little  or 
nothing  was  left  of  it. 

ST.  CHARLES  TOWN   ASSOCIATION 

In  September,  1858,  a  number  of  the  members  of  the  Lawrence  party,  be- 
coming dissatisfied  with  the  location  of  Montana  City  and  believing  that  a  better 
site  could  be  procured  on  the  South  Platte,  separated  from  the  Lawrence  organi- 
zation, with  the  intention  of  forming  a  new  town  company.  With  the  Lawrence 
"seceders"  John  S.  Smith  and  William  McGaa,  Indian  traders,  joined;  their  co- 
operation was  much  desired  by  the  Lawrence  men  as  in  that  way  they  could  hold 
friendly  intercourse  with  the  Cheyenne  and  Arapahoe  Indians.  On  September 
24th  the  members  met  at  the  mouth  of  Cherry  Creek,  formally  took  possession  of 
a  mile  square  tract  of  land,  drew  and  signed  an  agreement  of  organization,  the 
latter  signed  by  William  McGaa,  John  S.  Smith,  Adnah  French,  T.  C.  Dickson, 
John  A.  Churchill,  William  Hartley,  Frank  M.  Cobb,  William  N.  Smith  and 
Charles  Nichols.    Upon  the  same  day  they  adopted  the  "Constitution  of  the  St. 

134 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  135 

Charles  Association,"  as  their  organization  was  named,  which,  with  the  articles 
of  agreement  and  the  by-laws,  constitute  the  earliest  municipal  documents  rela- 
tive to  the  settlement  of  Colorado.  On  the  28th  of  September  the  following  first 
officers  were  elected :  Adnah  French,  president ;  William  McGaa,  vice  president ; 
T.  C.  Dickson,  secretary;  John  S.  Smith,  treasurer;  Frank  M.  Cobb,  recorder; 
the  above  officers,  with  William  Hartley,  Charles  Nichols,  William  Smith  and 
John  A.  Churchill,  trustees. 

Still  making  Montana  City  their  headquarters,  the  members  of  the  St.  Charles 
Company  began  the  survey  of  the  new  tract.  William  Hartley,  a  surveyor  con- 
nected with  the  party,  superintended  this  work,  which  was  done  with  a  rude 
pocket-compass  and  chain.  The  survey  was  started  from  a  point  within  the 
present  Denver  city  block  bounded  by  Larimer,  Fourteenth,  Lawrence  and 
Fifteenth  streets,  and  the  general  plan  of  the  streets  followed  north  and  south 
and  east  and  west  lines.  Stakes  and  claim  notices  were  set  up  on  the  land, 
notwithstanding  the  fact  that  the  Indians  held  title  to  all  of  the  land  in  question. 

The  name  St.  Charles,  suggested  by  Charles  Nichols  who  had  lived  at  St. 
Charles,  Missouri,  was  given  to  the  new  town,  although  several  of  the  company  in- 
sisted that  the  town  be  called  "Golden  City." 

In  the  forepart  of  October,  1858,  the  Lawrence  members  of  the  St.  Charles 
Association  decided  to  return  to  eastern  Kansas  for  the  winter  months,  leaving 
Smith  and  McGaa  in  charge.  In  this  way  they  hoped  to  advertise  the  new 
country  and  their  townsite,  also  to  obtain  a  charter  from  the  Kansas  Territorial 
Legislature.  They  believed  that  no  further  immigration  to  Colorado  would  oc- 
cur during  the  winter  and  that  the  prospects  of  St.  Charles  could  be  greatly  en- 
hanced before  the  spring  months.  But  this  decision  proved  to  be  fatal  to  the  St. 
Charles  Association. 

Shortly  after  the  Lawrence  men  had  departed  upon  their  return  trip  to 
Kansas  they  met  the  D.  C.  Oakes  party  en  route  for  Cherry  Creek,  where  they 
arrived  October  loth,  and,  still  further  along  the  trail,  they  met  another  party 
of  Pike's  Peakers,  also  bound  for  Cherry  Creek.  Frequent  bands  of  immigrants 
were  encountered  thereafter  and  before  long  the  St.  Charles  members  began  to 
be  ai)prehensive  of  their  holdings.  They  held  a  consultation  and  finally  ap- 
pointed  Charles  Nichols  to  return  to  the  St.  Charles  plat  and  construct  a  build- 
ing upon  the  site,  in  order  to  show  their  priority  of  right,  also  to  induce  the 
new  settlers  to  locate  there,  of  course  under  the  authority  of  the  St.  Charles 
Town  Association. 

Nichols  returned  to  Cherry  Creek  and  there  found  about  a  half  hundred  new 
settlers  encamped  on  the  west  side  of  the  stream,  around  the  quarters  of  Smith 
and  McGaa,  also  the  Russell  men.  Smith  and  McGaa,  the  two  Indian  traders, 
had  become  indifferent  to  Nichols  and  the  St.  Charles  people  and  refused  to 
assist  in  building  a  cabin  on  (he  platted  ground.  Nichols  thereupon  laid  four 
logs  upon  the  ground,  which,  according  to  pioneer  custom,  was  assumed  to  be 
the  beginning  of  a  log  house  and  to  serve  as  protection  of  claim  rights.  His 
efforts,  though  were  of  little  value,  for  the  others  calmly  proceeded  in  their  own 
fashion  without  regard  to  the  former  St.  Charles  Company. 


136  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

THE  AURARIA  TOWN   COMPANY 

By-the  24th  of  October,  the  settlement  on  the  west  side  of  Cherry  Creek  hav- 
ing been  augmented  by  the  arrival  of  a  number  of  people  from  Kansas,  Nebras- 
ka and  Missouri,  the  proposal  was  made  to  form  a  company  and  establish  a 
"city"  upon  the  land  there.  Public  notice  was  given  on  the  27th  that  a  mass 
meeting  would  be  held  on  the  30th,  at  which  time  a  town  company  would  be 
organized.  This  meeting  resulted  in  the  formation  of  the  company,  as  intended, 
and  may  be  identified  as  the  actual  beginning  of  the  present  City  of  Denver. 
The  record  of  this  first  meeting  follows: 

"October  30,  1858. 

"At  a  meeting  of  the  Citizens  of  the  South  Platte  for  the  purpose  of  select- 
ing a  suitable  site  for  a  town,  Wm.  McFadding  was  appointed  as  chairman,  and 
A.  J.  Smith  as  Secretary  of  said  meeting.  The  President  stated  the  object  of  the 
meeting. 

"On  motion  of  Mr.  Hutchins  a  committee  of  five  was  appointed  to  select 
said  site,  with  power  to  examine  into  any  and  all  previous  claims.  The  chair 
appointed  the  following,  viz.:  Hutchins,  Dudley,  Dr.  Russell,  J.  S.  Smith  and 
Rooker. 

"The  Committee  reported  that  they  were  not  able  to  report  at  this  meeting 
and  asked  further  time.     Permission  was  granted. 

"On  motion  of  A.  J.  Smith  a  Committee  of  five  was  appointed  to  draft  a 
Constitution,  viz.:  A.  J.  Smith,  J.  H.  Dudley,  WilHam  McGaw  (meaning  McGaa), 
L.  J.  Russell  and  S.  M.  Rooker. 

"On  motion  Wm.  McFadding  was  added  to  the  Committee. 

"On  motion  meeting  adjourned  to  Oct.  31,  1858. 

"A.  J.  Smith,  Secretary." 

This  second  meeting  was  officially  reported  in  the  minute-book  of  the  associa- 
tion as  follows : 

"October  31st,  1858. 

"Meeting  met  pursuant  to  adjournment,  Mr.  McFadding  in  the  Chair. 

"Minutes  of  Meeting  30th  inst.  read  and  approved. 

"The  Committee  to  whom  the  selection  of  a  town  site  was  referred  reported 
the  Following,  which  was  adopted,  viz. : 

"The  Committee  reports  that  they  have  selected  a  town-site  upon  the  follow- 
ing lands.  A  tract  having  Cherry  Creek  for  the  Easterly  line  and  the  South 
Platte  for  the  northerly  line,  and  extending  west  and  south  sufficiently  to  include 
not  less  than  Six  hundred  and  forty  acres.  The  claimants  to  said  portions  being 
present  and  acquiescing.  Reserving  and  excepting  for  the  Benefit  of  William 
McGaw  and  John  S.  Smith  the  privilege  of  a  ferry  landing  within  the  river 
boundary  of  the  town  lands. 

"The  Committee  appointed  to  draft  a  Constitution  and  By-laws  reported  on 
the  Constitution  and  By-laws,  which  were  adopted  with  the  following  amend- 
ment, viz.:  To  the  9th  article  of  the  Constitution — When  it  becomes  necessary 
to  lay  a  tax  for  any  improvement  upon  the  town  site  it  shall  be  the  duty  of  the 


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138  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

Board  of  Directors  to  call  a  meeting,  notifying  the  Stockholders  to  that  effect. 
A  majority  of  the  quorum  always  being  necessary  to  levy  such  tax. 

"On  motion  adjourned. 
"A.    J.    Smith,    Secretary." 

The  constitution  and  by-laws  of  the  Auraria  Town  Company,  according  to 
the  secretary's  report  of  them,  were  such  as  the  following: 

"Constitution  of  Auraria  Town  Company. 

"We,  the  Citizens  of  the  South  Platte,  having  assembled  on  the  First  day 
of  November,  A.D.,  One  thousand.  Eight  hundred  and  fifty-eight,  and  agreed  to 
associate  ourselves  into  a  Company  to  be  known  and  distinguished  as  the  Auraria 
Town  Company,  and  by  which  name  we  hold  ourselves  liable  to  sue  and  be  sued, 
and  to  transact  business  as  an  individual  and  legal  body. 

"Article  ist. 

"This  Company  shall  be  known  and  distinguished  as  the  Auraria  Town  Com- 
pany. 

"Article  2nd. 

"There  shall  be  elected  by  the  Stockholders  of  said  Company  a  President, 
Vice  President,  Secretary,  Treasurer,  and  One  Director,  who  shall  hold  their 
offices  for  the  term  of  one  year  from  the  date  hereof,  at  the  expiration  of  which 
term  there  shall  be  a  new  election. 

"Article  3rd. 

"In  case  of  any  failure  of  such  election  at  the  expiration  of  said  term  of  One 
year,  or  should  a  vacancy  occur  through  resignation,  death  or  absence,  a  majority 
of  the  Board  may  direct  a  meeting  of  the  Stockholders  to  be  called  and  elect 
others  in  their  places. 

"Article  4th. 

"It  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  President  to  preside  over  the  meetings  of  the 
Board,  to  preserve  order,  and  likewise  to  sign  all  certificates  of  shares,  and  to 
discharge  all  the  duties  usually  devolving  upon  the  President  of  meetings  and 
companies. 

"Article  5th. 

"It  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  Vice  President  in  case  of  death,  resignation,  or 
any  absence  from  any  cause,  of  the  President,  to  discharge  all  the  duties  required 
of  the  President. 

"Article  6th. 

"It  shall  be  the  duties  of  the  Secretary  to  keep  the  books  and  accounts  of 
said  Company,  to  record  all  meetings  of  the  Stockholders,  or  of  the  Board  of 
Directors ;  likewise  to  sig^  all  shares  and  transfers  of  shares  and  record  the 
same.  Keep  a  record  of  all  documents  and  papers  relating  to  Town  property, 
and  to  notify  stockholders  of  all  assessments  and  when  to  be  paid. 

"Article  7th. 

"It  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  Treasurer  to  take  charge  of  all  monies  which  the 
Board  of  Directors  may  place  in  his  hands,  and  receipt  for  the  same ;  to  collect 
all  assessments  which  the  Board  may  make,  and  receipt  for  the  same ;  and  shall 
upon  an  order  from  the  Board  disburse  any  funds  belonging  to  said  company, 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  139 

and  shall  submit  a  statement  of  his  proceeds  in  office  at  any  meeting  of  the 
Board  when  called  upon  to  do  so  by  said  Board. 

"Article  8th. 

"The  President,  Vice  President,  Secretary,  Treasurer,  and  One  Director  shall 
constitute  a  Board  of  Directors,  all  to  be  chosen  from  the  Stockholders  of  said 
Company. 

"Article  9th. 

"It  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  Board  of  Directors  to  superintend  the  surveying, 
platting,  lithographing  or  mapping,  of  the  Town  Site.  Printing  or  writing  shares 
of  stock,  superintending  all  company  improvements,  and  hold  all  Company  prop- 
erty in  trust  for  the  benefit  of  said  Company.  And  also — when  it  becomes  neces- 
sary to  levy  a  tax  for  any  improvements  upon  the  Town  Site,  it  shall  be  the 
duty  of  the  Board  of  Directors  to  call  a  meeting  notifying  the  stockholders  to 
that  effect.    A  majority  of  a  quorum  always  being  necessary  to  levy  such  a  tax." 

"By-Laws. 

"Article  ist. 

"All  shares  donated  by  said  Company  shall  be  improved  in  such  manner  as 
the  Board  of  Directors  may  contract,  within  Sixty  days  after  the  day  of  Dona- 
tion. But  if  such  specified  improvements  be  not  made,  then  the  title  of  such 
person  or  persons  to  whom  such  donation  shall  have  been  made  is  null  and 
void. 

"Article  2nd. 

"The  election  of  Officers  shall  take  place  on  the  first  Monday  in  November 
in  Each  year,  the  vote  shall  be  cast  by  ballot,  and  two-thirds  of  the  vote  cast 
shall  be  necessary  to  a  choice. 

"Article  3d. 

"Each  stockholder  shall  be  entitled  to  one  vote  at  the  first  election.  At  every 
succeeding  election  each  stockholder  shall  be  entitled  to  one  vote  for  every  share 
of  stock  as  originally  issued,  providing  all  arrearages  of  assessments  are  paid. 

"Article  4th. 

"Thirty  days  shall  be  allowed  for  payment  of  as.sessments,  and  if  not  paid 
within  said  thirty  days  the  Secretary  shall  advertise  the  same  for  thirty  days  ad- 
ditional, and  if  not  paid  within  said  time  the  Secretary  shall  cause  such  share  or 
shares  to  be  sold  to  pay  such  assessments. 

"Article  5th. 

"The  owner  or  owners  of  any  stock  sold  as  above  provided  to  pay  assess- 
ments, by  paying,  within  90  days  after  such  sale  as  aforesaid,  the  purchase  money 
and  fifty  per  centum  added  thereto,  shall  be  entitled  to  redeem  such  stock. 

"Article  6th. 

"Each  nacmber  of  the  Board  of  Directors  shall  be  held  under  IhhuI  for  the 
faithful  discharge  of  his  duties  as  such  member,  the  sum  of  which  l)oii(l  not  to 
exceed  the  sum  of  Twenty-five  hundred  dollars  and  not  less  than  'I'wo  thousand 
dollars. 

"Article  7th. 

"There  shall  be  set  apart  four  hundred  shares  for  the  use  and  benefit  of  the 
Stockholders,  the  remaining  two  hundred  shall  be  set  apart  for  donation,  public 


140  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

improvements,  etc.,  and  it  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  Board  of  Directors  to  take 
charge  of  such  donations,  and  all  profits  arising  from  such  donations  shall  be 
set  apart  for  the  benefit  hereafter  of  said  Company. 

"Article  8th. 

"The  number  of  Original  Stockholders  shall  not  exceed  the  number  of  One 
hundred.  In  the  absence  of  any  stockholder  he  may  appoint  an  agent  to  cast  the 
vote  or  votes  to  which  he  may  be  entitled,  and  to  act  as  proxy,  generally. 

"Article  9th. 

"No  transfer  of  stock  shall  be  considered  legal  unless  such  transfer  be  signed 
and  recorded  by  the  Secretary  in  the  books  of  the  company  at  the  time  of  making 
such  transfer. 

"Article  loth. 

"Shares  of  stock  shall  be  issued  to  each  and  every  stockholder  when  such 
Stockholder  shall  have,  or  caused  to  have  been,  constructed  within  the  City  Limits 
a  house  not  less  than  Sixteen  by  sixteen  feet,  to  be  approved  by  the  Board  of 
Directors.  Such  improvements  to  be  made  and  completed  on  or  before  the  first 
day  of  July,  A.D.,  1859,  or  the  shares  become  forfeited  to  the  Company. 

"Article  nth. 

"This  Constitution  and  By-Laws  thereunto  annexed  may  be  revised  and 
amended  at  any  general  meeting  of  tlie  Company  by  a  vote  of  Two-thirds  of 
the  Stockholders  of  said  Company." 

At  a  meeting  of  the  stockholders  of  the  Auraria  Town  Company  held  Novem- 
ber 6th  the  following  officers  were  elected:  William  McFadding,  president; 
J.  H.  Dudley,  vice  president;  L.  J.  Russell,  secretary;  John  S.  Smith,  treasurer; 
Henry  Allen,  director. 

The  name  "Auraria,"  meaning  "Gold  Town,"  was  one  of  two  suggested  by 
Dr.  L.  J.  Russell  and  appears  for  the  first  time  in  the  title  of  the  constitution. 
Auraria  was  the  name  of  Doctor  Russell's  home  town  in  Lupkin  County,  Georgia, 
where  gold  "diggings"  existed  then  and  which  are  still  being  worked. 

Auraria  was  in  this  way  the  first  town  that  was  established  at  the  mouth  of 
Cherry  Creek  and  was  the  nucleus  of  the  present  City  of  Denver.  Here  many 
of  the  first  features  of  Colorado,  including  the  first  newspaper,  the  first  Protest- 
ant church  and  the  first  church  school  were  started.  Nichols,  the  custodian  of 
the  St.  Charles  Company  site,  in  the  meantime  stood  by  and  watched  with  grow- 
ing apprehension  the  rise  of  Auraria.  There  was  nothing  he  could  do  just  then 
to  hold  the  interest  of  the  others,  even  though  he  did  complete  a  cabin  which  he 
had  started  with  the  four  logs.  This  was  near  Cherry  Creek  in  the  vicinity  of 
the  present  Blake  Street  crossing,  and  was  located  outside  the  mile-square  plat  of 
the  St.  Charles  Company,  but  upon  land  which  Smith  and  McGaa  were  to  have 
obtained  for  the  organization. 

THE  DENVER  CITY  TOWN   COMP.\NY 

The  Denver  City  Town  Company  was  the  result  of  the  arrival  of  a  company 
of  pioneers  at  the  mouth  of  Cherry  Creek  in  November,  1858,  many  of  the  mem- 
bers of  which  became  very  prominent  in  the  early  life  of  Denver.  This  company 
was  really  a  union  of  two  parties  formed  in  eastern  Kansas.     One  of  them  was 


GEN.  JAMES  WILLIAM  DENVER 
For  whom  the  city  was  named.     He  was  born  in  Winchester,  Va.,  on  October  23,  1817, 


and  died  in  Washington  City  on  August  0,  1892. 
town  ho  had   resided  for  many  years. 


His  tomb  is  at  Wilmington,  O.,  in  which 


142  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

organized  at  Lecompton  in  the  summer  and  among  the  members  were  Hickory 
Rogers,  Edward  W.  Wynkoop  and  H.  P.  A.  Smith.  James  W.  Denver  was 
then  governor  of  Kansas  Territory  and  thought  there  should  be  some  represen- 
tative government  in  the  new  Pike's  Peak  gold  country.  With  this  end  in  view 
he  appointed  Smith  probate  judge,  Rogers  chairman  of  the  county  board  of 
commissioners  and  Wynkoop  sheriff,  of  the  County  of  Arapahoe,  then  nothing 
more  than  a  name  attached  to  the  western  end  of  Kansas.  In  this  way  the 
three  "county  officials"  were  authorized  to  proceed  to  the  new  country,  which 
they  did. 

The  other  half  of  the  pioneer  company  was  from  Leavenworth,  in  fact  be- 
came known  as  the  "Leavenworth  Party."  This  company  consisted  of  Folsom 
Dorsett,  M.  M.  Jewett,  Gen.  William  Larimer,  Jr.,  his  son  William  H.  H.  Lari- 
mer, Charles  A.  Lawrence  and  Richard  E.  Whitsitt.  The  six  men  departed  from 
Leavenworth  on  October  3d,  with  a  prairie  schooner,  four  yoke  of  oxen,  and  a 
horse  for  each  of  the  party.  Five  weeks  later  they  arrived  at  the  site  of  Pueblo, 
there  meeting  Governor  Denver's  county  officials  and  others.  The  two  joined 
and  traveled  to  Auraria,  reaching  there  November  i6th. 

The  newcomers  quickly  perceived  that  a  rival  city  could  well  be  platted  on 
the  east  side  of  the  creek  from  Auraria  and  with  this  end  in  view  allied  them- 
selves with  E.  P.  Stout,  P.  T.  Bassett,  William  Clancy,  Smith  and  McGaa,  the 
traders,  and  a  few  others.  A  meeting  was  held  in  McGaa's  cabin  on  the  night 
of  November  17th,  when  the  Denver  City  Town  Company  was  organized.  Nichols 
was  present,  according  to  all  accounts,  and  protested  strongly  over  the  "jumping" 
of  the  St.  Charles  Company's  land,  but  later  kept  silent  when  he  was  threatened 
with  being  the  guest  of  honor  at  a  "neck-tie  party."  No  official  record  of  this 
first  meeting  exists.  The  gathering  was  more  in  the  nature  of  a  love-feast,  how- 
ever, with  the  flowing  bowl  much  in  evidence,  and  undoubtedly  no  one  was  in 
the  humor  to  keep  the  minutes.  The  minute-book  of  the  Denver  Town  Company, 
though,  contains  the  following  as  its  first  record : 

"Denver  City  Company  adopted  their  Constitution  on  the  22  Nov.  1858,  and 
Elected  the   following  Board  of  Directors  and  Officers: 

"President  E.  P.  Stout. 
"Treasurer  Wm  Larimer  Jr. 
"Secty   H.   P.   A.    Smith. 
•  "Recorder  P.  T.  Bassett. 

"Directors 

"E.    P.    Stout. 
"Wm  Larimer  Jr 
"J   (William)    McGaa 
"C.  A.   Lawrence 
"W.   Clancy 
"Hickory   Rogers 
"P.  T.  Bassett 
"The  Board  of  Directors  appointed  Wm  Larimer  Jr  Secty  of  the  Board  and 
also  Selected  the  Same  to  donate  lots  under  the  instructions  from  the  Board 

"Under  a  previously  appointed  Committee  of  Mes.'^rs  Rogers,  Bassett,  McGaa, 
Lawrence  &  Larimer  they  secured  the  services  of — Curtis  (Col.  Samuel  S.  Cur- 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  143 

tis)  on  the  22nd  Inst  and  laid  out  one  principle  Street  and  further  the  Same 
Committee  Set  posts  and  bounded  two  miles  square  for  a  town  site.  Called 
Denver  City. 

"Wm  Larimer  Jr 

"Secty  of  the  Board. 
"Denver  City 
"22  Nov.  1858" 

The  new  city  was  named  in  honor  of  Governor  Denver,  the  head  of  the  Kan- 
sas Territory  administration  and  who  played  such  an  important  part  in  inaugur- 
ating the  movement  which  led  to  the  establishment  of  the  community.  The 
identity  of  the  individual  who  proposed  Denver's  name  is  not  known  and  by 
many  writers  it  is  claimed  that  his  name  was  chosen  by  acclaim  as  he  was  upper- 
most in  the  thoughts  of  many  of  the  members  of  the  Company.  The  St.  Charles 
Company  stockholders  were  given  shares  in  the  new  company  in  recompense  for 
the  "jumping"  of  their  townsite.  The  Leavenworth-Lecompton  party  has  been 
accorded  the  honor  by  many  authorities  of  being  the  founders  of  Denver,  but 
this  statement  is  visibly  in  error.  The  members  of  the  Auraria  Company  hold 
much  greater  claim  to  this  distinction ;  in  fact,  E.  P.  Stout,  one  of  the  members 
of  the  latter  company  and  the  first  Denver  City  president,  had  staked  off  a  town 
upon  the  St.  Charles  site  before  the  arrival  of  the  Leavenworth-Lecompton  party. 
In  this  work  he  was  assisted  by  Smith  and  McGaa,  who  seemed  to  have  an  inter- 
est in  every  scheme  broached  in  the  Pike's  Peak  region. 

When  the  Leavenworth-Lecompton  men  arrived,  there  were  about  a  dozen 
cabins  constructed  upon  the  site  of  Auraria  and  an  equal  number  in  the  course 
of  building.  The  first  house  actually  built  on  the  St.  Charles  site  was  the  first 
house,  necessarily,  erected  upon  the  land  platted  by  the  Denver  City  Company, 
and  this  was  the  one  erected  by  Charles  Nichols,  in  the  attempt  to  hold  the  claim 
of  his  companions,  and  used  for  a  time  as  a  blacksmith  shop  by  Hank  Way. 
General  Larimer  occupied  this  cabin  after  his  arrival,  until  his  own  house  was 
constructed  on  what  is  now  the  northeast  corner  of  Fifteenth  and  Larimer 
streets. 

As  stated  before,  Montana  City  was  gradually  absorbed  by  the  Cherry  Creek 
towns.  In  December,  Samuel  S.  Curtis  laid  out  another  paper  "city"  about  two 
miles  east  of  the  present  Town  of  Golden.  This  he  named  "Arapahoe  City." 
Not  until  the  spring  of  1859,  though,  did  any  settlement  of  consequence  occur 
here,  then  a  portion  of  the  great  army  of  fortune-hunters  occupied  the  site. 

FIRST  BUSINESS  AT   ClIERRV   CRKEK 

The  first  mercantile  business  iti  the  Pike's  Peak  region  was  established  in 
1858  at  .Auraria.  This  was  started  by  Charles  H.  Blake  and  .Andrew  J.  Wil- 
liams, under  the  firm  name  of  Blake  &  Williams.  These  men  came  from  Cres- 
cent City,  Iowa,  and  arrived  at  the  mouth  of  Cherry  Creek  on  October  27th,  with 
a  train  of  four  wagons,  each  hauled  by  four  yoke  of  oxen.  The  wagons  were 
loaded  with  merchandise  of  all  descriptions  and  especially  ada]>ted  to  the  needs 
of  the  frontier  coinitry.  On  the  first  day  of  November  Blake  &  Williams  began 
business  in  a  tent,  but  shortly  afterward  moved  into  a  double  log  cabin,  located 
on  the  north  side  of  the  present  Wewatta  Street,  near  Twelfth  Street. 


144  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

One  week  later,  the  firm  of  Kinna  &  Nye  came  to  Auraria  with  a  stock  of 
hardware.  Kinna  was  in  charge,  Nye  not  arriving  until  the  next  spring.  Kinna 
secured  a  location  near  the  northeast  corner  of  Eleventh  and  Market  streets  and 
there  erected  a  cabin,  to  serve  as  both  residence  and  store. 

The  third  merchant  in  Auraria  was  J.  D.  Ramage,  a  jeweler,  who  located  near 
what  is  now  the  southeast  corner  of  Eleventh  and  Larimer  streets.  On  December 
25th  Richens  L.  Wooten,  known  as  "Uncle  Dick,"  an  old  Indian  trader,  came 
to  Auraria  with  two  wagon-loads  of  merchandise,  consisting  principally  of  New 
Mexican  "fire-water,"  and  called  "Taos  Lightning"  by  the  Pike's  Peakers.  By 
way  of  establishing  an  acquaintanceship  with  the  citizens  of  Auraria  and  Denver 
in  the  briefest  time,  Wooten  placed  the  contents  of  one  barrel  at  the  mercy  of 
the  public,  to  be  consumed  as  a  part  of  the  general  holiday  celebration. 

Auraria  and  Denver  were  quickly  recognized  as  the  center  of  the  Pike's  Peak 
gold  region  and  nearly  all  of  the  argonauts  made  for  the  Cherry  Creek  settle- 
ments the  first  thing.  Auraria  made  a  better  appearance  during  this  first  winter 
than  Denver,  having  about  fifty  log  houses  while  Denver  had  only  a  score  or  so. 
Little  time  was  occupied  in  improving  the  condition  of  the  towns,  as  gold  was 
tlie  all-absorbing  topic  and  the  settlers  were  impatient  to  get  to  the  "diggins." 

By  an  act  of  the  legislative  assembly  of  Jefferson  Territory,  Auraria  and 
Denver  were  consolidated  into  one  municipality  in  April,  i860.  The  Denver  title 
became  the  most  popular  and  the  name  Auraria  was  gradually  dropped.  The 
first  territorial  assembly  of  Colorado,  by  an  act  approved  November  7,  1862,  in- 
corporated Auraria,  Denver  and  Highland  as  the  City  of  Denver,  which  was 
largely  a  repetition  of  the  consolidation  act  of  the  Jefferson  Territorial  As- 
sembly. 

BOULDER  CITY  TOWN  COMP.\NY 

By  the  spring  of  1859  several  more  town  companies  had  been  established  in 
Colorado.  These  companies  are  to  be  distinguished  from  those  mentioned  in 
another  chapter  by  the  fact  that  gold-mining  was  the  basis  of  their  organization, 
their  members  were  prospectors  for  the  greater  part,  whereas  colonies  such  as 
Union  and  the  Chicago-Colorado  had  agriculture  as  a  stimulus  and  Colorado 
Springs  and  South  Pueblo  were  conceived  by  the  railroad  interests. 

The  colony  at  Red  Rock,  having  been  enlarged  considerably,  organized  the 
"Boulder  City  Town  Company"  on  February  10,  1859.  There  were  fifty-six 
stockholders  in  this  company  and  Alfred  A.  Brookfield  was  elected  president.  A 
tract  of  ground  covering  1,240  acres  was  selected,  extending  from  the  mouth  of 
the  canyon  for  a  distance  of  two  miles  down  Boulder  Creek.  This  land  was 
divided  into  337  blocks,  each  of  which  was  subdivided  into  twelve  lots.  Within 
a  few  weeks  the  town  was  fully  laid  out  and  cabin-building  actively  begun.  There 
were  about  two  thousand  people  then  living  in  the  vicinity  of  this  new  townsite 
and  the  stage  was  splendidly  set  for  the  growth  of  a  large  community.  However, 
speculation  by  the  most  of  the  shareholders  effectually  obstructed  the  growth  of 
Boulder  City  for  some  time.  The  larger  faction  desired  to  hold  the  lots  for  high 
and  exorbitant  prices,  while  the  minority  wished  to  give  alternate  lots  to  set- 
tlers who  would  improve  them  and  in  this  way  establish  a  town  equal  to  Auraria 
and  Denver.     The  high  cost  of  the  lots  caused  the  early  failure  of  this  com- 


VIEW  OF  BOULDER  CITY  IN  THE  MIDDLE   '60s 


VIEW  OF   THE   MINING   TOWN   OF   MIDDLE   BOULDER,  IN  OR  ABOUT   THE 

YEAR  1874 

The  name  of  tlie  town  was  changed  to  Nederland  a  few  years  after  this  picture  was  made. 


146  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

munity,  only  a  quarter  section  being  retained  finally  upon  which  to  build  the 
future  city.  Had  the  majority  of  the  shareholders  followed  the  experience  of 
the  Cherry  Creek  towns  it  is  reasonable  to  suppose  that  Boulder  would  have 
become  a  very  strong  competitor  to  Auraria  and  Denver. 

LA   PORTE 

Coincident  with  the  start  of  Boulder  City,  the  Town  of  La  Porte  came  into 
existence.  The  company  which  established  this  town,  or  '"Colona,"  as  it  was 
first  called,  was  formed  among  the  settlers  on  the  Cache  a  la  Poudre,  near  the 
present  site  of  Fort  Collins.  Among  those  included  in  this  organization  were : 
Antoine  Janise,  Nicholas  Janise,  Elbridge  Gerry,  John  Baptiste,  B.  Goodwin, 
Antoine  Lebeau,  Oliver  Morisette,  and  others  named  Randall,  Ravofire,  Ray- 
mond, and  Todd.  A  half  hundred  houses  were  constrticted  upon  the  plat  and 
the  community  began  to  take  definite  form.  Several  years  afterward  the  town 
was  reorganized  and  the  name  La  Porte,  meaning  "the  gate,"  was  substituted 
for  Colona. 

EL    PASO    CITY 

On  the  Fontaine  qui  Bouille,  a  short  distance  above  the  mouth  of  Monument 
Creek,  another  community  organized  a  town  company  during  the  winter  of 
1858-59.  This  company  was  named  the  "El  Paso  Town  Company."  The  site 
for  the  town  which  was  laid  out  as  El  Paso  City  was  located  at  an  Indian  trail, 
in  the  gateway  to  the  Ute  Pass,  through  to  the  South  Park,  so  the  name  El  Paso. 
Little  is  known  of  the  character  of  this  town  organization  or  the  names  of  those 
who  were  active  in  the  formation  of  the  same.  It  is  known,  however,  that  the 
town  plat  of  El  Paso  lay  within  the  present  boundaries  of  Colorado  City.  El 
Paso  City  experienced  a  very  short  life,  though,  and  was  succeeded  during  the 
following  summer  and  fall  by  Colorado  City. 

FOUNTAIN  CITY  TOWN  COMPANY 

Another  of  the  ephemeral  town  companies  which  sprang  up  about  this  time 
was  the  Fountain  City  organization.  This  was  formed  among  the  small  settle- 
ments on  the  east  bank  of  the  Fontaine  qui  Bouille  near  its  mouth,  a  half  mile 
east  of  Pueblo  by  the  christening  of  the  community  "Fountain  City."  which  was 
superseded  in  the  winter  of  1858  by  the  formal  town  company.  The  town  plat, 
which  was  surveyed  by  J.  M.  Shafer  and  a  Mr.  Brown,  was  laid  out  immediately 
and  about  thirty  cabins,  of  logs  and  adobe,  were  erected.  Some  of  the  material 
used  in  the  construction  of  these  small  adobes  was  taken  from  the  old  Pueblo 
trading-post  of  former  years.  The  people  residing  here  soon  moved  to  Pueblo 
and  for  a  few  years  the  huts  were  occupied  by  Mexicans,  who  farmed  the  ad- 
joining land.  The  site  of  Fountain  City  was  afterwards  absorbed  by  the  City 
of  Pueblo. 

MOUNTAIN    CITY 

During  the  days  of  the  gold  rush  the  formation  of  "cities"  and  "town  com- 
panies" was  a  matter  of  common  occurrence.     Wherever  gold  was  discovered 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  147 

and  a  strike  made  the  prospectors  would  gather  by  the  hundreds,  make  a  loca- 
tion, and  immediately  proceed  to  organize  a  company  and  lay  out  a  city,  hoping 
that  it  would  be  the  metropolis  of  the  gold  country  within  a  very  short  time.  An 
instance  of  this  is  "Mountain  City,"  later  absorbed  by  Central  City,  the  present 
seat  of  Gilpin  County. 

Mountain  City  was  the  result  of  the  discovery  of  gold  upon  the  north  fork  of 
Clear  Creek.  By  midsummer  of  1859  about  two  hundred  dwellings  and  busi- 
ness houses  were  constructed  here,  but  the  town  flourished  only  for  a  year  or 
two,  then,  as  stated,  was  merged  with  Central  City. 

Nevada,  two  miles  west  of  Central  City,  began  in  this  summer,  and  still 
continues  as  a  mining  center.  Idaho  Springs  and  Georgetown  were  also  laid 
out  during  this  same  season. 

Missouri  City  was  platted  a  short  distance  southwest  of  the  Central  City 
site  in  the  autumn  of  1859,  but  did  not  long  survive  the  competition  from  its 
larger  neighbors.  Altona  was  another  of  the  unfortunate,  laid  out  at  the  mouth 
of  the  Left  Hand  Creek  canyon,  eight  miles  north  of  Boulder  City.  The  "Shiann 
Pass  Town  Company"  made  a  great  noise  when  they  organized  on  June  5th  to 
establish  a  town  in  the  Cheyenne  Pass  through  the  Laramie  Mountains.  The 
company  platted  a  tract  of  land  and  advertised  it  as  the  site  for  the  future  great 
city  of  the  West.  Arapahoe  City,  on  Clear  Creek,  had  sprung  into  prominence 
with  a  town  organization  and  about  sixty  cabins,  but  the  diggings  in  the  vicinity 
proved  valueless  and  before  the  end  of  i860  the  city  had  been  abandoned. 

Golden  Gate,  at  the  mouth  of  a  gulch  some  two  miles  above  the  site  of 
Golden,  was  another  town  to  live  for  a  space,  then  die.  Through  here  the  wagon 
road  from  Denver  to  Central  City  led  and  all  the  travel  to  the  Gregory  "diggins" 
passed  over  it  until  the  railroad  was  built  from  Denver  to  Central  City.  This  was 
the  death  of  Golden  Gate  and  its  highway.  The  town  company  here  organized 
is  described  in  another  paragraph. 

GOLDEN  CITY 

In  Jnne,  1859,  the  Pike's  Peakers  in  the  neighborhood  of  Arapahoe  City  had 
become  familiar  with  the  site  of  Golden,  where  some  of  them  had  settled  and 
were  engaged  in  more  or  less  profitable  placer  mining.  To  these  men  this  loca- 
tion seemed  to  be  the  ideal  one,  being  located  conveniently  to  the  Clear  Creek 
mining  district  and  of  great  natural  beauty.  The  founding  of  a  "city"  soon  sug- 
gested itself  to  these  men,  the  leaders  of  whom  were  members  of  the  "Boston 
Company,"  eight  in  number,  who  had  come  to  the  neighborhood  on  June  12th. 
A  meeting  was  held  on  June  i6th,  where  the  "Golden  Town  Company"  was  dis- 
cussed, and  on  the  20th  the  organization  was  effected,  with  George  West  as  the 
first  president.  Prominent  among  these  men  were:  W.  A.  H.  Lovcland,  J.  M. 
Ferrell,  E.  L.  Berthoud,  David  K.  Wall,  A.  F.  Garrison,  William  Davidson  and 
J.  C.  Kirby.  Land  to  the  extent  of  1,280  acres  was  secured  for  the  townsite, 
on  the  south  side  of  the  creek,  and  one-quarter  of  it  was  surv^cycd  into  streets, 
blocks  and  lots  during  the  summer.  Buildings  were  constructed  rapidly  and  be- 
fore the  end  of  the  summer  this  town,  named  after  the  character  of  the  surround- 
ing district,  had  a  population  of  over  seven  hundred  people.     Golden  prospered 


BOSTON  COMPANY 


A  PIONEEE  LOG  BUILDING  IN  THE  CITY  OF  GOLDEN,  EEECTED  IN  1859  BY  THE 

BOSTON   COMPANY,   AN   ORGANIZATION  WHICH   TOOK  A  LEADING 

PART   IN   THE  FOUNDING  OF   THAT  CITY 

The  picture  was  given  to  the  Society  in  October,  1902,  by  Gen.  George  West,  of  Golden, 
who  was  one  of  the  builders  of  the  structure. 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  149 

as  no  settlement  had  done  since  Auraria  and  Denver  and,  indeed,  it  became  a 
serious  rival  of  the  latter  two. 

COLORADO   CITY 

Another  town  which  came  into  being  during  the  summer  of  1859  was  that 
of  Colorado  City.  This  town  lay  along  the  Fontaine  qui  Bouille  from  a  point 
near  the  gypsum  bluffs  above  the  mouth  of  Camp  Creek  toward  the  mouth  of 
Monument  Creek.  Fully  1,280  acres  of  land,  or  a  tract  two  miles  long  and  one 
mile  wide,  were  included  within  this  townsite.  Most  of  the  founders  of  this 
"Colorado  Town  Company,"  which  was  organized  in  Auraria  and  Denver,  were 
citizens  of  the  latter  communities  and  included  such  men  as  E.  P.  Stout,  R.  E. 
Whitsitt,  Lewis  N.  Tappan,  L.  J.  Winchester,  S.  W.  Wagoner,  Charles  H.  Blake, 
H.  M.  Fosdick,  W.  P.  McClure  and  D.  A.  Cheever.  L.  J.  Winchester  was  the 
president  of  the  company  and  Lewis  N.  Tappan  secretary.  One  of  the  founders 
thus  described  the  origin  of  the  town  in  the  Rocky  Mountain  News  (History  of 
Colorado;  J.  C.  Smiley;  1913)  : 

"On  the  first  day  of  August,  immediately  following  the  receipt  of  authentic 
information  that  rich  and  extensive  gold-fields  had  been  found  in  the  South 
Park,  and  upon  the  Blue  River,  the  only  easy  and  natural  access  to  which  was 
by  the  old  Ute  Trail,  passing  into  the  mountains  at  the  foot  of  Pike's  Peak,  at 
the  famous  Boiling  Springs,  a  body  of  gentlemen,  comprising  some  of  the  leading 
business  men  of  the  country,  associated  themselves  together,  and  entered  upon 
possession  of  a  site  lying  near  the  old  townsite  of  El  Paso,  some  two  miles,  how- 
ever, nearer  the  mountains.  It  was  decided  to  establish  a  town  and  designate  it 
by  the  title  of  Colorado  City,  the  recently  discovered  mines  (evidently  meaning 
those  on  the  Blue  River)  being,  as  was  then  supposed,  on  the  Colorado  River." 

Despite  a  period  of  depression  shortly  after  the  founding  of  the  town,  when 
the  prospectors  poured  from  the  South  Park  and  from  the  Blue  River  district, 
claiming  that  the  diggings  there  were  no  good,  the  Colorado  City  settlement,  in 
its  weak  state,  managed  to  survive  and  by  the  middle  of  autumn  settlers  once 
more  began  to  come  in,  houses  were  erected  in  great  numbers  and  in  all  the 
new  town  began  to  prosper  and  grow  amazingly.  However,  Colorado  City  never 
became  the  metropolis  which  the  founders  hoped  for  and  desired.  A  direct  road 
was  laid  out  from  Denver  and  Auraria  to  the  South  Park  and  Blue  River  district, 
which  became  the  established  line  of  communication,  also  the  Indian  depreda- 
tions along  the  Arkansas  trails  in  the  years  which  followed  diverted  much  of 
the  travel  to  the  northern  routes  along  the  Platte  and  South  Platte  rivers. 

CANON   CITY 

The  Town  of  Canon  City  was  established  about  the  middle  of  October,  1859, 
when  a  number  of  the  residents  of  Fountain  City  and  Pueblo,  namely:  Josiah  F. 
Smith  and  his  brother  Stephen,  William  Kroenig,  Charles  D.  Peck,  Robert  Ber- 
caw  and  William  H.  Young,  being  apprised  of  the  gold  discoveries  in  the  South 
Park,  went  up  the  Arkansas  River  to  a  point  just  below  the  mouth  of  the  gorge 
and  there  platted  the  new  town.  The  only  improvement  made  by  them  at  this 
time  consisted  of  a  small  log  cabin,  in  which  Robert  Middlcton  and  his  wife. 


150  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

former  members  of  the  Lawrence  Company  of  Argonauts,  lived  during  tlie 
winter  months  following.  In  the  spring  of  i860,  upon  the  discovery  of  gold  in 
California  Gulch  at  the  head  of  the  Arkansas  River,  near  Leadville,  another 
and  much  larger  party  of  men  from  Auraria-Denver,  took  possession  of  the 
Caiion  City  site  and  much  additional  land,  making  in  all  about  one  thousand  two 
hundred  and  eighty  acres.  A  new  platting  was  made,  but  the  town  name  of 
Caiion  City  was  retained. 

OTHER  TOWNS   OF    1859 

Of  the  many  other  towns  founded  in  the  year  1859,  one  of  the  principal  ones 
was  Golden  Gate.  In  July,  1859,  the  "Golden  Gate  Town  Company"  was  organ- 
ized by  Thomas  L.  Golden,  J.  S.  Rogers,  Charles  Fletcher,  H.  S.  Hawley  and 
W.  G.  Preston,  640  acres  of  land  two  miles  north  of  Golden  City  was  selected, 
and  a  town  platted  there  and  named  Golden  Gate.  The  town  grew  to  some  size 
and  became  a  rival  of  Golden  City,  but  after  a  few  years  of  apparent  prosperity 
it  declined  and  finally  disappeared. 

In  October  "Alount  Vernon,"  another  city  of  the  ephemeral  type,  was  sur- 
veyed upon  a  site  five  miles  south  of  Golden,  upon  the  highway  to  several  of  the 
better  diggings.  Mount  Vernon  existed  but  a  few  years.  Three  miles  north  of 
the  mouth  of  the  Platte  Canon  another  collection  of  log  cabins  was  given  the 
name  of  "Piedmont."  Another — "Huntsville" — on  the  road  from  Denver  to  the 
South  Park,  was  a  small  settlement,  also  "Bradford  City"  which  was  sixteen  miles 
southwest  of  the  mouth  of  Cherry  Creek. 

Tarryall,  Jefferson  City,  Hamilton  City,  Montgomery  and  Buckskin  Joe  are 
other  towns  now  but  a  memory,  with  the  exception  of  Fairplay  and  Buckskin 
Joe,  although  there  is  a  small  station  on  the  Colorado  &  South  Park  Railroad  now 
named  Jefferson  City. 

CENTR.XL    CITY 

Near  the  close  of  the  summer  of  i860  Nathaniel  Albertson,  John  Armour 
and  Harrison  G.  Otis  founded  and  platted  "Central  City,"  its  site  "being  nearly 
central  between  the  locality  of  the  Gregory  Diggings  and  that  of  the  upper  mines 
in  Nevada  Gulch."  By  the  end  of  the  year  Central  City  had  assumed  great  im- 
portance as  a  mining  center  for  the  North  Fork  of  Clear  Creek  district  and  was 
made  the  county  seat  of  Gilpin  County  when  the  latter  was  organized  in  the 
winter  of  1861-62.  Mountain  City,  near  by,  lost  its  postoffice  to  Central  City 
and  soon  began  to  merge  with  the  newer  and  more  energetic  community. 

"Empire  City,"  near  Georgetown,  was  another  Clear  Creek  town  which  was 
created  during   i860. 

"Oro  City,"  the  metropolis  of  the  California  Gulch  diggings  and  the  ancestor 
of  Leadville,  rose  to  a  height  of  great  prosperity  in  i860  and  was  a  typical  mining 
town  of  the  wild  West.  However,  after  a  few  years  Oro  City  declined,  when  the 
richest  of  the  placer  gold  had  been  worked  out,  but  it  continued  to  be  a  strong 
producer  until  1877,  when  the  discovery  of  the  lead  and  silver  carbonates  gave 
it  the  name  of  Leadville  and  a  boom  of  world-wide  fame. 

Breckenridge,  founded  in  the  late  spring  of  i860,  proved  to  be  the  first  town 


VIEWS  OF  CENTRAL  CITY  IN  1864 


152  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

of  permanence  established  upon  Colorado's  western  slope.  However,  prior  to 
the  start  of  Breckenridge,  there  were  two  other  town  propositions  in  the  western 
part  of  the  Territory.  In  April,  i860,  a  meeting  was  held  at  Mountain  City  by 
those  interested,  for  the  purpose  of  organizing  two  town  companies.  At  an- 
other meeting,  held  May  5th  in  Mountain  City  the  "Grand  Junction  Town  Com- 
pany" and  the  "Saratoga  Town  Company"  were  organized,  both  to  form  a  town 
in  what  is  now  Grand  County.  Grand  Junction  was  located  at  the  junction  of 
the  Grand  and  Blue  rivers  and  Saratoga  West,  as  it  was  called,  was  situated  on 
the  site  of  the  present  Sulphur  Springs.  Neither  one  of  these  town  projects  was 
successful,  however,  for  within  three  or  four  years  they  had  been  completely 
abandoned. 

PUEBLO    CITY 

It  has  been  stated  before  that  the  City  of  Pueblo  was  preceded  by  "Fountain 
City."  This  latter  community  became  demoralized  to  a  great  extent  during  the 
year  1859  and  those  whp  composed  the  better  class  of  citizens  decided  that  a  new 
town  would  be  the  most  desirable  thing.  Also  the  California  Gulch  gold  strikes 
influenced  this  move  to  a  great  extent,  while  the  Fountain  River  trail  from  the 
north  was  a  factor.  Various  accounts  have  placed  the  actual  formation  of  the 
Pueblo  Town  Company  during  the  winter  of  1859-60,  but  this  is  in  error.  Milo 
Lee  Whittaker,  in  his  "Pathbreakers  and  Pioneers  of  the  Pueblo  Region," 
(1917)   states: 

"On  the  22nd  of  May,  i860,  a  meeting  was  called  for  the  purpose  of  con- 
sidering the  organization  of  a  town. 

"According  to  the  records  of  the  Southern  Colorado  Pioneers'  Association, 
the  following  persons  were  present  at  this  meeting:  Jack  Allen,  John  Kearns, 
Albert  Bercaw,  W.  H.  Ricker,  Dr.  Catterson,  Wesley  Catterson,  Ed  Cozzens, 
A.  C.  Wright,  Mrs.  A.  C.  Wright  and  Mrs.  Mary  Simms.  These  records  further 
state  that  it  was  on  July  i,  i860,  that  the  town  was  formally  'laid  out'  and  named 
Pueblo  in  honor  of  the  old  fort  which  had  stood  for  so  many  years  on  the 
opposite  bank  of  the  Arkansas,  a  single  prophecy  of  'things  yet  to  be'." 

Among  the  prominent  founders  of  Pueblo  City  were  Col.  William  H.  Green 
and  Albert  F.  Bercaw,  who  were  associated  with  the  organization  of  the  Foun- 
tain City  Company ;  Dr.  \Y.  A.  Catterson  and  his  brother,  Wesley ;  Dr.  George 
Belt,  Silas  Warren,  Edward  Cozzens  and  Josiah  Smith.  These  were  men  who 
recognized  the  worth  of  the  location  and  the  need  for  a  better  and  more  pro- 
gressive city.  That  their  dreams  were  of  stable  quality  is  proved  by  the  growth 
of  Pueblo  since  that  time  to  the  rank  of  second  city  in  Colorado. 

The  Pueblo  site,  bounded  on  the  east  by  the  Fontaine  qui  Bouille  and  on 
the  south  by  the  Arkansas,  was  surveyed  and  laid  out  into  streets,  blocks  and 
lots  in  the  summer  of  i860  by  George  B.  Buell  and  E.  D.  Boyd,  of  Denver.  Judge 
Wilbur  F.  Stone,  who  came  to  Pueblo  in  i860,  has  written  that  the  site  "extended 
from  the  river  back  two  or  three  miles  toward  the  divide,  and  from  the  Fontaine 
qui  Bouille  on  the  east  to  Buzzard's  Ranch  on  the  west." 

Fountain  City,  the  site  of  which  is  now  known  as  East  Pueblo,  soon  lost  her 
identity  and  the  citizens  became  residents  of  the  new  town — Pueblo. 


VIEW  IN  PUEBLO  in  1868 
The  street  shown  is  a  part  of  Santa  Pe  Avenue. 


VIEW   IN  rUEBLO  IN  187l!,  I'lioM  AN  ELEVATION  EAST  OF  SANTA  FE  AVENUE 

The  large  building  in  the  upper  right-hand  corner  of  the  picture  was  the  PueWo  County 
Courthouse. 


154  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

LEADVILLE 

The  founding  of  the  City  of  Leadville  was  the  direct  result  of  the  discovery 
of  silver  mines  in  that  district.  Something  of  the  California  Gulch  strike  and 
the  rise  of  Oro  City  is  given  elsewhere  in  this  and  other  chapters.  After  a 
period  of  depression  following  the  exodus  of  the  miners  from  this  locality  there 
came  the  silver  strike  made  by  the  three  Gallagher  brothers  in  the  winter  of 
1876-77  and  in  the  following  spring  hundreds  of  prospectors  came  to  the  district, 
followed  during  the  year  by  many  more.  In  June  a  town  was  started  and  in 
January,  1878,  this  community  had  grown  to  such  an  extent  that  it  was  incorpo- 
rated as  the  City  of  Leadville.  For  a  few  years  after  1880  Leadville  equaled 
Denver  in  population. 

GRAND  JUNCTION 

Grand  Junction,  the  county  seat  of  ^lesa  County,  was  founded  in  the  autumn 
of  1881  by  George  A.  Crawford.  In  September  of  that  year  Crawford,  with 
William  AIcGinley,  R.  D.  Mobley,  M.  R.  Warner  and  others,  went  to  the  junction 
of  the  Grand  and  Gunnison  rivers  and  on  the  26th  claimed  640  acres  of  land 
there  for  a  townsite,  the  same  now  being  the  central  part  of  Grand  Junction. 
McGinley  remained  upon  the  ground,  while  Crawford  and  the  others  returned 
to  Gunnison.  There,  on  October  loth,  the  "Grand  Junction  Town  Company" 
was  organized,  with  Crawford,  J.  W.  Bucklin,  R.  D.  Mobley,  H.  E.  Rood,  M.  R. 
Warner  and  Allison  White  as  the  incorporators.  In  the  meantime  McGinley 
erected  a  cabin  on  the  site,  which  was  the  first  building  of  Grand  Junction.  John 
Allen,  a  settler,  was  living  in  a  tent  there  also  in  October,  when  Crawford  and 
Mobley  returned,  and  was  calling  the  place  West  Denver.  However,  within  a 
few  days  fully  a  half  hundred  people  had  located  there  and  at  a  public  meeting 
held  November  5th  it  was  decided  to  name  the  community  "Grand  Junction." 
The  townsite  was  platted  in  Januarv-,  1882,  by  .Samuel  Wade,  a  surveyor,  and 
thereafter  building  construction  proceeded  rapidly. 

DELTA 

The  Town  of  Delta  was  also  started  by  George  A.  Crawford,  who,  in  Sep- 
tember, 1881,  decided  to  lay  out  a  town  at  the  confluence  of  the  Gunnison  and 
Uncompahgre  rivers.  Associated  with  him  was  M.  C.  Vandeventer  and  others. 
The  "Umcompahgre  Town  Company"  was  organized,  the  organizers  being  Craw- 
ford, H.  A.  Bailey,  W.  A.  Bell,  D.  C.  Dodge,  M.  C.  \'andeventer  and  R.  F. 
Weitbree.  Samuel  Wade  platted  the  town  in  December  of  the  same  year  upon 
the  500  acres  selected.  At  the  same  time  the  name  of  the  town  was  changed 
from  Umcompahgre  to  Delta. 

MONTROSE 

The  townsite  of  Montrose,  consisting  of  320  acres,  was  located  in  January. 
1882,  when  the  only  building  thereon  was  a  cabin  erected  by  John  Baird  about 
a  month  before.     The  town  was  the  result  of  the  Montrose  and  Uncompahgre 


VIEW  ON  FRYEK  HILL,  LEADVILLE 


SCENES    IN    LEADVILLE    WHEN    THE    (iHEAT    CARBONATE    CAMP    WAS    ABOUT 

TWO  YEARS  OLD 


156  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

Ditch  Company,  organized  in  December,  1881,  and  incorporated  by  John  Baird, 
T.  H.  Culbertson,  O.  D.  Loutsenheizer,  A.  Pumphrey  and  Joseph  Sehg. 

GLENWOOD  SPRINGS 

Glenwood  Springs,  the  seat  of  justice  for  Garfield  County,  was  founded  in 
August,  1882,  by  the  "Defiance  Land  and  Town  Company,"  an  organization 
fonned  by  Judge  H.  P.  Bennet  of  Denver,  John  Blake,  Isaac  Cooper,  William 
Gelder  and  Frank  Enzensperger.  First  the  company  named  the  town  Defiance, 
but  in  1883  the  name  was  changed  to  the  present  form.  The  first  dwelling  was 
erected  in  the  spring  of  1883  by  John  Blake.  Glenwood  Springs  has  become 
noted  as  a  health  resort,  the  chief  attraction  being  the  hot  springs  and  baths  there 
on  the  north  bank  of  the  Grand  River. 

GUNNISON 

The  Town  of  Gunnison  owes  its  inception  to  the  silver  investigations  in  the 
surrounding  district  which  were  conducted  in  1873,  the  details  of  which  are 
given  in  another  chapter  of  this  work.  Under  the  leadership  of  John  Parsons 
and  Dr.  Sylvester  Richardson,  a  large  party  of.  Denver  people,  having  heard  of 
the  treasures  of  the  country  around  the  Gunnison  site,  proceeded  there.  Rich- 
ardson became  enamoured  with  the  country  and  resolved  to  found  a  colony  there, 
consequently  during  the  winter  of  1873-74  he  gave  his  full  attention  to  this 
project,  also  enlisting  the  aid  of  several  others.  An  organization  was  effected, 
of  which  Richardson  was  the  president,  and  on  April  21,  1874,  the  first  group 
of  colonists  arrived  on  the  ground  later  occupied  by  the  Town  of  Gunnison. 
The  land  was  surveyed  into  sections  and  quarter  sections  and  each  member  of 
the  company  was  given  an  allotment  of  160  acres.  The  tract  which  was  drawn 
by  Doctor  Richardson  was  made  the  site  of  a  town,  which  he  named  Gunnison 
City,  in  honor  of  Capt.  John  \V.  Gunnison,  of  exploration  fame.  In  1876,  Rich- 
ardson's town  not  having  prospered,  other  men  laid  out  another  town  adjacent 
to  Gunnison  City,  but  this,  too,  was  a  failure. 

Not  until  1879  did  the  community  begin  to  take  definite  form  as  a  city.  In 
the  spring  of  this  year  a  rush  began,  as  valuable  ores  had  been  found,  and  the 
prospectors  made  a  concerted  rush  for  the  district.  On  June  5th  an  entirely  new 
town  organization  was  formed,  the  company  being  composed  of  John  Evans, 
Henry  C.  Olney,  Louden  Mullin,  Alonzo  Hartman  and  Sylvester  Richardson. 
During  the  following  winter  differences  arose  in  the  town  company  and  a  rup- 
ture occurred.  Richardson  and  Mullin,  with  others,  withdrew  and  negotiated 
with  the  Denver  &  South  Park  Railroad  for  the  establishment  of  another  town 
"West  Gunnison."  Alonzo  Hartman  and  others  remained  the  leaders  of  "East 
Gunnison."  In  1880  the  two  rival  towns  were  united  under  the  name  of  Gun- 
nison City,  and  the  community  remains  to  this  day  as  a  prosperous  center  of  the 
surrounding  mining  district. 

SILVERTON 

Silverton  is  one  of  the  prosperous  towns  of  southwestern  Colorado  which 
had  its  beginning  at  the  start  of  the  statehood  period.     Silverton  was  established 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  157 

in  1874  and  the  plat  filed  for  record  in  September,  by  a  town  company  consisting  of 
Francis  M.  Snowden,  N.  E.  Slaymaker  and  Dempsey  Reese.  The  first  cabin 
was  built  three  years  before  by  Snowden.  Silverton  grew  very  slowly,  in  fact, 
lost  prestige,  until  the  coming  of  the  railroad  in  July,  1882,  whereupon  the  com- 
munity took  new  life  and  became  progressive. 

OURAY 

Ouray  was  founded  in  1875,  owing  to  the  metal  discoveries  in  the  summer  of 
that  year  by  A.  W.  Begole,  John  Eckles,  John  Munroe,  R.  F.  Long,  A.  J.  Staley, 
Logan  Whitlock,  M.  W.  Cline  and  others.  Many  prospectors  thronged  to  the 
vicinity  immediately,  where  Cline  and  Long  had  formed  a  town  company.  D.  W. 
Brunton  surveyed  the  plat  a  few  weeks  afterward  and  a  few  cabins  were  con- 
structed thereon.  During  the  winter  months  little  building  occurred,  owing  to  the 
fact  that  the  prospectors  left,  but  in  the  following  spring  the  rush  began  again, 
and  Ouray,  named  after  the  celebrated  chieftain  of  the  Southern  Utes,  began 
its  growth. 

TELLURIDE 

The  City  of  Telluride,  county  seat  of  San  Miguel  County,  is  another  product 
of  the  mining  activities  in  the  '70s.  Telluride,  originally  known  as  "Columbia," 
was  founded  in  January,  1878,  but  had  a  slow  growth  until  1880,  when  the  Rio 
Grande  Southern  Railway  entered  the  town. 

DURANGO 

The  Town  of  Durango  was  established  in  September,  1880,  by  the  organiza- 
tion of  the  "Durango  Town  Company."  The  Denver  &  Rio  Grande  Railroad 
entered  the  town  July  27,  1881,  and  from  that  time  until  the  present  Durango 
has  enjoyed  an  uninterrupted  life  of  prosperity  and  progress. 


CHAPTER  VII 
COLONIZATION  IN  COLORADO 

BEGINNING  OF   COLONIZATION THE   CHICAGO    COLONY THE   UNION    COLONY THE 

CHICAGO-COLORADO    COLONY THE    ST.     LOUIS    WESTERN    COLONY THE    SOUTH- 
WESTERN      COLONY INSPIRING       IMMIGRATION SETTLEMENT       OF       COLORADO 

SPRINGS SOUTH    PUEBLO BEGINNING   OF   FORT   COLLINS 

BEGINNING  OF  COLONIZATION 

The  first  permanent  settler  in  Colorado  was  William  Green  Russell,  the  leader 
of  the  Pike's  Peak  Argonauts,  who  came  to  this  territory  in  the  month  of  June, 
1858.  The  settlements  made  by  Russell  and  his  brothers,  as  well  as  the  numerous 
Others  made  by  gold-seekers,  are  described  in  the  chapters  upon  gold  mining. 
It  is  the  purpose  here  to  treat  only  of  the  settlements  made  in  the  state  under 
the  "colonization"  scheme. 

The  completion  of  the  railroads  into  Colorado  and  to  the  City  of  Denver  in 
the  summer  of  1870  marked  the  end  of  the  pioneer  period  and  the  beginning  of 
the  period  of  colonization.  The  railroad  brought  advantages  of  travel  and 
freight-carrying  hitherto  impossible  to  obtain.  The  long  and  arduous  journey 
across  the  plains,  the  hardships  and  imminent  dangers  connected  with  such  a 
trip,  had,  in  great  measure,  isolated  the  Territory  of  Colorado  from  the  plains 
region.  Prospective  settlers  thought  twice  before  risking  their  lives  and  for- 
tunes by  journeying  across  the  Indian  country  to  the  mountains,  especially  when 
settlements  could  be  made  closer  to  the  Missouri  and  ^Mississippi  rivers.  How- 
ever, the  frontier  slowly  pushed  westward.  The  gold  seekers  invaded  the  land 
of  Colorado  and  established  their  camps.  These  men  could  not  be  considered 
permanent  settlers  as  a  class,  but  fortune-hunters.  Then  came  the  railways  and 
new  ambitions  were  born.  Agriculture  and  livestock  raising  claimed  an  increas- 
ing share  of  attention.  What  had  been  a  straggling  line  of  colonists,  creeping 
across  the  plains  with  no  fixed  purpose,  became  organized  communities,  with 
definite  purposes,  the  members  of  which  had  decided  upon  certain  locations  in 
the  new  country,  chiefly  with  a  view  of  successfully  developing  the  agricultural 
resources. 

THE  CHICAGO  OR  GERMAN  COLONY 

The  first  organization  established  for  the  purpose  of  forming  an  agricultural 
community  in  Colorado  Territory  was  known  as  the  "Chicago  Colony,"  also  the 
"German  Colonization  Society."    This  body  was  organized  in  the  City  of  Chicago 

158 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  159 

August  24,  1869,  with  Carl  Wulstcn  as  the  president.  Later  in  the  same  year  a 
committee  was  appointed  and  directed  to  proceed  to  Colorado  Territory,  there  to 
select  a  suitable  location  for  the  new  home.  Accordingly,  the  committee,  after 
some  investigation,  arranged  to  acquire  about  forty  thousand  acres  of  land  in 
part  of  the  Wet  Alountain  Valley.  This  tract  is  now  contained  within  Custer 
County,  but  in  1869  Fremont  County  extended  over  it. 

On  March  21,  1870,  eighty-six  families,  mostly  native  Germans,  arrived  and 
later  in  the  year  nearly  one  hundred  additional  families  joined  the  community. 
Land  cultivation  was  begun  and  a  town,  christened  "Colfax"  in  honor  of  the 
Hon.  Schuyler  Colfax,  Hoosier  statesman,  was  laid  out.  However,  difficulties 
soon  began  to  beset  the  new  settlers.  The  old  adage — "too  many  cooks  spoil  the 
broth" — was  very  applicable  to  the  Colfax  community.  Mismanagement,  ill 
feeling  and  general  failure  to  obtain  cooperation  caused  the  unsuccessful  close 
of  this  first  attempt  at  colonization.  Many  of  the  settlers  left,  leaving  very  few 
to  further  develop  their  holdings,  and  the  Town  of  Colfax  disappeared. 

THE  UNION   COLONY 

The  second  colony  to  invade  the  Territory  of  Colorado  in  1870,  with  the  in- 
tention of  devoting  its  time  to  agriculture,  was  the  "Union  Colony,"  a  product  of 
New  York  City. 

Those  responsible  for  the  organization  of  the  Union  Colony  were  Nathan  C. 
Aleeker,  agricultural  editor  of  the  New  York  Tribune  and  Horace  Greeley,  owner 
of  the  same  newspaper.  In  the  summer  of  1859  Greeley  had  visited  Colorado 
while  journeying  to  the  Pacific  Coast.  While  here  he  was  greatly  impressed 
with  the  natural  resources  of  the  region  and  strongly  realized  the  pos- 
sibilities of  the  country  under  development.  Greeley  voiced  his  convictions 
upon  his  return  to  New  York  City  and  among  those  becoming  inter- 
ested was  N.  C.  Meeker.  In  the  summer  of  1869  Meeker  came  to  Colorado 
with  a  number  of  friends,  to  look  over  the  ground  and  decide  as  to  the  exact 
character  of  the  Pike's  Peak  region.  South  Park  first  claimed  his  attention  and 
he  hastily  decided  that  upon  this  mountain-valley  land  a  settlement  should  be 
made.  However,  after  conferring  with  the  citizens  of  Denver,  he  changed  his 
decision  in  favor  of  the  lowlands  below  the  foothills.  With  this  in  mind  he  re- 
turned to  New  York  City. 

Immediately  he  and  Greeley  began  a  newspaper  campaign,  widely  advertising 
the  merit  of  the  Colorado  country  and  proposing  their  colonization  plans,  asking 
for  volunteers  to  go  to  the  western  country  for  the  purpose  of  making  a  perma- 
nent settlement.  Hundreds  of  readers,  seeing  therein  an  opportunity  to  escape 
the  confining  influences  of  tlie  Fast  and  to  make  a  new  start,  rallied  to  the 
cause  and,  at  a  large  meeting  held  at  the  Cooper  Institute  in  New  York  City 
December  23,  1869,  the  organization  of  the  "Union  Colony"  was  eflfectcd  and 
the  following  officers  elected :  Nathan  C.  Meeker,  president ;  Gen.  Robert  A. 
Cameron,  vice  president ;  and  Horace  Greeley,  treasurer.  Meeker,  Cameron  and 
A.  C.  Fisk  were  appointed  as  a  committee  to  go  to  Colorado  and  fix  upon  a 
proper  location  for  the  colony. 

This  committee  came  to  the  Territory  in  March,  1870.  and  chose  a  site  near 
the  confluence  of  the  South  Platte  and  the  Cache  a  la  Poudre  rivers,  in  Weld 


160  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

County,  and  nearly  twelve  thousand  acres  of  land  were  purchased  from  the 
Denver  Pacific  Railway  Company  and  from  individuals,  also  provisional  title 
was  secured  to  about  sixty  thousand  acres  of  public  land,  the  whole  necessitating 
an  immediate  expenditure  of  about  sixty  thousand  dollars.  At  this  time  there 
were  a  few  farmers  in  the  vicinity  chosen  and  near  the  mouth  of  the  Cache  a  la 
Poudre  was  a  small  village  named  Latham.  The  plan  inaugurated  by  Meeker  and 
his  associates  resembled  that  of  a  stock  company  with  equitable  divisions  of  land 
among  the  members. 

Then,  in  May,  1870,  there  arrived  the  first  party  of  the  Union  Colony  settlers, 
numbering  about  fifty  families.  Immediately  irrigating  ditches  were  dug  and 
the  site  for  a  town  was  platted  and  named  Greeley  in  honor  of  one  of  its  illus- 
trious founders.  The  townsite  was  divided  into  520  business  lots,  25  by  190 
feet;  673  residence  lots,  ranging  in  size  from  50  by  190  to  200  by  190  feet;  and 
277  lots  reserved  for  schools,  churches,  public  buildings  and  buildings  of  like 
character.  The  adjacent  lands  were  divided  into  plats  of  from  five  to  one  hun- 
dred and  twenty  acres  each,  according  to  the  distance  from  the  center  of  town, 
and  each  member  was  allowed  to  select  one  of  these  plats  under  his  colony  cer- 
tificate of  membership.  All  the  lands  were  to  be  supplied  with  water  and  were 
not  subject  to  assessment  on  any  account,  except  for  the  nominal  cost  of  keeping 
the  irrigating  canals  and  ditches  in  repair.  A  plaza,  or  public  square,  of  ten 
acres  was  laid  out  in  the  center  of  the  town,  artificial  lakes  constructed,  trees 
planted,  and  by  June,  1870,  the  first  canal  was  completed  and  water  running 
through  all  the  principal  streets.  An  island  in  the  river,  just  above  the  town, 
comprising  nearly  fifty  acres,  and  shaded  with  native  cottonwoods,  was  reserved 
for  public  uses  and  named  "Island  Grove  Park." 

During  the  few  months  after  the  first  company  of  colonists  came  several 
hundred  other  families  arrived,  mostly  consisting  of  people  from  New  England, 
New  York,  Ohio  and  Indiana.  The  majority  of  the  men  were  farmers,  but  there 
were  a  few  of  other  vocations,  some  merchants  and  a  few  professional  men. 

Greeley  itself  prospered  amazingly.  Within  the  space  of  a  year's  time  the 
town  had  become  an  active  business  center  and  a  bank,  hotels,  the  Greeley 
Tribune,  several  first  class  stores  and  many  up-to-date  dwellings  had  been  estab- 
lished upon  the  new  plat.  In  June,  1 871,  an  enumeration  of  the  population  showed 
1,155  people  living  here.  Greeley  enjoyed  the  distinction  of  being  the  first  pro- 
hibition town  in  the  state.  One  of  the  stipulations  in  the  real  estate  deeds,  given 
by  the  Union  Colony  to  its  members,  was  that  no  intoxicating  liquor  should  either 
be  manufactured  or  sold  upon  the  town  plat. 

THE  CHICAGO-COLORADO  COLONY 

The  Chicago-Colorado  Colony  was  the  first  of  three  colonial  organizations 
established  in  Colorado  during  the  spring  of  1871  for  agricultural  purposes.  The 
two  others  were  the  "St.  Louis  Western"  and  the  "Southwestern,"  but  the  Chi- 
cago-Colorado was  the  first  of  the  trio.  This  colony  was  organized  in  the  City 
of  Chicago  on  November  17,  1870,  with  Robert  Collyer,  a  Protestant  preacher, 
as  the  president  temporarily ;  he  was  succeeded  shortly  by  Seth  Terry.  Like  the 
Union  Colony,  a  committee  came  to  Colorado,  in  December,  1870,  and  late  in 
January  of  the  following  year  selected  a  location  in  the  northeastern  part  of 


A   CABIN    BUILT    BY   ANDREW    SAGENDORF    AND    OSCAR    E.    LEHOW,    IN    THE 

AUTUMN  OF  1858 

Meetings  of  members  of  the  Masonic  order  were  held  in  this  cabin. 


W^W'' 


^^h^  -. 


A.  H.  BARKER'S   CABIN,  BUILT   IN   THE  AUTUMN  OP   1858 


162  HISTORY  OF  COLOR.\DO 

Boulder  County,  which  consisted  of  land  well  drained  by  the  St.  Vrain  and  Left- 
Hand  tributaries  of  the  South  Platte  River.  The  committee  purchased  fifty-five 
thousand  acres  of  land  at  this  site  for  the  colony.  The  general  proceedings  of 
the  Chicago-Colorado  Colony  were  modeled  greatly  after  the  Union  Colony  at 
Greeley,  as  the  latter  had  proved  a  success. 

The  first  members  of  the  organization  began  to  arrive  early  in  the  spring  of 
1871,  and  before  the  beginning  of  summer  several  hundreds  had  joined  the  com- 
munity. An  elaborate  system  of  irrigating  ditches  and  mains  was  constructed 
and  the  Town  of  Longmont  platted.  Longmont  quickly  became  a  town  of  im- 
portance and  well  populated,  also  equipped  with  sizable  stores,  a  newspaper  and 
public-spirited  citizens. 

THE  ST.  LOUIS  WESTERN  COLONY 

The  second  colony  established  in  Colorado  during  the  spring  of  1871  was  the 
St.  Louis  Western.  This  organization  had  been  formed  at  Oakdale,  Illinois,  on 
November  29,  1870;  A.  C.  Todd,  a  clergyman  of  Protestant  faith,  was  the  presi- 
dent. Shortly  after  the  organization,  the  "New  England  Colony  of  Boston," 
united  with  the  St.  Louis  Western.  The  first  families  arrived  in  Colorado  in 
April,  1871,  and  occupied  land  in  the  vicinity  of  Evans,  named  for  Governor 
Evans,  which  town  had  been  laid  out  and  platted  in  October,  1S69,  and  was  only 
a  straggling  community  of  a  half  hundred  souls.  Before  the  end  of  the  spring 
season,  however,  Evans  experienced  a  great  '"boom,"  fully  five  hundred  people 
settling  near  by.     The  settlement  prospered  and  has  always  been  rated  high. 

THE  SOUTHWESTERN  COLONY 

The  Southwestern  Colony  was  established  at  Memphis,  Tennessee,  in  Janu- 
ary, 1871,  and  consisted  mainly  of  people  from  Tennessee,  Kentucky,  Ohio, 
Indiana  and  Illinois.  The  organization  was  effected  chiefly  through  the  efforts 
of  D.  S.  Green,  of  Denver,  who  was  elected  the  first  president.  The  colony 
selected  land  in  Colorado  on  the  South  Platte  River,  about  twenty  to  thirty  miles 
eastward  of  the  Town  of  Evans.  About  one  hundred  families  arrived  during  the 
spring,  an  equal  number  following  during  the  summer  months. 

Irrigating  ditches  were  dug  and  a  town,  named  "Green  City,"  in  honor  of  the 
first  president  of  the  colony,  was  laid  out.  This  town  was  located  in  the  vicinity 
of  the  present  station  of  Masters,  Colorado,  on  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad. 
However,  notwithstanding  the  efforts  of  the  Southwestern  Colony,  it  did  not 
become  a  success,  and  within  a  few  years  disappeared  as  a  distinctive  community. 
The  settlers  had  hoped  for  the  construction  of  a  railroad  from  Golden  City  to 
Julesburg  along  the  South  Platte,  and  had  indulged  in  many  grand  dreams  of  the 
future  prosperity  of  Green  City.  But  the  panic  of  1873  effectually  halted  all 
railroad  construction,  which  gave  the  opportunity  for  Evans  and  Greeley  to 
absorb  all  the  trade  of  the  section.     Green  City  in  this  way  collapsed. 

INSPIRING   IMMIGR.\TI0N 

The  organized  bands  of  colonists  were  not  the  only  settlers  in  Colorado 
during  the  years  1870  and  1871.     Many  individuals  came  to  the  state,  seeking 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  163 

good  agricultural  lands,  and  generally  sought  a  location  near  to  one  of  the 
colony  towns.  These  independent  farmers,  in  fact,  outnumbered  the  organized 
colonists  during  these  years. 

Citizens  of  Colorado  strongly  urged  newcomers  to  settle  upon  the  land  of 
the  state  and  cultivate  it,  and  great  efforts  were  made  to  induce  people  to  leave 
the  eastern  states  and  locate  in  Colorado.  The  Ninth  General  Assembly  passed 
an  act,  approved  February  9,  1872,  which  established  a  Bureau  of  Immigration, 
the  bureau  to  be  in  charge  of  a  board  of  five  commissioners.  The  duty  of  this 
board  was  "to  adopt  and  put  in  execution  such  means  as  will  best  promote  and 
encourage  immigration  to  the  Territory,  and  for  this  purpose  shall  publish  and 
disseminate  such  useful  information  as  it  can  obtain  concerning  the  developed 
and  undeveloped  resources  of  the  Territory,  and  may  provide  for  one  of  its 
number,  or  such  other  person  as  the  Board  may  select,  to  attend  such  Agricul- 
tural and  Institute  Fairs  as  may  be  deemed  expedient  for  the  display  of  the 
Agricultural  and  Mineral  products  of  the  Territory." 

But  the  advertising  campaign  conducted  by  this  committee,  or  bureau,  acted 
in  the  nature  of  a  boomerang.  The  advertisements  and  literature  circulated 
throughout  eastern  states,  giving  information  relative  to  the  advantages  to  be 
found  in  Colorado  were  flagrant,  deceptive,  misrepresentative  and  filled  with 
gross  misstatements  of  fact  which  led  the  people  of  Other  states  to  believe  that 
Colorado  contained  opportunities  for  every  kind  of  workman,  whether  skilled 
or  unskilled.  Colorado  was  pictured  to  be  the  elysium  of  industrial  oppor- 
tunity and  consequently  thousands  of  people,  of  every  profession  and  trade, 
came  across  the  plains  to  the  Territory,  expecting  to  earn  a  quick  fortune. 
Many  of  them  found  advantages  suited  to  their  tastes,  but  the  great  majority 
were  bitterly  disappointed,  and  angered  at  the  deception  which  had  been  prac- 
ticed upon  them.  These  disgruntled  ones  returned  to  their  native  states,  told 
the  story  of  their  experience,  and  then  began  the  back-fire.  The  eastern  news- 
papers "exposed"  the  fraud,  as  they  termed  it,  and  strongly  advised  against 
further  immigration  to  Colorado.  This  injured  the  then  Territory  to  a  great 
extent  and  considerably  retarded  settlement  and  development. 

SETTLEMKNT  OF  COLOR.ADO  SPRINGS 

There  were  also  in  Colorado  Territory  at  this  time  several  settlements  which 
might  be  called  non-agricultural.  The  principal  one  of  these  was  that  at  Colo- 
rado Springs. 

In  1870  Gen.  William  J.  Palmer  and  Ex-Governor  Hunt  organized  the 
Denver  ^  Rio  Grande  Railway  Company.  General  Palmer  in  addition  to  his 
promotion  of  the  railroad,  conceived  the  idea  of  developing  the  country  of 
Colorado  through  which  the  railroad  was  to  pass.  One  of  these  ideas  was  to 
establish  a  town  near  the  east  base  of  Pike's  Peak,  to  be  known  as  "Colorado 
Springs."  Late  in  the  year  Palmer  organized  the  "Colorado  Springs  Company," 
of  which  he  was  elected  president,  with  Henry  ATcAllister  as  executive  director. 
This  new  company  secured  about  ten  thousand  acres  of  land,  the  greater  part 
along  Monument  Creek  and  east  of  Colorado  City,  with  some  west  of  the  town  and 
inrhuling  the  soda  springs.  Settlements  lind  been  made  in  the  vicinity  ten  years 
before,  but  no  improvement  of  value  had  been  made,  and  Colorado  City  itself, 


164  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

once  cherished  with  such  high  hopes,  had  shrunken  to  a  mere  village  of  a  half- 
hundred  people. 

General  Palmer  first  visited  the  site  of  Colorado  Springs  on  July  27,  1867, 
although  he  twice  before  had  been  in  Colorado.  His  early  efforts  in  establish- 
ing the  Colorado  Springs  Company  are  well  told  in  his  own  words,  following: 

"To  start  a  railroad  under  these  circumstances  (the  fact  that  there  were  not 
10,000  white  people  in  Colorado  south  of  Denver,  Colorado  City  having  eighty- 
one  inhabitants  and  Pueblo  666)  required  stronger  considerations  than  any 
promise  of  immediate  returns  from  the  business  of  hauling  freight  and  passen- 
gers. There  was  no  national  subsidy  in  land  or  money,  and  no  county  or  town 
aid.  But  one  thing  was  not  in  doubt — the  ef¥ect  of  a  railway  on  the  value  of 
land,  if  judiciously  chosen  along  its  route.  Our  subscription  paper  was  sent  out 
on  December  i,  1870,  for  the  first  section  of  seventy-six  miles.  It  provided 
that  all  who  subscribed  for  the  railway  securities  should  enjoy  the  privilege  of 
subscribing,  pro  rata,  to  a  land  and  townsite  investment,  called  'The  Mountain 
Base  Investment  Fund,'  embracing  tracts  at  selected  points  along  the  projected 
railway,  where  the  greatest  rise  in  values  by  reason  of  its  construction  was 
expected  to  occur. 

"This  was  the  parent  of  the  'Colorado  Springs  Company.'  It  was  thought 
that  many  of  the  first  disadvantages  to  immigration  might  be  counteracted  by 
the  formation  of  such  land  companies,  with  capital  enough  to  construct  the 
irrigation  ditches,  lay  out  the  farms  and  towns,  plant  the  trees,  aid  the  building 
of  hotels,  and  even  that  of  dwellings  in  some  cases,  while  selling  the  tracts  and 
lots  to  arriving  colonists  on  small  annual  payments  distributed  over  several  years ; 
that  by  such  a  system,  the  colonization  of  the  country  could  be  greatly  stimulated, 
the  railroad  earnings  increased  and  'the  work  of  twenty  years  be  concentrated 
into  ten.'  Of  the  capital  of  our  land  company,  as  of  that  for  the  initial  seventy- 
six  miles  of  railway,  about  one-half  was  raised  in  America,  chiefly  among  my 
own  friends  in  Philadelphia  and  the  East,  and  the  remainder  in  Europe,  chiefly 
among  the  friends  of  Dr.  W.  A.  Bell. 

"The  money  was  raised  that  winter  and  spring,  construction  began  in  a  very 
quiet  way  in  January,  1871,  and  the  track  reached  a  point  a  few  miles  out  from 
Denver,  when  the  first  stake  was  driven  at  the  town  on  July  31st,  and  by 
October  23,  1871,  the  railroad  had  reached  the  townsite.  As  soon  as  the  money 
for  the  railroad  was  assured,  everything  was  ripe  to  organize,  and  on  June  26, 
1871,  in  Denver,  the  Colorado  Springs  Company  held  its  first  meeting,  elected 
officers,  authorized  the  construction  of  roads,  bridges  and  hotel,  and  on  the 
next  day  the  whole  party,  with  Colonel  Greenwood,  the  chief  engineer  of  the 
railroad,  started  from  Denver  to  lay  out  the  new  town,  appraise  the  lots,  and 
start  business.  We  had  then,  or  shortly  afterward,  secured  the  services  of  Gen- 
eral Cameron,  of  Greeley,  to  come  to  Colorado  Springs  to  initiate  and  take 
charge  of  the  infant  colony;  and  with  him,  or  in  his  immediate  footsteps,  came 
the  first  detachment,  perhaps  forty  or  fifty  people,  who  settled  on  our  tract  and 
began  building  their  homes." 

The  first  stake  driven  upon  the  site  was  set  in  place  July  31,  1871.  The 
city  plat  contained  seventy  blocks,  each  400  feet  square.  By  the  end  of  the  year 
1871  there  were  159  structures  of  various  kinds  erected  upon  the  plat  of  Colo- 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  165 

rado  Springs,  the  first  dwelling  having  been  commenced  on  August  15th.     The 
various  improvements  this  first  year  cost  about  $160,000. 

In  the  summer  of  1871  the  "Fountain  Colony  of  Colorado"  was  organized, 
with  Gen.  Robert  A.  Cameron  as  the  leader.  This  was  a  subordinate  organiza- 
tion to  the  Colorado  Springs  Company,  was  not  incorporated,  but  conducted  a 
part  of  the  business  belonging  to  the  Colorado  Springs  Company. 

In  1872  the  Town  of  Colorado  Springs  further  developed.  An  improved 
roadway  to  the  soda  springs  was  built  and  a  good  hotel  constructed  there. 
These  various  improvements  were  made  possible  by  the  fact  that  the  Colorado 
Springs  Company  had  decided  to  devote  all  the  proceeds  from  the  sale  of  land 
to  the  improvement  of  the  community.  Liquor  was  forbidden  in  Colorado 
Springs,  as  it  was  in  Greeley,  but  there  arose  some  opposition  to  this  and  the 
case  was  finally  brought  before  the  Colorado  courts,  who  eventually  decided 
that  the  liquor  clause  in  the  land  deeds  was  valid.  Appeal  was  taken  to  the 
United  States  Supreme  Court  and  in  1879  this  court  affirmed  the  decision  of  the 
Colorado  courts.  General  Palmer  wrote  the  following  in  regard  to  the  liquor 
situation  here : 

"The  liquor  restriction  had  already  been  adopted  by  Mr.  Meeker  for  his 
Greeley  colony.  In  the  early  summer  of  1871,  while  we  were  making  arrange- 
ments with  General  Cameron  and  some  of  his  confreres  to  interest  themselves 
in  our  new  enterprise,  I  was  asked  by  them  whether  we  would  adopt  a  similar 
restriction  for  the  proposed  Fountain  colony.  Having  had  some  experience  with 
the  railroad  towns  of  the  day  in  the  new  \yest,  especially  those  whose  generally 
short  but  always  lively  existence  punctuated  the  successive  stages  of  advance 
westward  by  the  Kansas  Pacific  and  Union  Pacific  railroads,  I  answered  'Yes.' 
At  Sheridan,  especially,  on  the  former  road,  where  I  had  the  privilege  of  a  resi- 
dence of  some  eight  months  in  1870-71,  while  directing  the  construction  of  a 
railroad  to  Denver,  the  most  noticeable  suburban  feature,  notwithstanding  the 
salubrity  of  the  air  and  the  brevity  of  the  settlement,  was  a  fat  graveyard,  most 
of  whose  inhabitants,  in  the  language  of  the  looth  meridian,  had  died  'with  their 
boots  on.'  " 

General  Palmer  continues:  "We  had,  of  course,  the  inevitable  fire,  until 
which  no  Rocky  Mountain  town  feels  that  it  has  really  entered  the  lists  for  a 
permanent  race  in  growth;  the  Jay  Cooke  panic  in  1873,  after  which  corn  was 
12^  cents  per  bushel  in  Kansas  and  Nebraska,  and  potatoes  here  were  about 
as  worthless  as  they  now  are  on  'the  Divide' ;  a  grasshopper  invasion  and  an 
Indian  alarm  the  same  year,  when  the  able-bodied  men  of  the  town  were  organ- 
ized under  Capt.  Matt  France,  and  on  October  6,  1873,  marched  to  Jimmy's 
Pamp  to  meet  3,000  Cheyenne  who  were  killing  cattle,  because,  as  they  said, 
'The  white  man  has  been  killing  our  buffalo.'  This  was  the  last  Indian  alarm  in 
this  neighborhood. 

"Distinguished  visitors  came  along.  Among  the  first  was  Samuel  Bowles, 
the  able  and  spirited  editor  of  the  Springfield  Republican ;  later  on,  Charles 
Kingsley,  who  helped  us  to  celebrate  the  third  anniversary  of  the  town,  in  the 
tent  of  Mrs.  Giltner,  who  kept  the  shoe  shop;  General  Grant  twice,  Jefferson 
Davis,  General  Sheridan,  Henry  Kingsley,  Lord  Dunraven,  Asa  Gray,  Sir 
Joseph  Hooker,  the  Duke  of  Northumberland,  General  Sherman  and  many 
others.     .Some  came  to  witness  the  operations  of  the  colony,  and  of  the  novel 


166  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

railroad  gauge.     Others  were  attracted  by  the  budding  fame  of  the  locahty  for 
scenic  interest  and  healthfulness." 

Colorado  Springs  has  become  known  as  one  of  the  most  beautifully  located 
cities  in  the  United  States.  Possessed  of  all  the  climatic  advantages  con- 
ducive to  health,  surrounded  with  the  most  artistic  handiwork  of  Nature,  the 
city  has  been  the  Mecca  for  tourists  from  over  the  whole  world  and  has  grown 
from  the  barren  plain  of  fifty  years  ago  to  one  of  the  most  prosperous  cities 
in  the  West. 

SOUTH  PUEBLO 

The  settlement  of  South  Pueblo,  across  the  Arkansas  River  from  the  early 
town  of  Pueblo,  was  undertaken  in  much  the  same  manner  as  that  of  Colorado 
Springs.  For  this  purpose,  the  "Central  Colorado  Improvement  Company"  was 
organized,  which  was  auxiliary  to  the  Denver  &  Rio  Grande  Railway  Company 
and  under  the  direction  of  Gen.  William  J.  Palmer.  This  organization,  in  1872, 
purchased  a  large  tract  of  ground,  the  Nolan  Mexican  land  grant,  along  the 
Arkansas,  opposite  Pueblo.  By  the  middle  of  the  year  the  Denver  &  Rio 
Grande  Railroad  was  completed  to  Pueblo  and  about  this  same  time  the  plat  of 
South  Pueblo  was  laid  out,  covering  approximately  one  thousand  acres.  Shortly 
afterward  the  terminus  of  the  railroad  was  taken  from  Pueblo  and  brought  to 
the  new  town  of  South  Pueblo,  which  occurrence  caused  much  bitterness  between 
the  two  communities.  However,  the  closeness  of  the  two  towns  really  made 
them  one,  although  for  thirteen  yeays  each  had  its  own  governmental  organiza- 
tion. The  Pueblo  of  today  includes  the  plats,  with  additions  of  both,  forming 
one  consolidated  municipality. 

BEGINNING  OF  FORT  COLLINS 

The  start  of  the  settlement  at  Fort  Collins  occurred  at  nearly  the  same  time 
as  that  of  South  Pueblo.  In  the  early  '60s  a  military  post  was  constructed  on 
the  Cache  a  la  Poudre  River,  four  miles  southeast  of  the  village  of  La  Porte, 
and  named  "Fort  Collins,"  sometimes  called  "Camp  Collins,"  in  honor  of  Lieut. 
Col.  William  O.  Collins,  of  the  Eleventh  Ohio  Volunteer  Cavalry,  portions  of 
which  regiment  engaged  in  fighting  the  plains  Indians.  A  large  space  of  ground 
was  included  in  this  military  reservation,  and  so  remained  until  1872,  when  it 
was  thrown  open  to  entry  by  an  act  of  Congress,  approved  May  15,  1872. 
After  this  land  had  been  opened  for  settlement.  Gen.  Robert  A.  Cameron,  of 
fame  as  a  colonizer,  organized  another  colony  company,  of  which  he  was  elected 
president,  for  the  purpose  of  founding  a  town  upon  the  new  land  and  developing 
it  agriculturally.  The  beginnings  of  settlement  were  similar  to  those  of  Greeley 
and  Colorado  Springs,  and,  within  a  year  the  present  City  of  Fort  Collins  had 
been  started.  Many  immigrants  came  to  the  vicinity  of  the  new  town  and 
located,  also  residents  of  other  parts  of  the  Territory  moved  here.  Since  that 
time  Fort  Collins  has  had  a  steady  growth  and  is  now  the  county  seat  of  Larimer 
County  and  the  center  of  one  of  the  leading  agricultural  sections  of  northern 
Colorado,  and  the  location  of  the  §tate  Agricultural  College. 


VIEW  OF  FORT  COLLINS  IN  1865 

It  was  a  United  States  military  jiost  that  occupied  a  ])art  of  the  site  of  the  present  city 
of  Fort  Collins.  The  original  picture  was  a  jiencil  drawing  made  by  a  soldier  who  was  sta- 
tioned at  the  fort  in  1865.  The  lower  part  of  the  two-story  building  (back  of  the  flag-staff) 
was  occupied  by  the  sutler,  and  its  ujiper  story  was  an  assembly  hall.  The  buildings  to  the 
left  of  this,  and  also  those  that  are  ranged  about  the  staff,  afforded  living  quarters  for  the 
officers  and  men.  Some  of  the  other  structures  were  stables  for  the  horses  and  some  were 
warehouses  for  supplies. 


CHAPTER  VIII 
GOVERNMENT— ITS  BEGINNINGS  AND   DEVELOPMENT 

UTAH,    NEBRASKA,    KANSAS    AND    NEW    MEXICO    LAND    TRANSFERRED THE    BEGIN- 
NINGS   OF    GOVERNMENT FAILURE    OF    FIRST    STATE    CONSTITUTION TERRITORY 

OF   JEFFERSON PEOPLE'S    AND    MINERS'    COURTS CONGRESS    CREATES    COLORADO 

TERRITORY CREATING  THE  FIRST  COUNTIES MOVING  THE  CAPITAL  TO  COLO- 
RADO   CITY THE    CAPITAL    AT    GOLDEN CHANGE    FROM    GOLDEN    TO    DENVER 

CONGRESS  PROVIDES  FOR  CONSTITUTION CUSTOMS  OF  LEGISLATURE TERRITO- 
RIAL OFFICERS  OF  COLORADO GOVERNORS SECRETARIES TREASURERS — AU- 
DITORS^— SUPERINTENDENTS   OF    PUBLIC    INSTRUCTION DELEGATES    TO    CONGRESS 

JUDGES    OF    THE    SUPREME    COURT CHIEF    JUSTICES ASSOCIATE    JUSTICES 

UNITED  STATES  DISTRICT  ATTORNEYS— LENGTH  OF  SESSIONS  AND  NUMBER  OF 
MEMBERS CONSTITUTIONAL  CONVENTIONS FIRST  ELECTION  POLL  BY  COUN- 
TIES 

UTAH,    NEBRASKA,    KANSAS    AND    NEW     MEXICO    LAND    TRANSFERRED 

The  area  of  the  State  of  Colorado  includes  cessions  by  France,  by  Texas 
and  by  Mexico  to  the  United  States.  The  northeast  section,  bounded  north 
and' south  by  the  31st  and  40th  parallels,  east  by  the  25th  meridian  and  west 
by  the  Rockies,  was  in  the  original  Louisiana  cession,  and  was  transferred  by 
Congress  from  the  Territory  of  Nebraska  to  the  Territory  of  Colorado.  The  por- 
tion east,  bounded  north  by  the  40th  parallel,  east  by  the  25th  meridian,  south 
by  the  Arkansas  and  west  by  the  Rockies,  was  taken  from  Kansas  and  trans- 
ferred to  Colorado.  It  was  part  of  the  Louisiana  Purchase.  The  southeastern 
portion  of  the  state,  bounded  north  by  the  Arkansas  River,  east  by  the  25th 
meridian,  south  by  the  37th  parallel,  and  west  by  the  20th  meridian,  was  in 
the  cession  from  Texas  and  Mexico,  and  was  transferred  from  the  Territory  of 
Kansas  to  that  of  Colorado.  The  southern  part  of  the  state,  bounded  by  the  38th 
and  37th  parallels,  the  20th  meridian  and  the  Rockies,  was  a  Texas  and  Mexico 
cession,  transferred  from  the  Territory  of  New  Mexico  to  that  of  Colorado. 
The  western  portion,  bounded  by  the  41st  and  40th  parallels,  the  Rockies,  and  the 
32d  meridian,  was  ceded  by  Mexico  and  was  transferred  from  the  Territory  of 
Utah  to  that  of  Colorado. 

THE  BEGINNINGS  OF  GOVERNMENT 

In  the  fall  of  1858  the  handful  of  settlers  within  a  few  miles  and  on  the 
present  site  of  Denver  called  a  meeting  "to  establish  security  and  to  prevent  and 

168 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  169 

punish  crime."  This  gathering  took  place  November  6,  1858,  in  the  settlement  of 
Auraria,  containing  at  that  time  about  two  hundred  inhabitants.  The  assembly, 
though  composed  of  immigrants  from  different  states,  acted  as  citizens  of  Kansas 
Territory.  Out  of  the  Pike's  Peak  country,  as  that  part  of  the  Rocky  Moun- 
tains, and  the  plains  around  their  base,  were  called,  they  formed  a  county,  de- 
fined its  limits,  and  named  it  Arapahoe,  from  a  neighboring  tribe  of  Indians. 
They  also  declared  Auraria  to  be  the  county  seat.  They  then  proceeded  to  elect 
a  delegate  to  Congress  and  a  representative  to  the  Kansas  Legislature.  H.  J. 
Graham  was  chosen  delegate,  and  A.  J.  Smith  representative.  This  action  of 
the  assembly  manifested  a  rare  spirit  of  enterprise  in  politics.  They  declared 
a  district  of  Kansas  to  be  a  county,  and  deputed  one  of  their  number  to  the  leg- 
islature with  credentials  of  his  election,  and  petitions  that  the  county  be  estab- 
lished, and  their  representative  be  received.  At  the  same  time  a  delegate  was 
dispatched  to  Congress  with  instructions  to  have  the  county  converted  into  a  ter- 
ritory. The  delegate  of  Kansas  Territory  would  be  duly  recognized  and 
admitted  to  a  seat  in  Congress.  But  to  the  delegate  of  Arapahoe  County  no 
such  recognition  or  position  would  be  tendered.  His  labors  would  be  con- 
fined to  the  advocacy  of  the  petitions  and  claims  of  the  people  he  represented 
before  committees,  or  with  individual  members  of  the  House  or  Senate.  Never- 
theless, Mr.  Graham  hurried  to  Washington,  impelled  by  the  delusive  hope  that 
his  mission  would  be  successful,  and  that  he  would  enjoy  the  honors  and  emolu- 
ments of  territorial  delegate.  The  people  of  Arapahoe  County  were  700  miles 
distant  from  Leavenworth,  the  capital  of  Kansas,  without  railroads  or  tele- 
graphs, and  with  immense  uninhabited  plains  lying  between  them  and  the  terri- 
torial authorities.  They,  therefore,  naturally  desired  to  have  the  Territory  of 
Kansas  divided,  and  the  western  part  organized  into  a  new  territory.  This 
arrangement,  if  consummated,  would  place  the  country  on'  a  stable  footing. 
Peace  and  order  would  be  maintained,  the  general  prosperity  promoted,  while 
Congress  and  the  nation  would  be  directly  acquainted  with  the  growth,  pros- 
pects and  necessities  of  the  country.  Mr.  Graham  exerted  himself  to  prevail 
on  Congress  to  respect  the  petition  of  his  constituents,  but  his  efforts  proved 
unsuccessful.  Their  representative,  A.  J.  Smith,  succeeded  in  his  mission,  had 
Arapahoe  County  confirmed,  but  was  not  admitted  as  a  member  of  the  Kansas 
Legislature. 

The  first  election  of  Arapahoe  County  officers,  under  Kansas  laws,  was  held 
March  28,  1859.  Over  seven  hundred  votes  were  polled,  of  which  231  were 
credited  to  Auraria  and  144  to  Denver.  The  spring  months  brought  a  great 
increase  to  the  mining  population.  From  authentic  sources  it  has  been  com- 
puted that,  during  the  summer,  the  Pike's  Peak  gold  regions  contained  20,000 
souls.  An  established  and  accessible  government  became  indispensable.  The 
subject  pressed  itself  more  and  more  urgently  on  the  public  mind.  Their  first 
attempt,  in  1858,  to  impress  Congress  favorably  with  the  necessities  of  their 
situation  had  proven  abortive.  But  a  profound  sense  of  their  needs  moved 
them  to  renew  their  efforts  to  prevail  on  Congress  to  consummate  a  partition  of 
the  Territory  of  Kansas,  and  to  establish  a  separate  government  in  this  distant 
but  even  then  populous  region.  A  mass  meeting  was  called,  to  convene  in 
Auraria,  April  11,  1859.  In  the  resolutions  adopted  it  was  expressed  as  the 
unanimous  sentiment  of  the  meeting  that  a  separate  and  distinct  government  was 


170  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

not  only  important  but  necessary.  By  these  resolutions,  also,  the  several  pre- 
cincts of  Arapahoe  County  were  requested  to  choose  delegates,  to  meet  in  joint 
convention  on  the  fourth  day  after  the  meeting,  April  15th,  to  consider  the  ques- 
tion of  organizing  a  new  state  or  territory.  On  the  day  appointed  the  delegates 
met.  In  order  to  save  time  and  determine  quickly,  they  pursued  an  eminently 
judicious  course.  They  resolved  on  one  subject  of  debate,  and  only  one: 
"The  formation  of  a  new  and  independent  state  of  the  Union."  It  must  be 
remembered  that  Kansas,  at  this  time,  was  only  a  territory,  though  pressing  her 
claims  for  recognition  and  admission  as  a  state.  Thus  early,  and  prematurely, 
as  facts  subsequently  proved,  did  the  people,  who  crowded  into  this  new  coun- 
try, seek  for  the  honors  and  privileges  of  statehood. 

F.-\ILURE    OF    FIRST    ST.ATE    CONSTITUTION 

This  Auraria  convention,  as  a  summing  up  of  their  labors,  ordered  a  general 
election  of  delegates  on  the  second  Monday  in  May,  such  delegates  to  meet  on  the 
first  Monday  in  June.  At  the  time  designated  lifty  delegates  assembled.  As 
in  the  April  convention,  only  one  subject,  it  seems,  engaged  their  deliberations — 
the  attainment  of  statehood.  The  work  of  drafting  a  constitution  was  en- 
trusted to  eight  committees,  in  order  to  economize  time  and  secure  a  complete 
instrument.  The  committees  were  requested  to  report,  and  submit  their  labors 
to  a  fuller  convention,  which  was  enjoined  to  meet  on  the  first  Monday  in 
Augtist.  In  the  interval  the  several  committees  prepared  their  work.  When 
the  convention,  which  consisted  of  167  delegates,  met,  the  committees  presented 
their  reports.  A  constitution  was  completed,  and  arrangements  made  for  its 
acceptance  or  rejection  by  the  votes  of  the  people.  Though  some  members  of 
the  convention  were  sanguine  of  success,  the  majority  thought  that  the  result 
would  be  adverse,  and  sought  to  provide  against  such  a  contingency.  The  day 
set  for  voting  on  the  constitution  and  movement  for  a  state  was  the  first  Monday 
in  September.  The  convention  therefore  resolved  that  should  the  constitution 
be  rejected,  a  delegate  to  Congress  should  be  elected  on  the  first  Monday  in 
October.  The  delegate  would  represent  Jefferson  Territory — the  name  given 
by  the  convention  to  Arapahoe  County,  or  the  Pike's  Peak  gold  regions.  On 
September  4th  the  votes  for  or  against  the  constitution  were  cast,  and  resulted 
in  2,007  against  and  649  for  that  instrument.  A  short  time  before  the  October 
election  it  was  proposed,  at  a  mass  meeting  held  in  Auraria,  that  on  the  day  a 
delegate  to  Congress  was  elected  delegates  should  be  chosen  to  form  a  Provi- 
sional Territorial  Government.  The  proposition  was  adopted.  Accordingly,  on 
the  first  Monday  in  October  this  double  election  took  place. 

The  Governor  of  Kansas,  in  1859,  had  issued  a  proclamation  that  Arapahoe 
County  be  established,  and  that  a  representative  be  elected.  The  Arapahoe 
County  election  for  Kansas  officials  was  therefore  also  held.  Capt.  Richard 
Sopris  was  elected  representative,  and  was  the  first  member  from  Arapahoe 
County  admitted  to  a  seat  in  the  Kansas  Legislature. 

TERRITORY  OF  JEFFERSON 

At  the  October  election  D.  B.  Williams  was  chosen  delegate  to  Congress. 
He  was  the  exponent  of  the  August  convention,  and  entrusted  with  the  mis- 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  171 

sion  to  memorialize  Congress  to  separate  the  Pike's  Peak  region  from  Kansas 
and  organize  it  into  a  territory  under  the  name  Jefferson.  The  other  delegates 
chosen  were  instructed  to  form  a  provisional  government.  Eighty-six  delegates 
met  in  convention.  They  entered  upon  their  duties  with  great  earnestness.  A 
new  constitution,  called  the  "Organic  Act  of  the  Territory  of  Jefferson,"  was 
framed  and  adopted.  Other  important  measures  received  their  approval.  The 
territory  was  divided  into  legislative  districts.  A  full  ticket  was  nominated,  and 
an  election  ordered  for  the  fourth  Monday  of  October,  the  same  month  in  which 
they  had  been  elected,  had  convened,  had  acted.  The  election  took  place;  2,000 
votes  were  cast  in  twenty-seven  precincts.  The  provisional  government  was 
adopted,  a  full  corps  of  legislators  chosen,  and,  indeed,  all  but  one  of  the  entire 
ticket  elected.  The  purpose  of  the  parties  who  had  determined  on  a  provisional 
government  ran  swift  to  its  fulfillment.  The  legislature  thus  suddenly  and 
questionably  brought  into  existence,  began  its  sessions.  The  message  of  the 
governor,  R.  W.  Steele,  was  received  with  the  usual  formalities,  and  was  fol- 
lowed by  diligent  legislative  labors.  Many  general  and  special  laws  were 
enacted;  nine  counties  were  organized;  a  poll  tax  of  $1  was  imposed,  and  a 
committee  appointed  to  report  full  civil  and  criminal  codes  to  an  adjourned  ses- 
sion, January  23,  i860.  In  each  of  the  nine  newly  organized  counties  the 
governor  appointed  a  probate  judge,  to  hold  office  until  the  regular  county  elec- 
tion on  the  first  Monday  in  January,  i860.  The  legislature  met  pursuant  to  ad- 
journment, and  for  the  remainder  of  the  session  devoted  its  attention  to  the 
report  of  the  committee.  Full  civil  and  criminal  codes  were  finally  adopted.  An 
imperium  in  imperio  was  now  fairly  established.  Right  in  the  midst  of  the  Kan- 
sas government  stood  the  Provisional  government.  The  first  resistance  to  the 
authority  of  the  latter,  and  protest  against  its  legality,  arose  from  the  Arapahoe 
County  officials,  who  were  elected  according  to  Kansas  territorial  law,  and 
were,  therefore,  beyond  a  doubt,  legal.  Besides  this,  a  remonstrance  against 
the  per  capita  tax,  signed  by  700  miners,  was  sent  down  from  the  mountains. 
In  the  valley,  therefore,  the  Kansas  and  the  Provisional  governments  held  di- 
vided sway;  and  in  the  mountains  the  miners'  courts  and  the  Provisional  govern- 
ment contended  for  the  mastery.  Golden  was  the  only  settlement  that  wholly 
submitted  to  the  Provisional  government.  In  truth,  the  authority  of  the  Kan- 
sas officials  was  never  fairly  recognized,  and  they  soon  ceased  to  have  even  a 
nominal  existence. 

people's  and  miners'  courts 

From  1858  to  1861  two  classes  of  courts  existed  in  the  Pike's  Peak  region, 
whose  decisions  were  final.  These  were  called  the  People's  Courts  and  the 
Miners'  Courts.  The  People's  Courts  were  improvised  assemblies  of  the  people, 
who  convened  to  adjudicate  criminal  cases,  such  as  murders,  homicides  and 
other  felonies.  They  were  usually  presided  over  by  a  probate  judge  or  justice 
of  the  peace.  The  extreme  penalties  were  hanging,  lashes  on  the  bare  back,  and 
banishment.  The  Miners'  Courts  were  differently  organized.  Pursuant  to  a 
general  call,  all  occupying  a  mining  district  met  together.  They  fixed  the  limits 
of  their  district,  adopted  a  miners'  code,  defined  the  duties  of  officers,  and 
elected  them  for  the  ensuing  year.     A  president,  judge,  sheriff,  collector,  sur- 


172  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

veyor  and  recorder,  who  was  ex  officio  treasurer  and  secretary  of  the  district, 
composed  the  officers  of  the  court,  who  were  all  responsible  to  the  superior 
tribunal,  the  Miners'  meeting.  These  courts  settled  all  claims  and  offenses  in 
mining  districts.  When  a  case  was  not  settled  in  the  courts  it  was  carried  to  the 
Miners'  meeting.  There  was  no  appeal  from  their  decision.  The  courts  organ- 
ized under  the  Provisional  government  were  respected  by  the  people,  and  their 
decisions  accepted  with  general  satisfaction.  In  Denver  and  some  other  places 
the  People's  Courts  alone  were  recognized. 

But  as  a  rule  these  People's  Courts  were  orderly  affairs.  An  illustration  will 
bear  this  out.  In  July,  i860,  James  Gordon,  while  on  a  spree,  and  entirely  un- 
provoked, shot  down  a  man  named  Jacob  Gantz.  Escaping  to  Fort  Lupton,  he 
was  able  to  barricade  himself,  but  finally,  hard-pressed  by  a  posse,  escaped  by 
riding  through  the  crowd  of  pursuers.  He  was  captured  on  the  Indian  Terri- 
tory border  by  W.  H.  Middaugh,  acting  as  people's  sheriff,  and  when  taken  to 
Leavenworth  was  acquitted  in  a  farcical  trial.  A  mob  turned  him  over  to  the 
Colorado  sheriff,  and  Gordon  was  brought  to  Denver.  A  People's  Court  was 
formed,  and  the  judge  in  addressing  it  said:  "The  trifling  of  one  of  the  highest 
courts  of  the  land  with  the  life  that  is  now  in  our  hands  has  turned  the  eyes  of 
tens  of  thousands  in  the  states  towards  Denver,  where  no  law  of  the  great 
American  Union  claims  jurisdiction.  Let  us  temper  justice  with  mercy,  and  let 
no  mob  or  unlawful  attempt  interfere  with  the  'People's  Court.'  "  Gordon  was 
defended  by  able  lawyers,  and  twelve  of  the  most  respected  men  in  the  com- 
munity found  him  guilty.  He  was  executed  some  days  later,  time  having  been 
allowed  for  friends  to  attempt  to  secure  a  reprieve. 

CONGRESS  CREATES  COLORADO  TERRITORY 

On  February  26,  1861,  Congress  created  the  Territory  of  Colorado,  and  the 
new  officials,  headed  by  Governor  William  Gilpin,  arrived  on  May  29th  of  that 
year. 

The  other  coordinate  branch  of  Federal  Government  had  now  to  be  estab- 
lished. This  was  the  Territorial  Supreme  Court.  On  July  loth,  the  governor 
assigned  the  judges  to  their  districts,  and  the  Supreme  Court  immediately  organ- 
ized. On  July  nth  he  issued  a  proclamation,  in  which  the  Territory  was  de- 
clared to  be  one  congressional  district,  and  the  congressional  district  to  be 
divided  into  nine  council  and  thirteen  representative  districts,  and  in  which  the 
election  of  a  delegate  to  Congress,  and  of  a  legislative  assembly  was  ordered. 
The  election  was  held  on  the  19th  day  of  August,  Hiram  P.  Bennet  being  chosen 
delegate  to  Congress.  The  Legislature  of  the  Territory  of  Colorado  convened  on 
the  9th  of  September.  They  adopted  full  civil  and  criminal  codes.  They  rec- 
ognized the  miners  as  authority  in  mining  legislation,  acknowledged  the  legality 
of  their  courts,  adopted  their  laws,  confirmed  their  decisions,  and  arranged  for 
the  transfer  of  cases  to  the  regular  courts,  so  that  no  jarring,  nor  inconvenience 
was  experienced.  Great  praise  is  due  to  this  legislative  body  for  the  laws 
they  enacted,  and  though  some  have  been  found  faulty  and  others  repealed,  yet 
they  effectually  served  the  needs  of  the  Territory. 

In  1867  Congress  passed  an  act  providing  that  the  legislative  assemblies  of  the 
several  territories  of  the  United  States  "shall  not,  after  the  passage  of  this  act, 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  173 

grant  private  charters  or  especial  privileges,  but  they  may,  by  general  incorpora- 
tion acts,  permit  persons  to  associate  themselves  together  as  bodies  corporate; 
for  mining,  manufacturing  and  other  industrial  pursuits." 

In  the  same  act  it  made  the  salary  of  each  of  the  Territorial  Supreme  Court 
judges  $2,500  per  year. 

Biennial  sessions  of  the  legislative  assemblies  of  territories  were  provided 
for  in  1869. 

The  civil  and  criminal  codes  enacted  by  the  first  territorial  legislation  were 
founded  on  those  of  Illinois,  the  practice  act  of  that  state  being  almost  bodily 
appropriated,  and  the  acts  of  the  People's  Courts  as  well  as  the  Miners'  Courts 
were  in  many  instances  ratified.  The  records  of  some  of  these  early  courts,  kept 
by  able  secretaries,  are  still  to  be  found  in  the  court  archives,  and  have  been 
repeatedly  reverted  to  in  litigation. 

CREATING  THE  FIRST  COUNTIES 

When  the  first  territorial  legislature  met  one  of  its  earliest  tasks  was  the 
creation  of  seventeen  counties,  as  follows : 

Arapahoe,  with  Denver  as  its  county  seat. 

Boulder,  with  Boulder  as  its  county  seat. 

Clear  Creek,  with  Idaho  as  its  county  seat. 

Costilla,  with  San  Miguel  as  its  county  seat. 

Douglas,  with  Frankstown  as  its  county  seat. 

El  Paso,  with  Colorado  City  as  its  county  seat. 

Fremont,  with  Caiion  City  as  its  county  seat. 

Gilpin,  with  Central  City  as  its  county  seat. 

Guadaloupe,  later  changed  to  Conejos,  with  Guadaloupe  as  its  county  seat. 

Huerfano,  with  Autobees  as  its  county  seat. 

Jefferson,  with  Golden  City  as  its  county  seat. 

Lake,  with  Oro  City  (Leadville)  as  its  county  seat. 

Larimer,  with  La  Porte  as  its  county  seat. 

Park,  with  Tarryall  City  as  its  county  seat. 

Pueblo,  with  Pueblo  as  its  county  seat. 

Summit,  with  Parkville  as  its  county  seat. 

Weld,  with  St.  Vrain  as  its  county  seat. 

Many  of  the  seventeen  counties  were  larger  than  some  of  the  eastern  states, 
but  the  Arapahoe  and  Cheyenne  Reservation,  in  southeastern  Colorado,  was  not 
included  in  the  division.  Arapahoe  extended  from  the  Jefferson  County  line 
to  the  eastern  limits  of  the  territory.  Weld  occupied  the  entire  northeastern 
part  of  the  territory.  Huerfano  was  even  larger,  extending  from  the  Arkansas 
and  the  Pueblo  County  line  to  the  New  Mexico  line.  Douglas  stretched  to  the 
territory's  eastern  limit.  El  Paso  and  Pueblo,  Larimer  and  Fremont,  were  all 
big  divisions,  but  were  dwarfed  by  the  extent  of  territory  occupied  by  Summit, 
Lake,  Costilla  and  Conejos  counties,  which  extended  over  much  of  what  is  now 
the  San  Luis  Valley,  North  Park,  and  a  good  part  of  the  higher  country  along 
the  Arkansas,  as  well  as  the  entire  western  slope. 

The  judicial  districts  were  three  in  number,  the  first  comprising  Arapahoe, 
Boulder,  Douglas,  El  Paso,  Larimer  and  Weld ;  the  second,  Clear  Creek,  Gilpin, 


174  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

Jefferson,  Park  and  Summit;  and  the  third,  Conejos,  Costilla,  Fremont,  Huer- 
fano, Lake  and  Pueblo. 

The  first  Legislature  also  lost  no  time  in  clearing  up  the  many  "Jefferson" 
territory  enactments,  ratifying  the  consolidation  of  Denver,  Auraria  and  High- 
lands, and  the  granting  of  a  charter  to  Denver.  Titles  to  real  estate  given  in  the 
days  before  territorial  organization  were  finally  smoothed  out  by  congressional 
action  in  1864.  , 

MOVING  THE  CAPITAL  TO  COLORADO  CITY 

The  first  Legislature,  empowered  by  Congress  to  increase  its  membership 
from  nine  in  the  council  to  thirteen,  and  from  thirteen  in  the  house  to  twenty- 
six,  arranged  for  the  additional  representation.  Two  days  before  it  adjourned 
it  made  Colorado  City  the  capital  of  the  territory.  This  was  done  largely  to 
injure  Denver,  the  country  members  believing  that  the  hustling  little  town  was 
endeavoring  to  "do  all  the  governing."  Despite  this  feeling,  when  the  next 
Legislature  met  in  the  log  cabin  provided  at  Colorado  City  it  remained  but  nine 
days,  resuming  its  labors  in  Denver,  July  16,  1862.  This  was  accomplished 
despite  the  southern  members,  who  as  Judge  W.  F.  Stone,  a  member  of  that 
body,  relates,  "were  finally  brought  together  in  Mother  Maggart's  Hotel  under 
pretense  of  compromising  the  matter,  locked  in,  and  when  the  vote  was  finished 
we  adjourned  to  Denver." 

THE  CAPITAL  AT  GOLDEN 

Golden  City  was  fighting  for  the  honor,  however,  and  before  that  second 
Legislature  adjourned  it  specified  that  town  as  the  seat  of  territorial  govern- 
ment. 

CHANGE  FROM   GOLDEN   TO  DENVER 

The  third  Assembly  met  in  the  new  capital,  but  adjourned  almost  at  once  to 
Denver.  This  Legislature  finally  changed  the  meeting  date  from  the  first  Mon- 
day in  February  to  the  first  Monday  in  January.  The  fourth  Legislature  stuck 
to  Golden  throughout  its  session.  The  fifth  remained  in  Golden  a  single  day. 
The  sixth,  which  began  its  meetings  December  2d,  remained  at  Golden.  The 
seventh  first  of  all  changed  the  convening  date  to  the  first  ^Monday  in  January 
which  is  still  the  date  for  the  opening  of  the  Legislature,  and  then,  on  December 
9,  1867,  made  Denver  the  permanent  capital  of  the  territory. 

But  the  work  of  that  first  territorial  legislative  assembly  was  perhaps  as 
constructive  as  that  of  any  that  has  since  met.  In  giving  married  women  con- 
trol of  their  own  property  and  the  power  of  making  contracts  they  took  a  long 
step  toward  suffrage,  which  came  many  years  later.  With  the  enabling  act  pro- 
viding a  fund,  it  began  the  work  of  establishing  a  state  university.  The  third 
assembly  passed  the  act  providing  for  incorporation  of  giant  stock  companies. 
The  fifth  passed  the  important  law  requiring  a  discovery  shaft  of  ten  feet  on  a 
lode  claim.  But  when  Congress  passed  the  mining  law  of  1872  Colorado  adjusted 
its  entire  mining  code  to  conform  to  it.  This  was  largely  the  work  of  the  tenth 
Legislature. 


FIE8T   CAPITOL   OF   COLORADO,  NOW   IN   COLORADO   SPRINGS,   FORMERLY   IN 
COLORADO  CITY,  WHICH  WAS  ANNEXED  TO  COLORADO  SPRINGS  IN  1917 

Colorado  City  was  the  capital  of  the  state  for  three  days. 


176  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

CONGRESS  PROVIDES  FOR   CONSTITUTION 

In  the  enabling  act,  which  was  approved  March  3,  1875,  Congress  pro- 
vided first  of  all  for  the  formation  of  a  constitution,  which  was  to  be  "republican 
in  form,  and  make  no  distinction  in  civil  or  political  rights  on  account  of  race  or 
color,  except  Indians  not  taxed,  and  not  be  repugnant  to  the  Constitution  of  the 
United  States  and  the  principles  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence." 

It  provided  that  perfect  toleration  of  religious  sentiment  shall  be  secured, 
and  "no  inhabitant  of  said  state  shall  ever  be  molested  in  person  or  property  on 
account  of  his  or  her  mode  of  religious  worship;  secondly,  that  the  people  inhab- 
iting said  territory  do  agree  and  declare  that  they  forever  disclaim  all  right  and 
title  to  the  unappropriated  public  lands  lying  within  said  territory;  that  the  lands 
belonging  to  citizens  of  the  United  States  residing  without  the  said  state  shall 
never  be  taxed  higher  than  the  lands  belonging  to  residents  thereof,  and  that 
no  taxes  shall  be  imposed  by  the  state  on  lands  or  property  therein  belonging 
to,  or  which  may  hereafter  be  purchased  by  the  United  States. 

"That  sections  numbered  sixteen  and  thirty-six  in  every  township,  and 
where  such  sections  have  been  sold  or  otherwise  disposed  of  by  any  act  of 
Congress,  other  lands,  equivalent  thereto,  in  legal  subdivisions  of  not  more  than 
one  quarter-section,  and  as  contiguous  as  may  be,  are  hereby  granted  to  said 
state  for  the  support  of  common  schools;  fifty  entire  sections  of  the  unappro- 
priated public  lands  within  said  state,  to  be  selected  and  located  by  direction  of 
the  Legislature  thereof,  be  granted  to  said  state  for  the  purpose  of  erecting 
public  buildings  at  the  capital  of  said  state  for  legislative  and  judicial  purposes; 
that  fifty  other  entire  sections  of  land  are  hereby  granted  to  said  state  for  the 
purpose  of  erecting  a  suitable  building  for  a  penitentiary  or  state  prison ;  that 
seventy-two  other  sections  of  land  shah  be  set  apart  and  reserved  for  the  use 
and  support  of  a  state  university;  that  5  per  centum  of  the  proceeds  of  the  sales 
of  agricultural  public  lands  lying  within  said  state  which  shall  be  sold  by  the 
United  States  subsequent  to  the  admission  of  said  state  into  the  Union,  after 
deducting  all  the  expenses  incident  to  the  same,  shall  be  paid  to  the  said  state 
for  the  purpose  of  making  such  internal  improvements  within  said  state  as  the 
Legislature  thereof  may  direct;  that  the  two  sections  of  land  in  each  township 
herein  granted  for  the  support  of  common  schools  shall  be  disposed  of  only  at 
public  sale  and  at  a  price  not  less  than  $2.50  per  acre,  the  proceeds  to  constitute 
a  permanent  school  fund,  the  interest  of  which  is  to  be  expended  in  the  support 
of  common  schools;  that  all  mineral  lands  shall  be  excepted  from  the  operation 
and  grants  of  this  act." 

Under  this  act  delegates  to  frame  a  constitution  were  duly  elected,  met  in 
convention  in  December,  1875,  and  adjourned  after  completing  their  task  March 
13,  1876.  A  complete  history  of  the  framing  of  the  constitution  will  be  found 
in  the  succeeding  chapter. 

CUSTOMS  OF  LEGISLATURE 

The  Legislature  convened  at  12  o'clock  M.  on  the  first  Wednesday  in  January, 
1879,  and  at  12  M.  on  the  first  Wednesday  in  January  of  each  alternate  year 
"forever  thereafter,"  and  at  other  times  when  convened  by  the  governor. 


HISTORY  OF  COLOR.\DO  177 

Custom,  so  prevalent  and  so  ancient  as  to  have  the  force  of  law,  has  made 
it  the  duty  of  the  clerk  of  the  previous  house  to  call  to  order,  and  to  conduct 
the  proceedings  generally,  until  a  speaker  is  chosen,  but  any  member-elect  is 
competent  to  perform  this  duty. 

In  other  states  it  is  the  custom  of  the  secretary  of  state  to  furnish  to  the 
clerk  a  certified  statement  of  the  names  of  the  members-elect,  which  is  read. 
The  members  then  advance  to  the  clerk's  desk,  generally  the  delegation  of  each 
county  by  itself,  and  subscribe  the  oath  of  office.  But  in  this  state  the  usual 
proceeding  is  to  choose  a  speaker  and  a  clerk  pro  tem.,  and  to  appoint  a  com- 
mittee which  examines  credentials  of  members-elect,  and  reports  to  the  House 
thus  temporarily  organized. 

The  oath  of  office  is  then  administered  to  the  members-elect.  It  may  be 
administered  by  the  president  of  the  Senate,  the  governor,  secretary  of  state, 
attorney  general,  or  any  of  the  judges  of  the  Supreme  Court.  It  has  been 
administered  in  this  state  usually  by  one  of  the  judges.  After  all  are  sworn 
the  roll  is  called,  when,  if  a  quorum  is  found  present,  the  speaker  pro  tem.  de-  ' 
clares  the  House  to  be  qualified  and  competent  to  proceed  to  business. 

If  the  members  present  have  determined  their  choice  for  officers,  the  election 
proceeds  forthwith;  if  not,  an  adjournment  is  had  until  the  next  day. 

It  is  determined  by  the  House  whether  the  election  for  speaker,  clerk,  and 
sergeant-at-arms  and  the  subordinate  officers  shall  be  by  ballot,  viva  voce,  or 
otherwise. 

Candidates  for  speaker  are  nominated  and  the  vote  taken. 

The  speaker  pro  tem.  announces  the  result,  and  names  a  committee  to  con- 
duct the  speaker-elect  to  the  chair.  The  other  elections  proceed  in  the  same 
manner,  except  that  when  the  result  is  announced  by  the  speaker  the  officer- 
elect  advances  to  the  clerk's  desk  and  is  sworn  in  by  the  speaker. 

A  committee  is  then  appointed  to  wait  on  the  Senate,  and  inform  it  that  the 
House  is  organized;  or  the  clerk  is  directed,  by  resolution,  to  inform  the  Senate 
of  the  fact. 

It  is  customary  for  the  speaker  to  appoint  a  committee  of  three  to  meet  with 
a  committee  of  three  from  the  Senate  for  the  purpose  of  forming  joint  rules  for 
the  government  of  both  houses;  and  when  completed  the  committees  report  to 
their  respective  houses. 

By  concurrent  resolution  both  houses  meet  in  joint  convention  to  canvass  the 
vote  for  executive  officers. 

When  it  has  been  determined  who  are  the  executive  officers,  a  joint  com- 
mittee of  both  houses  is  then  appointed  to  wait  on  the  governor  and  inform  him 
that  both  houses  of  the  General  Assembly  are  organized,  and  that  the  houses 
are  in  readiness  to  receive  any  communication  from  him. 

The  Senate  and  House  usually  assemble  in  joint  convention  in  the  chamber 
of  the  House  upon  some  day  and  hour  suggested  by  the  governor,  during  the 
first  week  of  the  session  to  hear  his  message. 

The  message  is  usually  read  by  the  executive,  but  may  be  read  by  his  private 
secretary,  or  by  anyone  the  governor  may  appoint. 

At  the  first  opportunity  after  hearing  the  message  read  the  various  recom- 
mendations therein  contained  are  referred,  by  resolution,  to  appropriate  standing 
committees,  or  select  committees. 

Vol.  1—12 


178  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

Standing  committees  are  appointed  by  the  speaker  at  as  early  a  day  in  the 
session  as  is  possible.  Each  committee  usually  consists  of  five  members,  but 
the  House  determines  the  number. 

TERRITORIAL   OFFICERS    OF    COLORADO 
GOVERNORS 

William  Gilpin,  appointed  by  Abraham  Lincoln July  8,  i86l 

John  Evans,  appointed  by  Abraham  Lincoln April  19,  1862 

Alexander  Cummings,  appointed  by  Andrew  Johnson Oct.  17,  1865 

A.   C.  Hunt,  appointed  by  Andrew  Johnson May  27,  1867 

Edward  M.  McCook,  appointed  by  U.  S.  Grant June  15, 1869 

Samuel  H.  Elbert,  appointed  by  U.  S.  Grant March  9,  1873 

Edward  M.  McCook,  reappointed  by  U.  S.  Grant August,  1874 

John  L.  Routt,  appointed  by  U.  S.  Grant March  29, 1875 

SECRETARIES 

Lewis  Ledyard  Weld,  appointed  by  Abraham  Lincoln July  8,  1861 

Samuel  H.  Elbert,  appointed  by  Abraham  Lincoln April  19,  1862 

Frank  Hall,  appointed  by  Andrew  Johnson May  2, 1866 

Frank  Hall,  appointed  by  U.  S.  Grant June  15,  1869 

Frank  Hall,  reappointed  by  U.  S.  Grant June  18,  1873 

John  W.  Jenkins,  appointed  by  U.  S.  Grant February  12, 1874 

John  Taffe,  appointed  by  U.  S.  Grant August  16,  1875 

TREASURERS 

George  T.  Clark,  appointed  by  Governor  Gilpin November  12,  1861 

Alexander  W.  Atkins,  appointed  by  Governor  Evans March  17, 1864 

A.  C.  Hunt,  appointed  by  Governor  Cummings January  25,  1866 

John  Wanless,  appointed  by  Governor  Cummings September  5, 1866 

Columbus  Nuckolls,  appointed  by  Governor  Hunt December  16,  1867 

Columbus  Nuckolls,  reappointed  by  Governor  Hunt March  17, 1868 

George  T.  Clark,  appointed  by  Governor  McCook February  14,  1870 

George  T.  Clark,  reappointed  by  Governor  McCook February  17,  1872 

David  H.  Moffat,  Jr.,  appointed  by  Governor  Elbert January  26,  1874 

Frederick  Z.  Salomon,  appointed  by  Governor  Routt Februar}'  11,  1876 

AUDITORS 

Milton  M.  Delano,  appointed  by  Governor  Gilpin November  12,  1861 

Richard  E.  Whitsitt,  appointed  by  Governor  Evans March    10,   1864 

Richard  E.  Whitsitt,  appointed  by  Governor  Cummings January  26,  1866 

Hiram  J.  Graham,  appointed  by  Governor  Cummings December  13, 1866 

Nathaniel  F.  Cheesman,  appointed  by  Governor  Hunt Januarj'  7,  1868 

James  B.  Thompson,  appointed  by  Governor  McCook February  15,  1870 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  179 

James  B.  Thompson,  reappointed  by  Governor  McCook February  14,  1872 

Levin  C.  Charles,  appointed  by  Governor  Elbert January  26,  1874 

Levin  C.  Charles,  reappointed  by  Governor  Routt February  12,  1876 

SUPERINTENDENTS  OF  PUBLIC  INSTRUCTION 

William  J.  Curtice,  appointed  by  Governor  Gilpin November  7,  1861 

William  S.  Walker,  appointed  by  Governor  Evans November  15,  1863 

*AIexander  W.  Atkins February    10,   1865 

*John    Wanless    January,  1866 

*Columbus    Nuckolls March,    1867 

Wilbur  C.  Lothrop,  appointed  by  Governor  McCook March,  1870 

Wilbur  C.  Lothrop,  reappointed  by  Governor  McCook March,  1872 

Horace  M.  Hale,  appointed  by  Governor  Elbert July  24,  1873 

Horace  M.  Hale,  reappointed  by  Governor  Elbert 1874 

Horace  M.  Hale,  reappointed  by  Governor  Routt February  9,  1876 

DELEGATES  TO   CONGRESS 

Hiram    P.    Bennet,   elected December    2,  1861 

Hiram   P.   Bennet,   re-elected October    7,  1862 

Allen   A.    Bradford,   elected July  11,  1864 

George    M.    Chilcott,    elected November  14,  1865 

George  M.   Chilcott,   re-elected August    7,  1866 

Allen   A.    Bradford,   re-elected September    8,  1868 

Jerome   B.   Chaffee,   elected September  13,  1876 

Jerome   B.    Chaffee,    re-elected September  10,  1872 

Thomas  M.  Patterson,  elected September  8,  1874 

JUDGES  OF  THE  SUPREME  COURT CHIEF   JUSTICES 

Benjamin  F.  Hall,  appointed  by  Abraham  Lincoln March  25,  1861 

Stephen  S.  Harding,  appointed  by  Abraham  Lincoln July  10,  1863 

Moses  Hallett,  appointed  by  Andrew  Johnson April  10, 1866 

Moses  Hallett,  reappointed  by  U.  S.  Grant April  30,  1870 

Moses  Hallett,  reappointed  by  U.  S.  Grant 1874 

ASSOCIATE  JUSTICES 

Charles  Lee  Armour,  appointed  by  Abraham  Lincoln March  28,  1861 

S.  Newton  Pettis,  appointed  by  Abraham  Lincoln July    9,  1861 

Allen  A.  Bradford,  appointed  by  Abraham  Lincoln June    6,  1862 

Charles  F.  Holly,  appointed  by  Andrew  Johnson June  10, 1865 

William  H.  Gale,  appointed  by  Andrew  Johnson June  10,  1865 

William  R.  Gorsline,  appointed  by  Andrew  Johnson June  18.  1866 

Christian  S.  Eyster,  appointed  by  Andrew  Johnson August  II,  1866 

James  B.  Belford,  appointed  by  U.  S.  Grant June  17,  1870 


•  Ex  officio  as  Territorial  Treasurer. 


180  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

Ebenezer  T.  Wells,  appointed  by  U.  S.  Grant February    8,  1871 

James  B.  Belford,  reappointed  by  U.  S.  Grant 1874 

Amherst  W.  Stone,  appointed  by  U.  S.  Grant March    i,  1875 

Andrew  W.  Brazee,  appointed  by  U.  S.  Grant February  24,  1876 

UNITED  STATES  ATTORNEYS  FOR  COLORADO 

Name  Date  of  Appointment 

Theodore  Edwards March  27,   1861 

James  E.  Dalliba August  19,  1861 

Samuel  E.  Browne April  8,  1862 

George  W.  Chamberlin October  i,  1865 

Henry  C.  Thatcher April  19,  1869 

Lewis  C.  Rockwell June  7,  1870 

H.  C.  Alleman April  15,  1873 

Charles  D.   Bradley June  30,    1875 

Westbrook  S.  Decker January  12,  1877 

Edward  L.  Johnson May  10,  1880 

Andrew  W.  Brazee September  5,  1882 

Henry  W.  Hobson May  28,  1886 

John  D.  Fleming March  23,  1889 

Henry  V.  Johnson April  15,  1893 

Greeley  W.  Whitford April  20,   1897 

Earl  M.  Cranston April  25,   1901 

Thomas  Ward,  Jr February   17,   1908 

Harry  Eugene  Kelly February  17,  1912 

Harry  B.  Tedrow June  26,  1914 

LENGTH   OF   SESSIONS  AND   NUMBER  OF   MEMBERS — TERRITORIAL   ORGANIZATION 

Time  of  Length  of 

Year  Meeting  Adjournment 

1861 September  9th  November  7th 

1862 July  7th  August  15 

1864 February'  ist  March  nth 

1865 January  2nd  February  loth 

1866 January  ist  February  9th 

1866 December  3d  January  11,  1867 

1867 December  2d  January  10,  1868 

1870 January  3d  February  nth 

1872 January  ist  February  9th 

1874 January  5th  February  13th 

1876 January  3d  February  nth 

CONSTITUTIONAL  CONVENTIONS 

1865 .  Aug.  8        Aug.  12 

1875 Dec.  20         March  15,  1876 


Session 

No.  Mems. 

60  days 

22 

40  days 

39 

40  days 

39 

40  days 

39 

40  days 

39 

40  days 

39 

40  days 

39 

40  days 

39 

40  days 

39 

40  days 

39 

40  days 

39 

5  days 

62 

87  days 

39 

BROADMOOR  HOTEL,  COLORADO  SPRINGS 


ih...'s2Bj 


STRATTON  PARK,  COLOKADO  SPRINGS 


182  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

FIRST   ELECTION    POLL    BY    COUNTIES 

The  vote  by  counties  at  the  first  general  election  was  as  follows : 

Governor 
Counties  John  L.  Routt,  R.        Bela  M.  Hughes,  D. 

Arapahoe    2,173  i,795 

Bent    250  439 

Boulder    1,539  1.096 

Costilla     351  173 

Conejos    341  218 

Clear   Creek      1,072  1,031 

Douglas      282  333 

Elbert     84  117 

El  Paso    713  397 

Fremont     522  531 

Gilpin      1,005  763 

Grand     73  147 

Huerfano       410  614 

Hinsdale     420  382 

Jefferson     537  596 

Larimer    374  300 

Lake      229  234 

Las  Animas  669  1,271 

La   Plata    50  108 

Park      465  423 

Pueblo      543  739 

Rio  Grande  364  362 

Saguache      306  189 

San  Juan     393  410 

Summit      201  185 

Weld     788  463 

Total     14.154  13,316 


CHAPTER  IX 
THE  CONSTITUTIONAL  CONVENTION 

OPPOSITION    TO    STATEHOOD MEETINGS    OF    CONVENTION APPOINTMENT    OF    COM- 
MITTEES  SUMMARY  OF  CONSTITUTION FRAMING  AN  APPEAL  TO  THE  PEOPLE 

THE    VOTE SUBMITTING    OF    CONSTITUTION    TO    FEDERAL    AUTHORITIES STATE- 
HOOD 

It  was  by  no  means  certain  that  the  people  of  Colorado  would  accept  the  state- 
hood offered  by  the  Federal  Government  under  the  enabling  act  of  March  3,  1875. 
In  fact  when  the  constitution  was  finally  submitted  it  needed  no  argument,  for 
it  was  throughout  an  ably  prepared  document,  but  its  defeat  was  looked  for  by 
many  because  the  sentiment  against  statehood  was  still  strong. 

This  was  the  third  effort  at  statehood,  the  others  having  failed  respectively  by 
reason  of  an  adverse  majority  and  a  presidential  veto.  But  in  1875  the  popula- 
tion was  approximately  one  hundred  thousand,  and  there  had  grown  up  in  the 
people  of  the  territory  a  pride  in  its  resources,  its  climate,  its  beauty  and  gran- 
deur, but  above  all  in  its  tremendous  possibilities. 

True,  the  panic  of  1873  '^'^'^  J*^^*^  penetrated  to  the  Rocky  Mountain  region, 
the  locust  pest  had  devastated  the  crops  in  1873,  and  all  efforts  at  extending  ir- 
rigation systems  had  ceased  for  the  time. 

But  the  men  who  came  to  frame  this  constitution  were  the  most  influential 
citizens  of  their  respective  communities,  and,  having  the  confidence  of  the  voters, 
would  each  personally  draw  a  large  contingent  to  support  the  document. 

In  the  two  other  efforts  to  gain  admission  it  was  more  an  attempt  to  break 
into  the  union.  This  time  Congress  and  the  President  had  defined  the  exact  con- 
ditions under  which  statehood  was  possible. 

The  convention  met  for  the  first  time  in  the  Odd  Fellows  Hall,  First  National 
Bank  Building,  northeast  corner  of  Blake  and  Fifteenth  streets,  on  December 
20,  1875. 

The  constitutional  convention  was  comprised  as  follows: 

From  the  First  District,  composed  of  the  County  of  Weld,  S.  J.  Plumb  and 
J.  S.  Wheeler. 

From  the  Second  District,  composed  of  the  counties  of  Weld  and  Larimer, 
A.  K.  Yount. 

From  the  Third  District,  composed  of  the  County  of  Larimer,  W.  C.  Stover. 

From  the  Fourth  District,  composed  of  the  County  of  Boulder,  Wm.  E. 
Beck  and  Byron  L.  Carr. 

From  the  Fifth  District,  composed  of  the  County  of  Gilpin,  Alvin  Marsh  and 
L.  C.  Rockwell. 

183 


184  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

From  the  Sixth  District,  composed  of  the  County  of  Clear  Creek,  Wm.  M. 
Clark  and  Wm.  H.  Cushman. 

From  the  Seventh  District,  composed  of  the  counties  of  Clear  Creek,  Sum- 
mit and  Grand,  W.  W.  Webster. 

From  the   Eighth   District,  composed  of   the   County   of  Jefferson,  Geo.   G. 
White  and  Wm.  Lee. 

From  the  Ninth  District,  composed  of  the  County  of  Arapahoe,  E.  T.  Wells, 
H.  P.  H.  Bromwell,  L.  C.  Ellsworth,  F.  J.  Ebert,  C.  P.  Elder  and  Daniel  Hurd. 

From  the  Tenth  District,  composed  of  the  counties  of  Arapahoe  and  Doug- 
las, P.  P.  Wilcox. 

From  the  Eleventli  District,  composed  of  the  County  of  Bent,  J.  W.  Widder- 
f^eld. 

From  the  Twelfth  District,  composed  of  the  counties  of  Bent  and  Elbert, 
John  S.  Hough. 

From  the  Thirteenth  District,  composed  of  the  County  of   El  Paso,  J.   C. 
Wilson  and  Robert  Douglas. 

From  the  Fourteenth  District,  composed  of  the  counties  of  Park  and  Lake, 
Wm.  H.  James  and  Geo.  E.  Pease. 

From  the  Fifteenth  District,  composed  of  the  County  of  Saguache,  W.  B. 
Felton. 

From  the   Sixteenth  Dictrict,  composed  of   the  County  of   Fremont,  A.   D. 
Cooper. 

From  the  Seventeenth  District,  composed  of  the  County  of  Pueblo,  Wilbur 
F.  Stone  and  Henry  C.  Thatcher. 

From  the  Eighteenth  District,  composed  of  the  County  of  Las  Animas, 
Jesus  M.  Garcia,  Casimiro  Barela  and  George  Boyles. 

From  the  Nineteenth  District,  composed  of  the  counties  of  Las  Animas  and 
Huerfano,  Agapeta  Vijil. 

From  the  Twentieth  District,  composed  of  the  County  of  Huerfano,  Robert 
A.  Quillian. 

From  the  Twenty-first  District,  composed  of  the  County  of  Costilla,  Wm.  H. 
Meyer. 

From  the  Twenty-second  District,  composed  of  the  County  of  Conejos,  La 
Fayette  Head. 

From  the  Twenty-third  District,  composed  of  the  counties  of  Rio  Grande  and 
Hinsdale,  Wm.  R.  Kennedy. 

From  the  Twenty-fourth  District,  composed  of  the  County  of  La  Plata, 
Henry  R.  Crosby. 

Judge  Wilbur  F.  Stone,  of  Pueblo,  was  made  temporary  chairman,  being 
succeeded  on  December  21st,  by  Joseph  C.  Wilson,  of  El  Paso,  permanent  chair- 
man.    The  secretary  of  the  convention  was  W.  W.  Coulson. 

The  convention  was  in  session  until  March  15,  1876,  and  framed  the  present 
fimdamental  law  of  Colorado,  on  the  whole  one  of  the  best  of  the  state  consti- 
tutions of  the  Union.  Throughout  the  sessions  the  men  were  animated  by  a 
desire  to  make  the  fundamental  law  as  just  and  fair  as  the  joint  opinions  of  its 
members  could  frame  it. 

The  following  is  a  list  of  its  committees : 

Bill  of  Rights — Messrs.  Marsh,  Widderfield,  Hurd,  Ellsworth  and  Wheeler. 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  185 

Legislature  and  Legislation — Messrs.  Thatcher,  Stover,  Elder,  James,  Meyer, 
Wilcox,  Clark,  Boyles  and  Cushman. 

Executive  Department — Messrs.  Elder,  Hough,  James,  Head  and  White. 

Judiciary — Messrs.  Stone,  Wells,  Thatcher,  Beck,  Marsh,  Rockwell,  White, 
Boyles,  Kennedy,  Pease  and  Felton. 

Rights  of  Suffrage  and  Elections — Messrs.  Webster,  Bromwell,  Stone,  Beck 
and  Vijil. 

Impeachment  and  Removal  from  Office — Messrs.  Crosby,  White,  Wilcox, 
Meyer  and  Garcia. 

Education  and  Educational  Institutions — Messrs.  Hurd,  Stone,  Carr,  Wheeler 
and  Douglas. 

Public  and  Private  Corporations — Messrs.  Rockwell,  Cooper,  Ellsworth, 
Thatcher,  Wheeler,  Meyer,  Douglas,  Webster  and  Barela. 

Revenue  and  Finance — Messrs.  Cushman,  Yount,  Hough,  Plumb  and  Ells- 
worth. 

Counties — Messrs.  Boyles,  James,  Stover,  Hurd  and  Plumb. 

Officers  and  Oath  of  Office — Messrs.  Felton,  Wells,  Lee,  Crosby  and  Quil- 
lian. 

Military  Affairs — Messrs.  Carr,  Cooper  and  Pease. 

Mines  and  Mining — Messrs.  Clark,  James,  Kennedy,  Rockwell,  Crosby,  Stover, 
Ebert,  Carr  and  Webster. 

Irrigation,  Agriculture  and  Manufactures — Messrs.  Plumb,  Head,  Barela, 
Felton,  Wheeler,  Lee,  Ebert,  Widderfield  and  Cooper. 

Accounts  and  Expenditures  of  Convention — Messrs.  Yount,  Ebert  and  Barela. 

State  Institutions  and  Buildingsi — Messrs.  Douglas,  Hurd,  Quillian,  Cushman 
and  Kennedy. 

Congressional  and  Legislative  apportionments: — Messrs.  Beck,  Thatcher,  Quil- 
lian, Ellsworth,  White,   Meyer,  Pease,  Kennedy  and  Clark. 

Federal  Relations — Messrs.  Wilcox,  White  and  Garcia. 

Future  Amendments — Messrs.  Pease,  Elder,  Boyles,  Wilcox  and  Marsh. 

Revision  and  Adjustments — Messrs.  Wells,  Bromwell,  Carr,  Lee  and  Rock- 
well. 

Schedule — Messrs.  Quillian,  Wells,   Stone,  Marsh  and  Carr. 

Printing — Messrs.  Hough,  Bromwell  and  Webster. 

Enrolling  and  Engrossing — Messrs.  Cooper,  Crosby  and  Widderfield. 

Miscellaneous — Messrs.  Head,  Beck,  Garcia,  Lee  and  Elder. 

State,  County  and  Municipal  Indebtedness — Messrs.  Bromwell,  Cushman, 
Hough,  Douglas  and  Yount. 

Forest  Culture — Messrs.  Ebert,   Felton  and   Stover. 

SUMMARY  OF  THE  CONSTITUTION 

The  Bill  of  Rights  guarantees  all  national  and  civil  rights,  and  to  the  end 
that  more  power  should  be  reserved  to  the  people  it  declared  that  the  General 
Assemlily  shall  make  no  irrevocable  grants  of  special  privileges  or  inununities; 
that  private  property  shall  not  be  taken  or  damaged  for  public  or  private  use 
without  just  comjionsatioii ;  that  no  preference  shall  lie  given  bv  law  to  religious 
denominations;  that  right  and  justice  shall  be  administered  wilhout  sale,  denial 


186  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

or  delay;  that  aliens,  who  are  bona  fide  residents  of  the  state,  shall  acquire,  in- 
herit, possess  and  enjoy  property  to  the  full  extent  as  if  native-born  citizens. 
The  grand  jury  system  was  modified  so  as  to  make  a  grand  jury  consist  of  twelve 
men  instead  of  twenty-three — any  nine  of  whom  concurring  may  find  a  bill,  and 
the  question  whether  it  may  not  be  abolished  altogether  is  left  to  the  Legisla- 
ture. The  petit  jury  system  was  modified  so  as  to  permit  the  organization  of  a 
jury  of  less  than  twelve  men  in  civil  cases.  The  right  of  trial  by  jury  in  all 
criminal  cases  was  preserved,  and  for  the  purpose  of  protecting  witnesses  in 
criminal  prosecutions,  and  that  the  accused  may  always  meet  the  witnesses  against 
him  face  to  face,  provided  for  the  taking  of  depositions  before  some  judge  of  the 
Supreme,  District  or  County  Court,  which  can  be  used  upon  trial  of  the  cause 
when  the  personal  attendance  of  the  witness  cannot  be  obtained. 

The  term  of  office  of  the  governor  and  other  state  officers  was  fixed  at  two 
years. 

The  Governor  was  given  the  power  to  remove  all  officers  by  him  appointed, 
for  misconduct  or  malfeasance  in  office ;  he  was  also  empowered  to  grant  par- 
dons, subject,  however,  to  such  regulations  for  the  application  of  the  same  as 
may  be  provided  by  law.  All  the  state  officers  were  to  be  paid  by  salaries  for 
their  services,  and  were  required  to  pay  into  the  treasury  "all  fees  by  them  col- 
lected in  their  respective  offices." 

The  General  Assembly  was  required  to  meet  once  in  two  years.  The  term  of 
office  of  the  senators  was  fixed  at  four  years;  that  of  representatives  at  two. 
For  the  first  session  the  compensation  of  the  members  of  the  General  Assembly 
was  fixed  at  $4  per  day,  and  thereafter  as  may  be  provided  by  law.  "No  mem- 
ber of  the  General  Assembly  shall,  during  his  term  of  office,  receive  any  increase 
of  salary,  or  mileage,  above  that  allowed  at  the  time  of  his  election." 

The  evils  of  local  and  special  legislation  being  patent,  the  passage  of  any 
law  not  general  in  its  provisions  was  prohibited. 

To  afford  protection  from  hasty  legislation,  it  was  required  that  all  bills 
should  be  printed;  that  only  one  subject  should  be  embraced  in  each  bill,  which 
should  be  clearly  expressed  in  its  title ;  that  it  should  be  read  on  three  different 
days  in  each  house  before  being  passed,  and  that  no  bill  should  be  introduced, 
except  for  the  general  expenses  of  the  Government,  after  the  first  twenty-five 
days  of  the  session. 

It  prohibited  the  passing  of  any  law  giving  extra  compensation,  to  any  public 
officer,  servant,  agent  or  employe,  after  services  rendered,  without  previous  au- 
thority of  law ;  "nor  is  any  officer  of  the  state  to  be  in  any  way  interested  in  any 
contracts  or  awards  by  which  the  legislative  and  other  departments  of  govern- 
ment are  furnished  with  stationery,  printing,  paper  and  fuel." 

"It  is  further  provided  that  no  appropriation  shall  be  made  to  any  denomina- 
tional, sectarian  or  any  other  institution  not  under  the  absolute  control  of  the 
State." 

The  District  Courts  were  invested  with  original  jurisdiction  to  hear  and  de- 
termine all  controversies  in  behalf  of  the  people,  concerning  the  rights,  duties 
and  liabilities  of  railroad,  telegraph  and  toll  road  companies  or  corporations.  A 
Supreme  Court,  composed  of  different  judges  from  those  of  the  District  Courts, 
was  created.  "This  court,"  it  was  explained,  "will  have  three  judges,  and  as 
constituted  will  obviate  the  objections  long  entertained  and  frequently  expressed 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  187 

against  our  present  system,  by  which  the  same  judge  who  presides  over  the  trial 
of  a  cause-  in  the  District  Court  sits  in  review  of  his  own  decision  in  the  Su- 
preme Court." 

The  judges  of  the  District  Courts  were  to  be  elected  for  six,  and  those  of 
the  Supreme  Court  for  nine  years. 

Instead  of  Probate  Courts,  County  Courts  were  created  for  every  county, 
with  probate  jurisdiction,  and  such  civil  and  criminal  jurisdiction  as  may  be 
prescribed  by  law,  their  civil  jurisdiction  being  limited  to  controversies  in  which 
the  amount  involved  does  not  exceed  the  siuii  of  two  thousand  dollars.  The 
judges  of  these  courts  were  to  be  elected  for  three  years. 

The  General  Assembly  was  empowered  to  create  Criminal  Courts  for  coun- 
ties having  a  population  exceeding  fifteen  thousand,  and  Police  Magistrates  for 
cities  and  towns. 

Justices  of  the  Peace  were  to  have  jurisdiction  to  the  amount  of  three  hun- 
dred dollars. 

The  general  supervision  of  the  public  schools  was  vested  in  a  Board  of  Edu- 
cation. 

The  maintenance  of  free  public  schools,  and  the  gratuitous  instruction  therein 
for  all  children  between  the  ages  of  six  and  twenty-one  years,  was  forever  guar- 
anteed. 

It  was  declared  that  the  public  school  fund  shall  forever  remain  inviolate 
and  intact :  "that  neither  the  State,  nor  any  county,  city,  town  or  school  district 
shall  ever  make  any  appropriation,  nor  pay  from  any  public  fund  any  thing  in 
aid  of,  or  to  help  support  any  school  or  institution  of  learning  of  any  kind  con- 
trolled by  any  church  or  sectarian  denomination  whatsoever;  that  no  religious 
test  shall  ever  be  required  as  a  condition  for  admission  into  any  of  the  public 
schools,  either  as  pupil  or  teacher;  that  no  religious  or  sectarian  dogmas  shall 
ever  be  taught  in  any  of  the  schools  under  the  patronage  of  the  State." 

A  state  census  was  to  be  taken  in  the  year  1885,  and  every  ten  years  there- 
after, which,  with  the  Federal  census  of  1880,  decennially  thereafter,  would  en- 
able the  General  Assembly  to  revise  and  correct  the  apportionment,  on  the  basis 
of  population,  every  five  years. 

It  provided  for  the  wiping  out  of  all  dormant  and  sham  corporations  claim- 
ing special  and  exclusive  privileges;  denied  the  General  Assembly  the  power  to 
create  corporations,  or  to  extend  or  enlarge  their  chartered  rights  by  special 
legislation,  or  to  make  such  rights  and  privileges  irrevocable. 

It  forbade  the  consolidation  of  parallel  and  competing  railroad  lines,  and  of 
all  unjust  and  unreasonable  discriminations  between  individuals  in  their  business 
with  such  corporations.  It  retained  the  jurisdiction  of  state  courts  in  case  of 
consolidation  of  a  corporation  within  the  state  with  any  foreign  corporation,  over 
that  part  of  the  corporate  property  within  the  limits  of  this  state. 

For  the  purpose  of  defraying  the  expenses  of  the  state,  a  tax  was  provided 
for,  not  in  any  case  to  e.xcced  six  mills  on  the  dollar,  with  restrictions,  that 
"when  the  valuation  of  property  within  the  state  shall  amount  to  one  hundred 
million  dollars,  the  rate  shall  not  exceed  four  mills,  and  when  the  valuation  shall 
amount  to  three  iiundrcd  million  dollars,  the  rate  shall  never  thereafter  exceed 
two  mills  on  each  dollar  of  valuation." 

Corporations   and   corporate  property,   real   and   personal,   were   required   to 


188  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

share  the  burden  of  taxation,  and  the  power  to  tax  the  same  was  never  to  be 
rehnquished    or   suspended. 

The  Legislature  was  prohibited  from  lending  the  credit  of  the  state  in  aid 
of  any  corporation,  either  by  loan  or  becoming  a  subscriber  to  any  stock,  or  a 
joint  owner  with  any  party,  except  in  case  of  forfeitures  and  escheats;  neither 
could  it  assume  any  debt  or  liability  of  any  party.  It  required  that  appropriations 
be  kept  within  the  limits  of  resources,  and  that  no  appropriations  be  made  unless 
assessments  were  made  sufficient  to  meet  them,  and  at  the  same  session  of  the 
Legislature. 

It  provided  that  the  General  Assembly  shall  not  by  special  law  remove  the 
county  seat  of  any  county,  but  that  the  location  of  county  seats  should  always 
remain  a  question  to  be  voted  on  by  the  qualified  electors  in  the  several  counties. 

It  prohibited  under  very  stringent  provisions  the  importation,  manufacture 
and  sale  of  all  spurious  or  adulterated  liquors. 

It  provided  liberally  for  the  amending  of  the  Constitution. 

In  submitting  the  document  to  the  people  the  committee  closed  its  appeal 
with  this  argument,  which  gives  a  clear  insight  into  the  insidious  nature  of  the 
opposition : 

"We  do  not  think  it  necessary  to  enter  into  an  elaborate  argument  to  show 
why  they  should  meet  your  approval;  believing  that  you  fully  appreciate  the 
inestimable  prize  secured  by  entering  the  sisterhood  of  states,  whereby  you  gain 
those  privileges  that  flow  only  from  that  form  of  government,  which  is  the 
offspring  of  your  choice,  completely  free  in  its  principles,  uniting  in  its  powers, 
security,  happiness  and  prosperity  of  the  whole  people.  But  it  is  easy  to  foresee 
that  from  difl^erent  causes,  and  from  dift'erent  sources,  an  eiifort  will  be  made, 
and  many  artifices  employed  to  weaken  in  your  minds  the  conviction  of  this  truth, 
and  we  may  reasonably  assume  that  the  chief  objection  made  to  a  state  govern- 
ment will  not  be  founded  upon  the  character  of  the  instrument  we  have  framed, 
but  upon  the  alleged  and  supposed  increase  of  expenses  and  consequent  taxation. 
This  is  the  old  cry,  and  however  potent  it  may  have  been  heretofore,  it  certainly 
has  lost  its  force  in  the  facts  of  the  present.  We  meet  this  objection  directly, 
by  conceding  that  a  state  government  will,  of  course,  involve  an  increased  ex- 
pense over  that  of  our  present  form,  but  we  assert  that  this  expense  will  be 
more  than  balanced  by  the  pecuniary  gain  alone  which  we  will  receive  by  be- 
coming a  state.  We  will  suppose  that  if  we  are  not  admitted  now,  we  will  not 
have  another  opportunity  of  admission  for  at  least  five  years.  The  increase  in 
our  expenses  under  a  State  government  will  be  about  $50,000  per  annum,  which, 
in  five  years,  will  amount  to  $250,000.  This  would  be  saved  to  us,  or,  more 
properly,  be  delayed  in  payment,  by  remaining  out  of  the  Union  five  years 
longer. 

"Now,  let  us  see  what  we  would  lose  in  that  time:  The  Act  of  Congress 
granting  Sections  Sixteen  and  Thirty-six  for  school  purposes  allows  the  State 
to  select  an  amount  of  public  land  equal  to  that  which  has  been  sold  out  of  said 
Sections  to  settlers  prior  to  survey.  Under  this  arrangement  we  will  be  entitled 
to  select  about  fifty  sections  of  land. 

"The  Enabling  Act  grants  fifty  other  sections  for  public  buildings,  fifty  sec- 
tions for  the  penitentiary,  and  seventy-two  sections  for  general  purposes — mak- 
ing a  total  of  two  hundred  and  twenty-two  sections,  or  one  hundred  and  forty-two 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  189 

thousand  and  eighty  acres  of  land,  which,  at  $2.50  per  acre,  amounts,  in  value, 
to  $385,200. 

"It  will  also  be  remembered  that,  upon  becoming  a  state,  Colorado  will  be 
entitled  to  five  hundred  thousand  acres  of  public  land  within  her  borders,  by 
virtue  of  a  grant  heretofore  made  by  Congress.  This  amount,  if  selected  now, 
would  be  worth  to  us  at  least  $500,000. 

"The  Enabling  Act  also  grants  the  State  five  per  cent,  of  the  proceeds  from 
the  sale  of  the  public  agricultural  lands  after  the  adoption  of  this  Constitution. 
The  amount  to  be  derived  from  this  source  for  the  next  five  years  would  ex- 
ceed one  hundred  thousand  dollars,  which,  added  to  the  value  of  the  land  above 
mentioned,  would  make  a  total  of  about  $1,000,000,  which  is  four  times  the  esti- 
mated amount  of  the  increased  expenses  of  the  State  for  this  period,  so  that 
we  would  really  gain  over  three-quarters  of  a  million  dollars  in  five  years  by 
becoming  a  State.  More  than  this,  the  revenues  from  sections  sixteen  and  thirty- 
six  will  save  the  whole  State,  in  our  school  taxes,  from  ten  to  twenty-five  thou- 
sand dollars  yearly,  making  a  saving  in  five  years  of  from  fifty  to  one  hundred 
thousand  dollars  in  addition  to  that  already  estimated.  Should  we  not  be  ad- 
mitted, and  remain  in  a  Territorial  condition  five  years  longer,  most,  if  not  all, 
the  public  agricultural  and  non-mineral  lands  in  Colorado,  which  are  worth  any- 
thing, will  have  been  sold  by  that  time,  so  that  there  being  none  left  for  selection, 
we  would  lose  all  this,  even  if  a  like  grant  should  be  renewed  at  the  end  of 
that  time.  No  one  will  doubt  this  statement  who  reflects  upon  the  small  amount 
of  public  agricultural  lands  now  left  within  our  territorial  limits,  and  considers 
the  probable  immigration  for  the  next  five  years.  The  five  per  cent,  alluded 
to  would,  from  the  same  cause,  like  the  lands  granted  in  the  Enabling  Act,  be 
forever  lost  to  Colorado,  and  we  would,  therefore,  at  the  end  of  that  time  be 
obliged  to  commence  our  statehood  with  increased  expenses,  and  at  a  dead  loss 
of  over  a  million  of  dollars  at  the  lowest  possible  estimate.  In  addition  to  these 
several  benefits  to  be  derived  by  our  admission  into  the  Union  at  this  time,  we 
would  also  call  your  attention  to  the  fact  that,  by  cutting  off  special  legislation, 
we  have  lessened  the  expenses  of  that  department  almost  one-half;  by  reducing 
the  number  of  petit  and  grand  jurors  the  expenses  of  the  judiciary  department 
are  greatly  reduced,  while  the  provisions  guarding  against  hasty  legislation  at 
the  close  of  the  sessions  of  the  General  Assembly,  will  prevent  great  squander- 
ing of  public  money,  and  in  many  cases  save  more  to  the  State  than  sufScient  to 
pay  the  per  diem  and  mileage  of  the  members  of  that  body." 

On  July  I,  1876,  the  vote  on  the  ratification  of  the  document  was:  For  the 
constitution,  15,443;  against,  4,062. 

The  authenticated  copy  of  the  constitution  with  the  certified  copy  of  the  vote 
was  taken  to  Washington  by  John  N.  Rcigart,  secretary  to  Governor  Routt. 

On  August  1st,  President  Grant  issued  the  proclamation  admitting  Colorado 
to  statehood. 


CHAPTER  X 
GROWTH  OF  THE  STATE  GOVERNMENT 

THE  EXECUTIVE  DEPARTMENT ROSTER  OF  ELECTIVE  STATE  OFFICERS REPRESENTA- 
TION IN  CONGRESS THE  MEMBERSHIP  OF  THE  SUPREME  BENCH DENVER  BE- 
COMES-THE  CAPITAL BUILDING  THE  STATE  HOUSE WHEN  THE  NEW  COUNTIES 

WERE  CREATED THE  STATE's   FINANCES AMENDING   THE   CONSTITUTION — THE 

INITIATIVE  AND  REFERENDUM RECALL   OF   DECISIONS THE   SUFFRAGE   AMEND- 
MENT  PROHIBITION CHANGES    IN    THE    FUNDAMENTAL    LAW 

The  executive  department  of  the  State  of  Colorado  consists  of  a  Governor. 
Lieutenant  Governor,  Secretary  of  State,  Auditor  of  State,  State  Treasurer, 
Attorney  General,  and  Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction,  each  of  whom 
holds  office  for  the  term  of  two  years,  beginning  on  the  second  Tuesday  of  Janu- 
ary next  after  his  election,  and  until  his  successor  is  elected  and  qualified. 

The  returns  of  every  election  for  state  officers  are  sealed  up  and  transmitted 
to  the  Secretary  of  State,  directed  to  the  Speaker  of  the  House  of  Representa- 
tives, who  immediately,  upon  the  organization  of  the  House  and  before  proceed- 
ing to  other  business,  opens  and  publishes  the  same  in  the  presence  of  a  majority 
of  the  members  of  both  houses  of  the  General  Assembly.  The  persons  having 
the  highest  number  of  votes  for  either  of  said  offices  are  declared  elected ;  but  if 
two  or  more  be  equal  and  highest  in  votes,  one  of  them  shall  be  chosen  to  the 
office  by  the  joint  votes  of  both  houses.  Contested  elections  for  these  offices  are 
determined  by  both  houses  of  the  General  Assembly  by  joint  ballot. 

The  age  requirement  for  Governor,  Lieutenant  Governor,  or  Superintendent 
of  Public  Instruction  is  thirty  years;  for  the  other  elective  officers  it  is  twenty-five 
years. 

The  Governor  nominates  and,  with  the  consent  of  the  Senate,  appoints  all 
officers  "whose  offices  are  established  by  this  Constitution,  or  which  may  be 
created  by  law,  and  whose  appointment  or  election  is  not  otherwise  provided 
for."  In  case  of  a  vacancy  in  any  office  which  is  not  elective  during  the  recess 
of  the  Senate,  the  Governor  makes  temporary  appointment  until  the  next  meet- 
ing of  the  Senate,  when  he  nominates  some  person  to  fill  such  office.  If  the 
office  of  Auditor  of  State,  State  Treasurer,  Secretary  of  State,  Attorney  General 
or  Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction  is  vacated  by  death,  resignation  or  other- 
wise, the  Governor  fills  the  same  by  appointment. 

The  Governor  has  power  to  grant  reprieves,  commutations  and  pardons  after 
conviction  for  all  offenses  except  treason  or  conviction  of  impeachment. 

The  Governor  may,  on  extraordinary  occasions,  convene  the  General  Assem- 

190 


192  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

bly  by  proclamation,  but,  at  such  special  sessions,  no  business  shall  be  trans- 
acted other  than  that  specially  named  in  the  proclamation. 

The  Governor  has  power  to  disapprove  of  any  item  or  items  of  any  bill  mak- 
ing appropriations  of  money. 

It  requires  a  two-thirds  vote  to  pass  a  measure  over  the  Governor's  veto. 

The  Lieutenant  Governor  in  case  of  death  or  disability  of  the  state  executive 
becomes  Governor.     He  presides  over  the  Senate. 

The  Auditor  and  Treasurer  are  not  eligible  for  these  offices  at  next  succeed- 
ing elections. 

Following  is  a  complete  roster  of  the  Governors,  Secretaries  of  State,  Audit- 
ors, Treasurers,  Attorney  Generals,  Superintendents  of  Public  Instruction,  mem- 
bers of  the  Supreme  Court,  U.  S.  Senators  and  Congressmen  elected  since  the 
granting  of  statehood: 

STATE    GOVERNORS 

John  L.  Routt,  (R) 1876-1879 

Frederick  W.  Pitkin,    (R) 1879-1883 

James  B.  Grant,  (D)    1883-1885 

Benjamin  H.  Eaton,   (R) 1885-1887 

Alva  Adams,    (D) , 1887-1889 

Job  A.  Cooper,  (R) 1889-1891 

John  L.  Routt,  (R) 1891-1893 

David  A.  Waite,   (P) 1893-1895 

Albert  W.  Mclntyre,  (R)    1895-1897 

Alva  Adams,    (D) 1897-1899 

Charles  S.  Thomas,  (D)   1899-1901 

James  B.  Orman,   (D)    1901-1903 

James  H.  Peabody,  (R) 1903-1905 

Alva  Adams,  (D)  (Sixty-six  days)   1905 

James  H.  Peabody,  (R)   (One  day) 1905 

Jesse  F.  McDonald,   (R) 1905-1907 

Henry  A.  Buchtel,    (R) 1907-1909 

John  F.  Shafroth,  (D)   1909-1913 

Elias  Ammons,   (D) 1913-1915 

George  A.  Carlson,  (R) 1915-1917 

Julius  C.  Gunter,  (D)    1917-1919 

U.   S.  SENATORS  OF  COLORADO 

Henry  M.  Teller,   (R) 1876-1882 

Jerome  B.  Chaffee,   (R) 1876-1879 

Nathaniel  P.  Hill,  (R) 1879-1885 

George  M.  Chilcott   (R).... 1882 

Horace  A.  W.  Tabor  (R) 1883 

Thomas  M.  Bowen,  (R) 1883-1889 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 


193 


Henry  M.  Teller,  (R)  and  (D) 1885-1909 

Edward  O.  Wolcott  (R) 1889-1901 

Thomas  M.  Patterson,  (D) 1901-1907 

Simon  Guggenheim,   (R) 1907-1913 

Charles  J.  Hughes,  Jr.,  (D) 1909 

Charles  S.  Thomas,   (D) 1913- 

John  F.  Shafroth,  (D) 1913- 

SECRETARIES  OF  STATE 

Wm.  M.  Clark  (R) 1876-1879  Elmer  F.  Beckwith  (D) 1899-1901 

N.  H.  Meldrum  (R) 1879-1883  David  A.  Mills   (D) 1901-1903 

Melvin  Edwards   (R) 1883-1887  James   Cowie    (R) 1903-1907 

James  Rice  (R) 1887-1891  Timothy  O'Connor  (R) . . . .  1907-1909 

E.  J.  Eaton   (R) 1891-1893  James  B.  Pierce   (D) 1909-1915 

N.  O.   McClees    (P) 1893-1895  John  E.  Ramer  (R) 1915-1917 

A.  B.  McGaffey    (Rj 1895-1897  James  R.  Noland  (D) 1917- 

Charles  H.  S.  Whipple  (D) .  1897-1899 

AUDITORS 


D.  C.   Crawford    (R) 1876-1879 

E.  K.  Stimson  (R) 1879-1881 

Jos.  A.   Davis    (R) 1881-1883 

J.  C.  Abbott  (R) 1883-1885 

H.  A.   Spruance   (R) 1885-1887 

D.  P.   Kingsley   (R) 1887-1889 

Louis   Schwanbeck    (R) . . . .  1889-1891 
J.  M.  Henderson  (R) 1891-1893 

F.  M.  Goodykoontz  (P) . . .  .  1893- 1895 

C.  C.  Parks   (R) 1895-1897 

John  W.  Lowell   (R) 1897-1899 


George  W.  Temple  (R) . . . .  1899-1901 

Chas  W.  Crouter  (R) 1901-1903 

John  A.  Holmberg  (R) 1903-1905 

Alfred  E.  Bent   (R) 1905-1907 

George  D.  Statler  (R) 1907-1909 

Ready    Kenehan    (D) 1909-191 1 

M.  A.  Leddy  (D) 1911-1913 

Roady  Kenehan  (D) 1913-1915 

Harry  E.   Mulnix    (R) 1915-1917 

Charles  H.  Leckenby  (D) . .  1917-1919 


TREASURERS 


George  C.  Corning  (R) 1876-1879 

N.  S.  Culver  (R) 1879-1881 

W.  C.  Saunders  (R) 1881-1883 

Fred  Walson   (R) 1883-1885 

G.  R.  Swallow  (R) 1885-1887 

P.  W.  Brecne    (R) 1887-1889 

W.  H.  Brisbane  (R)    1889-1891 

James  N.  Carlile  (R) 1891-1893 

Albert  Nance   (P) 1893-1895 

H.  E.  Mulnix  (R) 1895-1897 

George  W.  Kephart   (D) ..  .1897-1899 


John  H.  Fesler  (D) . . . 
James  N.  Chipley  (R) . 
Wliitney  Newton  (R).. 
John  A.  Holmberg  (R) 
Alfred  E.  Bent  (R).... 
Wm.  J.  Galligan  (D).. 
Roady  Kenehan  (D) . . . 
Michael  A.  Leddy  (D) 
Allison  E.  Stocker  (R) 
Robert  H.  Higgins  (D) 


1899-1901 
1901-1903 
1903- 1905 
190S-1907 
I 907- I 909 
1(^9-1911 
1911-1913 

I9i3-i9'5 
1915-1917 
1917-1919 


194 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

SUPERINTENDENTS    OF     PUBLIC     INSTRUCTION 


J.  C.  Shattuck  (R) 1876-1881      Mrs.  A.  J.  Peavey   (R) . . . .  1895-1897 

L.  S.  Cornell  (R) 1881-1883 

J.  C.  Shattuck   (R) 1883-1885 

L.  S.  Cornell  (R) 1885-1889 

Fred  Dick  (R) 1889-1891 

N.  B.   Coy    (D) 1891-1893 

J.  F.  Murray   (P) 1893-1895 


Grace  Espey  Patton   (D)  . . .  1897-1899 

Helen  L.  Grenfell   (D) 1899-1905 

Katherine  L.  Craig  (R) 1905-1909 

Katherine  M.  Cook  (D) 1909-19 11 

Helen  M.  Wixon  (R) 1911-1013 

Mary  C.  C.  Bradford  {D)..i9i3- 


ATTORNEYS    GENERAL 


A.  J.  Sampson  (R) 1876-1870 

C.  W.  Wright   (R) 1879-1881 

C.  H.  Toll   (R) 18S1-1883 

D.  C.  Urmy  (R) 1883-1885 

T.  H.  Thomas  (R) 1885-1887 

Alvin  Marsh  (R) 1887-1889 

S.  W.  Jones  (R) 1889-1891 

J.  H.   Maupin    (D) 1891-1893 

E.  Engley   (D) 1893-1895 


Byron  L.  Carr  (R)   1895-1899 

David  M.  Campbell  (R) .  . .  .  1899-1901 

Charles  C.  Post   (R) 1901-1903 

Nathan  C.  Miller  (R) 1903-1907 

\Vm.  H.  Dickson   (R) 1907-1909 

John   T.  Barnett    (D) i90<M9i  i 

Benjamin  Griffith  (R)    191 1-1913 

Fred  Farrar  (D) 1913-1917 

Leslie  E.  Hubbard   (D)....19I7- 


SUPREME    COURT 


Elected  in 

E.  T.  Wells  (R) 1876 

Henr>'   C.  Thatcher   (R) 1876 

Samuel  H.  Elbert  (R) 1876 

Wilbur  F.  Stone  (D) 1877 

William  E.  Beck  (R) 1879 

Jqs.  C.  Helm  (R) 1882  a-id  1891 

Samuel   H.    Elbert    (R.) 1886 

Charles  D.   Hayt    (R) 1888 

\'ictor  A.  Elliott  (R) 1888 

L.  M.  Goddard  (R) 1892 

Wm.  H.  Gabbert  (R) 1892 

John    Campbell    (R) 1894 

Robert  W.  Steele  (D) 1900 


Elected  in 

*Julius  C.  Gunter  (D) 1905 

*John  M.   Maxwell    (R) 1905 

*George  W.   Bailey    (R) 1905 

Charles  F.  Caswell  ( R ) 1904 

George  W.  Musser  (D) 1908 

S.  Harrison  White  (D) 1908 

William  A.  Hill  (D) 1908 

Morton  S.  Bailey  (D) 1908 

James  E.  Garrigues   (R) 1910 

Tully    Scott    (D) 1912 

James  H.  Teller   (D  ) 1914 

George  W.  Allen    (R) 1916 


CONGRESSIONAL   REPRESENTATIVES 

In  1876,  when  admitted  to  statehood,  Colorado  was  entitled  to  two  United 
States  senators,  one  congressman,  and  three  presidential  electors.  In  1890 
the  state  was  entitled  to  two  representatives  in  Congress.  In  1900  this  had 
grown  to  three,  with  the  state  fairly  apportioned,  giving  the  Western  Slope 
one  representative,  the  southern  part  of  the  state  one,  and  the  eastern  pan  of 
the  state  one.     The   first  congressman   was   James   B.   Belford,   republican,    for 


*  Transferred    from  Court  of  .Appeals. 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  195 

the  short  term,  Thomas  M.  Patterson,  democrat,  succeeding  him  for  the  long 
term.  Congressman  Belford  was  returned  to  the  forty-sixth,  forty-seventh,  and 
forty-eighth  congresses.  George  G.  Symes,  repubhcan,  succeeded  him  in  the 
forty-ninth  and  fiftieth.  Hosea  Townsend,  repubhcan,  was  elected  to  the  Sfty- 
first  and  fifty-second  congresses.  In  the  fifty-third  Congress,  1893,  John  C. 
Bell,  republican,  represented  the  second  congressional  district,  and  Lafe  Pence, 
populist,  the  first.  In  1895,  the  fifty-fourth  Congress,  John  C.  Bell  and  John 
F.  Shafroth,  republicans,  were  the  state  representatives,  serving  together  until 
1903.  In  that  year  and  in  1905  the  state  elected  Robert  W.  Bonynge,  Herschel  M. 
Hogg  and  Franklin  E.  Brooks,  the  latter  at-large. 

For  the  sixtieth  Congress,  1907-9,  the  Colorado  congressmen  were  George  W. 
Cook,  at-large,  Robert  W.  Bonynge,  and  Warren  A.  Haggott.  For  the  sixty-first 
and  sixty-second  congresses  the  delegation  was  Edward  T.  Taylor,  Atterson  \\'. 
Rucker,  and  John  A.  Martin,  all  democrafs. 

The  General  Assembly,  1913,  divided  the  state  into  four  districts: 

First,  the  City  and  County  of  Denver. 

Second:  Adams,  Arapahoe,  Boulder,  Cheyenne,  Douglas,  Elbert,  El  Paso, 
Kit  Carson,  Larimer,  Lincoln,  Logan.  Morgan,  Phillips.  Sedgwick,  Washington, 
Weld  and  Yuma. 

Third :  .Alamosa,  Baca,  Clear  Creek,  Conejos,  Costilla,  Crowley,  Custer,  Fre- 
mont, Gilpin,  Huerfano,  Jefferson,  Kiowa,  Las  Animas,  Alineral,  Otero,  Park. 
Prowers,  Pueblo,  Rio  Grande,  Saguache  and  Teller. 

Fourth :  Archuleta,  Chaffee,  Delta,  Dolores,  Eagle,  Garfield,  Grand.  Gunni- 
son, Hinsdale,  Jackson,  Lake,  La  Plata,  Mesa,  Moffat,  Montezuma,  Montrose, 
Ouray,  Pitkin,  Rio  Blanco.  Routt,  San  Juan,  San  Miguel  and  Summit. 

At  the  election  of  1912  Edward  T.  Taylor  and  Edward  Keating  were  elected 
at-large,  George  J.  Kindel  and  H.  H.  Seldomridge  representing  the  First  and 
Second  districts.     The  entire  delegation  was  democratic. 

For  the  sixty-fourth  and  the  present  Congress  the  delegation  is :  First,  B.  C. 
Hilliard,  democrat;  Second,  Charles  B.  Timberlake,  republican;  Third,  Edward 
Keating,  democrat ;   Fourth,   Edward  T.  Taylor,   democrat. 

DENVER   BECOMES   C.VPITAI. 

On  November  8,  1881,  the  people  of  Colorado  by  an  overwhelming  vote  made 
Denver  the  permanent  caj^ital  of  the  state.  The  matter  of  locating  the  capital 
was  wisely  left  open  by  the  men  who  framed  the  constitution.  They,  however, 
made  Denver  the  temporary  seat  of  state  government,  stipulating  that  "the 
General  Assembly  shall  have  no  power  to  change  or  locate  the  seat  of  govern- 
ment of  the  state,  but  shall  at  its  first  session  subsequent  to  1880  provide  by  law 
for  submitting  the  question"  to  the  people  of  the  state. 

After  this  selection  is  made  the  constitution  provides  that  it  can  be  changed 
only  by  a  two-thirds  vote  of  the  electors. 

And  in  the  election  which  followed  30,248  votes  were  cast  for  Denver,  6,047 
for  Pueblo,  4,790  for  Colorado  Springs,  2jSS  for  Canon  City,  and  i  ,()00  votes 
scattered  in  the  interests  of  manv  other  a^])irants  for  the  honor. 


•» 


196  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

ERECTING  THE  STATE    HOUSE 

The  effort  to  erect  a  state  house  began  in  1867,  when  a  commission  appointed 
by  the  Legislature  secured  from  Henry  C.  Brown,  of  Denver,  the  deed  to  two 
entire  city  blocks,  bounded  by  Colfax  and  Fourteenth  avenues  and  Grand  and 
Lincoln  streets.  In  1883  the  capitol  "Board  of  Directors  and  Supervisors"  pur- 
chased for  $100,000  the  city  block  bounded  by  Colfax,  Broadway,  Fourteenth 
and  Lincoln,  thus  completing  the  present  site. 

Other  sites  were  given  which  later  created  a  fund  used  in  the  construction 
of  the  present  beautiful  building.  But  the  early  capitol  commissions,  particu- 
larly that  of  1867,  were  made  up  of  men  opposed  to  Denver. 

In  1874  there  was  still  a  strong  sentiment,  particularly  in  the  southern  part 
of  the  state,  against  the  selection  of  Denver.  The  growth  of  the  present  capital 
had  been  phenomenal,  and  it  was  plainly  the  logical  site  for  the  seat  of  govern- 
ment. The  feeling,  however,  was  yet  too  strong  to  permit  of  a  decision  in  the 
constitutional  convention.  In  1874  a  board  consisting  of  M.  Benedict,  of  Den- 
ver, J.  H.  Blum,  of  Trinidad,  and  J.  H.  Pinkerton,  of  Evans,  was  appointed  to 
carry  out  the  legislative  act  to  erect  a  building  on  the  Brown  site  and  have  it 
ready  for  occupancy  January  i,  1876.  The  officials  of  the  territory  were  now 
realizing  the  necessity  for  housing  the  departments  under  one  building,  for  at 
the  time  they  were  located  in  widely  separated  office  buildings  of  Denver.  The 
matter  of  fire-proof  vaults  for  records,  the  difficulty  of  getting  officials  together 
for  conferences,  the  many  delays  and  annoyances,  were  under  constant  consid- 
eration. The  board  again  found  that  it  lacked  funds  for  the  work,  and  so  awaited 
the  coming  of  statehood. 

The  third  General  Assembly,  under  constitutional  direction,  did  more  than 
put  the  matter  of  location  to  a  vote.  It  authorized  a  levy  of  one-half  mill  for  a 
permanent  state  building  fund.  When  the  fourth  General  Assembly  met  the 
location  had  been  voted  on  and  the  first  tax  fund  was  about  to  become  available. 
It  authorized  the  immediate  selection  of  "The  Board  of  Directors  and  Super- 
visors," with  the  Governor  as  chairman,  ex  officio,  and  Alfred  Butters,  George 
W.  Kassler,  E.  S.  Nettleton,  John  L.  Routt,  Dennis  Sullivan  and  W.  W.  Web- 
ster, members,  to  erect  a  wing  of  the  new  capitol.  There  were  at  once  available 
Si50,ocx)  voted  by  the  Legislature  and  an  authorized  bond  issue  of  $300,000. 
The  board  decided  it  could  not  "build  properly"  with  the  moneys  at  hand,  The 
fifth  General  Assembly  voted  not  to  exceed  a  million  and  asked  for  occupancy 
January   i,   1890. 

In  the  competition  which  followed  the  plans  adopted  were  those  of  E.  E. 
Myers,  of  Detroit.  The  eastern  contractors  failed  to  carry  out  their  agree- 
ment, and  the  construction  was  finally  turned  over  to  Denver  men,  among  whom 
•was  David  Seerie,  a  prominent  builder,  who  died  early  in  19 18. 

Gunnison  County  granite  was  used  and  added  greatly  to  the  cost. 

The  Board  of  Capitol  Managers  appointed  in  1890  comprised  the  Governor, 
ex  officio.  Benjamin  F.  Crowell,  Charles  J.  Hughes,  Jr.,  Otto  Mears  and  John  L. 
Routt,  with  full  power  to  erect  a  magnificent  structure.  The  board  finally  ex- 
pended about  $3,400,000  on  the  building,  which  is  thought  by  the  ablest  building 
experts  of  the  country  to  be  not  only  one  of  the  most  beautiful,  but,  considering 
results,  one  of  the  most  economically  constructed  state  houses  in  the  country. 


f—t 
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198  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

The  corner  stone  was  laid  by  the  State  Grand  Lodge  of  Masons,  on  July  4th, 
1890,  and  the  first  offices  were  occupied  late  in  1894. 

In  1897  a  State  Board  of  Capitol  Managers  was  created  under  an  entirely 
new  enactment,  but  its  existence  was  limited  to  the  time  when  the  capitol  building 
would  be  completed. 

In  191 7  this  Board  of  Capitol  Managers  was  made  a  permanent  body. 

CREATING  NEW   COUNTIES 

The  following  are  the  counties  created  after  the  first  territorial  apportion- 
ment : 

Archuleta  County  was  taken  from  the  western  part  of  Conejos  County,  on 
April  14.  1885,  its  county  seat  being  fixed  at  Pagosa  Springs.  The  state  honored 
J.  M.  Archuleta,  Jr.,  head  of  one  of  the  old  Spanish  families,  in  this  designation. 

Baca  County  was  created  April  16,  1889,  and  named  in  honor  of  the  Mexican 
Baca  family,  residents  of  Trinidad.  It  was  created  from  the  eastern  part  of 
Las  Animas  County.     Its  county  seat  is  Springfield. 

In  the  naming  and  creating  of  Bent  County  out  of  part  of  Pueblo  County, 
the  Legislature  of  1870  honored  the  old  traders  of  the  Santa  Fe  Trail.  Its 
county  seat  is  at  Las  Animas. 

Chaffee  County,  segregated  from  Lake  County,  was  created  in  1879,  and 
named  in  honor  of  one  of  Colorado's  first  senators.  Its  county  seat  is  Buena 
Vista. 

On  April  11,  1889,  Cheyenne  County  was  formed  out  of  part  of  Elbert  and 
Bent  counties.  It  was  the  old  rendezvous  of  the  Cheyennes.  Its  coimty  seat 
is  Cheyenne  Wells. 

Delta  was  segregated  from  Gunnison,  February  11,  1883.  Delta,  formerly 
known  as  Uncompahgre,  is  the  county  seat. 

Dolores  County  was  taken  from  Ouray  County,  February  19,  1881.  Its 
county  seat  is  Rico.     It  is  named  after  its  principal  stream,  the  Rio  Dolores. 

Eagle  County  was  organized  February  11,  1883,  and  was  formerly  part  of 
Summit  County.  Redclifif  is  the  county  seat.  It  is  named  after  its  principal 
river. 

Elbert  County,  named  after  Governor  Elbert,  was  organized  February  2, 
1874,  out  of  Douglas  County.     Kiowa  is  the  county  seat. 

Garfield,  taken  from  Summit  County,  was  organized  February  10,  1883.  It 
was  named  after  the  late  President  James  A.  Garfield.  Its  county  seat  is  Glen- 
wood  Springs. 

Grand  County  takes  its  name  from  the  Grand  River,  and  was  organized 
February  21,  1874.     Hot  Sulphur  Springs  is  the  county  seat. 

Gunnison  County,  named  after  Captain  Gunnison,  was  segregated  out  of 
part  of  Lake  County,  March  g,  1877.     Its  county  seat  is  Gunnison. 

Hinsdale  County  was  established  in  1874.  when  the  Legislature  created  three 
new  counties  out  of  the  region  known  as  the  San  Juan.  Its  county  seat  is  Lake 
City.  The  others  were  Rio  Grande  and  La  Plata,  both  named  after  the  rivers 
of  the  southern  part  of  the  state.  George  A.  Hinsdale,  a  former  lieutenant 
governor,  and  famous  as  a  jurist,  is  the  sponsor  for  Hinsdale  County.  Del 
Norte  is  the  county  seat  of  Rio  Grande  and  Durango  is  La  Plata's  county  seat. 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  199 

The  northern  part  of  Bent  County  was  taken  to  form  Kiowa  County,  April 
II,  1889.     This  was  the  old  stamping  ground  of  the  Kiowa  Indians. 

Las  Animas  County  was  created  out  of  the  southeastern  part  of  Huerfano 
County,  February  9,  1866.     Trinidad  is  its  county  seat. 

Logan  County,  named  for  Maj.  Gen.  John  A.  Logan,  was  created  out  of  part 
of  Weld  County,  February  25,  1887.     County  seat  is  Sterling. 

Mesa  County,  taking  its  name  from  the  Grand  Mesa,  was  created  out  of  part 
of  Gunnison  County,  February  14,  1883.     Its  county  seat  is  Grand  Junction. 

Mineral  County,  taken  from  Rio  Grande,  Hinsdale  and  Saguache  counties, 
was  created  March  27,  1897.     Its  county  seat  is  Creede. 

Montezuma  County  was  created  out  of  the  western  part  of  La  Plata  County, 
April  16,  1889.     Its  county  seat  is  Cortez. 

Montrose  County  was  created  out  of  the  western  part  of  Gunnison,  February 
II.  1883.     Its  county  seat  is  Montrose. 

Morgan  County,  named  for  Col.  Christopher  A.  Morgan,  a  Civil  War  hero, 
was  created  out  of  part  of  Weld  County,  February  19,  1889.  Its  county  seat  is 
Fort  Morgan. 

Otero  County,  named  in  honor  of  Miguel  Otero,  descended  from  an  old 
Spanish  family,  was  taken  from  the  western  part  of  Bent  County,  March  25, 
1889.     Its  county  seat  is  La  Junta. 

Ouray  County  was  taken  from  the  northern  part  of  San  Juan,  January  18, 
1877,  and  is  named  after  the  famous  Ute  chief.    Its  county  seat  is  Ouray. 

Phillips  County,  named  after  a  local  citizen,  was  created  out  of  the  southern 
part  of  I^gan  County,  March  27,  1889.     Its  county  seat  is  Holyoke. 

Pitkin  County,  taken  from  the  northern  part  of  Gunnison  County,  February 
23.  1881,  is  named  after  Governor  F.  W.  Pitkin.     Its  county  seat  is  Aspen. 

Prowers  County,  created  from  the  eastern  part  of  Bent  County,  named  after 
the  late  John  W.  Prowers,  a  pioneer,  was  organized  April  11,  1889.  Its  county 
seat  is  Lamar. 

Rio  Blanco  County  was  created  out  of  the  northern  part  of  Garfield  County, 
March  25,  1889.     Its  county  seat  is  Meeker. 

Routt  County  was  taken  from  Grand  County,  January  29,  1877,  and  named 
after  John  L.  Routt,  last  governor  of  the  territory,  and  first  of  the  state.  Its 
county  seat  is  Hahns  Peak. 

Saguache  County  was  taken  out  of  the  northern  part  of  Costilla  County, 
December  29,  1866.  It  is  named  after  the  river  course  and  the  mountain  chain 
within  its  borders.     Its  county  seat  is  Saguache. 

San  Juan  County  was  taken  from  the  northern  part  of  La  Plata,  January  31, 
1876.  It  derives  its  name  from  the  .San  Juan  Range.  Its  county  seat  is  Sil- 
verton. 

San  Miguel  County,  named  from  its  principal  mountain  and  stream,  was 
created  out  of  the  western  part  of  Ouray,  February  27,  1883.  Its  courty  seat  is 
Telluride. 

Sedgwick  County,  named  after  Gen.  John  Sedgwick,  was  taken  from  part  of 
Logan  Cotmty,  April  9,  1889.     Its  county  seat  is  Julesburg. 

Washington  County  was  taken  from  Weld  County,  February  9.  1887.  Its 
countv  seat  is  Akron. 


200  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

Yuma  County,  named  for  the  Town  of  Yuma,  was  created  from  the  eastern 
part  of  Washington  County,  March  15,  1889.     Its  county  seat  is  Wray. 

Adams  County  was  created  out  of  part  of  Arapahoe  County,  April  15,  1901. 
It  is  named  in  honor  of  former  Governor  Alva  Adams.  Its  county  seat  is 
Brighton. 

Jackson  County  was  created  out  of  part  of  Larimer  County,  May  5,  1909. 
Its  county  seat  is  Walden. 

Kit  Carson  County  was  created  out  of  part  of  Elbert  County,  April  11,  1889, 
and  is  named  after  the  famous  frontiersman.     Its  county  seat  is  Burlington. 

Lincoln  County  was  created  out  of  part  of  Elbert  and  Bent  counties,  April 
II,  1889.     Its  county  seat  is  Hugo. 

Teller  County,  named  in  honor  of  the  late  Senator  Teller,  was  created  out 
of  El  Paso  and  Fremont  counties,  March  23,  1899.  Its  county  seat  is  Cripple 
Creek. 

Crowley  County,  named  in  honor  of  State  Senator  Crowley,  was  created 
May  29,  191 1,  out  of  part  of  Otero  and  Kiowa  counties.  Its  county  seat  is 
Ordway. 

Alamosa  County  was  created  out  of  parts  of  Conejos  and  Costilla  counties, 
March  8,  1913.     Its  county  seat  is  Alamosa. 

Moffat  County,  named  in  honor  of  David  H.  Moffat,  was  created  February 
28,  191 1,  out  of  part  of  Routt  County.     Its  county  seat  is  Craig. 

FINANCES  OF  THE  STATE 

The  State  of  Colorado  derives  its  main  income  from  the  4-niill  levy,  which 
in  191 7  was  $2,509,037.89.  This  is  now,  and  has  been  since  1913,  assessed  on  a 
full  valuation.  From  inheritance  tax  the  state  received  in  1917  $358,330.15;  the 
insurance  department,  after  defraying  its  own  expenses  of  operation,  turned 
over  to  the  general  fund  $247,500.  The  interest  on  bank  deposits,  which  range 
from  2J/2  per  cent  for  daily  balances  to  3  per  cent  on  deposits,  amounted  in  1917 
to  $65,346.31.  The  Board  of  Land  Commissioners  turned  in  for  1917  the  total 
of  $1,196,165.59.  This  represented  the  sums  paid  on  state  lands  from  sales, 
rentals,  royalties  and  fees  allowed  for  transaction  of  business.  Out  of  this  total 
part  of  the  land  board  expense  is  paid,  but  the  bulk  of  it  goes  for  educational  and 
road-building  purposes,  under  constitutional  acts  and  original  grants  in  the 
enabling  act,  which  have  been  covered  in  another  chapter.  Under  an  act  passed 
by  the  General  Assembly  in  1915,  revised  in  1917,  the  land  board  now  has  power 
to  make  farm  loans  from  school  funds.  The  loaning  power  is  carefully  circum- 
scribed in  the  legislative  enactment. 

The  state  received  in  191 7  from  the  premiums  on  compensation  insurance, 
under  the  state  compensation  insurance  act  of  1915,  $183,683.19.  This  is  used  to 
pay  indemnities  and  death  benefits  under  that  act.  The  state  oil  inspector  turned 
into  the  state  treasury  in  1917,  $34,817.78.  This  was  from  fees  of  one-tenth  of  a 
cent  per  gallon  of  all  oils  used  in  the  state.  Of  this  sum,  $27,299.67  went  into  the 
general  fund. 

The  state's  share  of  the  motor  vehicle  tax  for  1917  was  $134,982.46.  This  is 
used  exclusively  for  road-building  purposes.     The  other  half  collected  goes  to 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  201 

the  various  counties  in  which  it  originates,  and  is  used  by  them  for  road-building 
purposes. 

The  fees  collected  by  the  Secretary  of  State  for  1917,  all  of  which  goes  into 
the  general  fund,  was  $217,000.  This  includes  the  flat  tax  paid  by  corporations. 
The  corporation  tax  for  1918  under  the  act  passed  at  the  extra  session  of  1917 
will  go  to  pay  the  interest  on  the  authorized  bond  issue  of  two  and  a  half  millions 
passed  at  the  extra  session  as  a  war  emergency  measure.  The  excess  above 
required  interest  will  form  a  sinking  fund  to  retire  the  bonds. 

The  coal  mine  inspection  fund  in  1917  amounted  to  $39,954.38.  This  is  used 
exclusively  to  pay  expense  of  protection  of  employes  and  inspection  of  coal 
mines.  It  is  a  tax  of  a  third  of  i  cent  on  the  tonnage  shipped.  The  "Brand" 
department  fees  collected  by  the  Board  of  Live  Stock  Commissioners  in  1917 
amounted  to  $44,628.27,  used  only  for  the  up-keep  of  that  department. 

The  State  Game  and  Fish  Department  turned  in  $68,850.76,  fees  from  hunt- 
ing and  fishing  licenses.     This  is  used  exclusively  for  the  department. 

The  escheat  for  1917  amounted  to  $19,153.14.  After  twenty-one  years  this 
goes  to  the  school  fund.  The  United  States  Forest  Reserve  turned  in  to  the 
state  in  191 7  $76,594.93,  which  is  25  per  cent  of  the  earnings  of  the  forests  in  the 
state.  The  state  received  from  tuition  fees,  earnings  and  miscellaneous  fees  from 
educational  and  penal  institutions  and  state  departments  the  sum  of  $372,059.27. 

The  various  trust  and  permanent  funds  of  the  state  earned  in  19 17  from 
interest   on   state  bonds   and   warrants,   $118,337.06. 

The  military  department,  from  rental  of  armories,  poll  tax,  etc.,  turned  into 
the  state  treasury  $106,896.48. 

Including  the  sale  of  $791,500  of  the  war  bond  issue,  the  state  received  in  1917 
a  total  of  $6,639,569.26. 

now  THE  COXSTITUTIO.N'   II.-\S  RKEN  .\MENDED 

The  Initiative  and  Referendum  was  submitted  to  the  voters  in  November, 
1910,  and  carried  by  a  vote  of  89,141  to  28,698.  By  this  amendment  "8  per  cent 
of  the  legal  voters  shall  be  required  to  propose  any  measure  by  petition."  The 
referendum  may  be  ordered,  "except  as  to  laws  necessary  for  the  immediate 
preservation  of  the  public  peace,  health  or  safety."  by  5  per  cent  of  the  voters 
or  by  the  General  Assembly.  The  initiative  and  referendum  is  expressly  re- 
served to  all  cities,  towns  and  municipalities  as  to  all  local,  special  and  municipal 
legislation.  The  initiative  rcciuires  in  these  instances  a  10  per  cent  petition,  the 
referendum  one  containing  15  per  cent  of  the  names  of  legal  voters.  This  was 
an  amendment  to  Article  V,  Section  i,  of  the  constitution. 

On  November  10,  1910,  by  a  vote  of  39,245  for  to  31,047  against,  the  people 
amended  Article  V,  Section  6,  providing  a  payment  of  $1,000  to  each  legislator 
and  traveling  expenses  for  the  biennial  period.  This  is  paid  at  the  rate  of  $7  per 
day  of  service,  with  the  balance  payable  at  the  end  of  the  biennial  period. 

Article  V,  Section  19,  was  amended  in  November,  1884,  providing  "that  no 
bill  except  the  general  appropriation  hill  for  the  expenses  of  the  Govcrnnient, 
only,  which  shall  be  introduced  in  cither  hou.se  of  the  General  .Assembly  after 
the  first  thirty — it  had  been  twenty-five — days  of  the  session,  shall  become  a  law. 

In  1916  this  was  limited  bv  amendment  to  fifteen  days. 


202  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

On  November  7,  1884,  Article  V,  Section  22,  was  amended  to  read :  "Every 
bill  shall  be  read  at  length  on  three  different  days  in  each  house." 

The  "eight-hour"  amendment  was  adopted  in  November,  1902,  by  a  vote  of 
72,980  for  and  26,266  against.  It  provided  eight  hours'  labor  "for  persons  em- 
ployed in  underground  mines  or  underground  workings,  blast  furnaces,  smelters, 
and  any  ore  reduction  works  or  other  branch  of  industry  or  labor  that  the 
General  Assembly  may  consider  injurious  or  dangerous  to  health,  life  or  limb." 

On  November  7,  1882,  by  a  vote  of  32,861  for  and  8,378  against,  Article  V, 
Section  30,  which  fixed  the  salaries  of  the  Governor  and  judges  of  the  Supreme 
and  District  courts,  the  latter  at  $4,000,  the  former  at  $5,000  each,  and  which 
provided  that  "no  law  shall  extend  the  term  of  any  public  officer  or  increase  or 
diminish  his  salary  or  emolument  after  his  election  or  appointment"  was 
amended.  It  provided  in  its  new  form  that  "this  shall  not  be  construed  to  forbid 
the  General  Assembly  to  fix  the  salary  or  emolument  of  those  first  elected  or  ap- 
pointed under  this  constitution." 

In  November,  1908,  the  amendment  to  increase  salaries  of  Governor  and 
judges  of  the  Supreme  and  District  courts  was  voted  down. 

Article  6,  that  defining  the  duties  and  powers  of  the  jtidiciary,  was  first 
amended  on  November  21,  1886,  to  read:  "The  judicial  powers  of  the  state  as 
to  matters  of  law  and  equity,  except  as  in  the  constitution  otherwise  provided, 
shall  be  vested  in  a  Supreme  Court,  justices  of  the  peace  and  such  other  courts  as 
may  be  provided  by  law."  It  had  read,  "and  such  other  courts  as  may  be  created 
by  law  for  cities  and  incorporated  towns." 

On  November  5,  1912,  by  initiative  petition,  .this  article  was  again  ainended. 
the  vote  being  55,416  for  and  40,891  against.  This  is  the  now  famous  clause,  giv- 
ing the  people  the  power  of  reviewing  certain  court  decisions.  It  provides  that 
"None  of  said  courts,  except  the  Supreme  Court,  shall  have  any  power  to  declare 
or  adjudicate  any  law  of  this  state  or  any  city  charter  or  amendment  thereto 
adopted  by  the  people  in  cities  acting  under  Article  XX  (the  Denver  charter) 
hereof  as  in  violation  of  the  constitution  of  the  state  or  of  the  United  States; 
provided  that  before  such  decision  shall  be  binding  it  shall  be  subject  to  ap- 
proval or  disapproval  by  the  people."  Within  sixty  days  5  per  cent  of  the  voters 
of  the  state  can  obtain  submission  of  the  decision  to  the  people  of  the  state. 

On  November  2,  1886,  Article  YI,  Section  2,  was  amended  to  read:  "It  (the 
Supreme  Court)  shall  have  power  to  issue  writs  of  habeas  corpus,  mandamus,  quo 
warranto,  certiorari,  injunction  and  other  remedial  writs,  etc."  This  had  read 
"other  original  and  remedial  writs." 

In  November,  1904,  the  term  of  judges  of  the  Supreme  Court,  now  seven  in 
number,  was  made  ten  years.  The  termination  of  the  Court  of  Appeals  was 
fixed  on  the  first  Wednesday  in  April,  1905,  and  "the  judges  of  said  court  whose 
regular  terms  shall  not  then  have  expired  shall  become  judges  of  the  Supreme 
Court.  All  causes  pending  before  the  Court  of  Appeals  shall  stand  transferred 
to  and  be  pending  in  the  Supreme  Court."  The  original  State  Supreme  Court 
consisted  of  but  three  members.  The  Court  of  Appeals  had  been  created  to  ex- 
pedite the  business  of  the  Supreme  Court.  In  these  amendments,  carried  in  1904. 
provision  was  also  made  for  future  elections  of  Supreme  Court  judges. 

Article  VI,  Section  14,  which  empowered  the  General  Assembly  to  create 
judicial  districts  not  oftener  than  once  in  each   six  vears  and  onlv  bv  a  two- 


MONUMENT   VALLEY   PARK,   COLORADO   SPRINGS 


NOin'll    I'll  i:-,  K.N  NK   CANON,  COLORADO   SBHIMiS 


204  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

thirds  vote,  was  amended,  eliminating  the  words  "not  oftener  than  once  in  each 
six  years."  The  vote  on  this  amendment  at  the  election  November  2,  1886, 
stood:     For,  14,568;  against,  14,022. 

An  attempt  to  empower  the  General  Assembly  to  increase  the  salaries  of  the 
judges  of  the  Supreme  and  District  courts  "to  not  more  than  $7,000  each"  was 
defeated  by  a  vote  of  16,095  to  20,377  i"  1890. 

In  1904  the  terms  of  district  attorneys  and  District  Court  judges  were  fixed  at 
four  years. 

Article  VI,  Section  29,  was  amended  in  1878,  but  no  record  appears  save  in 
the  action  of  the  General  Assembly.  It  provided  for  the  appointment  to  vacancies 
"on  the  Supreme  and  District  benches  by  the  Governor,  in  the  office  of  district 
attorneys  by  the  judge  of  the  district,  and  of  all  other  judicial  officers  by  the 
county  commissioners." 

The  suffrage  amendment  is  to  Article  \"II,  Section  i,  and  provides  that  "He  or 
she  shall  be  a  citizen  of  the  United  States  (over  the  age  of  twenty-one)."  This 
was  carried  in  November,  1902,  by  a  vote  of  44,769  for  and  27,077  against. 

An  amendment  to  Article  VII,  Section  8,  permitted  the  use  of  voting  machines. 

An  amendment  permitting  the  State  University  to  conduct  a  medical  depart- 
ment in  Denver  was  adopted  in  November,  1910,  by  a  vote  of  59,295  for,  and 
15,105  against. 

The  reorganization  of  the  land  board  by  constitutional  amendment  was  effected 
in  November,  1910,  the  vote  being  42,218  for,  and  21,300  against.  The  amend- 
ment created  a  board  of  three  land  commissioners,  appointed  by  the  Governor, 
one  of  whom  is  designated  as  president,  the  second  as  register,  and  the  third  as 
engineer.  The  salary  is  fixed  at  $3,000  for  each,  and  the  term  of  office  is  six 
years. 

The  section  of  Article  X  referring  to  uniform  taxation  and  exemption  has 
been  amended  three  times.  In  1880  a  purely  technical  change  was  made.  In  1892 
the  word  "household  goods"  was  adopted  instead  of  "personal  property,"  and 
this  proviso  added:  "The  provisions  of  this  section  shall  not  affect  such  special 
assessments  for  benefits  and  municipal  improvements  as  the  corporate  authorities 
of  cities,  towns  or  improvement  districts  may  assess  and  collect  under  provisions 
to  be  prescribed  by  law.     This  was  later,  1904,  eliminated. 

On  November  8,  1893,  Article  X,  Section  11,  was  adopted  and  reads:  "The 
rate  of  taxation  on  property  for  state  purposes  shall  never  exceed  4  mills  on 
each  dollar  of  valuation." 

On  November  6,  1888,  the  effort  to  increase  the  rate  to  5  mills  for  1889  and 
1890  was  defeated  by  a  vote  of  10,102  against  and  762  for. 

In  1910  the  outstanding  unpaid  warrants,  covering  extraordinary  expenses  in 
strike  and  other  emergency  causes  had  reached  the  sum  of  $2,115,000,  and  by  a 
close  vote,  40,054  for  and  39.441  against,  the  people  authorized  a  6  per  cent 
funding  bond  issue.  Earlier  the  bond  issue  for  the  state  capitol  building  had 
been  voted  as  an  amendment  to  this  clause.  But  in  most  instances  the  effort  to 
amend  this  clause  of  the  constitution  for  the  creation  of  a  bonded  debt  failed  to 
carry.  In  1904  the  effort  to  create  a  funding  bond  issue  of  $1,500,000  was  de- 
feated by  a  vote  of  51,711  against  and  26,334  for. 

Article  XI,  Section  6,  was  amended  in  November,  1888,  permitting  counties 
to  create,  by  consent  of  voters,  refunding  bond  issues. 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  205 

In  November,  1902,  the  term  of  county  commissioners  was  fixed  at  four 
years.  In  counties  of  over  70,000  the  board  may  consist  of  five  members.  In 
others  there  must  be  three  commissioners. 

In  November,  1902,  Article  XIV,  Section  8,  was  amended,  creating  the  office 
of  county  attorney,  appointive  or  elective,  and  changing  the  election  of  all 
elective  county  officers  to  conform  with  the  biennial  election  period  for  legis- 
lators. 

In  November,  1900,  Article  XIV^  of  the  constitution  was  adopted,  providing 
for  the  method  of  electing  delegates  to  a  convention  to  revise  the  constitution. 
By  a  two-thirds  vote  the  General  Assembly  may  submit  the  proposition  to  the 
people.  If  carried  the  next  Assembly  arranges  for  the  election  of  constitutional 
convention  to  consist  of  twice  the  number  of  state  senators.  It  also  provides 
for  the  submission  of  the  revised  constitution  to  the  people. 

Article  XX  provides  for  the  consolidation  of  the  city  and  county  govern- 
ments of  Denver,  and  is  now,  with  amendments,  the  charter  under  which  it 
operates. 

The  original  consolidation  measure  was  adopted  in  November,  1902,  and  was 
known  prior  to  this  as  the  Rush  bill  from  its  author,  John  A.  Rush. 

The  section  known  as  the  "Home  Rule"  amendment,  empowering  the  munici- 
pality to  "make,  amend,  add  to  or  replace  the  charter  of  said  city  or  town''  was 
adopted  by  initiative  petition  November  5,  1912. 

The  "Recall,"  empowering  the  people,  on  petition  of  25  per  cent  of  the 
electors,  to  vote  upon  the  question  of  recalling  any  elective  public  officer  of  the 
state,  is  now  Article  XXI  of  the  constitution.  It  was  adopted  by  initiative  peti- 
tion, November  5,  1912.     The  vote  was:    For,  53,620;  against,  39,554. 

In  November,  1913,  Article  XI,  Section  8,  was  amended  to  permit  cities  and 
towns  to  provide  for  payment  of  bond  issues  within  sixty  but  not  less  than  ten 
years.  This  had  been  "within  fifteen  years."  The  valuation  clause  in  the  section 
was  changed  from  3  per  cent  to  10  per  cent. 

In  November,  1912,  Article  XIX,  Section  2,  was  amended,  compelling  the 
publication  of  all  proposed  constitutional  amendments  with  the  next  issued  session 
laws  and  also  empowering  the  Assembly  to  arrange  for  their  more  general  pub- 
lication. It  also  limited  proposed  amendments  to  the  constitution  to  six  at  the 
same  session. 

Article  XXII,  the  prohibition  amendment  to  the  constitution,  provided  that 
"From  and  after  the  1st  day  of  January,  191 6,  no  person,  association  or  corpora- 
tion shall  import  into  the  state  any  intoxicating  liquors;  and  no  person,  association 
or  corporation  shall  within  this  state  sell  or  keep  for  sale  any  intoxicating  liquors 
or  offer  such  for  sale,  barter  or  trade."  This  was  voted  on  November  3,  1914. 
and  adopted  by  a  vote  of  129,589  for,  and  118,017  against. 

In  November,  1916,  the  voters  approved  Article  XXIII  of  the  constitution. 
This  provides  that  "proposed  constitutional  amendments  and  proposed  initiated 
and  referred  bills  shall  be  published  in  two  issues  of  two  newspapers  of  opposite 
political  faith  in  each  county  of  the  state." 


CHAPTER  XI 
THE  GROWTH  OF  STATE  DEPARTMENTS 

THE  PUULIC  UTILITIES  COMMISSION — BOARD  OF  EQUALIZATION  TURNS  POWERS  OVER 
TO  A  TAX  COMMISSION- — THE  STATE  INHERITANCE  TAX BOARD  OF  STOCK  INSPEC- 
TION COMMISSIONERS STATE  BOARD  OF  HE.-\LTH CIVIL  SERVICE  COMMISSION — 

STATE  BUREAU  OF  CHILD  AND  ANIMAL  PROTECTION CHARITIES  AND  CORRECTION 

THE    INDUSTRIAL    COMMISSION COAL    INSPECTION STATE    HISTORICAL    AND 

NATURAL    HISTORY    SOCIETY FISH    AND    GAME    COMMISSION INSURANCE — IM- 
MIGRATION  BUREAU    OF    LABOR    STATISTICS BANKING    COMMISSION — CAPITOL 

MANAGERS — STATE  LAND   BOARD — ENGINEER THE   STATE  SEAL 

THE  PUBLIC  UTILITIES  COMMISSION 

As  early  as  1862  the  Territorial  Legislature  passed  an  act  relating  to  corpora- 
tions, including  those  engaged  in  constructing  and  operating  wagon  and  rail  roads, 
and  in  a  provision  of  this  act,  which  prescribed  the  maintenance  of  toll  roads  in 
good  repair,  and  withheld  the  right  to  collect  toll  and  fixed  a  penalty  if  they  were 
not  so  kept,  the  foundation  was  laid  for  later  legislation  designed  to  secure  the 
proper  maintenance  of  roadbeds  of  railroads  and  the  rendering  of  good  service 
to  the  public. 

The  Constitution  of  the  State  of  Colorado,  adopted  in  1876,  gave  specific 
authority  relating  to  supervision  of  railroads. 

In  1881  an  act  was  passed  requiring  every  railroad  company  to  keep  an 
agent  in  the  principal  town  or  city  along  its  line  in  this  state,  to  adjust  and  settle 
claims  for  overcharges  and  for  all  loss  or  damage.  The  penalty  fixed  for  failure 
to  comply  was  a  fine  of  $3,000  for  each  month  of  neglect.  A  further  provision 
of  this  act,  prescribed  the  settlement  by  railroad  companies  of  all  claims  within 
sixty  days  after  presentation. 

In  1883  an  act  was  passed  providing  that  no  railroad  corporation  transacting 
its  own  express  business,  or  express  company  doing  business,  in  this  state,  shall 
charge,  demand  or  receive  from  any  shipper  more  than  double  first-class  freight 
rates,  and  "All  individuals,  associations  and  corporations  shall  have  equal  rights  to 
have  their  express,  freight  and  material  transported  over  such  railroads  in  this 
state." 

In  1885  the  Legislature  established  a  Railroad  Commission,  consisting  of  but 
one  member,  and  granted  him  extensive  powers. 

The  first  state  railroad  commissioner  under  this  act  was  Henry  Felker.  He 
as  well  as  his  successor  had  a  difficult  time  starting  the  work  of  state  regulation. 
W.  A.  Hamil,  in  his  report  dated  December  31,  1892,  when  it  was  known  that  the 
Legislature  would  repeal  the  act  creating  a  commission,  said : 

206 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  207 

"True  it  is,  that  during  the  last  live  sessions  of  our  Legislature,  the  members 
of  both  House  and  Senate  have  been  besieged  by  some  of  their  constituents  to 
refrain  from  passing  any  railroad  legislation ;  but  when  these  protests  are  ana- 
lyzed, and  the  names  become  known  of  the  signers  thereto,  it  is  at  once  seen 
that  they  are  persons  who  either  act  from  purely  selfish  and  personal  motives, 
many  of  them  being  large  receivers  and  shippers  of  freight,  who  have  received 
from  the  different  railroad  corporations  large  sums  of  money  in  the  way  of  re- 
bates, others  being  the  attorneys  of  the  several  corporations  within  the  State." 

Governor  Buchtel  appointed  Frederick  J.  Chamberlin,  Halsted  L.  Ritter  and 
Bulkeley  Wells  the  first  commissioners  under  the  act  of  March,  1907.  The 
exemption  of  a  few  roads  with  small  mileage  gave  an  opportunity  for  legal  entan- 
glements. The  Supreme  Court  finally  declared  the  act  constitutional.  But,  on 
August  12,  1914,  under  a  new  act  the  state  railroad  commission  was  merged 
into  "The  Public  Utilities  Commission,"  with  eft'ective  supervision  over  rate  and 
service  of  all  utilities,  including  municipally-owned  or  operated  utilities.  The  first 
commission  under  this  act  was  composed  of  A.  P.  Anderson,  Sheridan  L.  Ken- 
dall and  George  T.  Bradley.  It  is  now  composed  of  George  T.  Bradley,  Leroy 
J.  Williams  and  A.  P.  Anderson. 

STATE  BOARD  OF  EQUALIZATION 

There  have  been  several  amendments  to  the  article  creating  the  state  board 
of  equalization,  whose  powers  at  first  were  limited,  and  to  a  large  extent  advisory 
to  county  boards.  The  board  consists  of  the  governor,  auditor,  treasurer,  at- 
torney general  and  superintendent  of  public  instruction,  and  until  1912  its  fre- 
quent sessions  interfered  seriously  with  the  conduct  of  departmental  business. 

On  May  20,  1912,  a  tax  commission,  created  by  the  Legislature,  assumed  the 
statutory  power  of  the  board  of  equalization,  the  latter  retaining  only  general 
supervision  and  the  constitutional  power  of  final  adjudication.  The  new  law  gave 
the  tax  commission  general  supervision  over  the  county  assessors  and  of  the  tax 
system  generally.  The  Legislature  of  1913  placed  the  assessment  of  local  public 
utilities  in  the  hands  of  the  tax  commission.  The  most  notable  result  was  the 
equalization  of  the  state  at  full  cash  value.  The  equalization  of  1913  was 
brought  about  by  the  addition  of  $186,551,658  to  the  valuations  as  returned  by 
the  local  assessors.  This  was  sustained  by  the  Supreme  Court.  The  first  tax 
commission  consisted  of  J.  I'laiik  Adams,  John  B.  I'hillips  and  Celsus  P.  Link. 

The  tax  commission  in  1918  is  as  follows:  Celsus  P.  Link,  Edward  B.  Mor- 
gan, and  Charles  S.  Glascoe.     S.  E.  Tucker  is  secretary. 

THK  STATE  INHERITANCE  TAX 

The  law  creating  a  revenue  from  an  inheritance  tax  was  passed  in  ii)02,  ant! 
amended  in  ((x>).  The  work  of  appraising  is  done  througli  the  office  of  the  attor- 
ney general,  who  appoints  one  inheritance  tax  appraiser  for  eacli  of  three  dis- 
tricts. The  law  provides  a  graduated  tax,  which  has  since  its  inception  amounted 
to  $3,078,289.48.     The  record  by  years  is  as  follows: 


208  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

Inheritance  tax  collections  for  1902 $  53977 

Inheritance  tax  collections  for  1903 3,435.18 

Inheritance  tax  collections  for  1904 8,486.02 

Inheritance  tax  collections  for  1905 46,189.08 

Inheritance  tax  collections  for  1906 51,103.72 

Inheritance  tax  collections  for   1907-1908 438,135.68 

Inheritance  tax  collections  for  1909 91,249.85 

Inheritance  tax  collections  for  1910 133,116.04 

Inheritance  tax  collections  for  191 1 228,476.85 

Inheritance  tax  collections  for  1912 184,701.06 

Inheritance  tax  collections  for  1913 141,874.47 

Inheritance  tax  collections  for  1914 323,188.55 

Inheritance  tax  collections  for  191 5 295,479,47 

Inheritance  tax  collections  for  1916 773.983-55 

Inheritance  tax  collections  for  1917 358,330.19 


$3,078,289.48 

THE  BOARD  OF  STOCK  INSPECTION   COMMISSIONERS 

Every  General  Assembly  since  the  beginning  of  statehood,  as  well  as  nearly 
all  of  the  Territorial  legislatures,  had  framed  laws  upon  the  subjects  of  stock 
inspection  and  protection.  Laws  relating  to  stock  generally  were  passed  in  1861, 
1862,  1864,  1865,  1866,  1868,  1870,  1872,  1874,  1876,  and  1877,  and  the  first  effort 
at  a  comprehensive  system  of  round-up  districts  was  passed  in  1879.  I"  1881 
this  was  again  changed.  By  1908  it  was  found  necessary  to  revise  all  legislation 
on  this  subject,  and  twenty-eight  districts  were  defined.  All  laws  with  reference 
to  round-up  districts,  obsolete  by  this  time,  were  repealed  in  April,  1915. 

The  laws  relating  to  the  state  board  passed  in  1881,  1883  and  1885  were 
revised  in  1903  by  the  passage  of  the  law  creating  the  Board  of  Stock  Inspection 
Commissioners,  whose  powers  have  been  greatly  extended  by  each  successive 
General  Assembly.  To-day  the  entire  regulation  of  the  live  stock  industry,  the 
right  to  establish  quarantine,  the  brand  department,  the  control  of  abandoned 
stock,  regulation  of  freight  shipments,  etc.,  etc.,  is  in  the  hands  of  this  board. 

The  board  in  1918  consists  of  the  following:  A.  E.  de  Ricqles,  Denver;  M. 
J.  McMillin,  Carlton;  W.  T.  Stevens,  Gunnison;  A.  E.  Headlee,  Hooper;  Sam 
Gamm,  Ramah;  Coke  Roberds,  Hayden;  Harry  J.  Capps,  La  Veta;  R.  C.  Callen. 
Silt;  W.  C.  Harris,  Sterling;  E.  E.  McCrillis,  Denver,  secretary. 

THE  STATE  EO.XRn  OF  HEALTH 

The  subject  of  public  health,  one  of  the  most  important  matters  in  the  scope  of 
the  men  who  made  laws,  was  the  subject  of  continuous  legislation.  In  the  terri- 
torial days  much  was  left  to  local  officers,  but  in  1876  the  first  general  law  per- 
taining to  the  public  health  was  passed  by  the  Legislature.  The  General  Assembly, 
in  1877,  1878  and  1883,  created  public  health  officials  and  made  futile  efforts  at 
legislation. 

In  1893  the  first  carefully  framed  law  creating  a  state  board  of  health  and 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  209 

defining  its  duties  was  placed  on  the  statute  books.  From  that  period  on  the 
public  health  has  been  practically  in  the  hands  of  the  well  organized  State  Medical 
and  County  Medical  societies  of  the  state,  whose  representatives  are  on  the  State 
Board  of  Health. 

From  year  to  year  the  jurisdiction  has  extended  until  now  it  supervises  all 
maternity  hospitals,  licenses  embalmers,  inspects  foods  and  drugs,  gathers  vital 
statistics,  prosecutes  for  adulteration,  distributes  anti-toxin,  has  power  to  establish 
quarantine,  controls  local  boards. 

The  State  Board  of  Health  on  January  i,  1918,  consisted  of  Dr.  L.  G.  Crosby, 
president ;  Drs.  E.  E.  Kennedy,  A.  W.  Scott,  C.  A.  Bundsen,  A.  C.  McCain,  C.  G. 
Hecker,  W.  H.  Sharpley,  F.  R.  Coffman,  C.  O.  Booth,  S.  R.  McKelvey  and  John 
J.  Connor. 

THE  CIVIL  SERVICE  COMMISSION 

The  General  Assembly  passed  its  first  civil  service  act  in  1907,  amending  it  in 
1908.  and  in  1913.  While  drastic  in  its  provisions,  the  litigation  over  its  classifi- 
cations and  decisions  continued  during  the  first  five  years  of  its  existence.  In  19 15 
the  law  was  repealed,  and  an.  entirely  new  act  passed,  which  appears  to  correct 
mistakes  of  the  previous  law.  The  commission  is  composed  of  W.  W.  Grant,  Jr., 
Anna  Wolcott  Vaile,  Lawrence  Lewis  and  Eleanor  F.  Young,  secretary. 

STATE  BURE.MI  OF  CHILD  AND  ANIMAL  PROTECTION 

The  State  Bureau  of  Child  and  Animal  Protection  is  the  successor  of  the 
Colorado  Humane  Society.  It  was  incorporated  in  1881  to  obtain  for  children 
and  dumb  animals  the  protection  which  they  could  not  procure  for  themselves. 
For  twenty  years,  from  1881  to  1901,  the  society  existed  as  a  private  corporation, 
whose  jurisdiction  covered  the  state  with  local  officers  in  various  districts.  In 
1901,  by  act  of  the  Legislature,  the  Colorado  Humane  Society  was  constituted  the 
State  Bureau  of  Child  and  Animal  Protection.  With  the  exception  of  the  Juve- 
nile Court  laws  relating  to  delinquent  children,  all  laws  for  the  protection  of  chil- 
dren and  dumb  animals  were  passed  at  the  suggestion  of  the  State  Bureau  of 
Child  and  Animal  Protection.  Its  secretary  throughout  its  notable  career  has 
been  E.  K.  Whitehead.  The  president  of  the  board  is  E.  A.  Colburn.  Its  other 
members  are  Frank  S.  Byers,  Frank  N.  Briggs,  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Cass  Goddard.  and 
William  Smedley. 

STATE  HOAR!)  OV  r  TIARITIES  AND  CORRECTION 

The  State  Board  of  Charities  and  Correction  was  created  by  the  General 
Assembly  in  1891,  and  its  first  president  was  Myron  W.  Reed.  The  other  mem- 
bers were  W.  F.  Slocum,  J.  C.  Hay,  J.  S.  Appel,  B.  F.  Johnson  and  Dennis 
Sheedy.  At  that  time  there  were  in  existence  the  Colorado  State  Penitentiary,  at 
Canon  City;  the  State  Industrial  School  for  Roys,  at  Golden:  the  Colorado  State 
Reformatory,  at  Buena  Vista ;  the  State  Home  and  Industrial  School  for  Girls,  at 
Denver ;  the  State  Insane  Asylum,  at  Pueblo ;  the  Mute  and  Blind  Institute,  at 
Colorado  Springs,  and  the  -Soldiers'  and  Sailors'  Home,  at  Mnntr  \'ista. 


210  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

The  new  board  was  given  supervision  of  these  institutions,  and  was  also  the 
State  Board  of  Pardons,  but  its  duties  as  such  were  purely  advisory.  In  1895, 
at  the  urgent  request  of  the  members,  the  act  creating  a  distinct  Board  of  Pardons, 
consisting  of  four,  was  passed,  thus  segregating  the  work.  But  the  secretary  of 
the  Board  of  Charities  and  Correction  remains  secretary  of  the  new  Board  of 
Pardons. 

In  1895  ''^  '^^s  enabled  to  secure  the  passage  of  an  act  creating  a  Home  for 
Dependent  Children,  largely  through  the  efforts  of  its  president,  J.  Warner  Mills. 
During  the  presidency  of  Mrs.  Sarah  Piatt  Decker  the  indeterminate  sentence 
and  parole  law,  advocated  for  many  years,  was  enacted  and  became  effective  in 
August,  1899. 

In  1901  the  General  Assembly  passed  an  act  providing  for  annual  reports  to 
the  board  of  all  private  charities  in  the  state,  and  the  licensing  by  the  board  of 
all  such  institutions. 

In  1899  Colorado  enacted  its  first  juvenile  law,  providing  that  "children  under 
sixteen  who  are  vicious,  incorrigible  or  immoral  in  conduct,  or  habitual  truants 
from  school,  or  who  habitually  wander  about  the  streets  and  public  places  during 
school  hours  or  in  the  night  time,  having  no  employment  or  lawful  occupation, 
shall  be  deemed  disorderly  persons,  subject  to  the  provisions  of  the  act." 

The  earliest  Juvenile  Court  laws  of  Colorado  were  enacted  in  1903.  These 
created  the  court,  giving  original  jurisdiction  to  county  courts  in  all  criminal 
cases  against  minors,  and  provided  for  the  punishment  of  persons  contributing  to 
the  delinquency  of  children.  This  last-named  provision  was  the  first  of  its  kind 
to  be  put  upon  the  statutes  of  any  state  in  the  Union. 

Since  1903  these  laws  have  been  amplified  and  made  more  effective  by  neces- 
sary amendment.  In  1909  the  act  penalizing  persons  responsible  for  juvenile  de- 
linquency or  for  neglect  was  passed. 

The  creation  of  these  courts  was  largely  the  work  of  the  State  Board  of 
Charities  and  Correction.  The  appointment  of  probation  officers  by  the  court 
under  the  law  was  in  fact  at  this  time  made  subject  to  the  approval  of  the  State 
Board  of  Charities  and  Correction. 

Its  work  has  increased  greatly  with  the  growth  of  the  state,  and  the  creation 
of  many  private,  municipal  and  county  institutions,  which  it  inspects,  licenses  and 
reports  upon. 

The  members  of  the  board  January  i,  1918,  were:  Mrs.  James  Williams, 
president ;  Owen  F.  Beckwith.  Dr.  Elizabeth  Cassidy,  Mrs.  Sarah  J.  Walling,  Rev. 
Dr.  W.  S.  Friedman,  Rev.  William  O'Ryan. 

Among  the  state  institutions  which  have  been  founded  since  the  creation  of 
the  board  are  the  State  Home  for  Dependent  and  Neglected  Children,  the  Indus- 
trial Workshop  for  the  Adult  Blind,  and  the  State  Home  and  Training  School 
for  Mental  Defectives. 

The  State  Board  of  Pardons  in  1918  consists  of  the  governor,  ex-officio,  Allan 
F.  Wright,  C.  J.  Morley,  IMrs.  Martha  J.  Cranmer,  Harry  C.  Riddle. 

ST.^TE  BO.\RD  OF  CORRECTION 

The  General  Assembly,  in  191 5,  abolished  the  district  boards  of  control  which 
had  been  known  respectively  as  the  State  Board  of  Lunacy  Commissioners  and  the 


VIEW  OF  THE  INTERIOR  OF  A  NOTED  GAMBLING  ESTABLISHMENT 

IN  PIONEER  DENVER 

(Roproduced  from  a  ])hotographie  enlargement  of  a  wood  engraving  published  in  Harper's 
Weekly,  New  York,  March  10,  1866.) 


AN   JNCIDKNT    IN   TIIK   CIliNKSK    KIOT    IN    DK.W  KH    oN    tMTOHKU   .■(0,    IHHil— TIIK 

FIRE  DEPAKTMKNT  DISI'KUSI  N(.  A  MOH  AT  TIIK  I XTKHSECTION 

OF    SIXTIOF.NTII    AM)    WAZKK    STIfKKTS 


212  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

Board  of  Penitentiary  Commissioners,  and  created  a  State  Board  of  Correction, 
which  now  has  direct  charge  of  the  Colorado  Insane  Asylum,  at  Pueblo,  the  State 
Penitentiary,  at  Caiion  City,  and  the  Colorado  State  Reformatory,  at  Buena  Vista. 
The  appointive  members  are  Frank  D.  Hoag,  of  Pueblo,  Bulkeley  Wells  of  Tel- 
luride,  and  Helen  L.  Grenfell,  of  Denver.  The  chief  officers  of  the  institutions 
are  ex-officio  members.  : 

THE  STATE    INDUSTRIAL   COM  MISSION 

In  1915  the  General  Assembly  created  an  Industrial  Commission,  with  powers 
"to  inquire  into  and  supervise  the  enforcement,  as  far  as  respects  relations  be- 
tween employer  and  employe,  of  the  laws  relating  to  child  labor,  laundries,  stores, 
factory  inspection,  employment  of  females,  employment  offices  and  bureaus, 
mining,  both  coal  and  metalliferous,  fire  escapes  and  means  of  egress  from  places 
of  employment,  and  all  other  laws  protecting  the  life,  health  and  safety  of  em-* 
ployes  in  employments  and  places  of  employment."' 

In  191 7  the  Workmen's  Compensation  law  was  passed,  mapped  to  a  large 
extent  on  the  most  advanced  legislation  of  eastern  states  on  this  subject,  and  its 
enforcement  was  entrusted  to  the  Industrial  Commission 

In  1913  a  temporary  state  wage  board  had  been  created  for  the  purpose  of 
investigating  wages  and  conditions  of  labor  in  the  state.  W.  H.  Kistler  was  ap- 
pointed chairman,  and  Mrs.  Catherine  Van  Deusen,  secretary.  This  went  out  of 
existence  in  191 5.  At  that  session  a  permanent  State  Wage  Board  act  was  passed 
by  the  General  Assembly,  but  vetoed  by  the  governor  as  in  his  opinion  "the  act 
creating  the  Industrial  Commission  practically  duplicated  this  work." 

The  new  act  empowers  the  Industrial  Commission  "to  investigate  and  ascer- 
tain the  conditions  of  labor  surrounding  said  w'omen  and  minors,  also  the  wages 
of  women  and  minors  in  the  different  occupations  in  which  they  are  employed, 
whether  paid  by  time  rate  or  piece  rate." 

The  commission  can  then,  either  directly  or  by  the  appointment  of  a  wage 
board,  consisting  of  employer,  employe  and  disinterested  parties,  fix  a  "minimum 
living"  wage. 

The  Industrial  Commission,  as  well  as  the  Minimum  Wage  Commission,  con- 
sists of  Hiram  E.  Hilts,  chairman,  George  W.  Densmore  and  Joseph  C.  Bell. 
The  secretary  of  the  former  is  ^^'alter  E.  Schwed ;  that  of  the  Minimum  Wage 
Commission  is  Gertrude  A.  Lee. 

The  Industrial  Commission  also  has  general  supervision  over  the  operation  of 
what  is  known  as  the  "Mothers'  Compensation  Act."  This  was  approved  April 
2,  1907,  and  was  made  effective  by  a  referendum  vote  January  22,  1913.  It 
empowers  "county  commissioners  or  like  officials  in  cities  working  under  Article 
XX  (Denver)"  to  create  a  fund  for  the  care  of  neglected  or  dependent  children, 
which  is  to  be  paid  to  parent  or  parents.  In  many  cases,  notably  Denver,  such 
funds  have  been  regularly  created. 

INSPECTION  OF  CO.-^L  MINES 

The  first  specific  law  enacted  to  provide  for  the  health  and  safety  of  those 
employed  in  and  about  the  coal  mines  and  the   protection  of  property  was  in 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  213 

1883,  and  as  a  result  of  the  enactment  of  this  law,  Gov.  James  B.  Grant  appointed 
John  McNeil  the  first  State  Inspector  of  Coal  Mines.  He  was  allowed  one  deputy 
inspector.  This  law  was  slightly  amended  several  times,  until  in  1913  it  was 
found  to  be  wholly  inadequate,  for  the  industry  had  grown  by  leaps  and  bounds. 

In  1883  the  production  was  1,220,593  tons,  and  in  1910  it  was  12,104,887  tons 
and  the  field  force  had  been  increased  from  one  to  three  deputy  inspectors.  But 
as  none  of  the  few  provisions  that  applied  to  safeguarding  could  be  put  into  effect 
because  the  law  was  not  supported  by  any  police  authority,  the  department  was 
hopelessly  handicapped,  and  there  was  a  general  dissatisfaction  among  the  oper- 
ators and  mine  workers. 

In  the  winter  of  1913,  the  present  State  Inspector  of  Coal  Mines,  James  Dal- 
rymple,  with  a  member  of  the  United  Mine  Workers  of  America,  John  R.  Law- 
son,  drafted  a  new  law,  which  was  presented  for  enactment  to  the  nineteenth 
General  Assembly  then  in  session.  The  Senate,  before  which  body  the  bill  came 
up,  referred  it  to  a  mining  committee,  which  in  turn  appointed  a  sub-committee, 
composed  of  Messrs.  James  Dalrymple;  E.  H.  Weitzel,  manager  of  the  fuel  de- 
partment of  the  Colorado  Fuel  and  Iron  Company ;  George  T.  Peart,  general 
superintendent  of  the  Rocky  Mountain  Fuel  Company ;  John  R.  Lawson,  repre- 
sentative of  the  United  Mine  Workers  of  America;  and  Senator  John  Pearson, 
who  was  chairman  of  the  committee.  These  gentlemen  revised  and  amended  the 
bill  to  the  satisfaction  of  all  the  members  of  the  sub-committee,  who  advised  that 
the  Assembly  pass  the  bill  as  amended.  It  received  the  unanimous  approval  of 
both  House  and  Senate. 

Under  the  present  law  coal  mining  has  become  a  positive  science,  requiring 
careful  training  on  the  part  of  both  the  operators  and  mine  workers.  The  chief 
and  the  five  deputy  inspectors  are  required  to  qualify  by  a  rigid  and  competitive 
examination  showing  both  practical  experience  and  theoretical  knowledge.  Mine 
workers  acting  as  mine  officials  take  competitive  examinations  showing  fitness  to 
serve  as  first-class  mine  foremen,  or  second-class  mine  foremen,  or  assistants  to 
such,  or  as  fire  bosses.  Even  the  men  who  fire  the  shots  after  the  miners  have 
prepared  the  coal  take  a  shotfirer's  examination.  The  consequence  is  that  only 
certified  men  now  hold  official  positions  in  the  coal  mines. 

STATE   HISTORICAL   AND   NATl'RAL    HISTORY   SOCIETY 

The  State  Historical  and  Natural  History  Society  was  organized  February  10, 
1879,  by  a  coterie  of  professional  and  business  men,  who  felt  that  much  informa- 
tion then  available  concerning  the  old  records  of  the  territory  and  the  history  of 
early  explorations  could  be  saved  to  posterity  by  such  an  organization.  This  first 
meeting  was  held  in  the  office  of  Joseph  C.  Shattuck,  then  state  superintendent  of 
public  instruction.  In  July,  1879,  ^^e  articles  of  incorporation  were  filed  with 
this  splendid  list  of  citizens  as  sponsors:  J.  F.  Frueatiff,  William  Halley,  F.  J. 
Bancroft,  Wilbur  F.  Stone,  Richard  Sopris,  William  D.  Todd,  Roger  W.  Wood- 
bury, Fred  J.  Stanton,  John  Evans,  Fred  Z.  Salomon,  R.  G.  Buckingham,  H.  A. 
Lemen,  William  N.  Byers,  R.  E.  Whitsitt.  Paul  II.  Hanus,  William  E.  Pabor, 
J.  Harrison  Mills,  Scott  J.  Anthony,  B.  F.  Zalinger,  Edward  .'\.  Stiinson,  Joseph 
S.  Shattuck.  Edwin  J.  Carver,  A.  Stednian.  W.  B.  Vickers.  TI.  K.  Steele.  N.  A. 
P.aker,  William  F,  Bennecke,  /Xaron  Gove.  S.  T.  Arcnslnirg. 


214  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

The  first  board  of  directors  consisted  of  Richard  Sopris,  John  Evans,  VViUiam 
N.  Byers,  Roger  W.  Woodbury,  F.  J.  Bancroft,  H.  K.  Steele,  Aaron  Gove, 
William  D.  Todd  and  William  E.  Pabor. 

On  February  13,  1879,  the  General  Assembly  had  passed  an  act  donating 
$500  and  "the  use  of  the  supreme  court  or  state  library  room  *  *  *  when- 
ever there  shall  be  organized  within  the  state,  a  State  Historical  and  Natural  His- 
tory Society." 

With  Doctor  Bancroft  as  its  first  president,  and  Dr.  H.  K.  Steele,  Aaron 
Gove  and  W.  E.  Pabor  as  joint  curators,  real  progress  was  made  particularly  in 
the  beginnings  of  what  is  now  the  State  Museum.  In  1886  this  was  placed  on 
exhibition  in  the  upper  floor  o.f  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  building,  corner  of 
Fourteenth  and  Arapahoe  streets,  and  remained  there  until  installed  on  the  lower 
floor  of  the  State  House. 

This  grew  to  such  proportions  that  in  1909  the  General  Assembly  passed 
an  act  providing  for  a  State  Museum  building,  which  was  finally  completed,  at 
a  total  cost  of  $487,000,  in  191 5.  It  is  located  directly  south  of  the  State  House. 
In  this  the  Historical  Society  occupies  the  east  side  of  the  basement  for  its  news- 
paper files,  these  dating  back  to  April  23,  1S59,  when  the  Rocky  Mountain  News 
was  founded.  The  entire  main  floor  is  filled  with  one  of  the  finest  ethnological 
collections  of  its  kind  in  the  country.  It  is  remarkable  for  the  variety  of  speci- 
mens covering  prehistoric  periods  in  Colorado. 

Nothing  equal  to  its  collection  of  cliff  dwellers'  utensils  is  found  anywhere 
else  in  the  United  States.  The  collection  covers  with  much  thoroughness  pic- 
tures of  pioneers  and  pioneering  establishments  all  over  the  territory.  Its  collec- 
tion of  books  on  early  and  later  history  of  various  periods  in  the  development  of 
this  western  country  has  been  greatly  enhanced  by  such  additions  as  those  in  the 
gift  of  Edward  B.  Morgan.  The  society  also  is  custodian  of  the  Dean  Collection 
of  Civil  \Var  and  other  war  relics. 

In  19 1 5  the  General  Assembly  by  enactment  declared  it  to  be  "one  of  the 
educational  institutions  of  the  state."  The  appropriation  for  the  work  of  the 
society  has  never,  however,  been  in  any  way  commensurate  with  its  needs. 

Its  officers  and  directors  are :  L.  G.  Carpenter,  president ;  Wm.  N.  Beggs, 
vice  president ;  Ellsworth  Bethel,  vice  president ;  John  Parsons,  secretary ;  A.  J. 
Flynn.  treasurer:  George  L.  Cannon,  E.  A.  Kenyon,  H.  C.  Parmelee,  Hugh  R. 
Steele. 

Jerome  R.  Smiley,  the  historian,  is  custodian. 

THE   INSURANCE   DEP.VRTMENT 

In  1883  the  state  passed  the  law  creating  the  office  of  Insurance  Commis- 
sioner, making  it  part  of  the  auditor's  office.  The  first  commissioner  under  this 
act  was  John  C.  Abbott.  There  were  then  operating  in  the  state  thirteen  life, 
three  accident,  fifty-four  domestic  fire  and  marine  and  twenty-six  foreign  fire 
and  marine  insurance  companies.  The  total  fire  risks  written  in  1882  in  Colorado 
amounted  to  $22,178,195.30.  The  department  was  segregated  and  made  a  dis- 
tinct part  of  the  state  government  in  1907.  According  to  the  last  report  the 
total   fire   risks   written   in    1916   were   $330,612,720.      All    insurance   companies 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  215 

operate  in  the  state  under  a  license  from  the  department,  and  must  file  annual 
reports.     At  present  the  insurance  commissioner  is  Claude  W.  Fairchild. 

In  1882  the  amount  carried  in  the  shape  of  old  line  life  policies  in  Colorado 
was  $5,538,751.  In  1916  there  was  in  force  in  the  form  of  old  line  life  poli- 
cies $217,273,539. 

Fraternal  organizations  also  report  to  the  department;  and  on  January  i, 
19 1 7,  there  was  in  force  in  Colorado  in  life  insurance  of  all  classes,  $369,000,000. 

There  were  in  1917  operating  in  Colorado,  51  life  companies,  178  fire  com- 
panies, 69  casualty  companies,  and  61   fraternal  societies. 

STATE  BOARD  OF  IMMIGRATION 

The  State  Board  of  Immigration  was  first  established  in  1872,  and  was  lim- 
ited to  the  publication  of  statistics  covering  production  and  acreage  of  land  avail- 
able for  homestead  entry  or  outright  purchase  from  the  state,  railroad  companies 
or  private  individuals.     It  was  in  existence  only  two  years. 

In  1909  the  General  Assembly  again  created  the  State  Board  of  Immigra- 
tion, and  its  first  members  were :  Alva  Adams,  of  Pueblo,  D.  T.  Dodge,  of  Den- 
ver, J.  F.  Mahoney,  of  Grand  Junction,  and  the  governor,  ex-officio.  This  board 
began  active  work  early  in  1910,  and  for  two  successive  years  exhibited  the 
products  of  the  state  at  the  land  shows  in  Chicago,  Pittsburgh,  New  York,  Colum- 
bus, Ohio,  and  Omaha.  It  also  assisted  in  the  now  famous  "Western  Governors" 
tour  of  the  East,  in  which  the  products  of  all  the  states  were  exhibited  in  specially 
designed  cars.  All  the  Colorado  exhibits  were  in  charge  of  Alfred  Patek,  Com- 
missioner of  Immigration. 

For  some  years  the  department  was  without  funds,  but  was  recreated  in 
1916,  and  is  now  amply  supplied  with  money,  and  is  furnishing  information  con- 
cerning state  lands,  products,  resources,  etc.,  to  prospective  settlers  and  investors. 
The  present  commissioner  is  Edward  D.  Foster,  of  Greeley.  The  members  of 
the  board  are  Thomas  B.  Stearns,  of  Denver,  H.  E.  Wallace,  of  Boulder,  L.  Wirt 
Markham,  of  Lamar,  and  the  governor,  ex-ofiicio. 

BUREAU  OF  LABOR  STATISTICS 

The  Bureau  of  Labor  Statistics  was  first  created  in  1887,  the  commissioner 
to  be  an  appointee  of  and  under  the  secretary  of  state.  It  was  given  the  task 
of  compiling  statistics  covering  agriculture,  mining,  manufacturing,  transporta- 
tion, labor  and  kindred  matters.  Gradually  much  of  this  work  was  transferred 
to  various  bureaus,  and  the  Bureau  of  Labor  Statistics  became  in  fact  a  Bureau 
of  Labor.    The  first  commissioner  under  the  law  was  C.  J.  Driscoll. 

Factory  inspection  is  perhajis  the  most  important  of  the  added  duties.  This 
was  created  in  1909,  and  in  1910  was  amended,  eliminating  the  fee  system.  There 
are  now  four  factory  inspectors,  one  of  whom  is  a  woman. 

The  free  employment  offices,  of  which  there  are  four,  two  in  Denver,  one  in 
I'ueblo,  and  one  in' Colorado  Springs,  were  created  in  1907.  A  superintendent 
is  in  charge  of  each  office,  with  an  assistant,  who  is  a  woman.  During  the  fruit 
.season  a  free  employment  office  is  opencrl  at  Grand  Junction,  which  is  in  opera- 
tion four  months  of  each  vear. 


216  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

The  collection  of  wage  claims  has  been  a  continuously  growing  branch  of 
the  department.  In  191 7  over  $25,000  in  disputed  claims  was  collected  for 
wage  earners  of  Colorado.  This  branch  now  takes  up  fully  half  of  the  time  of 
the  office  force  at  Denver. 

The  department  works  in  conjunction  vyith  the  schools  of  the  state  in  enforc- 
ine  the  child  labor  laws.  Under  these  laws  no  child  under  fourteen  is  allowed 
to  work  at  any  gainful  occupation  while  schools  are  in  session.  Children  between 
fourteen  and  sixteen  must  have  a  permit  to  work  from  the  school  authorities. 
No  child  under  sixteen  is  permitted  to  work  at  any  dangerous  occupation.  The 
hour  limit  for  working  children  in  all  cases  is  eight  hours.  No  night  work  is 
allowed. 

The  enforcement  of  the  woman's  eight  hour  law,  which  was  enacted  in  1912, 
as  an  initiated  measure,  is  under  this  department.  This  limits  the  employment 
of  women  to  eight  hours  in  a  calendar  day  in  mercantile,  mechanical  or  manu- 
facturing establishments,  hotels,  restaurants  or  laundries.  This  law  does  not 
apply  to  domestic  or  farm  service. 

The  department  also  has  the  enforcement  of  the  eight  hour  law  applying  to 
underground  mines  and  work  in  mills,  smelters,  reduction  plants,  etc. 

The  department  also  has  supervision  over  all  private  employment  offices  in 
the  state  working  under  a  license  from  the  bureau.  The  statute  defines  in  detail 
the  manner  in  which  they  must  conduct  their  business.  This  is  perhaps  one  of 
the  most  important  branches  of  the  department,  as  it  gives  complete  protection 
to  the  laborer  who  now  has  dealings  with  a  licensed  private  employment  agency. 

Mediation  of  labor  disputes,  formerly  in  the  Labor  Bureau,  is  now  the  work 
of  the  State  Industrial  Commission. 

The  Federal  Bureau  of  Labor  has  notified  the  State  of  Colorado  that  a  com- 
pliance with  the  state  law  covering  employment  of  children  will  be  considered 
as  a  compliance  with  the  Federal  law  on  this  subject.  The  state  law  preceded 
the  Federal  enactment  by  six  years. 

The  present  commissioner  is  W.  L.  Morrissey.  The  statistician  is  C.  J. 
Moorhouse. 

ST.^TE    B.^NK    COMMISSIONER 

Until  1907  the  regulation  of  banking  by  the  state  was  confined  to  statutes 
requiring  reports  to  the  secretary  of  state  and  to  county  officials.  In  that  year 
the  General  Assembly  created  the  office  of  State  Bank  Commissioner,  and  the 
first  official  under  the  act  was  Henry  M.  Beatty.  In  1909,  the  date  of  his  first 
report,  there  were  in  the  state  seventy-three  state  banks,  forty-six  private  banks, 
eleven  trust  companies,  ten  savings  banks,  and  three  banks  in  the  hands  of  re- 
ceivers. 

A  compilation  of  all  laws  relating  to  banking  was  sent  with  report  blanks 
to  every  bank  coming  imder  the  jurisdiction  of  the  state  bank  commissioner. 
Supervision  followed,  examinations  being  compulsory  twice  each  year.  The 
banking  laws  of  the  state  were  further  revised  and  made  drastic  in  their  opera- 
tions by  the  General  Assembly  in  1913.  and  the  powers  of  the  state  commissioner 
were  greatly  extended. 


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218  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

STATE    BUREAU    OF    MINES 

The  State  Bureau  of  Mines,  created  by  the  General  Assembly  in  1895,  was 
in  fact  a  segregation  of  the  mining  department  from  that  of  the  state  geologist, 
an  office  first  created  by  the  Territorial  Legislature  in  1872.  Until  1895  the  re- 
port of  the  state  geologist  covered  the  work  now  done  by  the  State  Bureau  of 
Mines.  In  1899  the  powers  of  the  bureau  were  extended,  and  the  appointment 
of  additional  inspectors  was  authorized.  Numerous  changes  were  made  in  the 
law  in  1903  and  in  1913.  The  first  Commissioner  of  Mines  was  Harry  A.  Lee. 
The  present  commissioner  is  Fred  Carroll. 

STATE    BOARD    OF    CAPITOL    MANAGERS 

The  State  Board  of  Capitol  Managers  was  the  final  evolution  in  the  various 
steps  leading  to  actual  supervision  and  work  upon  the  new  capitol  building,  de- 
tailed in  full  in  the  History  of  the  State  House. 

In  the  act  of  1897  the  "State  Board."  to  succeed  the  "Board  of  Capitol  Man- 
agers," was  expressly  named:  John  L.  Routt,  Otto  Mears,  C.  J.  Hughes,  and  John 
A.  Cooper,  with  the  governor  a  member  ex  officio.  The  board  under  the  act 
was  "to  continue  until  the  entire  completion  and  furnishing  of  said  capitol  build- 
ing, and  shall  announce  by  proper  proclamation  the  same  as  accepted  by  and 
through  the  said  board  on  behalf  of  the  state,  and  thereafter  the  said  board  shall 
cease  to  exist." 

The  board  continued  in  office  under  this  provision  notwithstanding  the  eff^orts 
made  repeatedly  to  annul  it,  and  finally  in  1917  the  General  Assembly  made  it  a 
permanent  body  with  supervision  of  the  state  house,  the  state  museum,  and  the 
property  purchased  for  the  adjutant  general's  department  north  of  the  state 
house,  at  Sherman  and  Colfax  avenues.  The  board  now,  January,  1918,  con- 
sists of  the  governor,  ex  officio,  Otto  Mears,  one  of  the  original  members,  James 
Williams,  Hiram  E.  Hilts,  and  Marshall  B.  Smith. 

THE    STATE    LAND   BOARD 

On  April  2,  1877,  the  State  Board  of  Land  Commissioners  held  its  first  meet- 
ing under  the  constitutional  provision  creating  it. 

The  new  state  in  the  enabling  act  had  been  given  32,000  acres  for  the  erection 
of  public  buildings,  32,000  acres  for  the  creation  and  maintenance  of  a  peniten- 
tiary, 46,080  acres  for  a  state  university,  and  sections  sixteen  and  thirty-six  or  lieu 
lands  in  each  township  for  school  purposes.  This  amounted  to  3,715,555  acres. 
In  addition  to  this  under  the  act  of  1841  the  state  was  granted  "for  purposes  of 
internal  improvement  so  much  public  land  as,  including  the  quantity  that  was 
granted  to  such  state  before  its  admission  and  while  under  territorial  govern- 
ment, will  make  500,000  acres."  The  enabling  act  furthermore  allowed  the  state 
5  per  cent  from  the  sale  of  all  agricultural  public  lands,  except  those  disposed  of 
under  homestead  laws.  This  was  to  go  to  the  fund  for  internal  improvements. 
Later  Congress  gave  the  state  90,000  acres  for  the  agricultural  college. 

The  state  land  board  consisted  of  the  governor,  superintendent  of  public 
instruction,  secretary  of  state  and  attorney  general.     On  April  2.  1877,  the  board 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 


219 


organized  by  the  election  of  the  governor  as  chairman,  and  the  secretary  of  state 
as  secretary.  William  M.  Clark,  the  first  secretary  of  state,  thus  became  the  first 
secretary  of  the  State  Land  Board.  On  February  12,  1879,  the  board  elected  Rob- 
ert G.  Howell  secretary,  who  then  practically  assumed  the  duties  afterwards  per- 
formed by  the  register.  The  General  Assembly,  in  1887,  in  a  revision  of  the  land 
laws,  created  the  office  of  register,  who  was  elected  by  the  State  Land  Board. 
The  first  register  was  A.  Sagendorf,  appointed  at  the  meeting  of  March  22,  1887. 

In  1909  the  constitution  was  amended  providing  for  a  State  Board  of  Land 
Commissioners,  appointed  by  the  governor,  one  of  whom  is  called  the  register, 
one  is  president,  and  one  is  engineer.    The  term  is  for  six  years. 

The  state  lands  cannot  be  sold  at  less  than  $3.00  per  acre,  but  the  average 
price  has  been  far  beyond  that. 

RECEIPTS  OF  ST.\TE   BOARD  OF   LAND  COMMISSIONERS   AS   PAID   TO    STATE   TREASURER 
DURING    THE    FOLLOWING    BIENNI.vL    PERIODS 

1877-1878  $   44,000.00 

1879-1880 112,000.00 

1881-1882  112,184.09 

1883-1884  239,508.89 

1885-1886  291,251.99 

1887-1888  642,044.87 

1889-1890  758,37776 

189I-1892  479,705.74 

1893-1894  255,757.28 

1895-1896  231,561.96 

1897-1898  238,008.60 

1899-I9OO  355.305-97 

I9OI-I9O2  372,37279 

I903-I904  574,176.04 

1905- 1906  684,683.62 

1907-1908  825,901.67 

I9O9-I9IO  1,294,064.08 

I9II-I912  1,590,428.96 

I913-I9I4 1,364,763.66 

I915-I916  1.788,430.54 

LAND  SALES  SHOWING  ACREAGE  AND  AVERAGE  PRICE  PER  ACRE  OBTAINED  DURING  THE 

FOLLOWING   BIENNIAL    TERIODS 


Acres 

I885-I886  12,836.00 

I887-I888  67,738.00 

1889-1890  78,464.00 

1 891 -1892  28.320.00 

I893-I894  9,621.00 

I895-I896  41,980.00 

I897-I898  12,148.00 


Average  price 

$  7.80 
7.85 


4-57 
14.71 


220  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

Acres  Average  price 

1899-1900  3.130-00  $4.35 

1901-1902  10,329.00  6.25 

1903-1904  11,120.00  6.25 

1905-1906  29,926.00  6.90 

1907-1908  60,356.25  8.31 

1909-1910  .• 287,340.63  1 1.59 

191 1-1912  79.639-33  10-38 

1913-1914  91.215-57  7-35 

1915-1916  134,218.87  10.27 

STATE  ENGINEER 

With  the  first  appropi  lation  of  streams  for  irrigation  purposes  came  the  need 
of  state  regulation.  In  the  "Decree  Book"  in  the  office  of  State  Engineer,  the 
Brantner  Ditch,  appropriating  29.77  cubic  feet  per  second  from  the  South  Platte 
near  Brighton,  was  dated  April  i,  i860.  There  was  a  small  appropriation  of  the 
waters  of  Clear  Creek  in  February,  i860.  The  first  decrees  in  the  Arkansas  River 
\^alley  were  taken  out  during  the  same  year.  Regulation  under  territorial  legis- 
lation was  at  first  confined  to  county  officials,  with  appeals  to  the  courts;  the 
amount  of  water  decreed  to  or  claimed  by  the  several  early  ditches  and  canals 
being  filed  with  the  county  and  district  court  clerks.  In  1879  the  office  of  Water 
Commissioner  was  created.  This  was  appointive  by  the  governor,  and  the  duties 
were  "to  divide  the  waters  of  the  public  streams  in  times  of  scarcity  among  the 
several  ditches  and  canals,  according  to  prior  rights  of  each.  In  such  districts 
as  have  had  their  rights  adjusted  by  the  courts,  he  has,  under  the  law,  but  little 
discretion  of  his  own  in  the  matter  of  dividing  water." 

Under  the  act  of  1881  three  water  divisions,  the  South  Platte,  the  Arkansas, 
and  the  Rio  Grande,  were  created.  These  were  increased  from  time  to  time, 
and  on  March  5,  1881,  the  General  Assembly  created  the  office  of  State  Engineer, 
"to  be  appointed  by  the  governor  for  a  two-year  term."  The  principal  task  was 
the  making  of  "careful  measurements  and  calculations  of  the  maximum  and  mini- 
mum flow  in  cubic  feet  per  second  of  water  in  each  stream  from  which  water 
shall  be  drawn  for  irrigation."  The  first  state  engineer  appointed  under  this  act 
was  Eugene  K.  Stimson,  who  could  do  little  owing  to  lack  of  funds.  Under  his 
immediate  successor,  E.  S.  Nettleton,  the  office  was' thoroughly  organized  and 
the   first   records   made. 

In  1889  the  General  Assembly  created  the  office  of  State  Engineer  as  it  exists 
at  present,  giving  this  official  general  supervision  over  the  public  waters  of  the 
state,  the  right  to  inspect  and  approve  or  disapprove  designs  and  plans  for  the 
construction  of  all  dams  and  reservoirs,  embankments  which  equal  or  exceed  ten 
feet  in  height,  giving  him  general  charge  of  division  water  superintendents  and 
district  water  commissioners.  There  are  now  five  division  engineers  and  seventy 
district  commissioners.  The  laws  governing  the  engineering  work  of  the  state 
were  revised  in  1903,  1909,  191 1,  1913.  1915  and  1917,  but  only  in  what  may  be 
termed  minor  details.  The  matter  of  fees  was  regulated  by  amendment  in  1911. 
In  191 1  the  office  of  superintendent  of  irrigation  was  abolished  and  the  governor 
was  empowered  to  appoint  five  irrigation  division  engineers.  The  boundarie;  of 
the  water  districts  are  fixed  by  legislative  enactment.    At  present,  1918,  the  state 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  221 

engineer  is  Addison  J.  McCune;  deputy,  John  R.  VVortham;  division  engineers: 
F.  Cogswell,  Denver;  E.  R.  Chew,  Pueblo;  D.  A.  Norton,  Alamosa;  II.  C.  Getty, 
Montrose;  A.  J.  Dickson,  Glenwood  Springs. 

ST.\TE    DEP.VRTMENT    OF    S.\FETY 

At  the  extraordinary  session  in  1917  the  General  Assembly  created  a  State 
Department  of  Safety,  appropriating  for  its  establishment  during  the  biennial 
period  the  sum  of  $650,000  out  of  "Defense  Fund,  National  Defense  Bonds, 
Series  1917-"  The  first  superintendent  under  this  act  is  Frank  Adams,  former 
police  commissioner  of  the  City  of  Denver,  who  in  1918  is  organizing  the  vari- 
ous companies  under  the  act. 

Enlisted  men  are  paid  $720  a  year,  together  with  board,  lodging  and  equip- 
ment. Officers  are  paid  as  follows:  Captain,  $1,500  per  year;  lieutenants,  $1,200 
per  year;  sergeants,  $1,000;  corporals,  $900  per  year. 

ST.\TE  G.\ME  .\XD  FISH  COMMISSION 

The  territorial  government  was  early  made  aware  of  the  great  need  of  pre- 
serving the  game  of  the  state.  By  1870  the  buffalo  had  been  pretty  nearly  ex- 
terminated, a  few  herds  still  finding  shelter  in  the  mountains.  But  the  plains  had 
been  cleared.  Deer  and  elk  were,  however,  plentiful,  and  the  sportsmen  of  that 
day  relate  that  it  was  not  unusual  to  find  whole  carcasses  fed  to  hogs. 

The  streams  of  the  state  were  thick  with  trout,  the  big  streams  west  or  north- 
west of  Denver,  such  as  the  Larimer,  the  Poudre,  the  North  Platte,  contained 
both  trout  and  pickerel.  There  was  no  restriction,  and  the  hunter  took  all  the 
license  his  needs  or  pleasure  prompted  him  to  take. 

Gordon  Land  was  the  first  state  fish  commissioner,  later  taking  also  the  title 
of  game  and  fish  commissioner.  But  the  protective  laws  were  few  and  not  care- 
fully compiled.  In  1899  D.  C.  Beaman  revised  the  game  and  fish  laws  of  the 
state,  and  the  department  was  then  able  to  show  real  growth. 

The  open  season  on  mountain  sheep  was  closed  twenty-nine  years  ago,  the 
first  determined  effort  to  save  the  game  of  the  country.  Large  numbers  of  tour- 
ists visit  Ouray  annually,  attracted  by  the  bands  of  mountain  sheep  cared  for 
and  fed  by  the  citizens  of  Ouray.  Pitkin,  Garfield,  Clear  Creek,  Teller,  Grand, 
Chaffee  and  I'Vemont  counties  all  report  bands  of  mountain  sheep. 

The  open  season  for  elk  was  closed  seventeen  years  ago,  and  today  there  are 
large  bands  in  Routt,  Moffat.  Rio  Blanco  and  Grand  counties.  There  arc  now 
(1018I  nearly  four  thousand  elk  in  the  state. 

The  open  season  for  deer  was  not  closed  until  191 3,  and  the  bands  of  deer 
are  gradually  increasing,  the  largest  being  in  Garfield  and  Rio  Blanco  counties. 
In  191 1  between  seven  hundred  and  eight  Innidred  were  killed.  In  1912  not  over 
four  hundred  were  killed.  This  brought  the  state  to  a  sudden  realization  of  the 
need  for  protection  of  its  game. 

While  there  has  been  no  o|)en  season  for  antelope  since  I<X>3,  it  is  a  difficult 
matter  to  protect  this  animal,  as  the  peo])ling  of  the  plains  is  fast  clearing  them 
out  from  their  prairie  habitat  :  l)nt  i\<n  tliis  year.  1018,  small  bands  of  antelope 


222  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

may  be  found  eating  with  cattle  through  Adams,  Arapahoe  and  Lincoln  counties. 
In  Chico  Basin  and  around  Byers  the  herds  number  from  fifty  to  a  hundred. 

The  department  has  spent  a  great  deal  of  money  in  stocking  the  state  with 
various  kinds  of  game  birds,  such  as  the  Mongolian  and  ring-neck  pheasant,  the 
crested  quail,  bob-white  quail,  and  Hungarian  partridges.  Senator  E.  O.  Wolcott 
was  one  of  the  first  to  bring  the  Mongolian  pheasant  to  Colorado,  stocking  his 
place  at  Wolhurst  with  this  beautiful  bird.  W.  F.  Kendrick  followed  by  turn- 
ing many  thousands  of  pheasants  into  the  state.  While  there  is  no  open  season 
for  the  game,  permits  to  kill  are  given  where  the  pheasants  become  too  plentiful 
and  are  doing  damage  to  crops.  The  scaly-breast  quail,  the  old  Tennessee  breed, 
known  better  as  Bob  White,  and  the  crested  quail,  also  known  as  Gambel's  part- 
ridge, are  all  protected  under  the  law,  and  there  is  no  open  season  in  the  state  for 
these  birds.  They  are  particularly  thick  along  the  Arkansas  River  and  on  the 
mesas  back  of  Canon  City  and  in  Garfield  and  Mesa  counties. 

The  hunting  proclivities  of  the  Indians  are  now  kept  fairly  well  in  check,  the 
Government  at  Washington  cooperating  in  the  matter  with  the  Colorado  authori- 
ties. 

The  beaver  is  again  growing  plentiful,  and  the  state  protection  is  proving  ef- 
fective, as  it  has  the  cooperation  of  stockmen  everywhere. 

Under  the  state  law  hunting  for  bear  is  now  licensed  by  the  department,  but 
both  bear  and  mountain  lions  are  rapidly  thinning  out. 

The  efforts  of  the  department  are  confined  to  the  culture,  propagation  and 
distribution  of  three  species  of  fish,  namely :  the  Rainbow  trout,  the  Native,  or 
"Black- Spotted"  trout,  and  the  Eastern  Brook,  or  "Red  Speckled"  trout.  The 
Rainbow  spawns  first — early  in  the  spring.  These  eggs  are  taken  in  large  quan- 
tities from  the  adult  fish  in  Electra,  Emerald  and  the  Grand  Mesa  lakes.  The 
natives  follow,  also  in  the  spring,  and  thus  far  it  has  been  possible  to  secure  satis- 
factory quantities  of  native  eggs  at  Trappers,  Marvine,  Cottonwood,  Grand  Mesa 
and  Emerald  lakes.  The  brook  trout  spawn  in  the  fall,  thus  giving  two  hatches 
annually.    These  eggs  are  secured  at  Grand  Mesa,  Electra  and  Columbine  lakes. 

The  lakes  operated  for  spawn  are  as  follows :  Trappers  Lake,  in  Rio  Blanco 
County  ;  Marvine  Lake,  in  Rio  Blanco  County ;  Cottonwood  lakes,  in  Mesa  County  ; 
Grand  Mesa  lakes,  in  Delta  County ;  Columbine  Lake,  in  Grand  County ;  Electra 
Lake,  in  San  Juan  County ;  and  Emerald  Lake,  in  Hinsdale  County. 

Tra]3pcrs,  Mar\'ine  and  Emerald  lakes  have  recently  been  taken  over  by  the 
department,  which  is  now  in  absolute  control  under  long  time  agreements  with 
the  Department  of  Agriculture.  Cottonwood,  Grand  Mesa,  Columbine  and  Electra 
lakes  are  privately  owned,  and  are  operated  by  this  department  under  contracts 
with  those  in  control. 

A  total  of  twenty-one  hatcheries,  with  a  combined  capacity  aggregating  20,- 
000.000  eggs,  were  operated  during  the  last  biennial  period.  During  the  summer 
months  the  entire  twenty-one  are  in  operation ;  however,  satisfacton,-  hatches  can 
be  made  in  but  eleven  of  these  hatcheries  during  the  winter  months.  These 
hatcheries,  together  with  their  locations,  are  as  follows : 

Owned  by  the  State  of  Colorado: 

Denver  Hatchery,  six  miles  north  of  the  city  limits,  on  the  Brighton  Road. 
Glenwood  Hatchery,  Glenwood  Springs. 
Buena  \^ista  Hatcherv,  Buena  Vista. 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  22:i 

Del  Norte  Hatchery,  Del  Norte. 

La  Plata  Hatchery,  Durango. 

Routt  County  Hatchery,  Steamboat  Springs. 
Privately  owned,  leased  and  operated  by  this  department: 

Pitkin  Hatchery,  Pitkin. 

Estes  Park  Hatchery,  Estes  Park. 

Cedaredge  Hatchery,  Cedaredge. 
Privately  owned,  operated  by  the  department: 

Fort  Collins  Hatchery,  Fort  Collins. 

Molina  Hatchery,  Mesa  County. 

Marvine  Hatchery,  Rio  Blanco  County. 

Antonito  Hatchery,  on  the  Conejos  River,  reached  via  Antonito. 

Emerald  Hatchery,  Hinsdale  County,  reached  via  Durango  and  \'allecito. 

Electra  Hatchery,  San  Juan  County,  reached  via  Durango  and  Rockwood. 

Aspen  Hatchery,  Aspen. 

Georgetown  Hatchery,  Georgetown. 

Boulder  Hatchery,  Boulder. 

Grand  Mesa  Hatchery,  Delta  County,  reached  via  Delta  and  Cedaredge. 

Grand  Lake  Hatchery,  Grand  County. 

Walden  Hatchery  (North  Park),  Jackson  County. 
Walter  B.  Eraser,  of  Denver,  is  the  present  Game  and  Fish  Commissioner. 
His  work  has  been  most  constructive,  and  he  has  in  1918  been  honored  with  a  re- 
appointment for  four  years. 

THE  COLORAIXJ  TK.WELINC,   LI1!K.\KV 

The  act  creating  the  Colorado  Traveling  Library  Commission  was  enacted 
July  I,  1903. 

The  aims  of  the  commission  are  to  make  the  Traveling  Library  of  the  great- 
est usefulness,  by  finding  out  the  needs  of  the  community  or  district  where  boxes 
of  books  are  to  be  sent,  and  as  far  as  possible  supply  these  needs;  to  help  small 
])ublic  libraries  in  getting  on  their  feet,  by  supplying  recent  fiction,  thus  making 
it  possible  for  them  to  invest  their  funds  in  reference  and  other  books  that  are 
necessary  in  establishing  a  jiermanent  library ;  to  lend  books  to  study  clubs  thai 
cannot  get  the  material  for  their  work;  to  cooperate  with  the  teacher  in  the 
rural  school  in  developing  the  children's  reasoning  power  by  placing  in  their 
hands  good,  wholesome  reading  matter,  thus  guiding  the  children  to  the  right  sort 
of  reading  and  creating  in  them  the  love  for  and  the  habit  of  reading  good 
books. 

The  machinery  of  the  commission  makes  possible  the  distribution  of  reading 
inatter  to  many  who  would  otherwise  be  entirely  removed  from  any  oppor- 
tunity of  securing  it,  except  through  the  uncertain  and  irregtilar  kindness  of  indi- 
viduals. .Such  are  not  only  the  dwellers  on  lonely  ranches,  many  miles  from 
any  railroad,  but  the  men  in  the  convict  road  camps  and  the  inmates  of  count) 
poor  farms. 

The  officers  of  the  Traveling  Library  Commission  in  1917  are  as  follows: 
President,  Mrs.  Fannie  M.  D.  Galloway,  Denver;  vice  president,  Mrs.  W.  D. 
^Vright.  Denver;  recording  secretary,   .Miss  l-'lla   \ew.  Denver. 


224  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

Mrs.  Julia  von  der  Lieth  Welles,  president  from  1903  to  December  7,  1912, 
the  date  of  her  death,  was  the  founder  of  the  "traveling  library"  idea  in  Colorado, 
and  was  largely  responsible  for  its  growth. 

ST--\TE   EX.\MINIXG    UO.VRDS 

During  the  past  decade  various  professions  and  trades  have  been  enabled 
to  secure  legislation  creating  state  examining  boards,  all  of  w^hich  pass  upon 
the  eligibility  of  candidates  to  practice  their  respective  professions  or  trades. 
Thus  there  are  in  Colorado:  the  state  board  of  examiners  of  architects;  a 
state  examining  board  and  a  state  board  of  examiners  for  teachers ;  a 
state  board  of  examiners  of  coal  mine  inspectors ;  a  state  board  of  barber  exam- 
iners ;  a  state  board  of  dental  examiners ;  a  state  board  of  nurse  examiners ;  a 
state  board  of  pharmacy;  a  state  board  of  optometric  examiners;  a  state  board 
of  accountancy ;  a  state  veterinary  examining  board ;  a  state  board  of  embalming 
examiners. 

The  other  boards,  commissions,  commissioners,  are  of  a  minor  nature,  and 
were  created  from  time  to  time  as  emergencies  arose.  These  are  such  officers 
as  the  inspector  of  building  and  loan  associations,  an  appointee  under  the  auditor  ; 
the  public  examiner,  also  appointed  by  the  auditor ;  the  state  oil  inspector,  for- 
merly a  fee  office,  now  salaried,  and  appointed  by  the  governor ;  the  state  boiler 
inspector,  appointed  by  the  governor.  The  superintendent  of  education  is  ex 
officio  state  librarian.  The  state  geologist  in  the  early  years  of  statehood  was 
in  charge  of  the  bureau  of  mines. 

The  history  of  the  various  boards  in  charge  of  state  institutions  is  narrated 
in  chapters  on   Public   Buildings  and   State   Institutions. 

THE    ST.XTE    SE.M. 

By  Jerome  C.  Smiley 

The  State's  Seal  is  an  inheritance  from  the  territory,  its  design  having  been 
adopted  by  the  first  territorial  assembly  in  a  joint  resolution  approved  Novem- 
ber 6,  1861.  It  was  said  at  the  time,  and  has  been  the  understanding  ever  since, 
that  the  seal  was  designed  by  Lewis  Ledyard  Weld,  the  first  secretary  of  Colo- 
rado Territory,  the  assembly  giving  the  form  and  force  of  law  to  his  conception. 
The  framer  of  the  resolution  (and  no  doubt  Secretary  Weld  also)  dis- 
tinguished numine  from  Deo,  and  it  was  not  the  intention  that  the  motto 
should  be  translated  /'Nothing  without  God,"  but  "Nothing  without 
the  Deity,"  the  latter  being  specifically  stated  in  the  resolution,  which  follows 
here : 

"Joint  resolution  relative  to  a  territorial  seal. 

"Resolved  by  the  council  and  house  of  representatives  of  Colorado  Terri- 
tory : 

"That  the  secretary  of  the  territory  be.  and  he  is  instructed  to  procure  for 
the  use  of  the  Territory  of  Colorado,  a  seal,  to  be  two  and  a  half  inches  in 
diameter,  with  the  following  device  inscribed  on  the  same:  An  heraldic  shield, 
bearing  in  chief,  or  on  the  upper  portion  of  the  same,  upon  a  red  ground,  three 
snow-capped   mountains ;   above,   surrounding  clouds ;   upon   the   lower   part   of 


PIKE'S  PEAK  AVENUE,  COLORADO  SPRINGS 


ANTLKHS   IIOTML,  COLORADO  SPRINGS 


Vol.  1—15 


226  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

the  shield,  upon  a  golden  ground,  a  miner's  badge,  being  the  same  badge;  pre- 
scribed by  the  regular  heraldic  rules ;  as  a  crest,  above  the  shield,  the  eye  of 
God,  being  golden  rays  proceeding  from  the  lines  of  a  triangle;  below  the 
crest,  and  above  the  shield,  as  a  scroll,  the  Roman  fasces  (the  insignia  of  a 
republican  form  of  government),  bearing  on  a  band  of  red,  white  and  blue  the 
words  'Union  and  Constitution,'  below  the  whole,  the  motto,  'Nil  sine  Numine' 
(nothing  without  the  Deity),  the  whole  to  be  surrounded  by  the  words  'Sigillum 
Territorii  Coloradensis'  (seal  of  the  Territory  of  Colorado),  and  the  fig- 
ures 1861." 

As  mentioned  above,  the  state  retained  the  territorial  design,  the  only  changes 
made  in  the  seal  being  the  substitution  of  the  words  "'State  of  Colorado"  and 
the  figures  "1876"  for  the  corresponding  inscriptions  on  the  old  one.  This  was 
provided  for  by  section  i  of  an  act  of  the  first  General  Assembly,  approved 
March  15,  1877,  and  which  reads  as  follows,  but  omits  a  translation  of  the 
motto : 

"Be  it  enacted  by  the  general  assembly  of  the  State  of  Colorado 
"Section  i.  That  the  seal  of  the  state  shall  be  two  and  one-half  inches  in 
diameter,  with  the  following  device  inscribed  thereon :  An  heraldic  shield, 
bearing  in  chief,  or  upon  the  upper  portion  of  the  same,  upon  a  red  ground,  three 
snow-capped  mountains ;  above,  surrounding  clouds ;  upon  the  lower  part  thereof, 
upon  a  golden  ground,  a  miner's  badge,  as  prescribed  by  the  rules  of  heraldry; 
as  a  crest  above  the  shield,  the  eye  of  God,  being  golden  rays  proceeding  from 
the  lines  of  a  triangle ;  below  the  crest  and  above  the  shield,  as  a  scroll,  the 
Roman  fasces,  bearing  upon  a  band  of  red,  white  and  blue,  the  words,  'Union 
and  Constitution';  below  the  whole,  this  motto,  'Nil  sine  Numine,'  the  whole 
to  be  surrounded  by  the  words  'State  of  Colorado,'  and  the  figures  '1876.'  " 

From  the  heraldic  standpoint,  the  act  prescribes  red,  golden,  white  and  blue 
as  the  state's  colors,  but  of  course  the  band  of  red,  white  and  blue  is  a  direct 
adaptation  of  the  national  colors.  The  "eye  of  God,"  the  all-seeing  eye,  is  a 
conception  of  unknown  antiquity,  and  was  familiar  to  all  the  ancient  historical 
peoples  in  the  general  region  of  the  Mediterranean.  To  the  Egyptians  it  was 
the  eye  of  Ra ;  to  the  Chaldeans,  the  eye  of  Anu ;  to  the  Greeks,  the  eye  of  Zeus ; 
to  the  Romans,  the  eye  of  Jupiter;  and  to  the  Hebrews,  the  eye  of  Yahveh,  as 
in  Psalm  xxxiii.,  18:  "Behold  the  eye  of  the  Lord  is  upon  them  that  fear  him, 
upon  them  that  hope  in  his  mercy."  The  Roman  fasces,  a  bundle  of  elm  or 
birch  rods,  bound  tightly  together  by  red  thongs,  and  containing  a  battle  ax  with 
its  blade  projecting  from  the  side,  and  near  one  end  of  the  bundle,  were  borne 
by  a  lictor,  one  of  a  body  of  public  ofiicials  attending  Roman  emperors,  dictators, 
consuls  and  other  magistrates,  as  symbols  of  authority  and  power,  the  lictor 
walking  in  advance  and  clearing  the  way  for  his  superiors.  In  a  time-worn 
story,  a  father,  seeking  to  teach  his  children  the  importance  of  living  and  acting 
in  unity,  in  the  presence  of  his  sons  broke  with  ease  a  single  rod  and  kept  on 
until  he  had  broken,  singly,  as  many  rods  as  he  had  sons.  He  then  showed  the 
boys  that  when  he  tied  up  a  compact  bundle  of  rods,  one  for  each  son,  he  could 
not  break  them.  In  modem  forms  of  the  symbol,  which  is  a  familiar  one  in  the 
United  States,  the  ax  handle,  carrying  a  spearhead  also,  extends  entirely  through 
the  bundle  of  rods  and  projects  from  both  ends,  thus  exposing  the  ax  to  full 
view,  as   seen  in  the   Colorado   seal.    The    fasces   suggest   to   us   the   sentiment 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  227 

expressed  in  the  motto  of  the  State  of  Kentucky:  "United  we  stand;  divided  we 
fall."  The  three  snow-capped  mountains  represent  the  Colorado  ranges,  but  in 
the  state  seal,  as  in  the  territorial,  as  engraved,  more  mountains  are  shown  than 
the  law  requires.  The  miner's  badge,  bearing  a  pick  and  a  sledge  hammer, 
plainly  proclaims  its  significance.  In  cutting  the  die  for  the  state  seal  the  engraver 
slightly  flattened  the  triangle,  made  a  little  change  in  the  form  of  the  shield,  and 
shifted  upward  the  flying  ends  of  the  streamer  bearing  the  motto. 


CHAPTER  XII 

THE  BEGINNINGS  OF  MINING  HISTORY  IN  COLORADO 

mining  by  early  explorers — first  gold  discoveries the  russell  expedition 

— Jackson's  discoveries  on  clear  creek — clear  creek  production — the 

l-IRST    mining    review GILPIN    COUNTY    AND    JOHN    H.    GREGORY COLORADO'S 

FOUR  MINING  EPOCHS— CRUDE  METHODS  FOLLOWED  BY  AN  EXODUS— PERIOD 
OF  THE  FISSURE  VEINS CYANIDATION  DEVELOPS  PROSPECTS  OF  MINING  DIS- 
TRICTS  RISE  AND  FALL  OF  CHLORINATION CHANGING  FROM  A  SILVER-PRO- 
DUCING    TO     A     LEADING     GOLD-PRODUCING     COUNTRY ERA     OF     DEEP      MINING 

TUNNELING DREDGING  REVIVES  PLACER  MINING OIL  FLOTATION PRODUC- 
TION OF  BIG  PROPERTIES  UP  TO    1880. 

MINING  BY  EARLY  EXPLORERS 

The  first  reported  mining  in  Colorado,  by  no  means  authentic,  antedates  by 
more  than  two  centuries  and  a  half  the  period  of  the  historic  discoveries  by 
the  Russell  Brothers.  And  while  the  evidence,  like  fossil  remains,  lies  in  the 
opened  hills,  it  is  not  yet  certain  that  the  excavations  were  made  at  this  early 
period.  Don  Juan  de  Onate,  an  adventurous  spirit  of  the  days  of  the  Spanish 
conquest,  in  1591,  is  reported  to  have  opened  gold  and  silver  placer  mines  on  the 
western  side  of  the  Sangre  de  Cristo  Range  above  Fort  Garland  in  San  Luis 
Park  between  the  Culebra  and  Trinchera. 

The  record  of  the  many  expeditions  and  explorations  is  fully  covered  in 
the  earlier  chapters  of  this  history.  Here  it  is  the  purpose  to  record  merely  the 
actual  and  reported  beginnings  of  mining  operations,  and  that  of  Onate — even 
if  not  authentic,  should  be  discussed  as  it  is  at  least  the  supposed  beginning  of 
the  industry  in  this  region.  In  the  Journals  kept  by  Father  Francisco  Silvestre 
Velez  Escalante,  of  the  journey  taken  together  with  Father  Francisco  Atanacio 
Dominguez  in  1776  there  are  references  to  these  earlier  discoveries,  but  save 
for  the  fact  that  his  work  throughout  is  painfully  accurate,  there  is  nothing  of 
a  convincing  nature  to  substantiate  them. 

Escalante  states  that  in  the  year  1765  Don  Juan  Maria  de  Ribera  came  to 
the  San  Xavier  (the  Grand)  at  a  point  a  little  below  what  he  termed  its  juncture 
with  the  San  Francisco.  He  describes  the  San  Xavier  as  being  formed  above 
this  crossing  place  of  four  smaller  rivers  or  forks,  "and  this,"  says  Phillip 
Harry,  writing  in  i860  of  the  Escalante  journey,  "corresponds  remarkably  with 
the  Uncompahgre  River,  Grand  River,   Smith's  Fork  and  another  large   fork." 

But  the  period  of  prospecting  which  began  in  1858  and  1859  brought  to  light 
in  many  parts  of  Colorado  excavations  which  had  undoubtedly  been  made  by 

228 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  229 

early  Spanish  exploring  expeditions.  Even  about  Denver  and  Boulder  there  were 
these  evidences.  Those  found  on  the  tributaries  of  the  San  Juan  and  Gunnison 
were  probably  made  by  Ribera  and  his  followers. 

Mr.  Byers  is  also  the  excellent  authority  for  the  tale  brought  to  Denver  by 
a  prospector  named  Samuel  Stone.  His  party,  in  1859,  found  evidences  of  a 
mining  camp  near  the  headwaters  of  Big  Thompson  Creek  near  Long's  Peak. 
They  brought  back  and  showed  Mr.  Byers  a  small  copper  distilling  outfit  which 
had  been  used  in  making  brandy  from  the  wild  berries  that  grew  so  plentiful 
in  that  region.  Near. this  find  they  saw  deep  excavations  made  by  former  pros- 
pectors. At  Santa  Fe,  later,  Mr.  Byers  was  told  that  this  may  have  been  a 
Portuguese  expedition  which  never  returned  to  Mexico  and  the  members  of 
which  were  probably  killed  by  the  Indians. 

More  authentic,  and  yet  unverified,  except  by  the  testimony  of  Lieut.  Zebulon 
M.  Pike,  is  the  discovery  of  gold  by  James  Purcell,  whom  Pike  in  his  narrative 
calls  Pursley.  He  had  gone  to  the  Rocky  Mountains  from  Beardstown,  Ken- 
tucky, in  1802,  and  Pike  thus  relates  the  interview:  "He  assured  me  that  he  had 
found  gold  on  the  head  of  the  Plate  (Platte  River)  and  had  carried  some  of  the 
virgin  mineral  in  his  shot  pouch  for  months,  but  that,  being  in  doubt  whether 
he  should  ever  again  behold  the  civilized  world,  and  losing  in  his  mind  all  the 
ideal  value  which  mankind  had  stamped  upon  that  metal,  he  threw  it  away." 

FIRST    GOLD    DISCOVERIES 

Both  Frank  Hall  and  Jerome  Smiley  after  talks  with  the  late  William  N. 
Byers  assert  that  "when  he  traversed  this  country  in  1852,  one  'Pike'  Vasquez, 
a  trader,  informed  him  (Byers)  that  'the  hunters  and  trappers  occasionally 
brought  small  quantities  of  gold  from  the  mountains  to  the  trading  post  at  the 
mouth  of  Clear  Creek  at  intervals  between  1832  and  1836.'  "  Rufus  B.  Sage 
insisted  that  he  had  found  gold  near  Vasquez  Fork  in  the  winter  of  1843-4. 

Reports  of  discoveries  on  the  Sweetwater  and  in  South  Park  followed  in 
the  early  '50s. 

Col.  William  H.  Paine,  a  noted  military  engineer,  later  under  Grant, 
while  going  to  California  in  1853,  relates  that  he  met  a  large  party  headed  by  one 
Captain  Norton,  who  displayed  small  quantities  of  gold  found  by  him  in  what 
he  asserted  was  "the  Pike's  Peak  region."  The  editor  of  this  work  in  his  his- 
torical sketch  of  Pueblo  County  alludes  to  the  report  that  the  children  of  Wil- 
liam Bent  while  enroutc  from  Fort  Bridger  to  Bent's  Fort,  in  1848,  found  nug- 
gets on  Cherry  Creek. 

O.  J.  Ilollister,  in  his  "Mines  of  Colorado,"  printed  in  1867,  says  of  the 
early  reports: 

"There  was  a  story  among  the  mountaineers  and  traders,  that  a  few  years 
previous  an  old  French  hunter  named  Du  Chet  had  picked  up  in  one  of  the 
principal  forks  of  Horse  Creek,  a  piece  of  rock  containing  native  gold;  that 
he  carried  it  in  his  hunting  pouch  until  he  got  tired  of  it,  and  suspecting  not 
its  value,  but  only  regarding  it  as  an  hour's  novelty,  threw  it  away.  Subsequently, 
at  Santa  Fc,  the  emptyings  of  his  pouch,  being  in  part  particles  of  gold,  attracted 
attention.   But  the  old  hunter  could  not  again  find  the  place. 

"Rufus  B.  Sage  camped  on  the  present  site  of  Golden  City  during  the  winters 


230  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

of  1843  'i"*^!  1S44,  successively,  whence  on  some  of  his  hunting  excursions  he 
penetrated  the  mountains  to  a  considerable  distance;  but  he  records  nothing  in 
his  published  account  of  particular  interest,  more  than  his  confirmed  belief  that 
it  was  a  mineral  region.  For  instance,  crossing  from  Cherry  Creek  to  the  Foun- 
tain, he  remarks :  'The  country  hereabout  for  an  extent  of  upwards  of  one 
thousand  square  miles,  is  much  subject  to  storms  of  rain,  hail,  snow,  and  wind. 
I  can  account  for  it  in  no  way  but  by  supposing  it  to  have  some  connection  with 
the  vast  quantities  of  minerals  lying  embedded  in  its  hills  and  valleys.' 

"It  was  the  commercial  collapse  of  1857  that  set  many  adventurous  spirits 
in  the  then  West  peering  into  the  obscurity  beyond  them  for  a  new  field  of 
enterprise." 

J.  E.  Wharton  in  his  "History  and  Directory  of  Denver"  printed  by  Byers  & 
Dailey  in  1866,  writes  as  follows  of  the  first  gold  discoveries:  "The  first  dis- 
covery of  the  precious  metal  was  made  on  the  Cache  la  Poudre,  where  its  waters 
leave  the  mountains  and  enter  upon  the  valley,  by  an  adventurous  hunting  party 
of  Cherokee  Indians  and  Georgians.  This  was  in  the  month  of  August,  1849. 
The  specimens  found  were  surface  quartz,  glitteringly  spangled  with  gold,  which 
the  party  on  their  return  to  the  States  displayed  to  others,  thus  causing  small 
parties  to  venture  here  in  search  of  the  treasure  bed." 

Historian  Wharton  goes  on  to  say:  "Many  small  discoveries  were  made, 
but  nothing  of  sufficient  importance  to  create  an  excitement  until  April,  1858, 
when  a  party  of  traders,  headed  by  John  Cantrell,  of  Westport,  Missouri,  return- 
ing from  Salt  Lake,  reported  that  they  had  discovered  rich  deposits  of  gold  on 
the  eastern  slope  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  on  what  is  now  known  as  Ralston 
Creek.  This  report  was  heralded  by  the  public  print  throughout  the  land,  and 
soon  culminated  in  a  wild  excitement.  Cantrell's  party  took  with  them  a  sack 
of  dirt  from  what  was  afterwards  known  as  the  'Spanish  Diggings'  situated 
on  the  south  bank  of  the  South  Platte  about  three  miles  above  the  present  site 
of  Denver.  Mining  was  then  being  done  at  these  diggings  by  a  party  of  Mexicans, 
under  John  Smith,  an  old  mountain  trapper.  Cantrell  carried  this  dirt  to  West- 
port,  where  it  was  'panned  out'  by  a  California  miner  named  Ira  Emmons,  in 
the  presence  of  many  persons.  The  yield  of  gold  was  very  small,  being  merely 
sufficient  to  establish  the  fact  that  the  country  from  whence  it  came  was  cer- 
tainly gold-bearing.  Additional  evidence  of  this  being  a  gold-producing  region 
was  given  by  a  party  of  Georgians  and  Cherokees,  with  whom  were  Messrs. 
Russell  and  McFadden.  This  caused  the  first  emigration  to  the  Pike's  Peak 
region." 

Mr.  Wharton's  information  is,  however,  not  reliable,  for  it  was  largely  a 
conglomeration  of  wild  rumors  which  had  grown  with  the  years  into  what  seemed 
to  be  historical  information,  but  was  later  completely  disproved.  The  honor 
of  the  first  actual  authenticated  gold  discovery  belongs  to  the  Russell  Brothers. 

THE   RUSSELL   EXPEDITION 

The  story  of  the  Russell  expedition  is  told  as  follows  by  Eugene  Parsons  in 
a  notable  series  of  articles  published  in  1915  in  the  Mining  American: 

"Among  the  Argonauts  of  1849  was  a  band  of  Cherokees  who  stopped  on 
their  way  to  California  and  prospected  some  of  the  creeks  and  rivers  of  the 


WILLIAM   GREEN   Kl'SSELL 


CABIN    ERECTED    BV    MKMHKRS    oK     liiK    KISSKIJ,    K.\  I'KDITIDN     IN    SEPTEM- 
BER,   1858,  AN!)   WHICH    WAS    THK    I'M  U ST   CABIN   ON   THE 
SITE  OF   I'lONEER  DENVER 

(Reproduction   from    pictures  of  some  of  Denver's  |iioiiei'i-   llnilllill^;s.     The  oripinnls  of 
these  pictures  are  .iiiionjj  tlie  Historical  Society's  collection.) 


232  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

eastern  slope.    They   found  a   little  gold   in   Ralston   Creek,  a   tributary  of   the 
South  Platte. 

"William  Green  Russell,  of  Georgia,  heard  of  this  strike  and,  with  others, 
he  organized  an  expedition  to  explore  the  Pike's  Peak  country  with  the  hope 
of  running  across  treasure-trove  in  the  Rocky  Mountains.  In  this  company  were 
his  two  brothers — J.  L.  Russell  and  L.  J.  Russell — and  other  Georgians.  They 
left  home  February  17,  1858,  and  traversed  Indian  Territory  and  southern 
Kansas  on  the  way  to  Pike's  Peak.  From  time  to  time  they  were  joined  by 
parties  of  Cherokees  and  Kansans.  It  was  considerable  of  a  caravan  that  jour- 
neyed up  the  Arkansas  River,  consisting  of  104  persons  at  one  time.  Some  of 
them  stopped  at  Bent's  Fort.  Most  of  the  other  members  of  the  expedition 
pushed  on  westward  and  northward,  prospecting  Fountain  Creek,  Cherry  Creek, 
the  Platte  and  other  streams  they  came  to  without  finding  colors  in  paying 
quantities.  As  the  days  passed  their  spirits  sank;  they  had  expected  to  pick 
up  gold  nuggets  as  big  as  hailstones.  After  weeks  of  zealous  seeking  they  had 
made  no  valuable  discoveries  of  gold,  and  some  of  the  adventurers  with  Russell 
were  losing  heart.  On  June  24,  they  camped  on  the  bottom  land  near  the  con- 
fluence of  Cherry  Creek  and  the  Platte.  That  is  a  historic  date.  To  this  day 
the  pioneers'  annual  picnic  in  Denver  is  held,  in  commemoration  of  this  event,  on 
June  24  or  the  Saturday  near  it. 

"The  next  few  days  the  men  of  the  expedition  scattered  and  prospected 
Ralston  Creek,  Clear  Creek  and  other  streams,  going  north  as  far  as  Boulder 
Creek.  Nearly  all  of  them  were  disappointed  and  discouraged,  for  they  found 
only  minute  particles  of  the  glittering  dust ;  it  was  so  fine  they  could  do  nothing 
with  it.  After  four  days  of  tramping  they  worked  back  to  their  old  camp  on 
the  bank  of  Cherry  Creek,  some  thirty  or  forty  rods  from  the  spot  where  the 
City  Hall  stands  today.  On  June  29  the  party  broke  up ;  the  greater  number  of 
fortune  hunters  then  and  there  gave  up  the  quest  for  gold  and  turned  back. 
The  Cherokees,  thirty-seven  in  number,  disgruntled,  left  in  a  body. 

"A  crisis  had  been  reached.  The  leader.  Green  Russell,  got  the  remaining 
men  together  and  made  an  eloquent  speech.  It  is  said  that  he  drew  upon  some 
of  his  California  experiences;  he  told  of  the  ups  and  downs  of  the  Argonauts 
w'hen  prospecting;  he  urged  the  malcontents  to  remain  longer,  saying  he  believed 
it  was  only  a  question  of  time  when  they  would  strike  rich  placers  and  find 
valuables  mines.  Russell  had  faith,  but  the  majority  had  not.  They  deserted 
and  set  their  faces  homeward ;  the  quest  was  not  for  them. 

"On  June  30,  Green  Russell  found  himself  with  only  a  dozen  men,  camped 
near  the  mouth  of  Cherry  Creek.  It  was  a  critical  time,  and  he  called  a  council. 
In  a  plain  talk  he  said  he  had  come  to  this  country  to  prospect  the  Rocky  Moun- 
tains. He  was  unwilling  to  give  it  up.  'If  only  one  man  will  stay  with  me.'  he 
said,  'I  will  remain  until  I  satisfy  myself  that  no  gold  can  be  found,  if  it  t.ikes 
all  summer.  Will  you  stay  with  me?'  The  twelve  men,  some  of  them  Georgians 
and  some  Kansans,  declared  that  they  would  stick  by  him. 

"Not  at  all  disheartened  by  the  turn  of  affairs,  the  handful  of  men  broke  up 
camp  and  started  up  the  Platte.  They  were  on  the  constant  lookout  for  pros- 
pects. Here  and  there  they  stopped  and  washed  out  a  panful  of  pay  dirt.  One 
day,  as  James  H.  Pierce  tells  the  story,  he  was  loitering  behind  the  wagons, 
scanning  the  bars  and  shores,  when  he  thought  he  saw  a  bar  that  would  pan 


JOSEPH  O.  RUSSELL 

THE  STATE  HISTORICAL  AND   NATURAL  HISTORY   SOCIETY   OF  COLORADO 

The  sulijects  of  these  portraits  were  brothers  and  distinnuishoil  pioneers  of  the  Colorado 
country.  Tlicy  were  the  organizers  and  leaders  of  the  "Russell  Company,''  whieh  came  to  our 
section  of  the  Rocky  monntains  early  in  the  siinuner  of  ISfjS,  thoroufjlily  to  iirospeet  the  Pike's 
Peak  district  for  (jold.  Tliey  formed  the  initial  organization,  which  consisted  of  nine  men  in  all, 
at  their  homes  in  Lnmpkin  Comity,  (ieorjiia,  in  the  old  icold  field  in  the  northern  part  of  that 
state.  At  Manhattan,  Kansas,  the  party  was  joincil  liy  twelve  other  wliite  men;  and  a  few 
days  later,  pursuant  to  a  jirior  understandintj,  hy  about  thirty  Cherokee  Indians,  who  were 
under  the  leadership  of  Kev.  .Tohn  Beck  and  Judge  George  Kicks,  both  of  whom  were  of 
the  Cherokee  tribe. 

The  company  arrived  at  the  site  of  Denver  on  June  24th,  and  immediately  thereafter  its 
members  began  searching  for  the  yellow  metal  in  the  beds  of  streams  in  that  locality.  While 
the  rewards  were  not  large,  they  were  sufficient  to  convince  these  pros|)ectors  that  gold  in 
opulent  fpiantities  existed  in  the  Pike's  Peak  district.  The  resnlts  of  the  company's  operations 
during  that  simimer  were  the  immoilinte  <anses  of  the  founding  of  .American  settlements  in 
"the   Pike's   Peak   (iolil   Region''  in   the   autumn   months  of  that  year. 

The  portrait  of  William  Creen  Rnsscll  (p.  2:!1 )  is  from  a  photographic  copy  of  a  crayon 
pictnre  m.ade  in  IH.'iT;  that  of  Levi  .1.  Rnssell  (p.  211.5),  a  physician,  is  from  a  photograph 
made  in  1888;  and  that  of  Jo.sejih  Oliver  Rnssell  is  r.n  enlargenicnt  of  a  ])hotogra|)h  made 
in  188,'). 

William  died  at  Rriartown,  Indi;ni  Tciritorv,  on  August  24.  1877;  Levi  died  at  Temple, 
Texas,  March  2.3,  1908;  and  Joseph  died  at  Minardvill.',  Texn.s,  October  28,  1906. 


234  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

out  well.  He  dipped  up  a  shovelful  of  sand  and  dirt  and  began  washing  it. 
At  that  moment  Green  Russell  came  up  and  finished  panning  it.  He  secured  coarse 
gold  flakes  to  the  value  of  a  dime  and  exclaimed:  'Our  fortune  is  made!' 

"The  other  men  retraced  their  steps  and  looked  at  the  gold  dust,  delighted. 
They  all  got  busy  with  feverish  haste,  and  in  a  short  time  they  obtained  gold  to 
the  value  of  a  hundred  dollars  from  the  sands  of  the  Platte.  The  pwcket  of 
colors  was  soon  exhausted,  but  in  high  hopes  they  kept  up  the  quest,  day  by  day. 
Not  long  afterward  they  found  another  valuable  deposit  of  float  gold  on  the 
bank  of  Dry  Creek.  The  leader  and  another  man  were  out  hunting  antelope  a 
little  to  the  south  of  the  Englewood  of  today  and  came  to  a  spot  where  the 
ground  sparkled  with  flakes  of  gold.  Here  they  got  from  four  to  five  hundred 
dollars'  worth  of  the  yellow  metal.  That  was  all,  but  it  was  enough  to  settle 
the  fate  of  the  expedition. 

"Reports  of  the  discovery  spread  to  Kansas  and  Missouri  and  started  an  emi- 
gration to  the  'Pike's  Peak  gold  region'  in  the  summer  and  fall  of  1858.  News  of  a 
find  by  a  teamster  in  the  army  passing  down  the  Platte  that  year  was  published 
abroad,  and  this  started  a  hegira  of  gold  seekers  from  St.  Louis. 

"Such  is,  in  brief,  the  history  of  the  first  finds  of  the  yellow  metal  in  what . 
is  now  Colorado.  To  the  Cherokees  justly  belongs  the  credit  of  originating  the 
Russell  expedition,  and  Green  Russell  deserves  the  praise  of  keeping  up  the 
quest  and  nerving  the  remnant  of  the  party  until  success  crowned  their  efforts. 
For  this  is  William  Green  Russell  remembered  and  honored  as  one  of  the  makers 
of  Colorado.  One  of  the  figures  of  the  Pioneer  ^lonument  in  Denver  was  modeled 
after  this  noble  man. 

"Meanwhile  there  were  other  gold  seekers  in  the  Pike's  Peak  country  in  that 
fateful  summer  of  1858.  Green  Russell  and  his  companions  antedated  the 
arrival  of  the  historic  Lawrence  party  by  only  a  fortnight.  A  Delaware  Indian 
by  the  name  of  Fall  Leaf  started  this  expedition.  In  the  summer  of  1857  this 
red  man  acted  as  guide  to  Colonel  Sumner  while  he  was  chasing  some  Arapa- 
hoes  and  Cheyennes  on  the  warpath.  One  day.  Fall  Leaf  stopped  to  get  a  drink 
in  a  little  stream  of  water  flowing  down  the  side  of  a  mountain  probably  in  the 
Front  Range.  He  saw  several  nuggets  of  glistening  gold  lying  in  the  water  on 
a  rock,  and.  of  course,  he  picked  them  up.  Late  in  the  autumn  of  1857,  he 
returned  to  his  reservation  and  visited  the  town  of  Lawrence,  Kansas.  He  showed 
the  bunch  of  nuggets  to  John  Easter,  the  village  butcher.  'Where  did  you  get 
these?'  asked  Easter.  'Two  sleeps  from  Pike's  Peak,'  answered  the  Indian. 
Easter  got  the  gold  fever  at  once.  He  spoke  of  the  find  to  his  neighbors,  and  in 
the  following  spring  they  organized  a  company  of  about  forty  persons  to  pros- 
pect the  Pike's  Peak  region  for  gold.  Fall  Leaf  promised  to  accompany  them 
and  lead  them  to  the  spot  where  he  found  the  nuggets,  but  when  it  came  to  a 
showdown  Mr.  Indian  refused,  and  they  went  on  without  him.  They  proceeded 
leisurely  up  the  Arkansas  River,  seeing  thousands  of  Indians.  They  found  the 
plains  black  with  bison  as  far  as  the  eye  could  see  in  western  Kansas.  On  the 
third  of  July  the  party  camped  on  the  present  site  of  Pueblo.  Two  days  later 
they  camped  in  the  Garden  of  the  Gods.  They  knocked  about  for  six  weeks, 
having  a  good  time,  but  not  finding  any  gold  to  speak  of.  Then  they  heard  by 
chance  of  the  discovery  in  Dry  Creek  and  forthwith  they  set  northward  for  the 
diggings.    One  of  the  leading  spirits  of  the  company  was  Josiah  Hinman  who. 


T)i;.   l.KVI   . I. 'RUSSELL 


236  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

with  a  number  of  other  men,  laid  out  the  town  of  'Montana  City'  in  the  month 
of  September,  1858.  This  was  the  first  Colorado  village  founded  by  Americans. 
It  existed  only  about  six  months,  however. 

"From  time  to  time  other  newcomers  pitched  their  tents  at  the  mouth  of 
Cherry  Creek  and  the  Platte,  which  had  already  become  a  rendezvous  for  pros- 
pectors and  miners.  In  October  some  of  them  began  building  log  cabins,  John 
Easter  erecting  one  of  the  huts.  Nebraskans,  Kansans  and  people  from  the 
States  kept  coming,  and  the  little  clvister  of  cabins  grew  into  a  hamlet  that  was 
at  first  called  Auraria,  after  a  place  in  Georgia.  Then  the  name  was  changed  to- 
Denver  in  honor  of  General  James  W.  Denver  who  was,  in  1858,  the  governor 
of  Kansas  Territory,  which  at  that  time  extended  to  the  main  range  of  the 
Rocky   Mountams. 

"Such  was  the  beginning  of  Colorado.  The  settled  portion  between  Pueblo 
and  Boulder  first  went  by  the  name  of  the  'P'ike's  Peak  country,'  the  'Pike's  Peak 
gold  region,'  also  "Pike's  Peak  and  Cherry  Creek.'  It  is  said  that  as  many  as 
two  thousand  gold  seekers  came  here  in  the  summer  and  fall  of  1858.  They 
dug  up  the  gravel  in  many  localities,  uncovering  some  'prospects."  The  only 
important  discovery  of  1858,  however,  was  the  find  in  Dry  Creek." 

Jackson's  disco\eries  on  cle.ar  creek 

The  gold  strikes  of  the  summer  and  fall  of  1858  were  small — probably  no 
more  than  $2,000  in  value — but  the  reports  of  them,  greatly  exaggerated,  spread 
far  and  wide  and  started  the  rush  to  Pike's  Peak  the  following  year.  Fortunately, 
important  discoveries  of  gold  were  made  early  in  1859  by  George  A.  Jackson 
and  John  Gregory.   Otherwise  nothing  might  have  come  of  this  historic  stampede. 

George  Jackson  hailed  from  Missouri,  and  he  had  in  him  some  of  the  spirit 
of  the  renowned  backwoodsman,  Daniel  Boone.  Jackson,  who  had  done  some 
mining  in  California,  came  to  the  Pike's  Peak  country  in  1858,  and  with  two 
other  men,  built  a  cabin  on  the  present  site  of  Golden,  the  town  that  afterward 
grew  up  and  was  named  after  one  of  these  men,  Tom  Golden.  The  other  man  was 
James  Sanders. 

It  was  holiday  time,  when  most  men  would  prefer  to  sit  by  the  fire,  that 
these  three  Fifty-eighters — Jackson,  Golden  and  Sanders — set  out  on  a  pros- 
pecting tour,  intending  to  look  for  gold  in  the  mountains.  That  was  December 
31,  1858.  They  struck  out  on  foot  into  the  hills,  each  man  carrying  a  rifle  and 
a  small  load  of  provisions.  On  New  Year's  Day  they  sighted  a  big  band  of  elk. 
and  forthwith  Jackson's  two  comradQS  left  him  to  hunt  elk.  Undaunted,  he 
proceeded  up  Clear  Creek  alone,  with  his  two  dogs.  Drum  and  Kit,  for  company. 
Besides  his  rifle,  he  carried  a  blanket,  a  drinking  cup  and  a  little  bread  and 
cofl^ee,  enough  to  last  several  days.  That  was  his  outfit.  He  depended  upon  his 
rifle  to  supply  him  with  meat. 

Jackson  pressed  on  up  Clear  Creek,  part  of  the  time  finding  it  hard  traveling, 
wading  here  and  there  through  snow  two  or  three  feet  deep.  Along  toward 
nightfall,  he  came  to  the  hot  mineral  springs,  now  known  as  the  famous  summer 
resort  of  Idaho  Springs.  Nearby  were  some  large  flocks  of  mountain  sheep  graz- 
ing, and  he  shot  one.  That  night  he  camped  in  a  clump  of  cottonwood  trees. 
The  next  day  the  weather  turned  cold  and   snowy ;   so  he  stayed   in   the  little 


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This  agTceiiieiit  «as  one  of  the  coiiseinionpes  of  the  discovery  of  k"'''  on  the  site  of  tho 
City  of  Denver  by  the  KusscU  iirospc'ctiiii;  ox|ioiIitinn  into  the  Pike's  I'eak  country  in  the 
summer  of  1808,  "and  which  was  followed  in  the  imtunin  of  that  year  liy  the  founding  of 
Denver.  When  the  "jiartios  of  the  first  |iarl  "  to  this  agreement  arriveil  at  the  site  of  Den- 
ver (which  was  the  iiriiicijial  rendezvous  of  the  Tike's  Peak  Arsionants)  they  ioinod  with 
others,  who  were  on  the  {rround,  in  a  town  coniiiany  enter]iri>-e  tliat  was  n  part  of  the  city's 
beginning  and  thus  complied,  to  some  extent,  with  the  purpose  of  the  agreement. 


238  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

bough-house  he  had  made  to  shelter  him.  The  following  day  being  pleasant,  the 
ambitious  prospector  started  out  in  the  trackless  wilderness  to  search  for  traces 
of  gold.    He  wandered  up  a  gulch,  finding  no  traces  of  colors. 

Jackson's  first  day's  quest  was  unsuccessful  but,  hero  that  he  was,  he 
resolved  to  stay  and  try  again,  although  supplies  of  provisions  were  running 
low.  He  put  in  another  day,  tramping  up  and  down  creek  and  canyons,  without 
seeing  any  gold.  He  returned  to  camp  after  dark,  tired  and  hungry,  only  to 
find  that  a  marauding  cougar  had  stolen  all  his  meat.  The  man  went  to  bed  sup- 
perless,  for  he  had  eaten  the  last  of  his  bread  that  morning.  He  did  not  lose 
heart,  however.  He  got  up  early  the  next  morning  and  shot  a  wild  sheep  before 
sunrise.  H-e  drank  the  last  of  his  coffee  and  started  out  to  do  some  more  prospect- 
ing. This  day,  January  5,  Jackson  found  a  place  a  half-mile  up  stream  where  the 
gravel  looked  good.  Here  he  made  a  new  camp  under  a  big  fir  tree.  The  ground 
was  frozen  hard,  and  he  built  a  big  fire  on  it.  All  day  (January  6),  he  kept  the 
fire  going  until  the  ground  was  thawed.  The  next  day  he  had  his  reward. 
"Clear  day," — he  cheerily  writes  in  his  diary,  January  7 — -"removed  fire  embers 
and  dug  into  rim  on  bed-rock,  panned  out  eight  treaty  cups  of  dirt  and  found 
nothing  but  fine  colors ;  ninth  cup  I  got  one  nugget  of  coarse  gold ;  feel  good 
to-night." 

Jackson  worked  another  day,  digging  and  panning  until  his  hunting  knife 
was  worn  out.  He  then  had  about  a  half  ounce  of  gold  worth  ten  dollars.  "I've 
got  the  diggings  at  last,"  he  wrote  in  his  journal.  Having  no  mining  tools — 
pick,  shovel  and  pan — the  man  had  to  quit.  He  marked  the  spot  of  his  discovery 
and  trudged  back  to  his  shack. 

In  the  spring,  Jackson  returned  to  the  spot,  where  he  had  marked  a  tree 
so  that  he  could  locate  it,  and  took  out  between  four  and  five  thousand  dollars' 
worth  of  placer  gold.  Jackson  Bar  was  the  first  large  deposit  of  gold  ever  uncov- 
ered in  the  Rockies.  The  site  of  this  bonanza  is  near  the  mouth  of  a  little 
stream,  Chicago  Creek,  flowing  into  Clear  Creek.  A  monument  marks  this  spot 
in  the  town  of  Idaho  Springs.  This  discovery  was  an  event  of  vast  moment  in 
the  history  of  the  West. 

Meanwhile  John  H.  Gregory,  of  Georgia,  was  prospecting  only  a  few  miles 
away  from  Jackson,  although  neither  knew  of  the  presence  of  the  other.  Gregory 
discovered  rich  placer  ground,  near  Blackhawk,  in  the  gulch  that  bears  his 
name.  The  Jackson  Diggings  and  the  Gregory  Diggings  were  some  thirty-five 
miles  to  the  west  of  Denver. 

CLE.^R   CREEK   PRODUCTION 

These  were  the  beginnings  of  the  mineral  industry  of  Colorado,  which  leads 
all  states  of  the  Union,  except  California,  in. gold  production.  Clear  Creek  County 
was  organized  in  1861.  One  mining  camp  after  another  had  its  day,  and  mil- 
lions of  treasure,  mostly  placer  gold,  was  obtained.  The  mines  of  Empire, 
Georgetown.  Idaho  and  other  diggings  were  famous  in  Territorial  days.  Many 
rich  quartz  veins  were  discovered,  and  fortunes  were  made.  There  was  not 
much  deep  mining  done  then,  the  shafts  being  from  fifty  to  300  feet  deep.  The 
-Argentine  district  produced  both  gold  and  silver  in  large  quantities  many  years 
ago.    Lead  and  copper  also  were  found  in  some  of  the  mining  districts  of  Clear 


VIEW  OF  BLACKHAWK,  LOOKING  UP  GREGORY  AND  CHASE'S  GULCHES 
This  picture  was  dra%vn  by  A.  E.  Mathews  in  the  latter  part  of  the  year  1865. 


240  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

Creek  County.  Not  until  about  1903  was  much  zinc  obtained.  Around  George- 
town,  silver-lead-zinc  ores  predominate. 

So  long  ago  as  1870,  Clear  Creek  County  was  one  of  the  leading  producers 
of  the  precious  metals  in  Colorado.  Says  Hall  in  his  "History  of  Colorado,"  Vol. 
HI.,  p.  323 :  "While  exact  figures  are  not  at  hand,  the  mines  of  this  county  have 
contributed  about  $40,000,000  in  gold,  silver  and  lead  to  the  mineral  wealth  of 
the  world,  the  greater  part  during  the  last  two  decades  (1870-1890).  The 
product  is  from  two  to  two  and  a  half  millions  per  annum." 

Since  1S90,  the  mineral  production  of  Clear  Creek  County  has  fallen  oflf 
somewhat,  and  yet  it  is  one  of  the  best  mineral  counties  of  Colorado.  Its  mines 
are  still  yielding  an  abundant  harvest  of  the  precious  metals.  The  past  score 
years,  the  annual  production  has  ranged  from  one  to  two  million  dollars,  and  some 
years  over  two  thousand  men  have  been  engaged  in  the  mineral  industry  in  this 
county. 

In  1895,  the  State  Bureau  of  Mines  was  established.  Its  biennial  reports  con- 
tain statistics  which  may  be  quoted  as  trustworthy.  During  the  past  eighteen 
years,  Clear  Creek  County's  gold  output  has  amounted  to  over  ten  million  dol- 
lars; the  output  of  silver  has  been  about  nine  million  dollars;  that  of  lead  has 
exceeded  three  millions ;  and  a  half  million  dollars'  worth  of  copper  has  been 
obtained.  The  past  dozen  years,  1903-1914,  the  zinc  harvest  has  exceeded  one 
million  dollars.  The  grand  total  of  these  five  minerals  during  the  years  1897- 
1914  is  nearly  twenty-four  million  dollars. 

During  fifty-nine  years — 1859-1917 — the  Clear  Creek  mining  region  has  pro- 
duced over  $100,000,000,  mostly  gold  and  silver.  But  few  other  counties  of 
Colorado  have  made  a  better  showing. 

THE   FIRST   MINING  REVIEW 

The  report  on  the  mining  outlook  of  the  Pike's  Peak  region  after  a  few  months 
of  operation  was  prepared  at  the  "Diggings"  by  Horace  Greeley,  A.  D.  Rich- 
ardson and  Henry  Villard. 

And  here  is  that  famous  report,  which  gives  an  accurate  picture  of  the  men 
and  the  mines  of  that  period: 

Gregory's  Diggings,  near  Clear  Creek,  in  the  Rocky  Mountains, 

June  9th.  1859. 

The  undersigned,  none  of  them  miners,  nor  directly  interested  in  mining, 
but  now  here  for  the  express  purpose  of  ascertaining  and  setting  forth  the  truth 
with  regard  to  a  subject  of  deep  and  general  interest,  as  to  which  the  widest 
and  wildest  diversity  of  assertion  and  opinion  is  known  to  exist,  unite  in  the 
following  statement: 

We  have  this  day  personally  visited  nearly  all  the  mines  or  claims  already 
opened  in  this  valley  (that  of  a  little  stream  running  into  Clear  Creek  at  this 
point)  ;  have  witnessed  the  operation  of  digging,  transporting,  and  washing 
the  veinstone  (a  partially  decomposed,  'or  rotten  quartz,  running  in  regular 
veins  from  southwest  to  northeast,  between  shattered  walls  of  an  impure  gran- 
ite), have  seen  the  gold  plainly  visible  in  the  riffles  of  nearly  every  sluice,  and  in 
nearly  every  pan  of  the  rotten  quartz  washed  in  our  presence ;  have  seen  gold 
(but  rarely)  visible  to  the  naked  eye,  in  pieces  of  the  quartz  not  yet  fully  decom- 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  241 

posed,  and  have  obtained  from  the  few  who  have  already  sluices  in  operation 
accounts  of  their  several  products,  as  follows: 

Zeigler,  Spain  &  Co.  (from  South  Bend,  Indiana),  have  run  a  sluice,  with  some 
interruptions,  for  the  last  three  weeks;  they  are  four  in  company,  with  one  hired 
man.  They  have  taken  out  a  little  over  three  thousand  pennyweights  of  gold,  esti- 
mated by  them  as  worth  at  least  $3,000;  their  first  day's  work  produced  $21  ;  their 
highest  was  $495. 

Sopris,  Henderson  &  Co.  (from  Farmington,  Indiana),  have  run  their  sluice 
six  days  in  all  with  four  men — one  to  dig,  one  to  carry,  and  two  to  wash;  four 
days  last  week  produced  $607;  Monday  of  this  week,  $280;  no  further  reported. 
They  have  just  put  in  a  second  sluice,  which  only  began  to  run  this  morning. 

Foote  &  Simmons  (from  Chicago),  one  sluice,  run  four  days;  two  former  days 
produced  $40;  two  latter  promised  us,  but  not  received.    • 

Defrees  &  Co.  (from  South  Bend,  Indiana),  have  run  a  small  sluice  eight 
days,  with  the  following  results :  first  day,  $66 ;  second  day,  $80 ;  third  day,  $95 : 
fourth  day,  $305  (the  four  following  days  were  promised  us,  but,  by  accident,  failed 
to  be  received.)  Have  just  sold  half  their  claim  (a  full  claim  is  50  feet  by  lOO), 
for  $2,500. 

Shears  &  Co.  (from  Fort  Calhoun,  Nebraska),  have  run  one  sluice  two  hours 
the  first  (part  of  a)  day;  produced  $30;  second  (first  full)  day,  $343;  third 
(today),  $510;  all  taken  from  within  three  feet  of  the  surface;  vein  a  foot  wide 
on  the  surface ;  widened  to  eighteen  inches  at  a  depth  of  three  feet. 

Brown  &  Co.  (from  De  Kalb  County,  Indiana),  have  been  one  week  on  their 
claim;  carry  their  dirt  half  a  mile;  have  worked  their  sluice  a  day  and  a  half; 
produced  $260;  have  taken  out  quartz  specimens  containing  from  30  cents  to  $13 
each  in  gold ;  vein  8  to  10  feet  wide. 

Casto,  Kendall  &  Co.  (from  Butler  County,  Iowa),  reached  Denver  March  25; 
drove  the  first  wagon  to  these  diggings ;  have  been  here  five  weeks ;  worked  first 
on  a  claim,  on  which  they  ran  a  sluice  but  one  day ;  produced  $225  ;  sold  their  claim 
for  $2,500;  are  now  working  a  claim  on  the  Hunter  lead,  have  only  sluiced  one 
(this)  day;  three  men  employed;  produced  $85. 

Bates  &  Co.,  one  sluice,  run  half  a  day;  produced  $135. 

Colman,  King  &  Co.,  one  sluice,  run  half  a  day;  produced  $75. 

Shorts  &  Collier,  bought  our  claims  seven  days  since  of  Casto,  Kendall  & 
Co.  for  $2,500;  $500  down,  balance  as  fast  as  taken  out.  Have  not  yet  got  our 
sluices  in  operation.  Mr.  Dean,  from  Iowa,  on  the  6th  inst.,  washed  from  a  single 
pan  of  dirt  taken  from  the  claim,  $17.80.   Have  been  oflfered  $10,000  for  the  claim. 

S.  G.  Jones  &  Co.  (from  eastern  Kansas),  have  run  our  sluices  two  days,  with 
three  men ;  yield,  $225  per  day.  Think  the  quartz  generally  in  this  vicinity  is  gold- 
bearing.   Have  never  seen  a  piece  crushed  that  did  not  yield  gold. 

A.  P.  Wright  &  Co.  (from  Elkhart  County,  Indiana),  sluice,  but  just  in  oper- 
ation; have  not  yet  ascertained  its  products.  Our  claim  prospects  from  25  cents 
to  $1.25  to  the  pan. 

[ohn  II.  Gregory  (from  Gordon  County,  Georgia),  left  home  last  season 
en  route  for  Frazier  River,  was  detained  by  a  succession  of  accidents  at  Ft. 
Laramie,  and  wintered  there.  Meanwhile  heard  of  the  discoveries  of  gold  on 
the  South  Platte,  and  started  on  a  prospecting  tour  on  the  eastern  slope  of  the 
Rocky   Momitains,  early  in   January.    Prospected   in   almost   every  valley    from 


242  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

the  Cache  la  Poudre  Creek  to  Pike's  Peak,  tracing  many  streams  to  their 
sources. — Early  in  May  arrived  on  Clear  Creek,  at  the  foot  of  the  mountains, 
thirty  miles  southeast  of  this  place.  There  fell  in  with  the  Defrees  &  Zeigler 
Indiana  companies,  and  William  Fonts,  of  Missouri.  We  all  started  up  Clear 
Creek,  prospecting.  Arrived  in  this  vicinity,  Alay  6;  the  ice  and  snow  prevented 
us  from  prospecting  far  below  the  surface,  but  the  first  pan  of  surface  dirt,  on 
the  original  Gregory  claim,  yielded  $4.  Encouraged  by  this  success,  we  all 
staked  out  claims,  found  the  "lead"  consisting  of  burnt  quartz,  resembling  the 
Georgia  mines,  in  which  I  had  previously  worked.  Snow  and  ice  prevented  the 
regular  working  of  the  lead  until  May  16.  From  then  until  the  twenty-third,  I 
worked  it  five  days  with  two  hands,  result,  $972.  Soon  after,  I  sold  my  two 
claims  for  $21,000,  the  parties  buying  to  pay  me,  after  deducting  their  expenses, 
all  they  take  from  the  claims  to  the  amount  of  $500  per  week,  until  the  whole 
is  paid.  Since  that  time,  I  have  been  prospecting  for  other  parties,  at  about  $200 
per  day.  Have  struck  another  lead  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  valley,  from 
which  I  washed  $14.  out  of  a  single  pan. 

Some  forty  or  fifty  sluices  commenced,  are  not  yet  in  operation ;  but  the 
owners  inform  us  that  their  "prospecting"  shows  from  10  cents  to  $5  to  the 
pan.  As  the  "leads"  are  all  found  on  the  hills,  many  of  the  miners  are  con- 
structing trenches  to  carry  water  to  them,  instead  of  building  their  sluices  in 
their  ravines,  and  carrying  the  dirt  thither  in  wagons,  or  sacks.  Many  persons 
who  have  come  here  without  provisions  or  money,  are  compelled  to  work  as 
common  laborers,  at  from  $1  to  $3  per  day  and  board,  until  they  can  procure 
means  of  sustenance  for  the  time  necessary  to  prospecting,  building  sluices,  etc. 
Others,  not  finding  gold  the  third  day,  or  disliking  the  work  necessary  to  obtain- 
ing it,  leave  the  mines  in  disgust,  after  a  very  short  trial,  declaring  there  is  no 
gold  here  in  paying  quantities.  It  should  be  remembered  that  the  discoveries 
made  thus  far,  are  the  result  of  but  five  weeks'  labor. 

In  nearly  every  instance,  the  gold  is  estimated  by  the  miners  as  worth  $20.00 
per  ounce,  which,  for  gold  collected  by  quicksilver,  is  certainly  a  high  valuation, 
though  this  is  undoubtedly  of  very  great  purity.  The  reader  can  reduce  the 
estimates  if  he  sees  fit.   We  have  no  data  on  which  to  act  in  the  premises. 

The  wall  rock  is  generally  shattered,  so  that  it,  like  the  veinstone,  is  readily 
taken  out  with  the  pick  and  shovel.  In  a  single  instance  only  did  we  hear  of 
wall  rock  too  hard  for  this. 

Of  the  veinstone,  probably  not  more  than  one-half  is  so  decomposed  that 
the  gold  can  be  washed  from  it.  The  residue  of  the  quartz  is  shoveled  out  of 
the  sluices,  and  reserved  to  be  crushed  and  washed  hereafter.  The  miners  esti- 
mate this  as  equally  rich  with  that  which  has  "rotted"  so  that  the  gold  may  be 
washed  from  it ;  hence,  that  they  realize,  as  yet,  but  half  the  gold  dug  by  them. 
This  seems  probable,  but  its  truth  remains  tc  be  tested. 

It  should  be  borne  in  mind  that,  while  the  miners  here  now  labor  under 
many  obvious  disadvantages,  which  must  disappear  with  the  growth  of  their 
experience  and  the  improvement  of  their  now  rude  machinery,  they  at  the  same 
time  enjoy  advantages  which  cannot  be  retained  indefinitely,  nor  rendered  uni- 
versal. They  are  all  working  ven,^  near  a  small  mountain  stream,  which  affords 
them  an  excellent  supply  of  water  for  washing  at  a  very  cheap  rate ;  and,  though 
such  streams  are  very  common  here,  the  leads  stretch  over  rugged  hills  and  con- 


VIKW  OF  GEORGETOWN  IN   1874 


VIEW  OF  (ii;()i;iii;'ix)WN 

(IlcproduccU  from   a  iiliotograpliic  cnlarKiincnt   of  n    |Oioto>;iiiiili   inaili'   in    18(i!t.  I 


244  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

siderable  mountains,  down  which  the  veinstone  must  be  carried  to  water,  at  a 
serious  cost.  It  does  not  seem  probable  that  the  thousands  of  claims  already 
made  or  being  made  on  these  leads  can  be  worked  so  profitably  in  the  average 
as  those  already  in  operation.  We  hear  already  of  many  who  have  worked  their 
claims  for  days  (by  panning)  without  having  "raised  the  color,"  as  the  phrase 
is — that  is,  without  having  found  any  gold  whatever.  We  presume  thousands 
are  destined  to  encounter  lasting  and  utter  disappointment,  quartz  veins  which 
bear  no  gold  being  a  prominent  feature  of  the  geology  of  all  this  region. 

We  cannot  conclude  this  statement  without  protesting  most  earnestly  against 
a  renewal  of  the  infatuation  which  impelled  thousands  to  rush  to  this  region  a 
month  or  two  since,  only  to  turn  back  before  reaching  it,  or  to  hurry  away  imme- 
diately after  more  hastily  than  they  came.  Gold-mining  is  a  business  which  emi- 
nently requires  of  its  votaries  capital,  experience,  energy,  endurance,  and  in 
which  the  highest  qualities  do  not  always  command  success.  There  may  be 
hundreds  of  ravines  in  these  mountains  as  rich  in  gold  as  that  in  which  we  write, 
and  there  probably  are  many ;  but,  up  to  this  hour,  we  do  not  know  that  any 
such  have  been  discovered.  There  are  said  to  be  five  thousand  people  already  in 
this  ravine,  and  hundreds  more  are  pouring  into  it  daily.  Tens  of  thousands  more 
have  been  passed  by  us  on  our  rapid  journey  to  this  place,  or  heard  of  as  on 
their  way  hither  by  other  routes.  For  all  these,  nearly  every  pound  of  provisions 
and  supplies  of  every  kind  must  be  hauled  by  teams  from  the  Missouri  River, 
some  700  miles  distant,  over  roads  which  are  mere  trails,  crossing  countless 
unbridged  water-courses,  always  steep-banked  and  often  miry,  and  at  times  so 
swollen  by  rains  as  to  be  utterly  impassable  by  wagons.  Part  of  this  distance 
is  a  desert,  yielding  grass,  wood  and  water  only  at  intervals  of  several 
miles,  and  then  very  scantily.  To  attempt  to  cross  this  desert  on  foot  is  mad- 
ness— suicide — murder.  To  cross  it  with  teams  in  midsummer,  when  the  water 
courses  are  mainly  dry,  and  the  grass  eaten  up,  is  possible  only  to  those  who 
know  just  where  to  look  for  grass  and  water,  and  where  water  must  be  carried 
along  to  preserve  life.  A  few  months  hence — probably  by  the  middle  of  October 
— this  whole  Alpine  region  will  be  snowed  under  and  frozen  up,  so  as  to  put 
a  stop  to  the  working  of  sluices  if  not  to  mining  altogether.  There  then,  for  a 
period  of  at  least  six  months,  will  be  neither  employment,  food,  nor  shelter 
within  500  miles  for  the  thousands  pressing  hither  under  the  delusion  that 
gold  may  be  picked  up  here  like  pebbles  on  the  seashore,  and  that  when  they 
arrive  here,  even  though  without  provisions  or  money,  their  fortunes  are  made. 
Great  disappointment,  great  suffering,  are  inevitable;  few  can  escape  the  latter 
who  arrive  at  Denver  City  after  September  without  ample  means  to  support 
them  in  a  very  dear  country,  at  least  through  a  long  winter.  We  charge  those 
who  manage  the  telegraph  not  to  diffuse  a  part  of  our  statement  without  giving 
substantially  the  whole;  and  we  beg  the  press  generally  to  unite  with  us  in 
warning  the  whole  people  against  another  rush  to  these  gold-mines,  as  ill- 
advised  as  that  of  last  spring — a  rush  sure  to  be  followed,  like  that,  by  a  stampede, 
but  one  far  more  destructive  of  property  and  life. 

Respectfully, 

Horace  Greeley, 
A.  D.  Richardson^ 
Henry  Villard. 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  245 

HoUister  in  his  "Mining  in  Colorado"  writes  as  follows  of  that  tirst  season 
in  the  newly  opened  mining  region : 

"It  was  not  unusual  lor  four  or  live  men  to  wash  out  from  the  Gregory,  Bates, 
Bobtail,  Mammoth,  Hunter  and  many  other  lodes  then  newly  discovered,  one 
hundred  and  titty  dollars  a  day  for  weeks  together.  Single  pans  of  dirt  could 
be  taken  up  carefully  from  any  of  a  dozen  lodes,  that  would  yield  five  dollars. 
Zeigler,  Spain  &  Co.  ran  a  sluice  three  weeks  on  the  Gregory  and  cleaned  up 
3,000  pennyweights;  Sopris,  Henderson  &  Co.  took  out  $607  in  four  days; 
Shears  &  Co.,  two  days,  $853,  all  taken  from  within  three  feet  of  the  surface. 
Brown  &  Co.,  one  and  a  half  days,  $260;  John  H.  Gregory,  three  days,  $972; 
Casto,  Kendall  &  Co.,  one  day,  $225;  S.  G.  Jones  &  Co.,  two  days,  $450;  Bates 
&  Co.,  one  and  a  half  days,  $135;  Coleman,  King  &  Co.,  one-half  day,  $75; 
De frees  &  Co.,  twelve  days  with  one  sluice,  $2,080.  In  one  day  Leper,  Gridley 
&  Co.  obtained  $1,009  from  three  sluices.  One  sluice  washed  out  in  one  day 
$510.  Foote  &  Simmons  realized  $300  in  three  days.  The  Illinois  Company  ob- 
tained $175  in  their  first  day's  sluicing  from  the  Brown  lode  in  Russell  district. 
Walden  &  Co.  took  in  one  day  from  a  lode  in  the  same  district,  $125.  John 
Pogue  took  $500  from  a  lode  in  the  same  district  in  three  days.  Three  men 
took  from  the  Kansas  lode  in  two  days,  $500.  Kehler,  Patton  &  Fletcher  aver- 
aged with  five  hands  on  the  Bates  lode,  $100  a  day  for  two  months.  Day  & 
Crane  on  the  same  lode  with  seven  or  eight  hands,  sluiced  for  ten  weeks,  their 
smallest  weekly  run  being  $180,  their  largest  $357.  J.  C.  Ross  &  Co.  with  four 
hands,  averaged  $100  a  day  on  the  Fisk  lode  for  four  months.  F.  M.  Cobb  & 
Co.  on  the  Bobtail  lode  with  four  men,  averaged  from  $75  to  $100  a  day  for 
two  months.  Heffner,  McLain  &  Cooper  worked  four  men  at  a  sluice  on  the  Clay 
County  lode,  averaging  $100  a  day  for  ten  weeks.  Shoog  &  Co.  averaged  $100 
a  day  for  three  months'  sluicing  with  five  men  on  the  Maryland  lode." 

GILPIN  COUNTY  .\ND  JOHN    H.  GREGORY 

As  soon  as  the  news  of  Jackson's  discovery  spread,  a  resistless  tide  of  "pil- 
grims" surged  up  the  winding  banks  of  Clear  Creek,  in  search  of  the  "golden 
fleece."  In  the  summer  of  1859,  the  gulches  and  canyons  of  the  Front  Range 
swarmed  with  prospectors  and  miners.  At  the  same  time  there  was  a  stampede 
to  the  Gregory  Diggings  in  what  is  now  Gilpin  County,  one  of  tlic  richest  mineral- 
bearing  districts  of   Colorado. 

John  H.  Gregory,  of  Georgia,  was  an  adventurous  fellow  who  knocked  about 
on  the  frontier  in  the  summer  and  fall  of  1858,  finally  reaching  Fort  Laramie. 
Here  he  seems  to  have  heard  of  the  gold  discovery  in  Dry  Creek.  In  January, 
1859,  he  set  out  southward,  determined  to  prospect  the  streams  of  the  Front 
Range.  Gregory  was  no  tenderfoot.  Like  Jackson,  he  had  real  grit  and  heroism 
in  his  make-up.  In  the  wintry  weather  he  put  up  with  many  discomforts  in  the 
wilderness.  He  must  have  found  the  cold  hard  to  bear,  for  he  had  been  used 
to  the  mild,  sunny  clime  of  the  South. 

Gregory  was  an  experienced  miner,  and  he  knew  where  to  look  for  colors. 
Working  gradually  south  along  the  foothills,  he  prospected  the  Cache  la  Poudrc 
and  other  streams.  Following  up  the  Vasqucz  Fork  of  the  Soutli  Platte,  lie 
came  to  the  vicinity  of  the  Blackhawk  of  today.     Hereabouts  lie  got  some  colors. 


246  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

"Gregory  now  felt  certain  that  he  had  found  gold,"  says  HoUister  in  "The  Mines 
of  Colorado"  (1867),  "but  before  he  could  satisfy  himself  a  heavy  snowstorm 
occurred,  during  which  he  nearly  perished."  On  account  of  the  snow  and  the 
lack  of  supplies,  the  man  was  forced  to  leave  the  little  ravine  where  he  had 
obtained  a  small  quantity  of  fine  gold.  He  found  his  way  down  into  the  valley 
and  subsisted  upon  venison  and  other  game  that  he  got  by  hunting.  He  finally 
turned  up  in  the  short-lived  mining  camp  or  town  of  "Arapahoe"  on  Clear 
Creek,  a  little  below  the  Golden  of  today.  Says  Hollister:  "At  one  time  there 
must  have  been  fifty  houses  in  this  town;  today  not  one  remains." 

Gregory  was  discouraged.  Apparently  he  was  down  and  out.  At  this  crisis 
in  his  life  he  chanced  to  meet  David  J.  Wall,  of  Indiana,  who  had  faith  in  the 
Georgian  and  "grubstaked"  him  for  another  prospecting  tour  in  the  hills.  The 
Hoosier's  confidence  was  not  misplaced.  Gregory  made  good.  Accompanied  by 
a  small  party  of  men,  he  set  out  in  April  and  reached  the  place  where  he  had 
seen  indications  of  gold  deposits  the  previous  winter.  A  little  south  of  Black- 
hawk,  the  discovery  of  Gregory  Lode  occurred  May  6,  1859.  This  was  the 
discovery  of  the  season.  In  '59-'6o  "Gregory's  Diggings"  had  a  great  reputation, 
yielding  millions  of   dollars. 

Was  it  a  chance,  or  superior  judginent,  that  led  Gregory  through  a  maze  of 
broken  mountains  to  a  ravine  two  or  three  miles  in  length?  In  this  gulch  and  on 
the  bordering  hills  he  found  the  heart  of  one  of  the  richest  mining  regions  in  the 
world. 

From  poverty  he  suddenly  attained  affluence.  He  sold  his  claims  for  twenty- 
one  thousand  dollars.  Four  months  later,  he  left  Denver  with  gold  dust  valued 
at  twenty-five  thousand  dollars,  and  he  had  previously  forwarded  five  thousand 
dollars  to  his  family  in  Georgia.  Not  much  is  known  of  his  later  history.  He 
returned  home,  drifted  to  Texas  and  disappeared.  We  have  not  even  a  photo- 
graph of  this  man,  who  did  so  much  for  Colorado.  A  town  or  a  county  should 
be  named  in  his  honor.  There  are  those  who  think  Gilpin  County  should  have 
been  named  Gregory  County. 

First  came  the  discovery  of  float  gold  in  Dry  Creek,  between  Denver  and 
Littleton,  in  the  month  of  July,  1858.  The  news  of  this  find,  with  other  rumors, 
started  the  rush  to  Pike's  Peak  in  the  spring  of  1859.  The  great  majority  of 
the  fortune  hunters  who  flocked  to  the  hills  and  mountains  that  memorable  year 
were  disappointed.  They  found  no  gold  worth  mentioning,  and  many  of  them 
turned  their  faces  toward  the  rising  sun,  discouraged.  The  golden  treasure 
■was  here,  but  they  could  not  locate  it;  so  they  gave  up  in  despair  and  disgust. 
The  tide  of  the  "go-backs"  was  checked  by  the  discoveries  of  Jackson  and 
Gregory. 

Others  made  valuable  finds.  About  June  r.  Green  Russell  arrived  at  Central 
City  with  170  followers.  Immediately  he  struck  out  into  the  neighboring  hills, 
and  soon  he  located  the  gold-bearing  gulch  that  was  named  in  his  honor.  At  the 
end  of  the  season,  Russell  took  back  $21,000  in  the  glistening  grains  that  formed 
the  currency  of  the  new  mining  region  yclept  "Pike's  Peak,"  although  the  dig- 
gings were  all  located  seventy-five  miles  or  more  to  the  northwest  of  the  majestic 
monarch  of  the  Rockies. 

The  discoveries  of  Jackson  and  Gregory  settled  the  fate  of  the  straggling 


VIEW  OF  A  STREET  IN  GREGORY 'S  GULCH,  GILPIN  COUNTY 

(Reproduced  from  a  photo^aphic  enlari;eineiit  of  a  wood  engraving  published  in  Frank 
Leslie's  lUustrated  Weekly,  March  24,   1860.) 


248  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

frontier  settlement.  The  section  of  the  Eastern  Slope  embracing  Clear  Creek 
and  Gilpin  counties  is  called  the  birthplace  of  Colorado. 

These  were  the  beginnings  of  the  mineral  industry  in  Colorado.  Gilpin  is 
one  of  the  smallest  counties  in  the  state,  and  yet  it  has  produced  a  hundred 
millions  in  metallic  wealth,  mostly  gold. 

There  is  a  silver  belt  in  Gilpin  County,  but  it  has  never  been  largely  devel- 
oped or  very  productive.  The  past  eighteen  years  the  annual  output  of  silver 
has  averaged  something  over  $166,000,  while  the  gold  production  during  that 
period  has  averaged  $1,275,000  a  year.  The  yearly  production  of  lead  has  ranged 
from  $20,000  to  $69,000.  The  copper  output  has  averaged  about  $114,000  annu- 
ally.   Gilpin  County  has  produced  no  zinc  to  speak  of. 

COLOR.ADO's    FOUR    MINING    EPOCHS 

The  mining  history  of  the  state  divides  itself  naturally  into  four  epochs. 
The  first,  a  placer  mining  period,  which  began  with  the  discovery  of  gold  by 
the  Russell  party  in  1858  and  in  the  following  year  by  Jackson  and  Gregory 
was  wholly  crude  and  spasmodic,  and  cleaned  up  what  was  on  or  near  the  sur- 
face. Ihe  second  period  was  that  which  exploited  along  constantly  improving 
scientific  lines,  the  fissure  veins,  the  chief  sources  of  production.  The  third 
period  was  that  in  which  the  methods  of  ore  treatment  were  revolutionized — the 
era  of  modern  mills  and  smelters — a  cyanidation  period.  The  fourth  might 
well  be  termed  the  deep-mining  epoch,  in  which  vast  capital  was  invested  in  the 
proper  and  widely  extended  development  of  the  state's  deeper  mineral  resources 
— a  period  which  is  yet  only  in  its  inception.  It  is  the  epoch  of  great  tunneling 
projects,  of  scientific  unwatering,  and  of  new  treatment  methods  that  are  as 
revolutionary  as  was  the  beginning  of  the  cyaniding  era.  To  this  time  also  be- 
longs the  exploitation  of  masses  that  had  been  discarded  upon  dumps  as  worth- 
less. 

It  is  advisable  to  go  over  the  periods  in  a  general  way  before  narrating  the 
interesting  episodes  which  brought  the  gold-seekers  to  Colorado  and  welded  them 
into  a  powerful  community. 

The  tracts  bearing  free  gold  were  extremely  limited  and  each  crowded  at 
the  outset  by  hordes  of  men  impatient  to  dig  out  their  fortunes  as  quickly  as 
possible.  But  the  gradual  decrease  in  earnings  was  the  sieve  which  sent  impa- 
tient thousands  to  othe?  fields  and  left  the  development  of  the  country  to  the 
few  whose  pluck  and  faith  seemed  equal  to  the  task. 

From  1863  to  1870  there  was  a  gradual  but  certain  decrease  of  population, 
and  in  view  of  the  facts  this  is  not  at  all  strange,  for  it  took  much  patience  and 
hard  work  to  initiate  mining  enterprises  on  legitimate  development  lines.  J.  Alden 
Smith,  state  geologist,  to  whose  early  reports  we  are  indebted  for  much  of  this 
information,  asserts  that  the  population  in  1870  was  "  a  little  over  35,000."  He 
adds :  "The  small  amount  of  solid  wealth  accumulated  meanwhile  was  due  rather 
to  hard  work  and  the  closest  economy  than  to  the  productiveness  of  the  resources 
under  operation." 

Prior  to  1870  or  even  as  late  as  1874  the  prospector  did  all  his  work  with 
a  gold  pan.  If  the  required  number  of  "colors"  were  not  present,  the  district 
was  deserted  bv  him. 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  249 

From  1874  to  1890  the  gold  pan  was  almost  entirely  discarded  by  the  pros- 
pector and  he  depended  upon  the  returns  given  him  by  the  assayer  to  determine 
the  value  of  his  hnd.  So  complete  was  the  change  that  comparatively  few  men 
engaged  the  assayer  to  determine  more  than  the  silver  and  lead  content,  assuming 
that  there  was  no  gold. 

With  the  discovery  of  Cripple  Creek  the  prospector  again  changed  his  method. 
He  used  both  the  pan  and  the  assay. 

E.  S.  Bastin,  C.  W.  Henderson  and  J.  M.  Hill  in  a  government  publication 
issued  in  1917  by  the  U.  S.  Geological  Survey,  thus  discuss  these  early  methods: 

"Entering  the  mountains  with  little  equipment  beyond  shovel,  pick  and  pan, 
the  first  miners  in  this  district  saved  the  gold  by  the  usual  pioneer  methods  of 
sluicing,  cradling,  and  panning.  These  methods  were  fairly  satisfactory  when 
applied  to  the  stream  gravels  and  the  oxidized  surface  ore  of  the  veins,  but  the 
miners  soon  discovered  that  as  depth  was  gained  on  the  veins  the  yield  of  gold 
fell  off  rapidly.  For  this  there  is  an  excellent  geologic  reason,  as  the  early  work- 
ings were  in  the  outcrops  of  the  veins,  in  which  the  action  of  air  and  water  had 
distintegrated  the  ore,  freed  much  of  the  gold  from  its  sulphide  matrix,  and 
converted  it  by  solution  and  redeposition  into  a  coarser  form.  In  the  deeper 
portions  of  the  veins-  the  ore  was  harder,  and  most  of  the  gold  being  finely  dis- 
tributed through  sulphides  was  much  less  readily  amalgamated. 

"Appreciating  the  ditficulty,  even  if  not  cognizant  of  its  causes,  the  miners 
sought  a  remedy  in  various  appliances  for  fine  crushing  of  the  ore.  An  early 
device  consisted  of  a  small  mortar  whose  pestle  was  attached  to  a  sapling,  the 
spring  of  the  sapling  raising  the  pestle.  Another  device  was  the  "woodpecker  mill,' 
which  was  an  iron-shod  wooden  trip  hammer,  worked  by  water  power,  which 
fell  in  a  wooden  iron-lined  trough.  The  arrastre  early  made  its  appearance,  the 
first  one  being  constructed  near  the  mouth  of  Gregory  Gulch  in  July,  1859.  Five 
of  them,  each  six  feet  in  diameter,  and  constructed  of  granite,  may  still  be  seen 
in  the  valley  of  Clear  Creek  just  below  Dumont.  This  device  was  followed  the 
same  summer  by  the  first  stamp  mill,  a  home-made  affair  with  six  stamps,  set  up 
at  the  mouth  of  Chase  Gulch  and  run  by  water  power.  It  had  wooden  stems, 
shoes,  and  dies,  but  the  dies  were  shod  with  iron  plates.  Its  operation  in  the 
summer  and  fall  of  1859  is  said  to  have  netted  its  owner  about  $6,000.  The  first 
imported  mill  appears  to  have  been  a  little  three-stamp  mill  erected  in  1859  by 
T.  T.  Prosser  in  Prosser  Gulch. 

"During  the  first  year  of  the  development  of  the  region  near  Central  City 
the  scarcity  of  water  for  ore  treatment  became  troublesome,  and  a  company  was 
formed  to  bring  water  in  from  Fall  River.  The  ditch  built  to  accomplish  this 
end  had  its  head  above  the  mouth  of  Silver  Creek,  at  the  base  of  the  high  peaks 
of  the  range,  was  twelve  miles  long,  and  traversed  some  rough  country.  The 
early  miners,  however,  were  deterred  by  no  obstacles  and  had  the  work  com- 
pleted and  water  flowing  at  Russell  Gulch,  Ncvadaville,  and  lilackhawk  early 
in  the  spring  of  i860.  The  ditch  later  came  under  the  control  of  New  York 
people,  who,  through  short-sighted  management,  so  antagonized  tlie  miners  that 
the  enterprise  was  of  short  usefulness. 

"During  the  summer  of  i860  there  were  sixty  stamp  mills  and  thirty  arrastrcs 
run  by  water  power  in  operation  between  Nevadaville  and  Blackhawk.  These 
were  all  working  on  oxidized  ores,  Init  bv  the  end  of  that  vear  tlic  heavier  sul- 


250  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

phide  ores  were  reached  and  the  percentage  of  savings  by  the  mills  immediately 
dropped. 

"The  year  1861  saw  the  construction  of  the  first  mill  on  South  Clear  Creek. 
In  Gilpin  County  the  savings  from  sulphide  ores  continued  to  diminish,  and  dur- 
ing 1 861  it  was  found  necessary  to  close  mine  after  mine  which  could  not  he 
made  to  pay.  Numerous  experiments  were  tried,  both  with  stamp  mills  and 
leaching  processes,  none  of  which  was  markedly  successful.  In  fact,  this  change 
at  so  shallow  a  depth  from  free-milling  ores  to  stubborn  sulphides  was  a  calamity 
that  crushed  the  hopes  of  many  prospectors  and  caused  a  suspension  of  opera- 
tions by  numerous  companies  operating  in  the  district. 

"In  1861  Caleb  S.  Burdsall  built  the  first  smelter  of  the  region  at  Nevada- 
ville.  This  was  a  crude  affair  that  was  unfortunately  destroyed  too  soon  after 
its  erection  to  prove  its  worth. 

"The  difficulty  in  amalgamating-  the  sulphide  ores  led  to  what  Raymond  has 
called  the  'process  mania.' 

"The  process  mania,  commencing  in  1864  and  lasting  till  1867,  was  one  of 
the  main  causes  which  damaged  the  reputation  of  the  mines  to  such  a  degree 
that  the  country  was  nearly  ruined  by  the  reaction.  Upon  the  first  failure  of  the 
stamp  mills,  the  people  came  to  the  conclusion  that  the  ore  must  be  roasted  before 
the  gold  could  be  amalgamated.  One  invention  for  this  purpose  followed  another ; 
desulphurization  became  the  abacadabra  of  the  new  alchemists,  and  millions  of 
dollars  were  wasted  in  speculations  based  on  sweeping  claims  of  perfect  suc- 
cesses put  forward  by  deluded  or  deluding  proprietors  of  patents." 

Exploitation  even  of  the  fissure  veins  proceeded  slowly  because  of  the  uni- 
versal ignorance  concerning  perfected  methods  of  mining  and  reduction  of 
refractory  ores.  The  mineral  broken  by  hand,  struggling  with  adverse  condi- 
tions, however  rich  in  gold  or  silver,  returned  meager  profits  to  the  producer, 
because  no  one  had  applied  the  better  knowledge  of  milling  and  smelting  employed 
even  then  to  good  effect  in  the  older  mining  sections  of  the  country.  The  beds 
of  streams  into  which  the  crushing  mills  poured  their  refuse  were  choked  with 
concentrates  bearing  the  enormous  wastage  of  imperfect  appliances.  Excepting 
the  few  districts  in  Gilpin,  Clear  Creek  and  Boulder  counties,  very  little  beyond 
the  determination  of  the  permanency  of  the  lodes  was  accomplished  during  the 
first  decade.  The  remoteness  of  industrial  centers  from  the  bases  of  supply 
east  of  the  Missouri  River,  and  the  total  absence  of  railways,  compelled  the  trans- 
portation of  all  commerce,  including  heavy  machinery,  across  the  plains  at  a 
cost  for  freightage  of  from  ten  to  forty  cents  per  pound. 

The  coming  of  the  railways  in  1870  and  the  years  immediately  following 
inaugurated  a  new  mining  era.  Then  began  the  practical  demonstration  of  the 
character  and  value  of  the  fissure  veins  at  great  depths,  which  has  been  prose- 
cuted to  this  time.  The  system  of  milling  the  sulphuret  bearing  gangues  (quartz 
or  rocky  non-metallic  material)  from  which  the  heavier  mineral  had  been  pre- 
viously assorted  for  treatment  by  fire,  advanced  briskly  under  the  improvements 
added  by  science  to  the  work  of  amalgamation  and  concentration,  and  the 
smelters  were  soon  enabled  to  pay  higher  prices  for  the  grades  best  adapted 
to  their  use,  and  to  multiply  their  facilities  to  keep  up  with  the  growing  demand. 

In  a  report  made  in  1882  by  A.  N.  Rogers  on  gold  milling  in  Gilpin  County 
the  methods  in  vogue  then  betray  the  fact  that  there  had  been  little,  if  any,  ad- 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  251 

vance  in  California  methods  and  that  the  great  progress  in  treatment  is  in  the 
history  of  later  years.    Mr.  Rogers  says  in  this  report  of  1882: 

"Most  of  the  gold  ores  are  reduced  by  stamping,  and  amalgamated,  both  inside 
and  outside  of  the  batteries,  after  which  blanketings  are  caught,  to  be  panned 
or  returned  to  the  batteries  and  put  through  a  second  time  with  the  coarse  rock. 
Below  the  blankets,  suitable  sluices  and  buddies  are  used  to  collect  and  concen- 
trate the  outflowing  tailings,  which,  being  reduced  to  a  10  per  cent  gangue  limit, 
become  marketable  product  for  smelters,  because  of  their  fluxing  qualities  more 
than  their  value.  The  richer  sulphurets  are  hand-picked  and  cobbed  for  the 
smelters  and  some  grades  of  ore  which  are  not  free  milling  are  concentrated  and 
likewise  sold." 

In  1867,  or  perhaps  a  year  or  two  earlier,  stamp  milling  in  Gilpin  County 
barely  escaped  disastrous  failure  because  of  the  refractoriness  of  the  very  heavy 
sulphide  ores.  Stamp  mill  products,  which  contained  $20  to  $50  per  ton,  under 
the  best  skill  and  methods  then  at  command  would  rarely  yield  more  than  50  per 
cent  and  in  some  cases  less  than  25  per  cent  of  their  value.  In  1882,  of  upward  of 
2,000  tons  of  ore  which  was  weighed,  sampled  and  assayed  before  treatment 
in  the  Bobtail  mill,  the  saving,  by  amalgamation  above  the  blankets,  was  70 
per  cent  of  the  contained  values  of  gold  and  about  6  per  cent  of  the  silver. 
"This  milling,"  says  George  H.  Gray,  assayer  and  metallurgist,  in  his  report  on 
this  particular  item,  "was  done  at  an  average  cost  of  but  little  more  than  one 
dollar  per  ton,  embracing  all  items  of  current  expense,  repairs,  and  removals  of 
the  plant,  but  not  covering  interest  on  its  cost." 

Mr.  White,  state  geologist,  in  his  report  for  1882,  says  of  concentrates: 
"Mills  have  been  erected  in  dififerent  quarters  of  the  state  expressly  for  concen- 
trating ores,  but,  with  few  exceptions,  were  closed  in  a  few  weeks  after  com- 
pletion, or  operated  spasmodically  without  satisfactory  results."  Mr.  White 
attributes  the  causes  of  failure  to  ignorance  of  the  essential  principles  involved, 
to  defective  machines,  to  machinery  with  insufficient  capacity,  and  to  concentrates 
which,  when  perfectly  cleansed,  were  of  too  low  a  grade  for  existing  markets." 

Amalgamation,  too,  at  this  period  secured  only  an  average  of  about  70  per 
cent  of  the  gold  contents. 

Colorado  led  in  the  introduction  of  the  cyanide  process  through  a  company 
known  as  The  Gold  and  Silver  Extraction  Mining  and  Milling  Company,  owners 
of  patent  for  the  McArthur- Forrest  process,  obtained  in  May,  1889,  and  in  May, 
1890.  In  November,  1893,  the  above  Colorado  company  sold  to  The  Gold  and 
Silver  Extraction  Company  of  America,  Limited,  a  corporation  organized  under 
the  laws  of  Great  Britain,  with  home  office  in  Glasgow,  Scotland,  and  the 
American  agency  in  Denver. 

Robert  B.  Turner,  in  the  State  Bureau  of  Mines  report  for  1897  thus  writes 
of  the  process: 

"A  second  cyanide  company  wa.s  organized  in  September,  1894,  known  as  The 
American  Cyanide  Gold  and  Silver  Recovery  Company,  which  is  strictly  an 
American  and  state  organization,  being  incorporated  under  Colorado  laws,  with 
hendf|iiartprs  in  Denver.  This  company  operates  what  is  generally  known  as  the 
American  dioxide-cyanide  process,  which  is  the  addition  of  sodium  dioxide  to 
a  potassium  cyanide  solution. 

"A  third  company,  The  General  Gold  Extraction  Company,  Liiiiit<^d.  has  head- 


252  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

quarters  in  Denver,  and  represents  the  Pelatan-Clerici  process,  under  the  United 
States  patents  issued  in  1894,  1895  and  1896.  The  mode  of  treatment  of  the 
crushed  ore  is  by  agitation  with  a  dilute  solution  of  potassium  cyanide  in  a  large 
pan,  and  while  such  agitation  is  in  progress,  the  gold  is  precipitated  by  an  elec- 
trical current  and  mercury  on  copper  plates. 

"At  present  time  the  writer  knows  of  no  mill  in  operation  in  Colorado  using 
the  Pelatan-Clerici  process,  but  the  company  has  an  experimental  or  testing  plant 
in  Denver.  Therefore,  all  the  cyanide  mills  working  in  the  state  are  using  either 
the  American  dioxide-cyanide  or  the  McArthur-Forrest  process. 

"The  Cripple  Creek  district  has  been  one  of  the  best  in  the  state  for  the 
treatment  of  its  ores  by  the  cyanide  process,  and  has  five  mills,  as  follows:  The 
Colorado  Ore  Reduction  Company,  Elkton,  chlorination,  50  tons ;  cyanide,  60 
tons  per  day.  The  Brodie  Gold  Reduction  Company,  Mound  City,  cyanide,  400 
tons  per  day.  The  American  Reduction  Company,  Florence,  cyanide,  50  tons 
per  day.     The  London,  Florence,  cyanide,  50  tons  per  day. 

"As  all  the  above  mills  are  custom  plants,  it  becomes  necessary  to  sample  the 
ores  in  a  well  equipped  sampling  works,  so  as  to  establish  their  values  for  pur- 
chasing purposes  before  going  to  the  fine  crushing  department  of  the  mill. 
Therefore,  all  the  Cripple  Creek  mills  have  their  own  sampling  department  and 
storage  bins  ahead  of  the  cyanide  mills,  and  ores  are  held  until  satisfactory  settle- 
ments are  made." 

In  1897  the  chlorination  process  was  considered  the  best  for  the  telluride  ores 
of  Cripple  Creek  and  Boulder  counties.  The  record  of  the  largest  mills  using 
that  process  was  as  follows: 

Tons  per  day. 
The  Colorado-Philadelphia  Reduction  Company,  Colorado  City  250 

The   Gillett   Reduction   Company,   Gillett    75 

The  Kilton  Reduction  Company,  Florence   40 

The  El  Paso  Reduction  Company,  Florence   100 

The   Delano  Reduction   Company,   Boulder    50 

There  are  to-day  no  chlorination  plants  in  Colorado.  The  process  has  been 
superseded  by  cyanidation  and  roasting.  The  two  largest  mills  in  the  state  have 
been  changed  over  into  newer  process  plants. 

In  discussing  amalgamation  Harry  A.  Lee,  commissioner  of  mines,  in  1897, 
says :  "While  no  radical  changes  have  occurred  the  old  custom  of  feeding  the 
battery  by  hand  is  almost  wholly  replaced.  New  equipment  of  crusher,  rolls  and 
automatic  feeders  at  the  'bead'  of  the  mill  being  quite  common  and  is  now  con- 
sidered an  essential  part  of  the  modern  mill.  The  stamp  battery  as  a  reducing 
device  has  stood  the  test  of  generations,  but  its  operation  is  almost  as  variable 
.as  the  mills  operated.  The  old  reliable  slow-drop  Gilpin  County  mill  still  holds 
sway  in  that  region  and  the  question  of  utility  as  compared  with  the  more  modern 
compromise  or  quick-drop  mills  still  remains  unsettled  except  with  the  various 
parties." 

In  this  report  for  1897  he  says :  "A  number  of  stamp  mills  have  been  erected 
■  during  the  past  year  in  various  sections  of  the  state,  and  as  previously  stated, 
differ  materially  in  their  method  of  operation.  The  tendency,  however,  is  towards 
heavier  stamps,  faster  drop  and  depending  more  upon  the  outside  plates  (the  in- 
side plates  being  often  omitted)  to  collect  the  gold  and  the  appended  devices  for 


VIEW  OF   A   GULCH   MINING  LOCALITY   ADJACENT   TO   THE   TOWN   OF 

IDAHO  SPRINGS 

(Eeproduced   from   a   photograiihic   enlaigpmcnt   of   a  photograph   made   in    1867.) 


VIEW  OF  NEVADA  IN  1865 

This  picture  was  drawn  liv  A.  E.  Mathews  in  the  latter  port  of  1865.     Nevada  is  situated 
ill   fiilpin   rounty,   and    w;is   one  of   tlic   faino\is   mining   towns  in   Color.odo  "s   pioneer   t.ime.s. 


254  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

concentration  to  recover  the  remaining  values.  The  weight  of  stamps  varies 
from  650  to  1,100  pounds,  the  drop  from  ten  to  twelve  inches,  and  screens  from 
twenty  to  sixty  mesh.  The  amalgamation  plates  are,  with  few  exceptions,  silver- 
plated  but  vary  in  size  and  pitch." 

In  1897  concentration  methods  had  made  a  considerable  advance.  The  in- 
creased use  of  the  canvas  tables  was  a  long-considered  proposition,  but  was  finally 
very  generally  adopted.  Another  departure  of  this  period  was  the  separation  of 
the  zinc  from  lead  and  iron  sulphides  and  the  making  of  a  marketable  zinc  prod- 
uct as  well  as  lead  and  iron.  Mr.  Lee,  however,  adds:  "While  it  may  be  said 
that  concentration  has  advanced  during  the  past  years,  there  is  still  room  for  im- 
provement, and  it  must  be  improved  before  some  of  the  largest  ore  bodies  can 
have  commercial  value." 

By  1900  Colorado  recovered  its  "stride,"  so  to  speak.  For  the  panic  of  1893. 
the  shutting  down  of  most  of  its  silver  mines,  introduced  a  long  period  of  tragic 
depression,  and  during  the  closing  quarter  of  1902  the  market  price  of  silver 
reached  the  lowest  point  in  its  history,  49'/8  cents  per  ounce.  Yet  by  this  time 
the  transition  had  been  made  from  the  leading  silver-producing  to  the  leading 
gold-producing  state  of  the  union.  There  was  a  slow  but  certain  process  that 
had  brought  about  the  change.  Prior  to  1900  a  movement  had  begun  to  make 
the  mining  of  low  grade  ores  profitable.  Up  to  a  period  between  1895  ^""^  1900 
only  ores  with  values  sufficient  to  bear  the  toll  of  labor,  transportation  and 
smelting  were  sought  or  mined.  The  high-grade  segregated  ore  shoots,  chambers, 
pipes  or  pockets  were  eagerly  sought,  mined  and  marketed.  The  intervening  ore 
bodies  of  lower  grade  were  either  left  in  the  mine  or,  from  necessity,  removed 
to  the  mine's  dump.  To  realize  profit  from  the  low-grade  ore.  the  introduction 
and  erection  of  metallurgical  plants  and  the  installation  of  improved  and  enlarged 
mechanical  equipment  were  necessary.  Many  changes  of  this  kind  were  effected, 
and  mining  methods  show  a  decided  advance.  By  this  year  the  processes  had 
been  greatly  improved,  cyaniding  was  thoroughly  modernized  and  concentration 
was  given  a  great  impetus  by  many  new  and  ingenious  devices.  In  these  years 
the  eyes  of  the  mine  owners  were  also  turned  upon  the  old  waste  dumps  and  mill 
tailings,  and  out  of  these  have  in  recent  years  come  vast  fortunes  which  by  the 
earlier  and  cruder  methods  had  been  discarded  with  the  mine  refuse. 

As  the  shafts  attained  deeper  levels  the  cost  of  production  in  many  districts 
soon  became  so  heavy  that  mine  after  mine  was  shut  down.  In  fact  in  many 
districts  work  was  confined  to  cleaning  up  old  stopes  and  prospecting  surface 
areas  formerly  considered  imworkable.  but  now  made  possible  by  lower  cost  of 
ore  treatment.  Then  there  came  the  solution  of  the  problem,  viz. :  the  deep  drain- 
age tunnel.  Perhaps  the  most  important  of  these  first  undertakings  was  the  New- 
house  tunnel,  located  at  the  lower  edge  of  Idaho  Springs,  and  wi'th  its  objective 
Nevadaville  in  Gilpin  County.  The  tunnel  is  now  known  as  the  Argo.  It  pene- 
trates Seaton  and  Pewabic  mountains,  Quartz  Hill  and  Gunnell  Hill,  crossing 
under  the  county  line  into  the  Central  City  district,  and  has  its  present  terminal 
under  Prosser  Mountain.  It  intersects  the  mineral  veins  at  an  average  depth  of 
seventeen  hundred  feet,  and  is  over  twenty-two  thousand  feet  long.  Part  of  it  is 
double-tracked  and  electric  locomotives  are  used  for  hauling  ores  and  waste 
rock  which  are  automatically  dumped.  The  production  of  Gilpin  and  Clear  Creek 
gives  some  conception  of  the  value  of  this  tunnel. 


HISTORY  OF  COLOR/VDO  255 

T.  J.  Dalzell,  commissioner  of  mines,  in  his  report  for  1909  and  1910,  writes 
thus  of  the  mining  tunnels : 

"The  largest  mining  tunnels  in  the  state  are  the  Newhouse,  at  Idaho  Springs ; 
the  Roosevelt,  at  Cripple  Creek;  the  Yak,  at  Leadville;  the  Revenue,  at  Ouray, 
and  the  Big  Five,  at  upper  Idaho  Springs.  Their  use  has  given  the  mining  in- 
dustry the  highest  kind  of  conservation.  They  have  in  many  cases  closely  demon- 
.strated  the  existence  of  the  veins  at  considerable  depths.  They  have  drained  the 
surrounding  area,  and  are  constantly  increasing  the  drainage  area  they  afifect. 
They  have  reduced  the  cost  of  mining  ore  by  largely  removing  the  necessity  of 
hoisting,  and  they  have  practically  eliminated  the  wagon  transportation.  They 
have  assisted  ventilation  of  mines;  and,  in  the  Clear  Creek  district  particularly, 
the  methods  and  cost  of  ore  treatment  have  been  improved  and  reduced  by  as- 
sembling the  ores  of  the  various  mines  at  centrally  operated  plants  located  at  the 
mouth  of  the  tunnel,  at  which  points  the  entire  ore  product  is  treated  by  the 
usual  methods  which  have  for  years  proved  serviceable  in  this  district.  The 
yearly  output  of  Clear  Creek  and  Gilpin  counties  was  in  the  neighborhood  of 
four  million  dollars  twenty  years  ago,  but  has  declined  gradually,  until  that  for 
1908  was  $2,500,000.  The  improvements  and  advances  which  will  now  mark 
the  completion  of  the  Newhouse  tunnel  will  go  a  long  way  toward  bringing  a 
return  of  the  old  prosperity  to  these  two  pioneer  mining  districts.  The  drainage 
tunnel  will  also  have  a  present  effect  on  the  new  mines  opened,  making  the  work 
easier  and  of  less  cost,  by  reason  of  relievuig  the  operator  of  the  necessity  of 
pumping. 

"In  the  Cripple  Creek  district  the  enormous  help  of  the  Roosevelt  Drainage 
tunnel  lies  in  this,  that  practically  all  the  mines  are  drained  an  additional  754 
feet,  and  the  use  of  many  separate  and  expensive  pumping  plants  is  made  un- 
necessary. The  tunnel  is  14,000  feet  in  length,  and  was  finished  in  Kovember, 
1910,  to  the  extent  of  first  drainage  connection  being  made.  Laterals  will  now 
be  nm  to  tap  the  various  hills  or  sections  of  the  di.strict.  The  Cripple  Creek 
district  has  produced,  in  its  life  of  .seventeen  years,  approximately  two  hundred 
and  ten  millions.  More  than  half  of  this  sum  was  produced  in  the  first  eight  or 
nine  years  of  its  history,  from  the  zones  in  which  little  or  no  drainage  was  neces- 
sary or  effected.  In  late  years,  the  production  of  more  than  fifty  thousand  tons 
of  ore  monthly  has  shown  what  has  been  made  possible  by  tunnel  drainage,  and 
there  is  every  reason  to  suppose  that  the  present  tunnel,  and  other  enter])rises  of 
like  character,  will  maintain  the  reputation  of  the  district  as  the  greatest  gold- 
producing  section  ever  known. 

"The  water  has  begun  to  fall  at  a  regular  rate  per  day  or  week — a  rate  that 
is  practically  the  same  all  over  the  district.  Measurements  extending  over  periods 
of  thirty  days  give  a  subsidence  of  three  inches  per  twenty-four  hours.  While 
this  seems  small  now,  it  must  be  remembered  that  it  is  the  drainage  from  but 
the  one  water  course  thus  far  cut.  Very  soon  another  important  channel  will 
be  intersected  and  connected  with  the  drainage  course,  and  the  heading  of  the 
tunnel  will  also  be  advanced.  It  is  likely  that  the  drainage  will  settle  itself  to  a 
subsidence  of  six  inches  daily,  at  which  rate  the  754  feet  additional  mining  terri- 
tory afforded  will  be  drained  in  eighteen 'months.  This  period  will  not  only 
suffice  to  develop  the  productiveness  of  this  new  territory,  but  also  serve  to  per- 
mit plans  and  organization  for  the  driving  of  a  still  lower  tunnel,  for  which  the 


256  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

site  is  already  available  and  the  project  shown  to  be  feasible  at  a  length  of  about 
thirty  thousand  feet." 

The  Roosevelt  deep  drainage  tunnel  in  the  Cripple  Creek  district,  the  Yak 
tunnel  at  Leadville,  the  Raymond,  the  Sandy  Hook,  the  Carter  in  the  Pitkin  and 
Ohio  Creek  districts,  and  many  others  which  are  fully  covered  in  the  history 
of  the  districts,  have  proven  beyond  a  question  that  the  mineral  wealth  of  Colorado 
is  perhaps  largest  at  depths  that  could  not  be  worked  profitably  save  by  the  aid 
of  tunnels. 

The  first  dredging  for  gold  in  the  United  States,  aside  from  some  experi- 
mental work  in  Montana,  was  done  in  the  Breckenridge  district  in  Colorado.  But 
the  project  failed  because  of  the  inferior  quality  of  the  material  used  in  their 
construction,  manganese  and  other  self-hardened  steels  being  then  unknown.  But 
in  1907  the  project  was  again  revived. 

In  1910  five  dredges  were  in  operation  in  Breckenridge,  most  of  them  work- 
ing even  through  the  winter,  and  capable  of  handling  up  to  three  thousand  yards 
per  day.  The  Reliance  was  the  largest  dredge  in  the  district,  and  was  one  of 
two  dredges  operating  in  French  Gulch ;  the  others  were  working  on  the  Blue 
River.  The  yield  was  in  the  neighborhood  of  20  cents  or  30  cents  per  cubic 
yard,  and  the  field  offered  extremely  promising  opportunities  to  the  investor  and 
placer  miner. 

In  the  annual  State  Mining  Bureau  report  for  1916,  the  commissioner,  Fred 
Carroll,  says : 

"Dredging,  wherever  the  depth  and  character  of  the  gravel  will  permit,  is 
gradually  replacing  other  methods  of  placer  mining,  but  when  the  gravel  beds 
are  shallow  or  the  size  and  percentage  of  boulders  too  great,  the  older  methods  of 
ground  sluicing  or  hydraulic  mining  are  still  in  vogue ;  however,  in  detenuining 
the  method  best  adapted  for  the  economical  working  of  any  placer  deposit,  the 
factor  governing  is  largely  that  of  grade,  i.  e.,  the  value  of  the  gold  contained 
in  a  cubic  yard  of  the  gravel. 

"The  Tonopah  Placer  Company,  operating  three  dredges  in  the  Breckenridge 
district,  employs  about  seventy  men  on  the  boats,  on  the  surface  and  in  the 
machine  shops. 

"The  French  Gulch  Dredging  Company  is  employing  about  fifteen  men  in  the 
operation  of  a  dredge,  which  is  equipped  with  buckets  of  five  cubic  feet  capacity 
and  which  is  digging  gravel  at  a  point  opposite  the  Wellington  mill  in  French 
Gulch.  The  gravel  bed  at  this  point  has  an  average  thickness  of  about  thirty  feet 
and  carries  values  higher  than  ordinary  in  the  area  mined  this  season. 

"The  Derry  Ranch  Dredging  Company  during  last  year  installed  a  dredge  in 
the  Arkansas  Valley,  at  a  point  about  twelve  miles  from  Leadville,  and  has 
operated  very  successfully  for  the  past  two  seasons.  This  boat,  which  is  equipped 
with  buckets  of  5J^  cubic  feet  capacity,  is  working- gravel  which  has  a  thickness 
of  about  thirty  feet. 

"The  only  hydraulic  operations  of  any  magnitude  carried  on  in  this  state  dur- 
ing the  past  two  seasons  are  those  at  the  head  of  Tarryall  Creek  in  Park  County. 

"The  Fortune  Placer  Company  started  operating  in  the  spring  of  191 2  and 
has  worked  every  season  since  then  with  a  force  of  from  fifteen  to  twenty  men. 
About  thirty  thousand  cubic  feet  of  gravel  are  handled  each  season  with  the  use 
of  three  Number  2  Giants,  working  under  a  pressure  of  from  eighty  to  ninety- 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  257 

five  pounds.    The  gravel  now  being  handled  has  a  thickness  of  from  twelve  to 
eighteen  feet. 

"The  Bumhart  Placer  was  worked  with  a  few  men  this  season.  A  ditch 
and  pipe  line  were  completed  and  a  pit  started  at  a  point  a  short  distance  above 
the  pit  of  the  Fortune  Placer. 

"The  Colorado  Gold  and  Platinum  Placer  Mining  Company  has  spent  a  large 
sum  during  the  summer  of  1916  in  ditches  and  placer  equipment  on  their  prop- 
erty in  the  Hahns  Peak  district,  and  is  now  ready  to  start  actual  mining  as  soon 
as  the  season  of  1917  opens." 

The  output  of  placer  gold  from  thirty-five  placers  in  1915  was  $693,310,  an 
increase  of  $50,950  over  1914.  Summit  County,  with  four  dredges  and  seven 
hydraulic  and  sluice  mines,  produced  nearly  88  per  cent,  and  one  dredge  in  Lake 
County  produced  10  per  cent  of  the  placer  yield. 

English  capital  became  more  heavily  interested  in  Colorado  ventures  immedi- 
ately after  the  opening  of  Cripple  Creek,  when  the  entire  world  listened  with  in- 
terest and  amazement  to  the  stories  of  fabulous  fortunes  that  were  made  there. 
But  there  had  been  large  ventures  and  big  dividends  from  English  monies  invested 
in  Clear  Creek  and  Gilpin  counties  long  before  this.  In  fact  foreign  capital  had 
many  engineers  on  the  ground  looking  over  likely  propositions  and  made  many 
investments.  It  is  not  the  purpose  of  this  history  to  cover  in  detail  these  foreign 
undertakings  in  Colorado,  but  to  mention  two  in  particular  which  stand  out  as 
the  solid  evidences  of  a  wonderful  faith  by  careful  foreign  investors  in  the  per- 
manence  of  Colorado's  mineral   resources. 

The  first  of  these  was  the  purchase  of  the  Independence  mine  at  Cripple 
Creek  from  W.  R.  Stratton,  by  the  Venture  Corporation  of  London  in  1899  for 
$10,000,000.  The  second  great  venture  was  the  sale  to  a  group  of  London 
capitalists  of  the  Camp  Bird  mine  in  what  is  known  as  the  Imogene  Basin  about 
twelve  miles  north  of  Silverton.  Thomas  F.  Walsh  sold  this  property  to  the 
English  syndicate  in  1902  for  $5,100,000. 

In  1909  the  finding  of  enormous  bodies  of  carbonates  of  zinc  in  the  old  upper 
workings  of  Leadville  mines  opened  a  new  era  of  prosperity  for  that  camp. 
These  bodies  were  supposed  for  years  to  be  spar  and  valueless.  In  1910  the 
discovery  increased  the  production  of  the  Leadville  district  over  one  third.  Since 
then  the  increase  has  been  much  greater.  In  the  State  Bureau  report  for  1912 
the  district  inspector  says: 

"Lake  County  has  enjoyed  a  prosperous  period  during  191 1  and  1912,  due 
in  great  measure  to  the  recent  carbonate-of-zinc  discoveries,  which  now  total  at 
least  one-fifth  of  the  output  of  the  district.  This  new  class  of  mineral  has  not 
only  increased  the  tonnage,  but  has  added  to  a  large  extent  to  the  number  of  men 
employed  underground.  In  the  year  1910  there  were  employed  in  mines,  smelt- 
ers, and  mills  a  total  of  2,460  men,  of  whom  1,810  worked  at  mining,  575  worked 
in  smelters,  and  75  worked  in  mills.  A  recent  enumeration  shows  that  at  the 
present  time  there  are  2,130  men  working  at  mining,  625  in  smelters,  and  15  in 
mills  and  sampling  works ;  a  total  of  2.770  in  all  the  industries  pert.iining  to 
the  mining  business.  This  is  an  increase  of  310  men  over  the  last  biennial  period, 
notwithstanding  the  fact  that  the  American  Zinc  Extraction  Company  shut  down 
its  works,  which  formerly  employed  seventy-five  men  in  the  district." 

Since  1015  there  has  been  a  new  prosperity  era  for  practically  all  the  mining 


258  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

camps  save  that  of  Cripple  Creek.  In  this  camp  the  production  is  confined  to 
gold,  and  with  increased  cost  of  production,  the  output  has  not  had  the  added 
values  which  obtain  elsewhere  in  the  state.  The  total  production  of  gold,  silver, 
copper,  lead  and  zinc  in  191 5  in  Colorado  amounted  to  $44,060,052.47,  an  increase 
of  nearly  30  per  cent  over  1914.  This  increase  was  undoubtedly  due  to  the 
high  price  of  metal  prevailing  in  191 5,  together  with  an  increase  in  tonnage  of 
about  sixty  thousand  tons  over  that  made  the  previous  year.  The  total  produc- 
tion in  these  metals  in  1916  was  but  $49,000,000,  an  increase  of  only  13  per  cent 
over  the  previous  year,  although  the  average  yearly  market  price  of  silver  for 
1916  was  30.3  per  cent  higher;  that  of  lead  was  45.6  per  cent  higher;  that  of 
copper  55.4  per  cent  higher;  and  that  of  zinc  about  the  same,  $13  as  compared 
with  $13.05  in  191 5.  This  condition  was  the  result  of  a  decrease  in  both  quality 
and  grade  of  the  gold  ore  mined  in  the  state. 

OIL    FLOTATION 

In  December,  1916,  there  was  handed  down  by  the  Supreme  Court  of  the 
United  States  the  now  historic  decision  in  the  oil  flotation  case. 

For  years  it  had  been  known  that  oil  and  oily  substances  had  a  selective  affin- 
ity and  would  unite  mechanically  with  the  minute  particles  of  metal  and  metallic 
compounds  found  in  crushed  or  powdered  ores,  but  had  no  attraction  and  would 
not  unite  with  quartz  or  rocky  non-metallic  material,  called  gangue.  Patents 
had  been  granted  to  various  individuals,  and  the  oil  flotation  process  had  been 
used  in  Colorado  for  some  years.  This  consisted  in  mixing  finely  crushed  or 
powdered  ore  with  water  and  oil,  sometimes  with  acid  added,  and  then  in  vari- 
ously treating  the  mass,— the  "pulp"  thus  formed,  so  as  to  separate  the  oil,  when 
it  became  impregnated  or  loaded  with  the  metal  and  metal-bearing  particles  from 
the  valueless  gangue.  From  the  resulting  concentrate  the  metals  were  recovered 
in  various  ways. 

The  Minerals  Separation,  Limited,  of  London,  had  obtained  patents  in  the 
United  States  and  all  foreign  countries  in  igo6  on  a  new  flotation  process  in 
which  the  oil  used  was  infinitesimal  and  ''the  lifting  force  was  found  not  in  the 
natural  buoyancy  of  the  mass  of  added  oil,  but  in  the  buoyancy  of  the  bubbles, 
which,  introduced  into  the  mixture  by  the  more  or  less  violent  agitation  of  it, 
envelope  or  become  attached  to  the  thinly  oiled  metallic  particles." 

The  decision  in  both  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  United  States  and  in  the 
House  of  Lords  was  in  favor  of  the  Minerals  Separation,  Limited. 

Oil  flotation  is  purely  an  ore-dressing  process,  which  has  supplemented  and 
revolutionized  concentration  methods  of  sulphide  ores.  It  can  be  used  on  any 
bright  sulphide  or  flaky  metal.  On  the  sylvanites  of  Cripple  Creek  it  is  used 
with  splendid  results.  Under  the  decision  of  the  Supreme  Court  the  most  ad- 
vanced oil  flotation  process  is  subject  to  license  by  the  original  patentees  or  their 
agents.  At  present  the  control  in  the  United  States  is  in  the  hands  of  the  Min- 
erals Separation,  Xorth  American  corporation,  with  headquarters  in  San  Fran- 
cisco. 


VIEW  OF  THE  HUS1NK8S  SECTION  OF  TRINIDAD   IN  1869 


j.-.xr 


'-^a^ 


VIEW  OP  TRINIDAD  IN  1881 


260 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

PRODUCTION    OF    BIG    PROPERTIES    UP    TO    1880 


The  following  from  Fossett's  "Colorado"  was  published  in  1880  and  makes 
a  fairly  complete  record  of  production  of  gold  and  silver  from  the  earliest  periods 
to  the  year  1880.    Fossett  introduces  his  tables  with  the  following  explanation : 

"The  yields  given  for  a  majority  of  mines  are  close  estimates  in  coin  value — 
not  currency,  as  was  the  former  custom.  This  list  embraces  all  mines  in  Colorado 
whose  product  had  exceeded  a  quarter  of  a  million  prior  to  January,  1880,  and 
but  very  few  whose  yield  was  less  than  that.  Gilpin  and  Clear  Creek  counties 
have  many  lodes  that  yielded  from  one  to  two  hundred  thousand  dollars,  but  they 
don't  think  a  mine  prominent  in  those  counties  unless  its  yield  exceeds  such  fig- 
ures. Most  lodes  in  Gilpin  have  several  distinct  mines  on  them,  but  each  lode  is 
combined  here.  Leadville  has  new  mines  now  producing  largely  that  did  not 
appear  below,  and  many  of  those  mentioned  have  doubled  their  product  since 
January  i,  1880.  So  that  in  this  comparison  the  new  Leadville  mines  do  not 
appear  to  the  advantage  that  they  will  another  year." 


Name  oT  Uine 

County 

diaraoter 

When 
Diacovered 

Tears   < 
Active 
Work 

>t 

Total  Yield 
to  1880 

Chrysolite 

Lake 

Silver 

1878 

iM 

$2,100,000.00 

Little  Pittsburgh 

Lake 

Silver 

1878 

1/2 

3,800,000.00 

Little  Chief 

Lake 

Silver 

1878 

1/2 

2,056,292.00 

Iron-Silver 

Lake 

Silver 

1877 

2l^ 

700,000.00 

Morning  Star  Cons.    Lake 

Silver 

1877 

2 

600,000.00 

Robert  E.  Lee 

Lake 

Silver 

1878 

K2 

600,<X)0.00 

Leadville 

Lake 

Silver 

2 

450,000.00 

Argentine 

Lake 

Silver 

3 

300,000.00 

Glass-Pendery 

Lake 

Silver 

K3 

250,000.00 

Amie 

Lake 

Silver 

IK2 

300,000.00 

Climax 

Lake 

Silver 

I 'A 

200,000.00 

Printer  Boy 

Lake 

Gold 

5 

300,000.00 

Pocahontas  Humboldt  Custer 

Silver 

1874 

5 

723.929.51 

Bassick 

Custer 

G.  and  S. 

1877 

2/2 

350,000.00 

Little  Annie 

Rio  Grande  Gold 

1873 

4 

200.000.00 

Name 

County 

Character 

When 
Discovered 

Bsfd    No. 
Yeara  of 
Wort  for 

Entire  Lode 

Depth  in 

Feet  of 

Deepest 

Shaft 

Total  Yield 
from  Dis- 
covery to 
Jan.   1880 

Garibou 

and  No  Name 

Boulder 

Silver 

1869 

ID 

812 

$1,368,000 

Native  Silver 

Boulder 

Silver 

1873 

6 

580 

250,000 

Smuggler 

Boulder 

G.  and  S. 

1876 

4 

240 

300,000 

Melvina 

Boulder 

G.  and  S. 

1875 

5^2 

500 

310,000 

Columbia  Lode 

Boulder 

Gold 

1859 

14 

540 

350,000 

Gregory' 

Gilpin 

Gold 

1859 

16 

940 

6,970,354 

Bobtail 

Gilpin 

Gold 

1859 

16 

920 

5.138,837 

Gunnell 

Gilpin 

Gold 

1859 

15 

800 

2,300,000 

California,  Gardner, 

Hidden 

Treasure  Lode 

Gilpin 

Gold 

1859 

15        1 

[,IOO 

2,150,000 

HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 


261 


NUM 

Count; 

Character 

When 
Discovered 

Eefd  No. 
Years  of 
Work  for 

Entire  Uxle 

Depth  in 

Feet  or 

Deepest 

Shaft 

Total  Yield 
from  DlB- 
oovcry  to 

Jan.  1880 

Kansas 

Gilpin 

Gold 

1859 

15 

1. 150 

$2,000,000 

Burroughs 

Gilpin 

Gold 

1859 

14 

1,000 

1,250,000 

Rollins   Alines 

Gilpin 

Gold 

i860 

7 

450 

1,000,000 

Wyandotte  Cons. 

Gilpin 

Gold 

1859 

14 

300 

800,000 

Buell 

Gilpin 

Gold 

1859 

7 

550 

650,000 

Bates 

Gilpin 

Gold 

1859 

9 

450 

600,000 

Kent  County 

Gilpin 

Gold 

1859 

15 

800 

550,000 

Prize,  Suderburg 

Gilpin 

Gold 

1859 

9 

450 

650,000 

Fisk 

Gilpin 

Gold 

1859 

15 

650 

500,000 

Forks 

Gilpin 

Gold 

i860 

10 

700 

450,000 

Flack 

Gilpin 

Gold 

i860 

10 

650 

400,000 

Rhoderick  Dhu, 

Borton,  etc. 

Gilpin 

Gold 

i860 

7 

550 

400,000 

Alps 

Gilpin 

Gold 

i860 

9 

550 

300,000 

Illinois 

Gilpin 

Gold 

i860 

7 

260 

300,000 

American    Flag 

Gilpin 

Gold 

i860 

8 

450 

300,000 

Pewabic 

Gilpin 

Gold 

i860 

7 

300 

250,000 

Pelican,  Dives 

Clear  Creek 

Silver 

1871 

8>4 

460 

2,711-253 

Terrible  Group, 

Brown,    etc. 

Clear  Creek 

Silver 

1868 

II 

700 

1,900,000 

Colorado  Central, 

Consolidated 

Clear  Creek 

Silver     i 

868-72 

9 

350 

900,000 

Red  Elephant  Con 

.  Clear  Creek 

Silver 

187(^7 

3 

460 

650,000 

Dunderberg-East 

Terrible 

Clear  Creek 

Silver 

1868 

6 

400 

608,000 

Hukill 

Clear  Creek 

G. and  S. 

1 871 

9 

300 

525,000 

Pay  Rock 

Clear  Creek 

Silver 

1872 

8 

350 

450,000 

Baxter 

Clear  Creek 

Silver 

1871 

8 

350 

360,000 

Freeland 

Clear  Creek 

G.  and  S. 

1861 

4 

700 

350,000 

Maine-Phoenix 

Clear  Creek 

Silver 

1871 

6 

300 

300,000 

Junction  Group 

Clear  Creek 

Silver 

1872 

6 

400 

350,000 

Equator 

Clear  Creek 

Silver 

1867 

7 

450 

300,000 

Kirtley 

Clear  Creek 

Silver 

1877 

2>4 

300 

225,000 

Roe-Hercules 

Clear  Creek 

Silver 

1 871 

8 

300 

250,000 

Snow  Drift 

Clear  Creek 

Silver 

1868 

8 

250 

200,000 

Silver  Plume 

Clear  Creek 

Silver 

1868 

8 

250 

200,000 

Seaton 

Clear  Creek 

Silver 

1861 

8 

250 

200,000 

Saco 

Clear  Creek 

Silver 

1871 

5 

200,000 

Boston   Co.   Mines 

Summit 

Silver 

1868 

II 

Tunnel 

500,000 

Moose 

Park 

.Silver 

1 87 1 

9 

Tunnels 

900,000 

Dolly  Varden 

Park 

Silver 

1872 

8 

Tunnels 

340,000 

Phillips 

Park 

Gold 

1862 

5 

150 

300,000 

CHAPTER  XIII 
■  COLORADO  MINING— BY  SECTIONS 

THE  MINES  OF  PARK  COUNTY — THE  ROMANCE  OF  MINING  IN  SUMMIT  COUNTY — i 
LEADVILLE  MAKES  WORLD  HISTORY MINES  OF  THE  SAN  JUAN BOULDER  COUN- 
TY'S ARGONAUTS CRIPPLE  CREEK   PROVES  A  WORLD  WONDER CUSTER  COUNTY's 

MINING  HISTORY IN  THE  REGION  OF  RICO EAGLE  COUNTY EL  PASO  COUNTY- 
FREMONT     COUNTY MINING     IN     GUNNISON      COUNTY' IN     GRAND     COUNTY 

HINSDALE    IN    THE    SAN    JUAN    COUNTRY JEFFERSON    COUNTY^ LARIMER    AND 

JACKSON   COUNTIES MESA  COUNTY — MINERAL  COUNTY' MONTEZUMa's   MINES 

COLORADO    CARNOTITE    ENRICHES    THE    WORLD OURAY'S    MINES CAMP    BIRD 

MINES — RIO      GRANDE      COUNTY' ROUTT      AND      MOFFAT      COUNTIES CHAFFEE 

COUNTY SAGUACHE  COUNTY SAN    MIGUEL — PITKIN    COUNTY' METAL   OUTPUT 

OF  COLORADO  BY  Y'EARS — DISTRIBUTION  OF   MINERALS  IN   COLORADO 

THE   MINES   OF  PARK   COUNTY 

Park  County  lies  some  fifty  or  sixty  miles  to  the  southwest  of  Denver,  and 
was  named  after  the  beautiful  valley  or  plateau  called  South  Park.  Never  a 
great  mining  county,  it  figured  largely  in  pioneer  history  from  the  placer  camps 
of  early  days — Tarryall.  Fairplay,  Buckskin  Joe  and  other  diggings.  The  gulches 
and  streams  of  South  Park  yielded  an  abundant  harvest  of  gold  in  1859-62.  The 
Park  was  one  vast  placer,  and  it  attracted  thousands  of  adventurers.  The  first 
comers  panned  out  the  colors  to  the  tune  of  thousands  and  tens  of  thousands  of 
dollars.  The  aggregate  yield  of  the  mines  of  the  Park  region  ran  up  into  the 
millions  in  the  early  '60s.  Many  romantic  incidents  are  related  of  Park  County 
in  those  stirring  times. 

Some  of  the  gold  hunters  who  overran  Clear  Creek  and  Gilpin  in  the  summer 
of  1859,  not  striking  it  rich,  hit  the  trail  for  fresh  pastures.  One  party  of  pros- 
pectors— Thomas  Cassady,  Clark  Chambers,  W.  J.  Curtice,  Catesby  Dale,  Earl 
Hamilton,  W.  J-  Holman,  and  several  others — skirted  the  Snowy  Range  and 
explored  the  edge  of  South  Park.  They  found  pay-dirt  in  a  creek  christened  by 
them  Tarryall.  As  the  story  goes,  one  of  the  tired  men  exclaimed:  "Let  us 
tarry  here."  "Yes,"  said  one  of  his  comrades,  "we'll  tarry  all."  The  name  of 
"Tarryall"  stuck,  and  it  was  also  given  to  the  new  mining  camp.  So  there  was 
a  "Tarryall  City"  as  well  as  a  Tarn,'all  Creek.  The  town  has  been  deserted  many 
years. 

Near  by  sprang  up  a  mining  camp  named  Hamilton  in  honor  of  a  member 
of  the  party.  Reports  of  rich  finds  spread,  and  crowds  of  "Pilgrims"  flocked  to 
the  diggings.     The  later  comers,  being  told  there   was  no  room   for  them,   in 

262 


VIEW  OF  A  GULCH  MINING  LOCALITY  AT  THE  PIONEER  TOWN  OF  MONTGOM- 
ERY, IN  THE  NORTHWESTERN  PART  OF  THE  SOUTH  PARK 
DISTRICT,  FROM  A  PHOTOGRAPH  MADE  IN  1867 

The  town  became  extinct  soon  after  1867. 


264  HISTORY  UF  COLORADO 

derision  changed  the  name  of  Tarryall  to  "Graball."  Moving  on  some  thirty 
miles  or  more,  they  had  the  luck  to  discover  rich  gold-bearing  gravel  and  named 
the  new  settlement  Fairplay.  Both  names — Tarryall  and  Fairplay — have  passed 
into  history  and  they  perpetuate  the  dispositions  of  the  first  arrivals;  they  are 
significant  of  traits,  selfishness  and  the  love  of  fair  play,  which  are  characteristic 
of   Coloradoans  today. 

In  the  summer  of  1859,  the  South  Park  mining  district  swarmed  with  pros- 
pectors and  miners.  Among  them  was  an  odd  character  called  "Buckskin  Joe," 
because  he  wore  buckskin  clothes.  This  man,  whose  natpe  was  Joseph  Higgin- 
bottom,  discovered  a  valuable  deposit  of  gold  dust  in  the  Park  mineral  belt,  and 
the  vein  or  district  became  known  as  "Buckskin  Joe."  A  lofty  peak  in  the  north- 
western part  of  Park  County  was  named  in  his  honor  Buckskin  Mountain.  Buck- 
skin Joe  was  a  flourishing  mining  camp  for  a  number  of  years,  some  of  its  -veins 
being  of  extraordinary  richness.  The  famed  Phillips  lode  is  said  to  have  yielded 
over  three  hundred  thousand  dollars  in  the  early  '60s.  Up  to  1866,  the  Buckskin 
district  was  credited  with  a  production  of  $1,600,000. 

"This  region  is  rich  in  gold  and  silver,"  says  Fossett  in  1876.  "The  placers 
have  yielded  largely  and  are  again  doing  so,  but  in  a  less  degree.  Up  to  the 
time  of  the  silver  discoveries  in  1871,  the  gold  lodes  and  placers  had  produced 
$2,500,000,  principally  obtained  prior  to  1866.  The  silver  deposits  are,  however, 
of  vastly  greater  value  and  extent.  They  did  not  produce  largely  until  1872  or, 
rather,  1873,  but  have  already  yielded  nearly  three  million  dollars." 

The  section  around  Fairplay  had  many  prodiictive  mines  of  gold  and  silver. 
The  estimated  production  of  Park  County,  in  gold  and  silver,  amounted  to  over 
half  a  million  annually  from  1873  to  1879,  the  Moose  and  the  Dolly  Varden  giving 
big  returns.  Up  to  1876,  the  Moose  is  said  to  have  produced  over  three  million 
dollars.  Here  it  may  be  stated  that  the  estimates  of  Hollister  and  Fossett  are 
sometimes  over  the  mark. 

Speaking  of  Park  County,  State  Geologist  J.  Alden  Smith,  in  his  report  for 
1882,  remarks: 

"High  up  on  the  slopes  of  Mounts  Lincoln  and  Bross,  we  find  some  of  the 
finest  contact  mines  in  the  county,  many  of  them  extensively  developed,  among 
them  the  Moose,  Dolly  Varden,  Russia,  Wilson,  Lime,  D.  H.  Hill,  and  others 
of  lesser  note.  For  ten  years  the  Dolly  Varden  group,  working  but  a  small 
force,  has  returned  about  si.x  hundred  and  sixty  thousand  dollars  in  bullion,  and 
it  is  estimated  that  the  low-grade  ores  on  the  dumps  are  worth  five  hundred 
thousand  dollars.    The  Moose  appears  to  have  been  equally  productive     *     *     * 

"Both  fissure  and  contact  veins  are  found  in  Mosquito  district.  In  past 
years  some  of  these  have  been  quite  productive.  Both  gold  and  silver  occur  in 
about  equal  proportions,  or  rather  of  equal  value.  The  Orphan  Boy,  Senate, 
London,  Forest  Queen,  New  York  and  some  others  have  acquired  greatest  promi- 
nence through  exploitation.  From  the  London,  besides  the  smelting  product,  im- 
mense quantities  of  free-milling  gold-bearing  ores  are  extracted." 

On  the  top  of  a  peak  of  Mosquito  Range,  overlooking  South  Park,  is  the  cele- 
brated London  mine.  It  is  situated  about  six  miles  west  of  Alma,  and  lies  near 
the  county  line.  The  London  is  the  foremost  producer  of  gold  and  lead  in  Park 
County.  It  has  been  one  of  the  great  mines  of  the  West.  Most  of  the  deep 
mines  of  the  county  are  in  the  Mosquito  district. 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  265 

During  the  eighteen  years,  1897-1914,  the  gold  output  of  Park  County  fluc- 
tuated, year  by  year,  from  the  high-water  mark  of  1909,  $555,815,  to  $43,644  in 
1914.  Park's  silver  production  in  the  same  period  totals  something  over  a  half 
million  dollars.  The  lead  output  during  those  years  amounted  to  about  $345,000, 
an  average  of  less  than  $20,000  a  year.  The  copper  production  has  averaged 
about  $5,000  a  year.  For  some  years,  1908-11,  the  zinc  yield  of  Park  County 
was  considerable,  aggregating  almost  a  quarter  of  a  million  dollars.  These  fig- 
ures are  based  on  statistics  in  reports  of  the  State  Bureau  of  Mines. 

THE  ROM.\NCE  OF   MINING  IN   SUMMIT  COUNTY 

The  story  of  the  tirst  prospecting  of  Summit  County  belongs  to  the  romance 
of  mining.  Among  the  disillusioned  fortune-seekers  who  camped  in  the  shadow 
of  Pike's  Peak  in  the  fateful  summer  of  '59  was  a  band  of  gold-hunters  who 
were  disappointed  but  not  quite  disheartened  by  their  experience.  Finding  no 
nuggets  or  colors  galore  in  the  region  around  Manitou,  they  hit  the  trail  leading 
into  South  Park,  August  4,  1859.  In  this  historic  party  were  Reuben  J.  Spalding, 
John  Randall,  William  H.  lliff,  James  Alitchell,  N.  B.  Shaw  and  Bake  Weaver. 
Moving  in  a  northwesterly  course,  they  reached  the  South  Platte,  crossed  the 
Snowy  Range  and  halted  at  a  point  on  Blue  River  not  far  from  the  site  of  the 
Breckenridge  of  to-day.  They  camped  and  set  about  in  earnest  to  find  gold  in 
the  vicinity. 

Mr.  Spalding's  narrative  tells  what  happened  on  the  afternoon  of  August  lotli. 
"We  sunk  a  hole  3  ft.  deep  on  a  bar,"  he  says,  "and  I,  having  mined  in  Cali- 
fornia, was  selected,  as  the  most  experienced  man  in  the  company,  to  do  the 
panning.  The  result  of  the  first  pan  of  dirt  was  13c  of  gold,  the  largest  grain 
about  the  size  and  shape  of  a  flax  seed.  The  second  panful  gave  27c,  both  yields 
being  weighed  in  gold  scales  brought  for  the  purpose.  This  was  the  first  recorded 
discovery  on  Blue  River.  Our  little  party  now  felt  jubilant  over  the  strike  thus 
made  and  began  to  realize  chat  here  lay  the  fulfillment  of  their  most  ardent 
hopes." 

There  were  fourteen  in  the  company,  and  they  proceeded  to  stake  off  claims 
on  both  banks  of  the  river.  Spalding's  claim  was  200  feet  and  each  of  the 
others  had  100  feet.  Believing  they  had  found  a  rich  mining  country,  the  miners 
erected  a  rude  log  blockhouse  for  defense  in  case  of  attack  by  the  Utes.  Then 
Spalding  put  up  a  cabin  for  a  dwelling.  This  done,  he  began  placer  mining  in 
the  river,  washing  out  $10  worth  of  dust  the  first  day. 

Digging  and  prospecting  went  on,  and  several  mining  camps  were  started  in 
i860,  one  of  them  being  P)reckinridge,  (afterward  changed  to  Breckenridge  I. 
The  population  of  the  various  diggings  numbered  about  eight  thousand,  and 
many  of  the  pilgrims  found  placer  mining  profitable.  It  is  said  that  the  dis- 
coverers of  Gold  Run,  two  brothers,  cleaned  up  ninety-six  pounds  of  gold  in 
one  season,  lasting  six  months.  There  were  other  valuable  finds.  The  gulches 
of  Summit  County  were  scenes  of  feverish  activity  not  only  in  the  early  '<x>s,  but 
in  '64  and  later,  when  placer  mining  had  played  out  in  some  other  ]>arts  of  Colo- 
rado. No  exact  estimate  can  be  made  of  the  golden  harvest  of  Summit  County 
in  the  '60s,  but  it  amounted  to  several  million  dollars.     Breckenridge  and  other 


266  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

nearby  mining  districts  prospered  when  some  other  gold  camps  of  the  territory 
were  deserted. 

The  first  notable  discoveries  of  silver  in  Summit  County  were  made  in  1868-9, 
along  the  Snake  River.  Some  of  the  mines  were  worked  with  varying  success, 
but  owing  to  its  isolation  this  section  did  not  become  populous.  The  heavy  snow- 
falls interfered  with  mining  operations  a  great  portion  of  the  year. 

In  the  southwestern  portion  of  the  county  some  of  the  ore  deposits  are  low 
in  silver  content,  associated  with  sulphides  of  iron  and  copper,  the  average  grade 
of  ore  ranging  from  20  to  100  oz.  silver  a  ton.  In  the  neighborhood  of  Monte- 
zuma and  Chihuahua  are  veins  rich  in  silver. 

For  many  years,  work  has  been  carried  on  in  the  placers  along  Blue  River 
and  its  tributary  gulches.  The  harvest  of  the  yellow  grains,  obtained  first  by  the 
gold-pan  and  sluice  and  of  late  years  by  dredges,  has  been  very  large.  The  first 
gold  dredge  in  Summit  County  was  installed  in  the  Breckenridge  district  in  1898. 
It  was  a  small  aft'air,  but  larger  and  more  costly  dredges  followed.  Now  gold- 
dredging  is  a  profitable  industry. 

Summit  County's  yield  of  gold  for  the  eighteen  years,  1897-1914,  has  been 
nearly  five  million  dollars,  an  average  of  about  $270,000  a  year.  The  silver 
output  during  the  same  period  has  averaged  about  $130,000  a  year;  the  production 
of  lead  has  amounted  to  about  $2,500,000;  copper  is  a  small  item,  about  $100,000; 
while  the  yield  of  zinc  has  been  some  years  enormous,  aggregating  about  three 
million  dollars  during  the  fourteen  years,  1902-1915.  The  zinc  production  of 
1914  was  valued  at  $260,000. 

Summit  County  is  the  foremost  placer  area  in  Colorado.  In  1914,  the  pro- 
duction of  placer  gold  in  this  state  was  $642,360,  and  95  per  cent  of  it  came 
from  the  placers  of  Summit  County.  The  Breckenridge  mining  district  includes 
practically  all  the  placers  of  any  importance. 

Since  1901,  dredging  operations  have  been  carried  on  extensively  in  the 
Breckenridge  district,  and  over  $3,000,000  in  gold  has  been  garnered  in.  The 
placer  yield  of  1913  was  upward  of  $400,000,  most  of  it  obtained  by  three  dredges, 
run  by  electricity.  There  has  been  some  hydraulic  mining  in  the  placers  of 
Summit  County.  Several  valuable  gold  nuggets  have  been  found,  one  being 
worth  $500. 

In  recent  years  gold  dredging  in  Summit  County  has  become  a  paying  indus- 
try where  the  ground  shows  an  average  value  of  20  cents  per  cubic  yard.  The 
cost  of  handling  ground  is  about  7  cents  per  yard,  but  varies  in  different  locali- 
ties, electricity  being  more  expensive  in  some  places  than  in  others.  In  some  of 
the  placer  fields  the  yield  is  much  greater  than  7  cents  to  the  cubic  yard.  Gold 
dredging  in  the  Swan  River  district  has  been  a  profitable  enterprise  for  years. 
The  Tonopah  Placers  Company's  three  large  boats  get  as  good  returns  of  the 
yellow  metal  as  any  dredges  on  this  continent.  One  of  the  boats  of  this  company 
works  successfully  both  summer  and  winter.  The  French  Gulch  Dredging  Com- 
pany has  been  operating  for  years  past  and  owns  some  of  the  richest  gold  areas 
in  the  United  States. 

The  Wellington  is  the  principal  mine  of  the  county.  The  Wellington  mill  in 
Breckenridge  is  well  equipped. 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  267 

LEADVILLE    MAKES    WORLD    HISTORY 

The  mines  of  Lake  County  have  a  world-wide  reputation.  Leadvillc  is  as 
famous  as  Cripple  Creek.  There  have  been  several  epochs  in  the  history  of 
this  wonderful  mining  district.  In  early  days  placer  mining  was  active  in  Cali- 
fornia Gulch.  The  gold  diggings  of  that  far-off  time,  which  has  almost  passed 
into  oblivion,  yielded  up  millions  of  treasure.  Then  the  pioneer  miners,  after 
making  large  clean-ups,  departed,  thinking  that  the  deposits  had  about  played 
out.  After  a  period  of  depression  there  was  a  revival  that  rauKS  among  the 
world's  marvels.  The  stampede  of  1878  is  comparable  to  the  Pike's  Peak  gold 
excitement.  Then  for  a  dozen  years  or  more  the  camp  had  a  considerable  popu- 
lation, and  things  were  humming.  The  period  of  prosperity  lasted  until  1893, 
when  silver  mining  got  a  setback  and  many  mines  were  closed  because  of  the 
low  price  of  the  white  metal.  Stagnation  ensued.  That  year  of  panic  and  de- 
pression will  be  long  remembered.  Lead\ille  staggered  beneath  the  blow,  but 
recovered.  A  period  of  exploration  and  renewed  enterprise  followed.  The  pro- 
duction of  gold  picked  up.  The  camp  was  again  alive.  A  campaign  of  develop- 
ment work  was  carried  on  in  the  gold  belt  of  Lake  County.  The  names  of  its 
mines  became  household  words.  Leadville  has  had  its  ups  and  downs,  but  is 
still  on  the  map.     Of  late  years  zinc  has  helped  its  prosperity  amazingly. 

Such  is  a  brief  epitome  of  Lake  County's  growth  and  achievements.  It  is  one 
of  Colorado's  most  celebrated  comities.  It  is  Colorado's  most  productive  county. 
A  section  of  about  four  thousand  acres  has  given  the  world  nearly  $400,ocx3,C)00 
in  metallic  wealth.  Its  hills  contain  treasure  vaults  of  riches.  Its  mines  are 
still  producing.     This  historic  region  faces  a  bright  future. 

As  the  story  goes,  Russell  Gulch  became  the  mecca  of  Georgians  and  other 
Southerners  in  the  summer  of  '59.  From  time  to  time  parties  of  these  placer 
miners  broke  away  and  wandered  westward  into  (he  mountains,  looking  for 
pay  gravel.  One  of  them,  a  man  by  the  name  of  Kelly  (or  Kelley)  is  said  to 
have  prospected  on  the  upper  Arkansas  and  to  have  found  gold  in  the  vicinity  of 
Granite  in  the  fall  of  1859.  His  find  became  known  as  Kelly's  Bar.  This  event 
led  to  the  discovery  of  California  Gulch  the   following  year. 

In  the  early  spring  of  i860  Kelly  and  a  score  or  more  of  prospectors  explored 
the  locality  south  of  the  Leadville  district  of  today,  getting  colors  in  various 
timbered  ravines.  In  March,  i860,  "Kelly's  Mining  District"  was  organized  by 
these  hopeful  adventurers,  and  soon  afterward  the  news  of  the  discovery  reached 
Denver,  starting  a  stampede  to  the  new  diggings. 

In  April,  i860,  a  company  of  Georgians  headed  by  Abe  Lee  drifted  into  the 
I-eadville  country  in  quest  of  gold.  On  the  slope  where  Leadville  now  stands 
they  met  a  party  of  prospectors  from  Iowa,  led  by  W.  P.  Jones.  Shortly  after- 
ward, on  April  26.  i860,  the  Georgians  uncovered  a  rich  deposit  of  placer  gold 
in  California  Gulch.  Building  a  big  bonfire  that  evening  and  firing  their  guns. 
they  attracted  the  attention  of  the  men  of  the  Jones  party,  who  joined  them  in 
the  morning.  The  diggings  proved  to  be  extraordinarily  valuable,  and  the  fame 
of  California  Gulch  spread  far  and  wide.  .So  great  was  tlie  influx  of  adventurers 
that  Lake  County  in  1861  was  the  most  populous  spot  in  tin-  Territory  of  Colo- 
rado, just  organized.  California  Gulch,  onlv  five  or  six  miles  long,  had  from 
five  to  ten  thousand  people  in  it  that  summer.     For  years  it  was  one  of  the  best 


268  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

gold-producing  ravines  in  Colorado.  In  i860  and  1861  it  may  have  yielded  a 
million  a  year  in  gold  dust.  Some  of  the  lOO-foot  claims  panned  out  from 
$20,000  to  $60,000  a  season,  from  Sio  to  $25  a  day  to  the  man,  if  Hollister's 
figures  are  to  be  trusted.  This  writer  was  at  times  addicted  to  exaggeration. 
The  richness  of  the  ground  was,  however,  very  uneven.  Here  a  man  had  the 
good  fortune  to  strike  a  pay  streak  that  sparkled  with  flakes  of  gold,  while  his 
neighbor  got  little  or  nothing. 

"California  Gulch,  in  i860  and  1861,  had  a  population  of  something  over 
10,000,  and  was  the  great  camp  of  Colorado,"  says  Wolfe  Londoner,  who  was 
on  the  ground  in  those  flush  times.  "It  was  strung  all  along  the  gulch,  which 
was  something  over  five  miles  long.  *  *  *  There  were  a  great  many  tents 
in  the  road  and  on  the  side  of  the  ridge,  and  the  wagons  were  backed  up,  the 
people  living  in  them.  Some  were  used  as  hotels.  They  had  their  grub  under 
the  wagons,  piled  their  dishes  there,  and  the  man  of  the  house  and  his  wife  would 
sleep  in  the  wagon.  Their  boarders  took  their  meals  off  tables  strung  along  the 
wayside  to  take  in  the  cheerful  but  unwars'  miner.  The  game  that  took  the  most 
was  three-card  monte." 

Meanwhile  other  placers  were  located.  One  of  them,  Georgia  Bar,  two  miles 
below  Granite,  is  said  to  have  been  the  most  productive  in  proportion  to  area  in 
the  county.  A  venturesome  Georgian,  Jim  Taylor,  has  the  honor  of  being  the 
first  prospector  to  cross  the  Saguache  Range.  Taylor  Park  and  Taylor  River  in 
Gunnison  County  perpetuate  his  name.  Other  fortune  hunters  wandered  up  and 
down  among  the  hills,  garnering  the  golden  sands  in  the  gulches.  Such  were  the 
beginnings  of  mining  in  Lake  County. 

California  Gulch  saw  its  best  days  in  i86t,  but,  in  the  following  years  of 
lean  diggings,  the  camp  was  not  entirely  deserted.  Sturdy  workers  with  the 
pick,  shovel  and  sluice-box  or  "long  tom"  were  to  be  found  here  and  there,  and 
other  gulches  had  their  solitary  inhabitants.  Some  claims  that  were  fabulously 
rich  at  the  start  were  worked  over  and  over  till  the  streambeds  were  pretty  nearly 
denuded  of  gold  dust.  Sometimes  they  quit  because  of  the  scarcity  of  water, 
and  returned  when  it  was  plentiful.  Placer  production  was  light  after  1866,  and 
miners  were  few  and  far  between  ;  it  dropped  to  $60,000  in  1869,  and  to  $20,000 
in  1876.  Meanwhile  the  Printer  Boy  and  other  gold  lodes  were  profitably  oper- 
ated with  stamp  mills.  The  gold  production  of  1877  was  $55,000,  and  $118,000 
in  1878,  according  to  Fossett.  All  told,  the  county's  gold  product  during  the 
quarter-century,  1860-1884,  amounted  to  $13,000,000.  At  least,  this  estimate  is 
somewhere  near  the  mark. 

In  1873-7  times  were  pretty  dull  in  Lake  County,  and  yet  things  were  hap- 
pening that  eventually  changed  the  course  of  Colorado  history.  In  1873  Lucius  F. 
Bradshaw  was  sluicing  a  side  hill  of  California  Gulch,  but  was  compelled  to 
abandon  gold  washing  by  the  accumulation  of  heavy  sand  in  his  boxes.  Sus- 
pecting the  presence  of  lead,  he  looked  around  and  uncovered  a  body  of  lead- 
silver  ore.  The  discovery  was  made  near  the  spot  where  Abe  Lee  found  gold 
deposits  in  the  gulch  in  the  spring  of  i860.  It  was  an  event  of  far-reaching 
importance. 

In  the  summer  of  1874  W.  J.  Stevens  and  Alvinus  B.  Wood  began  to  work 
placer  claims  in  California  Gulch,  using  improved  methods.  It  is  supposed  that 
Stevens  heard  of  Bradshaw's  discovery,  and  it  set  him  to  thinking.     Anyway, 


-.  'JiCai«7tv(lClEC:'>'>fiS»'  l«*iaiiS 


1 'L'luer  &    Hid   Grande  Uailroad. 


FIH.ST   CABIN   IN   ORO,   BKFORK    LKAPVILLE   WAS   NAMED,   WHERE   COLD   WAS 
FIRST  DISCOVEKED   IN  THIS  PART  OF  THE  RANGE 


VIEW  ON  CHESTNUT  8TKEET,  LEADVILLE,  IN  1880 


270  HISTORY  UF  COLORADO 

Stevens  and  Wood,  after  investigating  the  heavy  dirt  they  had  to  handle,  found 
ir  to  be  carbonate  of  lead  carrying  silver.  They  concluded  that  the  hillside  was 
full  of  it  and  took  up  more  claims.  Two  brothers,  Charles  and  Patrick  Gallagher, 
became  interested  and  located  claims  rich  with  carbonates.  Reports  of  these  dis- 
coveries were  noised  abroad.  Scores  of  men,  then  hundreds,  were  attracted  to 
California  Gulch  in  1877.  High  grade  ore  was  obtained  by  digging  to  shallow 
depths,  and  a  boom  was  started  such  as  Colorado  had  not  known  since  the  Pike's 
Peak  excitement.  The  mining  camp  was  organized  into  a  city  and  named  Lead- 
ville  on  January  14,  1878.  It  has  been  nicknamed  the  "Cloud  City"  on  account 
of  its  high  altitude.    It  is  nearly  two  miles  above  sea  level. 

The  "Leadville  fever"  was  the  result  of  the  discovery  of  bonanza  ore  bodies 
on  Fryer  Hill  in  May,  1878.  Then  the  rush  began  in  earnest.  In  1879  Leadville 
was  the  liveliest  town  in  the  world.  It  had  5,000  residents  in  January  of  that 
year,  and  its  population  was  estimated  to  be  15,000  in  the  fall.  As  if  by  magic 
a  cosmopolitan  city  grew  up  in  a  single  year.  Again  Lake  became  the  most  popu- 
lous county  in  Colorado. 

The  railroad  was  completed  to  the  "Cloud  City"  in  1880,  and  the  camp 
was  a  scene  of  bustling  activity.  In  1S84  it  was  estimated  that  Lake's  silver 
production  up  to  that  date  amounted  to  $55,000,000,  and  the  output  of  lead 
was  very  great. 

During  the  first  decade  of  its  existence,  1878-87,  Leadville's  yield  of  gold, 
silver  and  lead  exceeded  $120,000,000,  largely  silver  (estimated  at  ninety  cents 
an  ounce).  Meanwhile  the  "Carbonate  City"  had  become  a  big  smelting  center. 
Its  growth  was  substantial. 

Before  the  opening  of  the  Cripple  Creek  mines.  Lake  County  stood  first  as 
an  ore-producing  county.  Silver  mining  was  the  chief  industry  of  its  camps 
until  the  slump  of  the  white  metal  in  1893.  The  city  was  hard  hit  by  the 
demonetization  of  silver.  A  period  of  stagnation  followed,  but  it  was  not  long 
continued.  The  enterprising  citizens  of  Lake  turned  their  attention  to  gold, 
lead  and  zinc.  Gold  mining  picked  up,  and  the  county  had  another  period  of 
prosperity.  During  the  decade,  1898-1907,  its  output  of  gold  amounted  to 
$15,640,000.  In  this  decade  Lake  was  the  banner  county  in  the  production  of 
silver,  yielding  thirty  million  dollars'  worth.  The  bulk  of  Colorado's  supply 
of  zinc  comes  from  this  county.  Its  zinc  production  has  ranged  from  three 
to  six  millions  annually  for  several  years.  Since  1907  its  gold  production  has 
averaged  more  than  a  million  and  a  quarter  a  year.  During  the  seven  years, 
1908-14,  Lake's  harvest  of  the  white  metal  was  about  twelve  million,  five  hundred 
thousand  dollars,  or  an  average  of  something  over  one  million,  seven  hundred 
and  eighty  thousand  dollars.  Lead  is  still  extensively  mined,  and  so  is  copper. 
Lake  County's  mineral  treasure  is  seemingly  inexhaustible. 

The  first  half  of  1916  was  a  period  of  marked  activity  in  the  mines  of  Lake 
County,  the  output  being  estimated  at  nine  million  dollars  or  more,  or  equal  to 
the  mineral  production  of  the  entire  year  of  1914.  The  yield  of  the  mines  in  191 5 
was  close  to  sixteen  million  dollars.  Many  old  mines,  idle  for  years,  have 
been  re-opened,  .\mong  these  are  the  Harvard,  the  Mikado,  the  Greenback, 
the  Tarsus,  etc.  The  upward  movement  in  silver  has  increased  the  production 
of  the  white  metal,  of  which  Lake  County  has  to  its  credit  about  one  hundred 
and  eighty  million  dollars  in  value. 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  271 

MINES  OF  THE  SAN  JUAN 

One  of  the  thrilling  episodes  of  early  Colorado  history  is  the  Baker  expedi- 
tion of  gold  hunters,  who  explored  the  San  Juan  country  so  long  ago  as  i860. 

Among  the  prospectors  and  miners  who  swarmed  in  California  Gulch  in 
the  eventful  summer  of  i860  was  an  adventurer  named  Charles  Baker.  He 
was  a  restless  fellow  "who  was  always  in  search  of  something  new."  Baker 
was  eager  to  penetrate  the  trackless  region  of  southwestern  Colorado,  now  known 
as  the  San  Juan.  He  persuaded  some  men  to  outfit  him  for  a  prospecting  trip 
in  the  terra  incognita  along  the  San  Juan  River  or,  rather,  the  mountainous 
district  included  in  San  Juan,  La  Plata  and  neighboring  counties.  There  were 
six  men  with  Baker  on  this  foolhardy  quest  for  treasure  in  the  Ute  domain. 
The  leader  reported  that  he  had  found  colors,  but  the  fact  is  that  the  party 
obtained  very  little  gold  on  their  wanderings.  They  knew  nothing  about  lodes 
or  quartz  veins.  They  suffered  many  hardships  in  this  inhospitable  region ;  the 
Utes  made  it  hot  for  them,  and  the  discouraged  palefaces  had  to  get  out. 

The  San  Juan  was  traversed  time  and  again  by  other  parties  of  gold  seekers 
in  the  '60s  and  '70s.  In  1868  Captain  Baker  wandered  through  the  mountains 
and  over  the  plateaus  of  southwestern  Colorado  and  finally  met  a  tragic  death 
at  the  hands  of  Indians.  Baker  Park  was  named  in  honor  of  this  brave  soldier 
of  fortune.    In  this  lovely  valley  nestles  the  Town  of  Silverton. 

In  1871-2  some  notable  finds  were  made  by  prospectors  in  the  San  Juan 
Mountains.  In  1873  that  part  of  the  Ute  Reservation  was  ceded  to  the  United 
States  and  thrown  open  to  settlement.  Immediately  settlers  poured  into  this 
rich  mining  country.  Silverton  and  other  mining  towns  date  back  to  the  '70s. 
-Mining,  however,  was  then  at  a  disadvantage  in  this  county,  because  of  its 
isolated  situation,  and  the  yield  of  the  precious  metals  was  comparatively  small 
up  to  1882,  wlien  the  Durango  and  Silverton  Railroad  was  completed.  From 
time  to  time  the  years  have  witnessed  a  magnificent  outpouring  of  mineral  wealth 
in  the  San  Juan,  the  total  up  to  January,  1916,  being  nearly  $67,000,000. 

.\ccording.to  Fossett,  the  San  Juan  district  had  produced  $823,000  in  silver, 
$4i6,(X30  in  gold  and  $115,000  in  lead  jjrior  to  1879.  The  area  of  the  county  was 
much  larger  then  liian  now.  The  ])i()necr  settlers  were  ])ractically  all  miners, 
for  agricuhure  is  out  of  the  question  in  this  elevated,  ])iclurcsque  region,  where 
disaster  overtook  Fremont  on  his  fourth  expedition  in  1848-9. 

Says  Hall:  "'i'iie  ])ernianenl  occui)alion  and  development  of  tlie  .'^an  Juan 
coimtry  was  accom])lished  under  almost  incredible  hardships  and  by  a  mere 
handful  of  resolute  jjeople.  At  first  there  was  no  communication  with  the 
older  selllements  of  Colorado,  the  nearest  of  importance  being  I'ueblo;  no 
outlet  even  to  the  San  Luis  Valley  at  Del  Norte,  except  by  crude  and  rugged 
trails  which  tried  the  souls  of  men  to  tlie  uttermost,  until  1875,  when  by  prodi- 
gious labor  a  more  direct  thoroughfare  was  opened  on  which  wagons  could 
be  used.  In  1876  the  opening  of  the  Crook  Bros,  reduction  works  at  Lake 
City  in  llinsilale  County,  offered  a  tem])orary  m;irket  for  the  products  of  the 
lode  mines.  Init  lluy  were  almost  inaccessible  from  this  side  and  soon  closed. 
It  was  not  until  after  llic  cnmplelion  of  the  Denxer  iv  l\in  TIrande  Railway  to 
Durango  that  any  substantial  prosperity  ensued." 

Among  the  eager  exploiters  of  Colorado's  mineral   resources  who  xentured 


272  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

into  the  San  Juan  in  1875  was  David  W.  Brunton,  whose  interesting  "Remin- 
iscences" appeared  in  the  Mining  and  Scientific  Press  (November  27,  1915). 
This  capable  mining  engineer  roughed  it  in  the  wilderness  about  Mineral  Point 
on  a  ridge  separating  the  headwaters  of  the  Animas  and  Uncompahgre  rivers. 
In  his  journeys  on  foot,  or  astride  the  patient  burro,  he  tramped  over  or  came 
near  many  a  spot  afterward  celebrated  for  its  mines  and  diggings.  He  found 
the  andesitic  mountain  sides  seamed  with  veins,  whose  outcropping  streaks  may 
be  seen  from  afar  as  white  lines  of  remarkable  continuity.  On  some  of  the 
mountains.  King  Solomon  in  particular,  the  metalliferous  veins  can  be  seen 
for  miles. 

The  San  Juan  is  a  great  mining  country,  being  ribbed  with  heavy  mineral 
deposits.  Many  a  time  the  prospector  "struck  it  rich"  in  the  '80s  and  '90s. 
Often  he  was  disappointed  when,  instead  of  a  fortune,  he  found  a  mass  of 
low-grade  ore.  A  new  era  began  with  the  completion  of  the  Durango  and 
Silverton  Railway  in  1882.  The  Red  Mountain  and  Silverton  Railroad,  finished 
in  1888,  has  helped  the  development  of  the  county,  which  has  an  area  of  438 
square  miles.  It  is  interesting  for  its  geological  formations.  "The  San  Juan 
Mountains  are  volcanic,  with  an  area  of  quartzite  peaks  in  their  midst,  and 
flanking  the  range  on  the  south  is  an  area  of  carboniferous  and  cretaceous  rocks." 

The  search  for  precious  metals  began  in  La  Plata  County  as  early  as  1861. 
At  that  time  placer  mines  were  alone  sought  and  the  history  of  the  pioneers 
is  that  of  great  hardships  endured  and  dangers  encountered.  In  1873  ditches 
were  constructed  near  the  old  site  of  Animas  City,  and  some  gold  was  re- 
covered from  the  placer  deposits  in  that  section.  More  recent  attempts  have 
been  made  at  various  places,  but  the  gold  is  generally  fine,  hard  to  recover, 
and  exists  in  limited  amounts  over  comparatively  large  areas.  Owing  to  the 
great  interest  in  the  adjoining  San  Juan  counties,  there  was  but  little  prospecting 
for  gold  and  silver  deposits  in  veins  in  the  La  Plata  Mountains  prior  to  1878. 
Since  that  time  nearly  all  of  the  numerous  gulches  have  been  scenes  of  more  or 
less  excitement.  Following  meager  development  the  usual  proportion  of  ill- 
advised  mills  have  been  erected,  and  served  to  retard  rather  than  advance  active 
mining  operations.  The  ores  of  this  district  are  mainly  gold-bearing  pyrite  or 
telluride  compounds. 

BOULDER    county's   ARGONAUTS 

Among  the  Fifty-eighters  who  crossed  the  plains  to  the  "Pike's  Peak  gold 
region"  was  a  company  of  adventurers  that  camped  in  the  shadow  of  old  Fort 
St.  Vrain,  October  17,  1858.  Some  of  them  climbed  to  the  top  of  the  walls  of 
the  old  trading  post  and  had  an  enchanting  vision  of  Boulder  Valley,  whither 
they  proceeded  instead  of  going  to  Denver.  These  men — Capt.  Thomas  Aikins. 
Charles  Clouser  and  others — were  the  pioneer  settlers  of  what  is  now  Boulder 
County.  Having  built  their  cabins,  they  explored  a  nearby  canyon  where  diey 
found  a  considerable  deposit  of  placer  gold  on  the  15th  day  of  January,  1859. 
They  named  the  point  Gold  Hill,  which  afterward  became  a  noted  mining  dis- 
trict. Out  of  the  gold  gravel  of  this  gulch  it  is  said  that  they  took  $100,000 
that  season. 

Then  valuable  quartz  lodes  were  discovered.     The  Horsfal  was  the  greatest 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  27:i 

of  the  mines  of  earlj'  days,  yielding  over  $300,000  in  the  two  years  1861-2. 
It  was  near  Gold  Hill  that  the  first  stamp-mill  in  Pike's  Peak  country  was 
set  up  in  the  fall  of  1859.  Other  stamp-mills  followed,  and  a  multitude 
of  diggers  were  busy  washing  out  golden  sands  of  the  streams.  Mining 
camps  sprang  up  and  were  deserted  as  soon  as  the  placers  were  worked  out. 
Then 'for  a  number  of  years,  there  was  not  much  doing  in  the  mines  of  Boulder 
County,  although  farming  proved  to  be  a  success  in  the  bottom  lands  along  the 
streams.  Says  Hall :  "There  was  no  revival  of  interest  in  the  mining  fields  until 
1869-72,  when  some  of  the  richest  veins  of  tellurium  ores  known  in  the  world's 
history  were  discovered,  together  with  veins  of  very  rich  silver  mines  at  Cari- 
bou. Other  discoveries  followed  until  a  great  belt  of  silver-bearing  veins  (but 
none  of  gold)  was  opened." 

In  other  sections,  gold  mines  were  profitably  worked,  and  the  mineral  in- 
dustry amounted  to  a  good  deal  in  P.oulder  County,  its  annual  production  of  the 
precious  metals  reaching  a  half  million  dollars  or  more.  Says  State  Geologist 
J.  A.  Smith  in  his  report  for  1881  and  1882:  "For  ten  years,  Boulder  County 
has  produced  gold  and  silver  in  large  quantities  and  about  equal  proportions. 
In  1881,  the  bullion  product  was  $535,482.88.  *  *  *  It  is  sufficient  to  say 
that,  as  a  rule,  the  veins  are  true  fissures  in  gigantic  rocks,  continuous  and  well 
defined  to  the  greatest  depths  thus  far  attained.  Caribou  district,  situate  in 
the  southwestern  corner  of  the  county,  yields  the  major  part  of  silver,  the  main 
sources  being  the  Caribou  and  No  Name  mines,  both  quite  extensively  de- 
veloped."   The  total  output  of  gold  and  silver  in  1879  was  about  $800,000. 

In  Boulder  County,  telluride  ores- — both  auriferous  and  argentiferous — have 
been  found  in  greater  abundance  than  anywhere  else.  Some  of  its  mines  have 
yielded  ore  running  from  $3,000  to  $5,000  a  ton.  The  tellurium  belt  extends 
through  Gold  Hill,  Sunshine.  Magnolia  and  Sugar  Loaf  districts.  It  is  twenty 
miles  long  and  from  three  to  six  miles  wide.  It  lies  to  the  north  of  the  silver 
district.  Among  the  noted  telluride  mines  are  the  American,  the  Cold  Spring, 
the  Red  Cloud  and  the  .'smuggler.  Many  choice  specimens  of  Boulder's  telluride 
ores  have  been  placed  in  mineral  collections. 

In  1900,  deposits  of  ores  containing  the  somewhat  rare  mineral  known  as 
tungsten  were  discovered  in  and  around  the  town  of  Nederland  in  the  south- 
western part  of  Boulder  County.  This  metal  is  valuable  as  an  alloy  in  steel 
tools  and  is  used  in  the  manufacture  of  incandescent  electric  lam])s.  Of  late 
years,  from  sixty  to  eighty  jicr  cent  of  the  tungsten  produced  in  the  Lhiited 
States  has  come  from  the  mines  of  Boulder  County,  which  innduces  one- 
seventh  or  more  of  the  world's  tungsten  output  annually.  The  principal  part 
of  the  tungsten  area  lies  in  the  southwestern  quarter  of  Boulder  County.  In 
the  fifteen  years — 1901-15,  Boulder  County  has  given  the  world  tungsten  to 
the  vahie  of  over  five  million  dollars.  Boulder's  tungsten  mines  were  credited 
with  the  extraordinary  production  of  $1,625,000  in   T915. 

It  is  said  that  Gilpin  County  was  the  place  where  history  was  first  made 
in  Colorado.  P.oulder  County  is  also  historic  ground.  One  of  the  tirst  counties 
organized  in  i86t,  it  has  figured  prominently  in  Colorado  annals.  Here  is  the 
home  of  the  State  University,  whose  foundations  were  laid  in  pioneer  times, 
the  first  building  for  academic  work  being  opened  in  1877.  Here  was  the  first 
schoolhouse,    erected   in    i8()o.     To    Boulder   belongs    the   honor   of   having   the 


274  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

first  mining  district  and  formulating  a  code  of  laws  for  local  government.  Its 
coal  fields  were  worked  in  the  early  '60s.  A  railroad  was  completed  to  Boulder 
City  in  1874. 

The  western  half  of  Boulder  County  is  mountainous  and  contains  the  metalli- 
ferous mines.  While  not  a  great  mining  county,  its  mineral  resources  are  di- 
versified, and  its  gold  veins  have  yielded  good  returns  without  the  excitement 
of  booms.  No  exact  estimate  of  the  yellow  metal  has  been  made,  there  being 
gaps  in  the  statistics.  The  State  Bureau  of  Mines  in  its  biennial  reports  gives 
the  following  figures  as  to  the  gold  production  of  Boulder  County  during  the 
eighteen  years,  1897-1914,  as  follows: 

1897   $512,657      1906   ?254.034 

1898   581,302  1907  184,872 

1899   547.858  1908  173.480 

1900    607,01 5  1909  161,838 

1901    774.298  1910  132,909 

1902   538,701  1911  163,051 

1903   431,568  1912  101,446 

1904   411,581  1913  51.467 

1905   355.337  1914  131,024 

The  silver  production  of  Boulder  County's  mines  has  fluctuated  from  $15,000 
in  1908  to  $125,000  in  1914.  The  annual  yield  of  the  white  metal  the  past  years 
has  averaged  about  $45,000. 

The  item  of  lead  cuts  no  figure  in  mining  in  Boulder  County,  the  yearly 
average  being  slightly  over  $6,000.    The  harvest  of  copper  is  still  less ;  no  zinc. 

These  are  the  mining  districts  of  Boulder  County:  Central  (Jamestown) — 
gold  and  silver;  Gold  Hill — gold,  silver,  lead,  copper;  Grand  Island  (Caribou), 
Eldora — gold,  silver,  lead,  manganese,  copper;  Magnolia — gold,  silver,  tungsten; 
Nederland — tungsten;  Sugarloaf — gold,  silver,  tungsten,  lead,  copper;  World — 
gold,  silver,  copper,  lead. 

Some  leading  dates  may  be  given,  showing  the  steps  of  progress  in  Boulder 
County  in  pioneer  and  Territorial  days. 

1858 — On  October  27  gold  seekers  pitch  their  tents  at  the  mouth  of  Boulder 
Canon. 

1859 — Placer  gold  discovered  at  Gold  Hill,  January  15.  Other  diggings  were 
uncovered  later  in  the  winter.    The  town  of  Boulder  laid  out  in  February. 

1861 — Boulder  County,  one  of  the  original  seventeen  counties,  organized. 

1869 — A  prospector  named  William  Martin  discovers  valuable  silver  ore.  Con- 
ger and  other  fortune  hunters  make  rich  strikes  near  by,  all  in  true-fissure  veins. 

1870 — The  Idaho  and  other  silver  mines  discovered  in  the  vicinity-  of  the 
Caribou.  Bullion  obtained  this  year  estimated  at  $130,000;  total  amount  prior 
to  this  year  being  $950,000. 

1 87 1 — Caribou  mill  built  at  Nederland,  costing  $100,000.  Metallic  product  of 
Boulder  County,  $250,000  this  year. 

1872 — Gold  and  silver  yield  estimated  at  $346,000,  mostly  silver.  Red  Cloud 
gold  mine  discovered  on  Gold  Hill. 

1873 — Output  of  mines  about  $390,000;  little  gold. 

1874 — Metallic  harvest  amounts  to  $536,000.     Boulder  City  growing  rapidly; 


HISTORY  OF  COLOilADO  275 

railroad  completed.  D.  C.  Patterson  finds  tellurium  ore  in  lode  named  Sunshine. 
The  American  lode  discovered  in  Alay. 

1875 — The  Caribou  mine  produces  $204,000.  The  Dives,  Pelican  and  Poca- 
hontas mines  also  large  producers.  Output  of  precious  metals,  $605,000;  quanti- 
ties of  gold  increasing. 

1876 — Gold  production  picks  up  rapidly  because  of  tellurium  discoveries. 
Silver  yield  declines.  Smelters  and  mills  established.  The  Smuggler  lode  un- 
covered by  Charles  Mullen. 

The  Boulder  settlers  saw  flush  times  in  the  early  '60s.  Then  ensued  a  period 
of  depression,  due  to  the  decline  of  placer  mining  and  to  the  Indian  troubles 
from  which  Colorado  suffered  for  five  years.  After  the  opening  of  the  smelter 
at  Blackhawk,  in  1868,  mining  picked  up.  Boulder  miners  were  prospering 
when  the  plainsmen  were  suffering  a  setback  from  the  ravages  of  grasshoppers 
in  1873-4-5-6.  Those  were  great  days  for  the  Boulderites.  They  were  digging 
fortunes  out  of  the  earth.  Railroads  and  towns  were  building.  Men  were  dream- 
ing great  dreams. 

CRIPPLE  CREEK  PROVES  A  WORLD  WONDER 

The  Cripple  Creek  mining  district,  to  the  southwest  of  Pike's  Peak,  is  the 
greatest  gold  camp  in  the  United  States.  It  ranks  second  only  to  the  famed 
Witwatersrand  of  the  Transvaal,  in  South  Africa.  Cripple  Creek  has  had  a 
history  stranger  than  fiction,  and  who  can  foretell  the  future  of  this  "three- 
hundred-million-dollar  cow  pasture." 

The  rush  to  Pike's  Peak,  in  1859-60,  was  the  first  determined  attack  of  gold 
seekers  upon  the  wilderness  about  this  historic  mountain.  Some  of  the  "Pilgrims" 
of  that  far-off  time  tramped  over  the  grassy  hills  of  what  is  now  Cripple  Creek, 
without  suspecting  the  existence  of  an  El  Dorado  beneath  their  feet.  No  other 
treasure  was  revealed  near  by,  and  the  quest  was  speedily  abandoned.  This 
is  not  surprising,  because  the  gold-bearing  ore  of  the  section  is  different  from  that 
found  in  most  other  Colorado  diggings.  So  the  Golconda  of  Cripple  Creek  re- 
mained unknown. 

Robert  Womack,  familiarly  known  as  Bob  Womack,  was  the  discoverer  of 
gold  in  the  Cripple  Creek  section.  The  story  of  his  find  and  subsequent  de- 
velopments is  one  of  the  romances  of  mining  that  are  real  history.  In  the  late 
'80s  the  Cripple  Creek  region  was  a  lonely  cattle  ranch.  Bob  Womack  was  a 
herder  riding  the  range  where  Cripple  Creek  is  situated.  Time  and  again  he  got 
off  his  horse  and  picked  up  a  piece  of  float  rock,  thinking  it  might  jwssibly  con- 
tain gold.  Some  of  these  pieces  of  float  rock  did  have  traces  of  gold.  He  took 
them  to  Colorado  Springs,  but  he  could  not  succeed  in  interesting  capitalists.  No 
one  believed  the  district  whence  they  came  was  a  bonanza.  Womack  never  lost 
faith,  however,  and  put  in  his  spare  time  prospecting.  It  is  said  that  "he  built 
a  little  log  cabin  in  what  is  known  as  Poverty  Gulch,"  and  whenever  he  could  get 
away  he  would  go  up  on  the  land  where  he  found  the  float  rock  and  dig  for  gold. 
It  might  be  said  that  Womack  made  the  discovery  of  gold  at  Cripple  Creek  so  long 
ago  as  1889,  and  he  found  some  more  in  t8oo.  lie  did  not  get  gold  ore  in 
paying  quantities,  however,  but  he  kept  on  trying.  He  pegged  out  a  claim  and 
dubbed  it  "Chance."    The  cowboys  only  laughed  at  him,  but  he  did  not  lose  faith. 


276  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

One  day  in  Januan-,  1891,  he  picked  up  a  piece  of  float  rock  that  looked  good; 
he  sent  it  to  an  assayer,  who  reported  that  it  went  $250  in  gold  to  the  ton.  Several 
days  later  he  struck  a  vein  that  glistened  with  sylvanite.  It  was  deposited  in 
such  an  unusual  manner,  it  is  not  surprising  that  experienced  prospectors  did  not 
discover  it.  This  deposit  was  later  known  as  El  Paso  lode  of  the  Gold  King  Co., 
one  of  the  most  valuable  properties  in  the  camp. 

This  was  the  first  gold  discovery  in  Cripple  Creek  that  amounted  to  anything. 
It  is  to  be  remembered  that  Hayden's  geological  party  looked  about  here  for 
the  royal  metal,  in  1874,  and  narrowly  missed  running  across  gold.  The  general 
prospecting  that  followed  the  stampede  to  Leadville  brought  fortune  hunters 
to  this  district ;  they  looked  the  ground  over,  never  noticing  the  inconspicuous 
vein  outcroppings.  In  the  spring  of  1884  ^  "salted"  mine  on  Mount  Pisgah 
started  an  excitement,  and  2,000  miners  camped  in  the  vicinity  for  a  short  time. 
As  the  story  runs,  a  shaft  "had  been  shot  full  of  gold  and  then  offered  for  sale 
as  a  wonderful  prospect." 

Untold  ages  ago  a  volcano  formed  a  chasm  in  Cripple  Creek  plateau  and 
piled  up  masses  of  granite  and  lava.  The  gold  veins  occur  in  the  volcanic 
rocks  of  the  district,  which  is  about  six  miles  square  and  has  an  elevation  from 
nine  thousand  feet  and  upward  above  sea  level.  Here  the  first  great  deposit 
of  gold  telluride  was  discovered. 

Womack's  great  find  set  him  wild.  He  made  a  hasty  trip  to  Colorado  Springs 
and  loaded  up  with  bad  liquor.  While  half  crazed  with  drink  and  success,  he 
disposed  of  his  bonanza  for  $500  in  cash.  He  jumped  on  his  broncho  and  rode 
through  the  streets,  proclaiming  his  find.  In  a  few  days  the  cow  pasture  was 
literally  swarming  with  people.  Claims  were  staked  out,  and  Mount  Pisgah  again 
became  a  scene  of  hustling  activity.  This  time  it  was  no  wildcat  excitement  that 
attracted  capitalists ;  it  was  the  beginning  of  the  most  celebrated  gold  camp  of 
the  Rockies.  Cripple  Creek  is  a  veritable  treasure  vault,  and  yet  the  discoverer, 
poor  Bob  Womack,  never  realized  anything  out  of  the  find  that  brought  princely 
fortunes  to  scores  of  men.    He  died  in  poverty. 

There  was  at  first  no  wild  stampede  of  miners  to  the  scene  of  Womack's  dis- 
covery. In  April  and  May,  1891,  a  number  of  men  from  Colorado  Springs  lo- 
cated claims  in  the  new  district.  About  forty  prospectors  were  there  then,  but 
more  came  in  the  summer. 

On  the  4th  of  July.  1891,  Winfield  Scott  Stratton  staked  out  the  Independence 
and  Martha  Washington  claims,  which  soon  lifted  him  from  poverty  to  affluence. 
Other  prospectors  made  notable  finds  that  summer. 

By  October  a  straggling  settlement  of  log  cabins  and  tents  had  grown  up  in 
Squaw  Gulch,  on  Anaconda  ground  and  on  the  site  of  the  present  Town  of  Cripple 
Creek.  Lots  sold  for  $25  and  $50.  A  mining  district  was  organized  in  the  fall, 
and  it  was  named  after  the  little  stream  which  had  been  dubbed  Cripple  Creek 
from  the  fact  that  several  men  living  thereabouts  had  met  with  accidents  of  one 
kind  or  another. 

The  growth  of  the  place  thereafter  was  simply  remarkable.  In  the  spring 
of  1892  its  population  was  over  four  thousand,  it  had  a  big  hotel,  business  blocks 
were  building,  a  newspaper  was  started,  there  were  saloons  galore,  electric  lights, 
etc.  Men  who  knew  little  or  nothing  about  mining  were  making  and  losing 
fortunes  in  a  day.     "The  people  actually  went  wild,"  remarks  a  newspaper  man 


CRIPPLE  CREEK  MINES 


278  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

who  was  there.  "AH  of  the  trading  was  curbstone,  and  the  streets  were  crowded 
with  excited  people."  Some  incidents  of  the  excitement  may  be  mentioned.  "Gold 
King  stock  was  put  on  the  market  at  25  cents,  and  twenty-five  thousand  shares 
were  sold  immediately.  It  soon  went  to  60  cents  a  share.  Buena  Vista  went  from 
$1.75  a  share  in  one  day  to  $5  a  share." 

It  is  said  that  the  Blue  Bell  was  the  first  mine  discovered  and  opened.  It 
was  discovered  and  opened  by  Dick  Langf  ord.  Among  the  pioneer  mines  were  the 
Hub,  Ironclad,  Marguerite,  Princess,  Star  of  the  West,  Tarn  O'Shanter  and  a 
score  of  others  opened  in  1892.  The  mining  agitation  of  that  year  resulted  in 
the  discovery  of  new  "gold  fields"  in  the  adjacent  country.  The  would-be  camps 
near  ]\Ianitou  and  other  localities  in  various  directions  from  Cripple  Creek  never 
panned  out  much ;  they  were  only  shallow  placer  grounds. 

Not  much  had  been  heard  of  Cripple  Creek  in  1891,  although  it  had  attracted 
many  adventurers,  some  of  whom  made  important  strikes.  In  discovering 
and  developing  the  Independence  mine,  Stratton  did  more  than  any  other  man  to 
make  the  camp  known.  The  fame  of  this  bonanza  district  soon  traveled  to  the 
ends  of  the  earth,  and  Stratton's  name  was  indissolubly  linked  with  America's 
greatest  gold  camp. 

In  1891,  Cripple  Creek's  output  was  only  a  trifle.  From  that  time  its  produc- 
tion of  the  royal  metal  rapidly  increased.  Previous  to  that  year  Colorado's 
yield  of  gold  had  never  exceeded  $5,000,000  a  year.  Thenceforth  the  harvest  of 
the  yellow  metal  in  the  Centennial  State  began  to  pick  up.  The  stream  of  gold 
poured  out  of  the  mines  of  Cripple  Creek  saved  Colorado  in  the  lean  years  of 
the  '90s.  Colorado's  gold  production  (in  round  numbers)  jumped  from  $5,000,000 
in  1S92  to  $28,000,000  in  1900.  The  latter  year  the  mines  of  Cripple  Creek  had 
$18,000,000  to  their  credit,  or  over  two-thirds  of  Colorado's  total  yield  of  gold 
in  1900.  Some  years  in  the  '90s  Cripple  Creek's  gold  output  exceeded  that  of 
the  remainder  of  the  state.  During  the  first  decade  of  the  camp,  1891-1900,  its 
total  production  of  gold  amounted  to  $77,274,872.  In  this  decade  the  population 
of  the  district  had  increased  from  less  than  a  hundred  to  over  ten  thousand. 

Through  all  these  years  Stratton  had  been  a  dominating  personality  in  the 
life  and  development  of  Cripple  Creek.  There  were,  however,  other  brainy 
men  who  helped  in  making  it  a  great  mining  camp.  There  was  an  army  of  pro- 
moters, mining  engineers  and  mine  superintendents  who  contributed  to  the  pros- 
perity of  Cripple  Creek.  Among  them  a  dozen  may  be  named — F.  M.  Symes, 
J.  W.  O'Brien,  Philip  Argall,  William  Weston,  John  Stark,  R.  A.  Tregarthen, 
W.  M.  Bainbridge.  ^lilo  Hoskins,  Joseph  Luxon,  Sam  Strong,  Warren  Woods, 
T.  R.  McKinnie,  Irving  Howbert,  E.  M.  De  La  Vergne  and  Verner  Z.  Reed. 
Cripple  Creek  gold  had  made  many  millionaires.  The  treasure  taken  from  the 
mines  had  done  much  for  the  upbuilding  of  Colorado  Springs  and  Denver;  it 
had  aided  the  growth  of  the  entire  commonwealth.  The  stimulus  of  this  bonanza 
camp  was  felt  throughout  the  whole  Rocky  Mountain  region. 

From  the  start  many  of  the  mining  ventures  in  the  Cripple  Creek  district  were 
successful  because  men  found  high-grade  ore  at  grass  roots  in  paying  quantities. 
Much  of  it  ran  from  $50  to  $250  a  ton.  The  ore  has  been  described  as  "altered 
and  enriched  rock."  The  deeper  they  went,  the  more  productive  the  mine  became 
in  numerous  instances,  and  the  profits  were  much  larger  than  in  some  other  gold 
camps  of  the  state.    The  vein-structure  at  Cripple  Creek  is  peculiar.     So  some 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  279 

investors  were  skeptical  and  wary,  even  after  tlie  mines  had  produced  gold  to 
the  vakie  of  tens  of  millions. 

While  the  gold-bearing  district  of  Teller  County  includes  about  one  hundred 
and  thirty  square  miles,  the  noted  mines  are  congregated  in  the  hills  and  valleys 
within  a  small  area.  There  are  over  one  hundred  different  mines  here,  some  of 
them  having  tunnels  over  half  a  mile  long  and  shafts  more  than  two  thousand 
feet  deep.  Among  the  large  producers  are  Stratton's  Independence,  Cresson, 
Golden  Cycle,  Granite,  Ajax,  Elkton,  Findlay,  Vindicator,  El  Paso,  Isabella, 
Mary  McKinney  and  the  Portland. 

There  is  a  group  of  great  mines  in  this  golden  crest  of  the  continent,  and  the 
Portland  is  the  foremost.  The  story  of  the  Portland  is  well  worth  telling.  The 
news  of  Womack's  discovery  attracted  James  F.  Burns  and  James  Doyle,  who 
came  to  Colorado,  in  the  '80s,  from  Portland,  Maine.  A  friend  kindly  grub- 
staked them  to  do  a  little  prospecting  in  the  new  gold  camp.  That  was  in  1882. 
"In  course  of  time  Doyle  found  a  little  unclaimed  triangular  piece  of  ground 
and  staked  it  as  the  Portland  in  honor  of  his  old  home.  John  Harnan  combined 
with  Doyle  and  Burns,  and  by  their  partiality  his  name  was  also  written  on  the 
stake.  They  opened  up  rich  ore  almost  immediately,  but  kept  still  about  it,  for 
their  little  bit  of  a  claim  was  so  surrounded  by  conflicting  surveys  they  were  in 
danger  every  minute.  For  weeks  they  carried  sacks  of  ore,  mined  during  the 
day,  on  their  backs  at  night,  down  the  trails  to  wagons,  whence  it  was  hauled 
away  to  the  mills  and  smelters."  The  men  soon  found  themselves  in  possession 
of  riches  and  bought  adjoining  claims.  Presently  they  had  lawsuits  on  their  hands. 
Then  Doyle  sold  his  interest.  The  others  stayed  with  the  property  and  reaped 
a  handsome  reward,  for  during  the  last  twenty-four  years  the  Portland  has  given 
the  world  bullion  to  the  value  of  over  $40,ooo,OCXd.  Its  dividends  up  to  January 
I,  igi8.  have  amounted  to  $11,047,000. 

Undoubtedly  the  Portland  is  the  most  celebrated  mine  in  this  far-famed  gold- 
bearing  zone  of  the  Centennial  State.  Its  underground  area  of  mineral  territory, 
over  two  hundred  acres,  is  honeycombed  with  tunnels,  drifts  and  crosscuts.  The 
workings  extend  under  the  summit  and  the  northern  slope  of  Battle  Mountain, 
directly  north  of  the  Town  of  \'ictor.  In  1894  the  present  company  was  organ- 
ized with  a  capital  of  $3,000,000.  About  one  hundred  men  were  employed  at 
that  time,  and  it  was  shipping  sixty  tons  of  smelting  ore  daily.  From  time  to 
time  new  pay  shoots  and  ore  bodies  were  encountered,  and  the  extent  of  under- 
ground workings  was  increased  until  a  force  of  more  than  five  hundred  men  were 
employed.  In  1904  its  output  was  100,000  tons  of  ore,  about  one-sixth  of  the 
total  production  of  Cripple  Creek.  Up  to  the  time  of  the  discovery  of  ore  of  ex- 
traordinary value  in  the  Cresson  mine,  in  December,  1914,  the  Portland  was 
the  banner  producer  of  the  camp. 

Other  Cripple  Creek  mines  have  achieved  eminence  in  gold  production.  For 
instance,  the  Mary  McKinney  holdings,  comprising  about  one  hundred  and  forty- 
four  acres  on  Raven  and  Gold  hills,  have  added  over  $10,000,000  to  the  money 
of  the  country,  while  the  Elkton  has  a  still  larger  sum  to  its  credit. 

It  would  require  a  volume  to  relate  in  detail  all  the  happenings  of  the  Cripple 
Creek  camp  the  last  fifteen  years.  Some  of  tlie  principal  events  are  jotted  down 
concisely. 

1901 — The  gold  production  of  Cripple  Creek  this  year  was  $17,261,579,  accord- 


280  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

iug  to  figures  given  in  the  U.  S.  Geological  Survey  report  for  1901.  Stratton's 
Independence  Mine  produced  about  $2,500,000,  from  which  a  profit  of  over  $1,- 
000,000  was  realized.  Notable  improvements  were  made  in  this  mine.  The  pro- 
duction of  the  Portland  was  $2,408,413,  the  profit  being  $1,760,939. 

1902 — This  year  Cripple  Creek  produced  gold  to  the  value  of  $16,912,783.  A 
lower  grade  of  ore  was  handled  than  in  1901.  There  were  heavy  shipments  from 
Stratton's  Independence  mine.  Rich  discoveries  were  made  in  the  lower  workings 
of  the  Blue  Bird  and  the  Last  Dollar  mines.  Preparations  were  made  to  draw  on 
an  extensive  area  of  the  district  between  the  Gold  King  and  Elkton  and  El 
Paso. 

1903 — The  gold  production  of  the  district  this  year  was  $12,967,338,  a  con- 
siderable falling-off  from  the  preceding  year.  Labor  troubles  greatly  interfered 
with  mining  in  Cripple  Creek;  there  were  strikes,  and  some  mines  were  oper- 
ated under  military  protection.  Stratton's  Independence  mine  produced  200  tons 
of  low-grade  ore  daily.  Its  total  production  reached  the  sum  of  $11,000,000 
since  its  acquisition  by  the  Stratton's  Independence,  Limited.  Its  dividends 
amounted  to  $260,000  this  year.  The  Portland  declared  dividends  of  $360,000, 
realized  from  90,000  tons  of  ore  valued  at  $2,609,000.  The  Golden  Cycle,  Strong, 
and  Vindicator  mines  yielded  large  returns.  Two  cyanide  mills  were  built  this 
year  in  Cripple  Creek.  A  re-survey  of  the  district  was  begun  in  June  by  Messrs. 
Lindgren  and  Ransome.  The  El  Paso  drainage  tunnel  was  dug  at  an  expense 
of  $80,000. 

1904 — Cripple  Creek's  gold  output  for  this  year  was  $14,504,350.  Valuable 
discoveries  were  made  in  the  Portland,  Elkton,  Gold  Coin,  Gold  King  and  Blue 
Bird  mines. 

1905 — Cripple  Creek  produced  gold  to  the  value  of  $15,411,724,  a  marked 
increase  over  the  output  of  the  previous  year.  The  average  was  about  $21.50  a 
ton.  The  Portland  maintained  its  position  of  supremacy,  its  output  being  $2,- 
422,033,  from  109,233  tons  of  ore. 

1906 — Cripple  Creek's  gold  output  this  year  was  $14,253,245.  The  banner 
producer  of  the  camp,  the  Portland,  was  credited  with  a  yield  of  $1,932,083.  from 
103,614  tons  of  ore. 

1907 — The  gold  production  of  the  camp  this  year  was  $10,913,687.  The 
Portland's  output  was  $1,600,950.  The  Golden  Cycle  produced  67,397  tons  of 
ore,  averaging  $21.02  in  value. 

1908 — Cripple  Creek  produced  gold  to  the  value  of  $12,740,287  this  year, 
which  saw  an  influx  of  skilled  miners.  Success  attended  cyanide  experiments  in 
treating  low-grade  ore.  Steady  progress  was  made  in  the  Roosevelt  drainage 
tunnel. 

1909 — The  gold  production  of  Cripple  Creek  this  year  was  $11,470,673.  Min- 
ing operations  were  reduced  in  the  Portland,  the  Golden  Cycle,  El  Paso  and  other 
mines. 

1910 — Cripple  Creek's  golden  harvest  this  year  v^'as  $11,002,253.  The  yield 
from  the  Portland  mine  was  67,515  tons,  valued  at  $1,241,168. 

191 1 — Cripple  Creek's  gold  production  fell  off  this  year  to  $10,562,653.  The 
Portland  produced  50,258  tons,  valued  at  $1,140,054,  averaging  $22.68  a  ton. 

191 2 — The  gold  production  of  the  camp  this  year  was  $11,008,362,  about 
three-fifths  of  all  Colorado's  gold  output  in  1912.  The  Portland's  yield  was 
44  562  tons,  valued  at  $987,416. 


iilSTORV  OF  COLORADO  281 

1913 — The  yield  of  the  camp  this  year  fell  below  the  average,  being  $10,- 
905,003.  The  Portland,  the  \'indicator  and  other  mines  had  a  prosperous  year. 
The  grand  total  production  of  the  Portland  mine  from  April  i,  1894,  to  Decem- 
ber 31,  1913,  was  1,767,592  net  tons,  of  a  gross  value  of  $36,268,797. 

1914 — The  mines  of  Cripple  Creek  yielded  $11,996,116  this  year.  As  a  re- 
sult of  the  unwatering  of  the  mines  by  the  Roosevelt  tunnel,  many  large  bodies 
of  valuable  ore  were  disclosed  in  the  Portland,  Vindicator  and  other  mines.  The 
richness  of  some  of  the  ore  found  in  die  Cresson  mine  surpassed  all  previous 
records  in  Cripple  Creek  annals.  In  a  chamber  1,265  feet  below  the  surface 
"masses  of  decomposed  quartz,  filled  with  coarse  grains  of  calaverite  and  sylvan- 
ite"  were  discovered.  The  amount  of  gold  was  reported  to  run  into  thousands  of 
dollars  to  the  ton. 

191 5 — This  year  witnessed  a  notable  gain  in  the  gold  production  of  the  dis- 
trict, it  being  $13,683,494.  Stratton's  Independence  mine,  after  producing  ore 
to  the  value  of  $23,621,728,  was  sold  to  the  Portland  Gold  Company.  To  De- 
cember 31,  1915,  the  Portland  and  Independence  mines,  comprising  250  acres 
of  highly  mineralized  land,  had  produced  3,653,969  tons  of  ore,  valued  at  $64,- 
426,370. 

1916 — The  gold  output  of  the  camp  this  year  was  about  the  average,  being 
$12,199,550.  This  was  a  year  of  marked  activity  in  the  Cripple  Creek  district. 
The  grand  total  production  of  the  camp,  1891-1916,  amounted  to  $285,245,393, 
according  to  Government  figures. 

1917 — Gold  production  was  $11,402,968,  making  the  golden  harvest  of  the 
camp  during  the  past  quarter  of  a  century  far  over  three  hundred  million  dollars. 
Work  progressed  steadily  on  the  Roosevelt  tunnel,  its  total  length  being  about 
24,000  feet.  The  tunnel  has  lowered  the  general  water  level  of  the  district  ap- 
proximately 700  feet  vertically.  Deep  mining  was  profitable  in  many  of  the 
mines,  huge  bodies  of  good  ores  being  encountered  at  depths  of  2,000  feet  or 
more. 

CRIPPLE    creek's    gold    PRODUCTION 

Year  Bullion  Value  ^'ear  Bullion  Value 

1891    $        200,000-         1904    $21,414,080 

1892    587.310  1905    22,307,952 

1893  8,750,000  igo6  16,268,291 

1894  3,250,000  1907  13,148,152 

1895  6,100,000  1908  16,230,525 

1896  8,750,000  1909  1 5.850,000 

1897  12,000,000  1910  11,031.555 

1898  16,000,000  191 1  io,593.27« 

1899  21,000,000  1912  11.049,024 

1900  22,500,000  1913  10.948,098 

1901  24,986,990  1914  12.025,364 

1902  24.508,51 1  1915  13,727,902 

1903  17,630,107  i9ir)  12,177.221 

1 9 1 7  II ,402.968 

Grand  Total $357,6.%,  178 


282  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

CUSTER    county's    MINING    HISTORY 

In  the  winter  of  1870  Richard  Irwin,  a  well-known  prospector,  and  a  com- 
panion, Jasper  Brown,  started  a  camp  at  Rosita  Springs  on  the  site  of  a  float 
quartz  discovery  made  by  Irwin  in  the  summer  of  that  year.  The  stories  of  his 
discoveries  brought  the  prospectors  in  great  numbers  and  in  the  spring  of  1874 
Leonard  Fredericks  had  opened  up  the  Humboldt  and  O'Bannion  &  Co.  found 
a  fortune  in  the  Pocahontas.  In  1877  'he  great  mine  tirst  called  the  Maine,  after- 
ward the  Bassick,  was  discovered  by  John  W.  True,  who  had  been  sent  there  to 
prospect  by  John  A.  Thatcher  and  a  group  of  his  friends  in  Pueblo.  Abandoning 
the  work,  it  was  later  relocated  by  E.  C.  Bassick.  He  extended  the  shaft  and 
later  by  sending  a  lot  of  eight  tons  to  the  mill  was  gratified  to  find  it  return  him 
$12,000.     Bassick  made  a  fortune  out  of  it. 

In  August,  1877,  R.  S.  Edwards,  a  prospector  who  had  crossed  the  plains 
pushing  a  wheelbarrow,  came  to  the  site  of  what  is  now  Silver  Cliff,  and  located 
Horn  Silver,  Racine  Boy  and  Silver  Cliff  mines.  This  was  just  before  the  Lead- 
ville  craze  broke  loose.  In  1880  the  entire  region  was  flooded  with  prospectors 
looking  for  carbonates.  The  discoveries  of  Edwards  were  soon  bruited  about 
and  Silver  Cliff  became  the  site  of  a  veritable  stampede.  Many  good  properties 
were  located  in  this  period  on  Wet  Mountain.  The  Hardscrabble  district,  which 
includes  Silver  Cliff,  Ouerida,  West  Cliff"  and  Rosita,  is  still  a  fine  mining 
section. 

As  early  as  1875  '"''1  building  commenced,  reached  its  zenith  in  1880,  and 
closed  in  1882.  The  belief  entertained  at  the  beginning  of  the  mill  building  era 
was,  as  the  industry  advanced,  changed  to  conviction,  viz. :  That  each  mine  must 
have  a  mill.  This,  with  the  fabulous  prices  asked  for  undeveloped  claims,  dis- 
couraged investment  of  capital  and  development  of  prospects.  The  result  was 
that  both  capital  and  prospectors  sought  other  fields,  where,  from  reports  re- 
ceived, they  had  reason  to  believe  less  capital  or  labor  was  required  to  gain  re- 
munerative returns.  The  aggregate  amount  of  money  expended  in  mill  building 
in  this  section  was  not  less  than  one  and  one-half  million  dollars.  With  a  few 
notable  exceptions,  the  plants  erected  were  total  failures.  Even  some  of  the 
exceptions  were  financial  failures  if  successful  from  a  metallurgical  standpoint. 
The  decline  in  the  mining  industry,  started  in  1881,  was  not  only  accelerated  by 
one  mill  failure  after  another,  but  also  by  litigation,  that  eventually  closed  the 
leading  developed  and  regular  producing  properties.  This  condition  can  in  no 
manner  be  ascribed  to  the  natural  mineral  resources  of  the  county,  but  is  di- 
rectly attributable  to  "boom  times"  and  mills. 

In  191 5  the  advance  in  the  price  of  silver  had  a  splendid  influence  on  prop- 
erties all  through  the  Hardscrabble  district. 

IN   THE   REGION   OF  RICO 

The  mining  history  of  this  section  centers  about  Rico,  the  present  county 
seat  and  leading  commercial  center.  It  practically  begins  with  the  year  1879. 
Since  that  time  the  mines  at  or  near  Rico  have  demonstrated  Dolores  to  be  one 
of  the  important  mining  counties  of  the  state.  Like  all  mining  sections  it  has 
been  more  active  at  certain  periods  than  others,  but  at  no  time  since  1880  has  it 


CRIPPLE  CRLLl.  ji    VES 


284  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

failed  to  contribute  its  quota  of  precious  metals  toward  the  aggregate  production 
of  the  commonwealth.  The  predominating  value  in  the  ores  is  in  silver,  which 
occurs  in  all  the  richer  sulphide  forms,  at  times  native,  but  generally  associated 
with  lead,  iron,  copper  and  zinc,  in  a  quartz  gangue.  Although  the  mines  were 
formerly  spoken  of  as  silver-lead  producers,  and  the  general  impression  was  es- 
tablished that  gold  was  not  associated  in  appreciable  quantities,  under  present 
market  conditions,  and  with  somewhat  recent  developments,  the  producers  of 
this  section  are  now  ranked  as  gold-silver-lead  mines.  In  common  with  many 
other  districts  in  the  state  a  number  of  mines  are  operating  largely  upon  ores  in 
which  gold  values  predominate. 

The  discovery  of  gold  dates  back  to  1869,  when  Sheldon  Shafer  and  Joe 
Flarheiler,  who  had  reached  Santa  Fe,  decided  to  go  to  Montana.  They  made  the 
reservation  that  only  the  discovery  of  mineral  could  stop  them.  They  were  ex- 
perienced prospectors  and  had  no  sooner  reached  the  region  of  what  is  now 
Silver  Creek  when  the  evidence  was  clear  that  they  were  on  the  eve  of  a  precious 
metal  discovery.  In  July,  1869,  they  made  their  first  location,  embracing  what 
is  now  a  part  of  the  Shamrock,  Smuggler  and  Riverside  lodes  of  the  old  Atlantic 
Cable  group.  This  they  called  the  Pioneer.  Soon  after  they  discovered  north- 
east of  the  Town  of  Rico  the  "Phoenix"  and  the  "Nigger  Baby."  They  also 
located  what  was  later  the  Yellow  Jacket,  the  Amazon,  the  Pelican  and  the  Elec- 
tric Light  mines.  The  district  soon  attracted  attention  and  settlers  began  to  pour 
in  and  locate  claims.  In  the  spring  of  1879  Col.  J.  C.  Haggerty  on  a  visit  to 
Ouray  found  that  some  ore  from  "Nigger  Baby"  hill  proved  to  be  lead  car- 
bonates very  rich  in  silver.  The  neighboring  camps  of  Ouray,  Silverton,  Ophir 
and  San  Miguel  emptied  their  hundreds  into  the  Rico  region.  But  the  boom 
was  brief. 

In  1880  the  Grand  View  smelter  was  built,  and  in  the  fall  of  the  same  year 
produced  some  high  grade  bullion.  This  afiforded  assurance  of  the  permanency  of 
the  district,  and  the  development  was  more  rapid  for  a  few  years  following. 
The  grade  of  ore  necessary  to  bear  reduction  charges,  and  high  prices  for  sup- 
plies were  again  felt,  and  progress  was  slow  until  the  advent  of  the  Rio  Grande 
Southern  Railroad.  This  line  leaves  the  Rio  Grande  system  at  Ridgeway  and  ex- 
tends to  Durango,  via  Rico.  With  transportation  facilities  the  development  was 
rapid  until  the  value  of  silver  and  lead  reached  the  low  range  of  prices  of  1893. 
A  large  number  of  producers  then  either  reduced  working  force  or  closed  down 
entirely.  Probably  no  district  in  the  state  was  as  seriously  afifected  as  this.  The 
recovery  has  been  slow  but  sure  and,  in  common  with  other  counties. 

EAGLE  county's  MINING  HISTORY 

While  what  is  now  Eagle  County  had  been  previously  explored,  the  history 
of  the  active  development  of  its  natural  resources  begins  with  1879.  This  year 
marked  the  great  rush  to  the  Leadville  district,  which  joins  on  the  south.  The 
discovery  of  ores  similar  in  character  and  occurrence  along  Eagle  River  served 
in  a  small  degree  to  relieve  the  pressure  at  Leadville,  and  to  quickly  populate 
this  section.  Its  establishment,  therefore,  may  be  ascribed  to  the  overflow  pros- 
pectors from  Leadville.  The  first  valid  locations  were  made  early  in  1879.  The 
ore  production  was  limited  on  account  of  grade  of  ore  necessary  to  bear  trans- 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  285 

portatioii  and  treatment  charges.  In  1880  a  smelting  plant  was  erected  and  pro- 
vided a  home  market.  This  plain  produced  a  large  amount  of  lead  bullion,  but 
ceased  operation  soon  after  the  advent  of  the  Rio  Grande  Railway,  early  in 
1882. 

The  first  actual  lode  claims  discovered  and  staked  were  in  the  names  of  Rob- 
ert and  John  Duncan,  who  on  April  15,  1879,  thought  they  had  made  their  for- 
tunes in  the  Eagle  River  mining  district.  The  Belden,  located  May  5,  1879,  by 
D.  D.  Belden  and  Price  Merrick,  was  the  first  to  produce  profitable  ores  in  large 
quantities.  In  that  first  year  a  hundred  claims  were  staked  near  Gilman.  The 
Wyoming  group  near  Redcliff  was  among  the  locations  of  the  first  period. 

THE   BEGINNINGS   OF  EL  PASO   COUNTY    MINING 

The  history  of  this  section  begins  practically  with  the  year  1859.  At  that 
time  Pike's  Peak  was  a  name  more  familiar  than  Colorado,  and  this  section  there- 
fore received  a  large  proportion  of  the  immigrants  from  the  eastern  states. 
Colorado  City,  located  near  the  base  of  Pike's  Peak  and  the  entrance  to  Ute 
Pass,  became  temporarily  the  leading  town  of  the  territory  and  its  importance 
was  enhanced  by  being  made  the  first  territorial  capital.  Later  the  seat  of  gov- 
ernment was  removed  to  Golden,  in  Jefferson  County,  and  finally  to  Denver. 
The  removal  of  the  capita!  from  Colorado  City  in  1861  was  followed  by  a  some- 
what continued  depression.  The  Pike's  Peak  placer  mines  had  not  proven  lucra- 
tive and  the  prospectors  moved  on  to  the  west  and  north.  In  the  fall  of  1871 
the  Denver  &  Rio  Grande  Railroad  reached  this  section,  producing  a  marked 
change  in  existing  conditions. 

There  was  formed  in  those  earlv  days  the  El  Paso  Claims  Club,  which  had 
its  law  offices,  and  in  fact  was  the  government  of  this  section.  It  was  primitive 
but  it  served  its  purpose  as  a  preventive  to  "claim  jumping."  PI.  T.  Burghout, 
with  the  title  of  recorder,  had  all  the  powers  of  a  judge. 

In  common  with  the  Front  Range  of  mountains  in  other  sections,  the  range 
here  is  traversed  with  eruptive  dikes  and  embraces  fissure  veins  carrying  precious 
metals.  Prospecting  is  indulged  in,  a  few  veins  are  located  and  worked  to  the 
extent  of  annual  assessment,  but  the  ore  values  appear  to  be  too  low  to  permit 
of  extraction  and  reduction  at  a  profit.  While  ores  of  economic  importance  are 
not  as  yet  found  within  the  new  western  limit  of  the  county,  this  section  has 
long  been  noted  for  its  rare  minerals,  notably  at  Pike's  Peak,  l-'lorissant  and 
Buffalo  Peak. 

FREMONT  COUNTY ITS  0!I.   AND   ITS    MINERALS 

The  discovery  of  oil  in  Fremont  County  dates  back  to  1859,  when  Jose])h 
Lamb,  a  pioneer,  claims  to  have  first  investigated  a  flow  of  oil  half  a  mile  above 
the  mouth  of  Oil  Creek  Canon.  The  man  who,  however,  located  and  perfected 
his  claim  to  Oil  .Springs,  was  Gabriel  P.owen,  who,  in  1862,  sold  them  to  A.  M. 
Cassidy.  In  March  of  that  year  Mr.  Cassidy  sunk  six  wells  but  only  the  original 
upper  strata  proved  profitable.  In  tliat  first  year  he  marketed  several  thousand 
gallons.  But  many  wells  were  sunk  and  much  capital  was  brought  into  the  field 
before  it  made  any  commensurate  returns.     The  great  trouble  generallv  la\-   in 


286  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

the  weakness' of  the  casing  material  and  few  of  the  prospecting  companies  reached 
any  depth  without  accident. 

In  1880  D.  G.  Peabody  put  down  the  first  well  in  what  is  now  part  of  the 
Town  of  Florence,  and  what  was  then  known  as  Lobach's  farm.  In  1882  his 
company,  which  consisted  of  George  O.  Baldwin,  J.  J.  Phelps,  Ed.  Lobach, 
Thomas  Willey,  W.  B.  McGee,  E.  B.  Ailing  and  himself,  secured  a  great  number 
of  leases  and  began  boring  with  new  outfits  shipped  from  Pennsylvania.  On 
April  7,  1883,  at  a  depth  of  1,205  feet  oil  was  discovered.  The  strike  brought  a 
great  horde  of  prospectors  to  Florence,  but  the  Peabody  Company,  while  it  struck 
oil  again  on  several  of  its  leases,  never  prospered. 

By  1890  the  field  had  been  greatly  developed  and  large  capitalists  were  in 
control.  The  United  Oil  Company,  with  N.  P.  Hill  as  president,  D.  P.  Ellis, 
J.  Wallace,  S.  F.  Rathvon,  I.  E.  Blake,  John  Coon  and  S.  Josephi,  owned  2,200 
acres  of  patented  land  and  38,000  acres  of  oil  rights  and  leases.  They  had  fifteen 
flowing  wells,  with  a  daily  output  of  850  barrels.  It  owned  a  refinery  with  daily 
capacity  of  1,500  barrels. 

The  Florence  Oil  &  Refining  Company,  headed  by  A.  H.  Danforth  and  con- 
trolled by  himself  and  A.  R.  Gumaer,  W.  E.  Johnson,  Dr.  E.  C.  Gray,  T.  M. 
Harding  and  Frank  M.  Brown,  had  eleven  productive  wells  with  a  daily  output 
of  500  barrels.     It  also  owned  a  refiner^'. 

The  Triumph  Oil  Company,  Ira  Canfield,  president.  The  Rocky  ^Mountain  Oil 
Company,  Dan  P.  Ellis,  president.  The  Colorado  Coal  &  Iron  Company,  and  a 
new  company  headed  by  Henry  and  Edward  O.  Wolcott  and  holding  leases  on 
21,000  acres  of  the  Beaver  Land  Company,  were  the  other  corporations  actually 
at  work  in  the  field. 

At  the  close  of  the  year  iqo2  there  were  fifty-seven  wells  producing.  There 
were  two  local  refineries,  with  a  combined  capacitv  of  about  twc  thousand  bar- 
rels per  day.  The  following  were  the  producing  companies :  Florence  Oil  Re- 
fining Company,  Triumph  Oil  Company,  Griffith,  Rock  Mountain,  Eraser  Oil 
and  Gas  Company,  Fremont  Oil  and  Gas  Company,  Keystone,  Columbia  Crude 
Oil  Company  and  United  Oil  Company. 

The  oil  appears  to  be  found  at  difl:'erent  geological  horizons,  the  Fox  Hill 
shales  underlying  the  coal  measures  being  the  most  productive.  The  oils  from 
the  various  wells  do  not  differ  greatly  in  character.  A  number  of  tests  published, 
and  made  by  competent  chemists,  show  the  naphtha  and  benzine  to  be  about  4  to 
6  per  cent:  of  illuminating  oils,  25  to  35;  paraffine  and  heavy  oils,  55  to  60;  and 
a  residuum,  mainly  coal  tar,  6  to  7  per  cent.  The  refined  products  are  consumed 
by  the  western  trade,  and  the  residuum  is  utilized  for  fuel  purposes. 

In  1904  N.  M.  Fenneman,  in  a  report  to  the  U.  S.  Geological  Survey,  states 
that  there  were  500  wells  in  the  district,  which  had  an  area  of  approximately  fif- 
teen square  miles.  The  deepest  well  in  the  field  he  found  to  be  3,650  feet,  but  no 
oil  sand  had  been  found  below  3,090  feet.  Of  the  500  wells  he  enumerates,  60 
were  pumping,  and  175  had  been  producers.  In  his  concluding  paragraph  he 
states :  "The  average  life  of  a  well  is  not  far  from  five  years.  Many  wells  have 
yielded  oil  for  from  ten  to  twenty  years.  One  well  has  been  pumped  for  a  still 
longer  time,  and  has  yielded  more  than  one  million  barrels  of  oil.  The  product 
is  for  the  most  part  refined  at  Florence."    In  1901  it  produced  17,000,000  gallons. 

In  1907  the  Florence  field  produced  263,498  barrels,  valued  at  $197,025.00. 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  287 

In  1908  it  was  295,479  barrels;  in  1909,  225,062  barrels;  in  1910,  201,937  bar- 
rels; in  1911,  210,094  barrels;  in  1912,  201,195  barrels;  in  1913,  6,785,000  gal- 
Ions;  in  1914,  6,854,799  gallons;  in  1915,  6,039,507  gallons;  in  1916,  5,058,615 
gallons;  in  1917,  4,442,095  gallons.  On  January  i,  1912,  there  were  fifty-four 
wells  producing.     In  January,  1918,  there  were  forty-three  wells  producing. 

The  producing  properties  in  the  Florence  field  are  today  owned  by  the  Conti- 
nental, a  Standard  Oil  subsidiary. 

Since  1881  the  precious  metal  mines  have  been  more  or  less  active  and  pro- 
ductive. The  production,  however,  has  never  been  large,  and  the  mines  may  be 
said  to  have  scarcely  passed  the  prospective  stage  of  development.  The  original 
mines,  or  those  that  first  attracted  general  attention,  were  in  the  neighborhood  of 
Cotopaxi  and  on  Grape  Creek.  The  Gem  mine,  near  this  stream,  gained  much 
notoriety  on  account  of  nickel  being  found  associated  with  silver  ores. 

Following  the  advent  of  the  Cripple  Creek  mines  in  the  adjoining  county  on 
the  north,  the  northern  part  of  Fremont  County  was  the  scene  of  much  prospect 
work,  which  gradually  worked  westward  and  centered  mainly  about  Whitehorn 
and  the  Cameron  districts.  There  are  a  number  of  small  camps  in  this  part 
of  the  county  bearing  local  names,  and  in  the  aggregate  a  large  amount  of  devel- 
opment work  has  been  done.  The  ores  are  mainly  gold-copper,  in  a  quartzose 
gangue.  In  the  section  immediately  south  of  the  Cripple  Creek  district  a  num- 
ber of  properties  have  been  worked  extensively. 

Mining  for  gems  and  precious  stones  is  carried  on  profitably  in  this  county. 

THE    MINING    HISTORY    OF    GUNNISON    COUNTY 

Gold  was  discovered  in  the  Tin  Cup  and  Washington  Gulch  districts  during- 
1861  by  an  adventurous  prospector  named  Fred  Lottes.  In  1879  the  reports  cir- 
culated by  prospectors  were  so  favorable  that,  during  the  following  year,  there 
was  a  "rush"  to  this  district  second  to  none  jn  the  history  of  the  state.  Mining 
camps  sprang  up  at  numerous  points,  and  were  followed  by  the  usual  number 
of  ill-advised  smelting  plants  and  mills.  Precious  metal  ores  were  found  in 
abundance,  but  development  was  too  meager  to  supply  the  demands  of  a  smelter, 
and  transportation  of  ores  to  outside  markets,  even  in  concentrated  form,  left 
small  margin  of  profit.  The  toll  on  freight  at  this  time  was  more  often  calculated 
by  the  pound  than  by  the  ton. 

The  "rush"  of  1880-81  to  this  section  was  second  to  none  in  the  state's  his- 
tory. Towns  sprang  up  in  all  districts  of  the  county;  the  mountains  were  filled 
with  prospectors,  who,  through  specimen  assays,  kept  the  excitement  at  high 
pitch ;  the  "boom"  was  launched  and  maintained ;  capital  followed  and  sought 
investment  on  the  "boom"  basis,  and  smelters  and  mills  were  erected  at  enor- 
mous outlay.  It  was  finally  realized  that  the  ores,  while  abundant,  were  in  the 
main  low  grade,  and  that  under  economic  conditions  then  extant,  profits  from  in- 
vestments made  could  not  be  expected.  The  exodus  during  the  next  few  years 
was  almost  equal  to  the  rush  of  1880.  No  county  tn  the  state,  as  prolific  in  nat- 
ural resources,  has  suflfered  from  a  "boom"  as  severely  as  Gunnison.  This  sec- 
tion, however,  did  not  prove  an  exception  to  "mining  boom"  history,  and  many 
good  pay  mines  were  discovered  and  opened.  These  in  a  measure  served  to  re- 
lieve the  general  depression,  and  each  year  from  1885  to   1892  showed  gradual 


288  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

increased  activity  in  all  the  districts.  Until  this  time,  the  production  .of  lead-silver 
ores  received  almost  undivided  attention.  With  the  then  current  price  for  these 
metals,  profitable  mining  was  impossible  except  in  isolated  cases.  Prospecting 
ceased  and  small  producers  closed.  As  in  other  counties,  attention  was  turned 
to  prospecting  for  gold.  While  the  existence  of  gold  was  well  known,  it  had, 
prior  to  this  time  received  little  attention.     The  results  have  been  satisfactory. 

During  the  past  decade  there  has  been  a  great  deal  of  prospecting  done  par- 
ticularly in  the  Tin  Cup,  White  Pine  and  Vulcan  districts.  In  1914  dredging 
operations  were  begun  in  the  Taylor  Park  district. 

THE  MINING  HISTORY  01"  GRAND  COUXTV 

Owing  to  inaccessibility  for  many  years  prior  to  the  construction  of  the, 
Mofi'at  Road,  this  section  has  produced  but  a  limited  quantity  of  precious  metals. 
History  shows  this  section  to  have  been  the  scene  of  much  prospecting  in  1859. 
At  that  time,  and  for  a  number  of  years  afterwards,  it  was  one  of  the  favorite 
hunting  grounds  for  the  Indians.  The  reported  discoveries  at  dilTerent  times 
since  then  have  caused  an  influx  of  more  or  less  people,  and  in  the  aggregate  a  con- 
siderable amount  of  development  work  has  been  done.  At  one  time  Lulu,  in  the 
extreme  northeast  corner,  became  quite  a  flourishing  camp.  Also,  Gaskill,  at  the 
mouth  of  Baker  Gulch,  a  few  miles  south.  At  the  former  camp  the  veins  are 
in  granite-gneiss,  are  locally  well  defined,  but  the  copper-iron-sulphide  ores,  carry- 
ing gold,  with  some  silver,  appear  to  occur  in  short  shoots  or  pockets  so  far  as 
exposed  by  meager  development.  Up  Baker  Gulch  the  veins  are  much  better  de- 
fined and  ore  deposits  are  more  persistent.  The  Wolverine  properties  and  a 
•number  of  others,  names  unknown,  showed  fair  bodies  of  low-grade  sulphide 
ore.  In  the  vicinity  of  Grand  Lake  there  has  been  quite  an  amount  of  prospect 
work. 

The  Ready  Cash  group,  that  has  been  a  good  producer  of  high-grade  silver 
and  lead  ores  since  1880  is  still  operating  with  good  profits.  This  group  is  situ- 
ate near  the  line  between  Grand  and  Clear  Creek  counties,  and  the  ore  is  hauled 
by  wagon  over  Jones  Pass  to  Empire  station,  and  thence  via  the  Colorado  & 
Southern  Railroad. 

The  Mollie  Groves  group  has  been  systematically  developed  since  1906,  and 
is  a  copper  proposition  carrying  some  gold  and  silver  values.  It  is  situate  on  Elk 
Mountain,  in  the  Blue  Ridge  district,  and  is  fifteen  miles  from  the  Town  of 
Parshall,  on  the  Moffat  Railroad. 

In  1878-79  some  very  promising  silver  prospects  were  discovered  in  the 
Rabbit  Ear  Range,  which  is  about  twenty-five  miles  northwest  of  the  Hot  Sul- 
phur Springs.  Considerable  work  was  done  at  the  time,  but  all  were  abandoned 
on  account  of  the  long  haul  and  the  low  price  of  silver. 

The  first  actual  discovery  of  gold  in  the  county  was  made  by  a  prospector. 
Sandy  Campbell,  in  this  very  Rabbit  Ear  Range.  The  report  of  his  discoveries 
brought  the  first  considerable  influx  of  prospectors  into  the  camp.  The  Town 
of  Teller  in  North  Park  had  a  large  population  at  this  time.  In  the  fight  for 
the  county  seat  between  Hot  Springs  and  Grand  Lake,  in  1883,  four  of  the 
county  commissioners  were  killed :  the  sherifif,  implicated  in  the  trouble,  later 
committing  suicide. 


VIEW  OP  THE  CITY  OP  GOLJ)EN  AS  IT  APPEARED  IN  OE  ABOUT  THE  YEAR  1874 


290  HISTURY  UF  COLORADO 

HINSDALE  IN  THE  SAN  JUAN   COUNTRY 

The  history  of  this  section  practically  begins  with  1874,  when  the  iirst  valid 
mineral  locations  were  made.  The  population  rapidly  increased  until  1879,  when 
the  eti'ects  of  inaccessibility  to  market  were  fully  realized.  In  1889  the  Denver 
&  Rio  Grande  Railroad  constructed  a  branch  line  into  Lake  City,  the  county 
seat  and  commercial  center  of  the  county.  This  branch  leaves  the  main  line  at 
Sapinero  and  follows  up  the  Lake  Fork  of  the  Gunnison  River,  and  trains  for 
Lake  City  are  operated  so  as  to  connect  with  main  line  trains.  Following  the 
advent  of  transportation  facilities,  there  was  a  marked  revival  in  all  the  mining 
districts.  The  general  depression  of  1893  again  retarded  advancement,  for  the 
reason  that  nearly  all  ores  developed  at  that  time  were  lead,  silver  and  copper. 
Since  1894  the  advance  has  been  steady,  and,  in  common  with  many  other  sec- 
tions, the  existence  of  gold-bearing  ores  has  been  demonstrated. 

The  county  is  divided  into -five  mining  districts,  viz.:  Lake,  Galena,  Park, 
Sherman  and  Carson.  Lake  district  embraces  the  northeastern  portion  of  the 
county.     It  extends  about  three  miles  west  and  nine  miles  south  of  Lake  City. 

The  Galena  and  Lake  districts  are  the  two  principal  producers  of  the  county. 
This,  however,  is  largely  due  to  their  development  and  accessibility.  The  Bur- 
rows Park,  Sherman  and  Carson  districts  each  possess  distinctive  merit,  equal 
in  many  respects,  but  less  developed  than  their  more  fortunate  neighbors. 

Jefferson's  early  mining  history 

The  first  mining  in  this  section  was  upon  the  placer  beds  near  Golden.  Al- 
though the  placer  territory  is  limited,  the  aggregate  production  has  been  quite 
large.  In  common  with  the  "placer  diggings"  near  the  head  of  the  stream  in 
Clear  Creek  and  Gilpin  counties  the  beds  have  been  reworked  a  number  of  times 
and  are  still  worked  in  desultory  manner  each  year.  The  appliances  used  are 
little  in  advance  of  those  used  by  the  pioneers.  The  few  who  annually  engage  in 
this  pursuit  report  that  they  make  fair  wages  by  hard  work,  and  occasionally 
find  a  small  bar  that  "pays  well."  Several  attempts  have  been  made  by  capital 
to  systematically  work  the  bed  of  Clear  Creek  and  recover  the  gold  deposited  near 
bed-rock.  Another  inducement  has  been  to  collect  the  concentrated  losses  from 
the  many  mills  farther  up  the  stream.  There  is  little  doubt  that  great  values 
exist  along  or  under  the  present  stream  bed,  but  so  far  attempts  at  recovery  have 
proven  futile  on  account  of  the  physical  condition  encountered,  viz.,  granite 
boulders  too  large  to  handle  that  require  breaking  up  before  removal.  Following 
the  placer  excitement  was  the  discovery  of  large  veins  of  copper  with  small  as- 
sociated values  in  gold  and  silver.  These  discoveries  are  made  annually  through- 
out almost  the  entire  granite-gneiss  region,  but  do  not  appear  to  pass  the 
location  and  annual  assessment  stages.  The  veins  and  ores  exist,  but  are  ap- 
parently too  low  in  grade  or  limited  in  deposition  to  mine  with  a  profit. 

The  coal  seams  in  this  section  were  among  the  first  opened  in  the  state.  The 
coal  is  of  fair  quality  for  all  domestic  purposes  and  the  seams  conform  to  the 
enclosing  strata  and  run  in  an  almost  vertical  position. 

One  of  the  principal  industries  is  the  mining  and  manufacture  of  the  exist- 
ing clays.    The  fire-clay  bed  that  occurs  in  the  Dakota  formation  almost  continu- 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  2yi 

oiisly  with  the  luuunlain  range  has  in  this  section  been  somewhat  extensively 
mined  and  manufactured  at  home,  or  shipped  in  crude  form  to  other  sections. 
A  number  of  plants  are  located  at  Golden,  and  the  required  clays  for  the  manu- 
facture of  fire  brick,  pressed  brick,  tile,  sewer  pipe,  pottery,  etc.,  have  been 
found  by  development  to  exist  in  large  quantities. 

A  number  of  stone  quarries  are  developed  in  a  small  way  and  produce  good 
building  and  other  stone.  The  lime  quarries  at  Morrison  are  drawn  upon  largely 
by  the  reduction  works  in  the  vicinity  of  Denver  for  flu.xing  purposes. 

THE   MINING    HISTORV    OF   L.MUMliK   AND   JACKSON    COUNTIES 

The  precious  metal  deposits  of  Larimer  and  Jackson  counties  have  been 
worked  in  a  desultory  manner  for  a  number  of  years.  During  the  past  year  the 
greatest  activity  has  been  in  the  vicinity  of  Pearl,  in  Jackson  County.  This  camp 
is  located  within  a  few  miles  of  the  Wyoming  line.  The  section  has  attracted 
more  or  less  attention  since  the  favorable  developments  of  the  mines  at  Battle 
Lake,  west  of  Grand  Encampment,  and  the  territory  from  that  section  to  Pearl 
and  Independence  Mountain  and  Pinkhamiitoq  has  been  subjected  to  careful 
scrutiny  by  the  prospectors.  The  veins  occur  in  fissured  zones  of  the  granite- 
gneiss  country,  the  vein-lilling  being  largely  altered  country  rock  with  variable 
gold  and  silver  bearing  copper  ores  ass,ociated.  Lead  sulphide  is  found  in  a 
few  places,  but  iron  and  copper  pyrites  and  pyrrhotite  are  invariably  present. 
The  latter  possesses  the  peculiar  bronze  color  that  is  indicative  of  the  presence 
of  nickel. 

Among  the  leading  industrial  pursuits,  the  stone  industry  has  been  prominent 
for  many  years.  The  ston?  resource  is  large  and  the  stone  is  of  variable  texture 
and  color,  and  well  suited  for  structural  purposes.  The  Colorado  &  Southern  Rail- 
road has  two  branch  lines  into  the  stone-producing  sections,  along  which  a  num- 
ber of  quarries  have  been  opened  afid  are  fairly  well  equipped.  One  of  these  lines 
extends  from  Fort  Collins  to  Stout  via  Bellvue.  The  other  from  Lovcland  up 
the  Thompson  to  Arkins.  From  the  various  quarries,  almost  any  character  of 
stone  desired  may  be  obtained.  The  principal  market  is  local  and  the  leading 
cities  of  the  state. 

On  the  branch  line  from  Loveland  the  gypsum  beds  are  well  developed  near 
Wild's  Spur.  The  plaster  mill  at  that  point  is  well  equipped  and  is  operated  by  a 
company  that  practically  controls  the  Colorado  production.  The  plaster  of  paris 
produced  is  of  high  grade  and  is  marketed  over  a  large  area  of  country.  In  ad- 
dition to  the  higher  grades  of  plaster,  suitable  for  dental  and  like  work,  the  com- 
pany is  making  a  plaster  cement  that  is  meeting  with  much  favor.  The  gypsum 
deposits  of  this  county  are  large  and  workable  beds  are  found  from  the  south 
to  the  north  boundary  lines. 

At  present  the  principal  mining  districts  in  the  two  counties  are:  Lm])ire 
CHowe's  Gulch),  copper  ;nid  gold;  Pearl,  copper,  gold  and  silver;  Pinkham]iton, 
lead  and  silver;  .Steambo;it  Rock,  copper  and  gold;  Teller  (Copper  CreekL  lead 
and  silver. 

MESA  COUNTY  AND   ITS   %rTNES 

In  the  precious  metal  mines  the  developments  are  me.-iger,  .ind  ilu  \.ilue  of 
the  properties  appears   to  he  yet   not    fullv   determined.      The   ('u|)|)cr   Creek   or 


292  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

Unaweep  district,  in  the  south-central  and  southwest  parts  of  the  county,  has 
been  the  most  active,  and  during  the  past  few  years  has  attracted  considerable 
attention.  The  ores  are  mainly  low  grade,  copper  values  predominating,  and 
only  assorted  lots  may  be  shipped  direct  to  market. 

At  one  mine,  the  Nancy  Hanks,  a  pocket  of  ore  was  found  at  the  contact  of 
the  quartzite  with  the  granite,  from  which  some  fifteen  cars  were  shipped,  which 
returned  from  ten  to  sixteen  per  cent  copper,  two  or  three  dollars  gold,  and  from 
three  to  six  ounces  silver. 

The  discovery  of  this  body  of  ore  led  to  a  "boom"  about  1897-98,  with  the 
usual  result  of  a  "set-back,"  from  failure  to  immediately  discover  other  ore 
bodies,  which  was,  for  the  most  part,  due  to  well  intended  but  misdirected  outlay 
of  time  and  money. 

IN    PROSPEROUS   MINERAL   COUNTY 

The  early  growth  and  development  of  this  section  was  phenomenal.  While 
it  had  many  times  been  looked  over  by  prospectors,  it  was  practically  unknown 
prior  to  1890.  In  1891  a  branch  line  of  the  Denver  &  Rio  Grande  Railroad  was 
completed,  and  the  camp  was  a  large  producer.  In  March,  1893,  it  was  created 
a  county.  Prior  to  the  construction  of  the  cross-cut  tunnels,  one  of  the  most 
notable  features  in  connection  with  the  mines  was  the  almost  complete  absence 
of  waste  dumps.  The  mines  yielded  "pay  ore"  from  the  grass  roots,  and  the 
ordinary  expensive  development  was  largely  eliminated.  This  fact  becoming 
known,  the  general  rush  to  this  section  during  1891  and  early  in  the  following 
year  are  notable  events  in  the  state's  history.  • 

The  magician  who  brought  the  flood  of  population  into  the  section  was  N.  C. 
Creede,  a  famous  prospector,  after  whom  the  Town  of  Creede  was  named.  He 
had  prior  to  this  discovered  the  Monarch  district  in  Chaffee  County.  In  1890, 
while  in  the  mountains  above  Wagon  Wheel  Gap  he  located  what  he  termed  "The 
Holy  Moses."  Creede  interested  David  H.  Moffat,  Eben  Smith,  Sylvester  T. 
Smith  and  Capt.  L.  E.  Campbell  in  this  prospect,  selling  it  to  them  for  $65,000. 
Creede  next  found  the  "Ethel"  and  then  began  the  rush  for  the  camp.  The  in- 
vestment of  Moffat  was  in  itself  sufficient  to  start  a  stampede.  At  the  outset 
the  district  was  called  "King  Solomon's  Mines,"  but  soon  changed  to  Creede. 

In  1 891  Moffat  built  the  spur  from  Wagon  Wheel  Gap  to  Creede,  and  this 
gave  the  district  its  greatest  impetus.  The  most  important  discovery,  however, 
was  made  by  Theodore  Renniger,  who  was  grubstaked  by  two  Creede  butchers, 
Ralph  Granger  and  Earl  von  Buddenback.  Creede  saw  what  they  had,  though 
they  themselves  did  not  realize  its  importance.  After  they  had  staked  the  "Last 
Chance"  Creede  staked  off  the  "Amethyst"  next  to  them.  These  two  properties 
became  the  largest  producers  in  the  camp.  Renniger  and  Buddenback  sold  out 
to  Henry  and  Ed.  O.  Wolcott  for  $65,000.  Ralph  Granger  refused  $100,000  and 
made  a  vast  fortune  by  his  foresight. 

The  mines  of  this  section  are  operated  largely  through  cross-cut  tunnels.  These 
were  driven  for  drainage  purposes  and  as  economic  measures  to  reduce  great  ex- 
pense of  pumping  and  hoisting. 

Mining  operations  in  this  county  are  in  the  main  on  a  somewhat  extended 
scale,  and  the  production  is  from  comparatively  few  properties.     Market  condi- 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  293 

tions  since  1893  and  until  191 5  have  been  somewhat  discouraging.  As  previously 
stated,  the  ores  are  mainly  low  grade,  and  until  within  a  few  years  have  been 
almost  strictly  silver-lead  ores.  Below  the  500-foot  level  in  the  Bachelor  vein 
there  has  been  a  marked  increase  in  gold  values  and  this  has  added  new  vigor  to 
operations.  In  common  with  some  other  sections  of  the  state,  concentration 
of  values  is  receiving  more  attention,  and  several  new  mills  are  contemplated. 
The  new  Humphrey's  mill  has  proved  quite  successful,  but  improvements  are 
being  added  to  increase  the  percentage  of  saving.  Silver  and  zinc-lead  properties 
are  gradually  increasing  their  output  and  have  been  encouraged  by  an  advance 
in  the  price  paid  for  silver  and  zinc  ores. 

HISTORY  OF  MONTEZUM.\'s   MINES 

The  mining  history  of  this  district  begins  with  the  pioneers  of  1873-74.  Since 
that  time  there  have  been  several  short-lived  revivals  of  interest.  All  energy, 
however,  was  expended  in  search  for  gold  in  placer  deposits  until  about  twenty- 
seven  years  ago.  At  that  time  George  A.  Jackson,  who  was  the  discoverer  of 
the  first  placer  mine  in  the  state  near  Idaho  Springs,  called  public  attention 
to  the  so-called  Baker,  or  Jackson  contact  on  the  west  fork  of  the  Mancos. 
Somewhat  later  his  enthusiasm  enlisted  the  cooperation  of  capital  to  the  extent 
of  an  investigation,  and  the  erection  of  a  small  milling  plant.  Expectations  were 
not  realized,  and  the  district  soon  ceased  to  attract  general  attention.  While 
several  placer  beds  were  spasmodically  worked,  and  prospecting  was  followed  to 
a  limited  extent  thereafter,  not  until  1896-97  was  there  any  activity  in  lode 
mining.  Since  that  time  the  districts  adjacent  to  the  headwaters  of  the  Mancos 
have  shown  a  slow  but  gradual  increasing  activity. 

The  lode  mines  are  located  at  altitudes  varying  from  eight  thousand  to  twelve 
thousand  five  hundred  feet  and  at  an  average  distance  of  ten  miles  from  the 
Rio  Grande  Southern  Railway.  The  market  for  ores  is  Durango,  in  the  adjoining 
county  east.  These  mines  may  be  classed  as  low-grade  propositions  that  have 
barely  passed  the  prospect  stage.  The  ores  are  mainly  a  complex  sulphide,  but 
susceptible  to  concentration  or  reduction  on  the  ground.  Good  timber  is  abun- 
dant and  the  water  supply  ample  at  no  great  distance  from  the  properties. 

The  most  important  districts  at  present  are:  East  Mancos,  gold  and  silver; 
California,  gold  and  silver;  Disappointment,  copper,  uranium,  vanadium;  Blue 
Mountain,  copper,  uranium,  vanadium. 

COI.OK.\UO   (  ARNOTITE   ENRICHES   THE   WORLD 

In  the  spring  of  1899  Messrs.  C.  Friedel  and  E.  Cumcnge,  of  Paris,  announced 
the  discovery  of  a  new  mineral,  carnotite,  obtained  through  M.  Poulet,  of  Den- 
ver, from  Rock  Creek,  Montrose  County,  Colorado.  Mr.  Poulet  had  already 
identified  vanadium  in  it.  During  the  year  the  government  sent  F.  L.  Ransome 
and  Dr.  A.  C.  Spencer  into  San  Miguel,  Montrose  and  Mesa  counties,  where 
large  deposits  were  found. 

This  at  once  attracted  the  attention  of  foreign  and  eastern  investors,  who  be- 
gan to  secure  claims. 


294  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

Development,  however,  was  slow,  but  the  following  is  the  record  for  1914, 
by  which  year  the  held  had  been  pretty  thoroughly  exploited. 

There  was  mined  from  the  carnotite  deposits  in  Montrose  County,  during 
1914,  6,000  tons  of  ore  that  would  assay  2  per  cent  uranium  oxide  and  5  per 
cent  vanadium  oxide,  4,500  tons  of  which  was  mined  by  the  Standard  Chemical 
Company.  None  of  this  ore,  in  the  crude  state,  ever  finds  its  way  into  Europe, 
it  being  shipped  to  Pittsburgh  and  the  radium  extracted  at  that  point. 

The  United  States  Government,  managing  the  national  radium  property, 
mined  close  to  five  hundred  tons.  This  ore  was  shipped  to  Denver,  at  which 
point  the  Government  carried  on  experiments  for  the  extraction  of  the  radium, 
and  the  separating  of  the  uranium  and  vanadium. 

The  Currans  interests -mined  during  1914  four  or  five  narrow-gauge  carloads. 
Most  of  this  ore  went  to  Europe. 

The  Colorado  Carnotite  Company  mined  four  or  five  small  cars  during  1914. 
Most  of  this  ore  also  was  sold  in  Europe. 

The  General  Vanadium  mined  (principally  through  assessment)  three  small 
carloads.     This  ore  was  shipped  to  Liverpool,  England. 

Several  small  miners  mined  from  five  to  ten  tons  of  ore.  About  half  of  this 
was  sold  in  Europe  and  the  other  half  in  New  York. 

The  Standard  Chemical  Company  spent,  in  1914,  for  mining  and  transporta- 
tion of  ore  to  Placerville,  $30,000  a  month.  The  remaining  companies,  com- 
bined, spent  about  three  thousand  dollars  per  month  in  the  mining  and  trans- 
portation of  ore  in  1914. 

Development  work  during  191 7  exploded  the  certain  theory  that  carnotite 
ore  did  not  extend  into  the  ground  for  a  distance  greater  than  twenty  feet.  There 
were  some  tunnels  driven  during  1917  that  show  large  bodies  of  ore  in  the  breast 
of  the  tunnel,  the  tunnels  being  driven  150  feet.  Some  of  these  large  bodies  had 
as  much  as  250  feet  of  covering  on  them. 

There  were  in  1914  two  concentrating  mills  in  Montrose  County  for  the 
concentration  of  carnotite.  The  .Standard  Chemical  Company  had  a  large  mill  at 
the  mouth  of  the  San  Miguel  River,  which  cost  $100,000.  This  mill  has  a  capacity 
of  thirty  tons  in  ten  hours. 

Some  production  of  radium  was  made  in  191 5  and  1916,  through  a  coopera- 
tive arrangement  between  the  National  Radium  Institute  and  the  Federal  Bureau 
of  Mines,  whose  reduction  plant  is  located  in  Denver,  and  is  under  the  direction 
of  Dr.  R.  B.  Moore.  While  the  exact  value  of  their  production  is  not  known,  it 
is  said  that  the  radium  produced  had  a  value  of  nearly  $750,000.00  and  the  ura- 
nium' and  vanadium  had  a  value  exceeding  $100,000.00. 

In  the  latter  part  of  1915  another  radium  reduction  plant  was  established  in 
Denver,  and  has  made  a  considerable  production,  but  does  not  give  out  the  values. 
Small  quantities  of  carnotite  ore  were  sent  outside  the  state  for  reduction  in 
1915. 

Toward  the  end  of  1916  the  Standard  Chemical  Company  resumed  opera- 
tions on  a  large  scale  at  their  concentrating  plant  at  Naturita.  Montrose  County. 
Other  smaller  concerns  became  active  producers  of  ore  at  about  the  same  time. 
The  Denver  reduction  plant,  which  was  erected  by  the  National  Radium  Insti- 
tute, operated  steadily  throughout  the  year,  but  passed  into  the  hands  of  new 
owners  toward  the  end  of  1916. 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  295 

There  was  a  very  small  production  of  pitchblende  ores  in  Gilpin  County,  but 
the  value  probably  did  not  exceed  $10,000. 

Precious  metal  mining  has  been  prosecuted  in  Montrose  County  in  a  desultory 
manner  for  a  number  of  years.  Along  the  various  stream  beds  placer  locations 
are  quite  common  and  evidence  the  fact  that  hand  sluicing  has  been  indulged  in 
to  considerable  extent.  Along  the  San  Miguel  River,  in  the  western  part,  sev- 
eral attempts  have  been  made  to  operate  the  placer  beds  on  a  more  extensive 
scale  with  hydraulic  appliances,  but  the  results  apparently  have  not  proven  very 
remunerative. 

The  most  active  mining  section  during  the  past  four  years  had  been  near 
the  western  limits  of  the  county,  lying  east  of  the  La  Sal  Mountains.  Owing 
to  great  distance  from  market  only  the  higher  grade  ores  may  be  handled  profit- 
ably. 

HISTOKV   OK   OUR.^V'S   F.VMOUS    MINES 

In  the  Ouray  Plaindealer  of  January  21,  1890,  there  is  told  the  story  of  the 
first  mineral  discovery  in  this  section. 

The  history  of  Ouray  dates  back  to  the  founding  of  the  Town  of  Ouray,  in 
1875,  when  the  little  park  was  discovered  by  A.  \V.  Begole  and  Jack  Eckles,  who 
came  over  from  Green  Mountain,  above  Howardsville  (San  Juan  County),  in 
July  of  that  year,  and  got  down  as  far  as  the  Horseshoe,  whence  they  saw  the 
beautiful  jjark  that  is  now  the  site  of  Ouray.  They  went  back  for  supplies,  and 
returned  on  the  nth  of  August  following.  Begole  located  the  Cedar  and  Clipper 
lodes,  covering  hot  springs  and  what  is  known  as  ".Ahlwiler's  Park."  after  which 
they  returned  to  San  Juan,  via  Mineral  Farm  Hill.  On  their  way  through  the 
Red  Mountain  country,  they  met  a  large  number  of  prospectors,  among  them 
A.  J.  Staley,  Logan  Whitlock,  Judge  R.  F.  Long  and  Capt.  M.  W.  CMine,  to  whom 
they  related  what  they  had  seen  and  done.  Long  and  Cline  came  down  to  hunt 
and  fish,  and  while  here  Staley  and  Whitlock,  who  were  of  the  party,  discovered 
the  Trout  and  Fisherman's  lodes,  which  was,  in  fact,  the  first  actual  discovery 
of  ore  in  place  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  Ouray,  as  Begole  only  found  "float" 
or  "blossom"  rock,  and  did  not  locate  "Mineral  Farm"  until  after  the  Trout  and 
I'isherman  had  been  discovered  by  Staley  and  Whitlock.  Great  excitement  fol- 
lowed these  events,  and  that  season  the  valley  was  ali\e  with  jirospectors  from 
Silverton  and  .Mineral  Point.  The  town  site  was  located  and  named  by  Long  and 
Cline  in  honor  of  Chief  Ouray.  Quite  a  number  remained  through  the  winter, 
while  f)thers  went  out  to  equij)  themselves  for  the  next  season,  and  ti'll  the  peoph" 
ill  other  sections  of  the  wealth  and  wonderful  beauty  of  the  new  country.  Spring 
brought  a  great  influx  of  people  from  Lake  City  and  other  points.  It  was  also 
ascertained  when  spring  came  that  a  band  of  prospectors,  among  them  Andy  S. 
Richardson  and  William  Quimi,  had  found  their  way  into  tlie  Sneffels  district, 
the  preceding  fall;  had  located  mining  property  which  they  had  worked  all  win- 
ter, not  knowing  that  the  Town  of  Ouray  had  been  founded,  nor  that  any  per- 
.sons  other  than  Ute  Indians  were  between  them  and  Utah.  Nor  did  tho.sc  in 
Ourav  know  there  were  anv  men  in  SnefTels. 


296  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

CAMP    BIRD    MINE 

Mount  Sneffels,  the  largest  producing  district,  embraces  the  southwest  corner 
of  the  county,  or  the  properties  tributary  to  Canon  Creek.  The  most  prominent 
mine  or  group  in  this  district  is  the  Camp  Bird,  in  Imogene  Basin.  The  Camp 
Bird  vein,  or  some  one  of  its  near  neighbors  embraced  in  the  group,  is  doubtless 
an  east  extension  of  the  well-known  Pandora  vein,  in  San  Miguel  County.  The 
strike  of  the  vein  is  nearly  east  and  west,  and  dips  about  75  degrees,  on  an  aver- 
age, to  the  south. 

When  the  Camp  Bird  was  discovered  prospecting  was  almost  wholly  prose- 
cuted for  silver-lead  ores,  and  gold  assays  were  seldom  asked  for  by  prospectors 
when  having  their  samples  tested.  The  Camp  Bird  vein  occupies  a  fissured  zone. 
One  of  these  fissures  near  the  footwall  was  filled  mainly  with  lead  and  zinc  sul- 
phides carrying  low  values  in  silver,  and  was  located  and  worked  to  a  limited  ex- 
tent for  this  ore,  which,  under  existing  market  conditions,  was  of  little  value. 
Near  the  so-called  hanging  wall  there  is  another  band  that  near  surface  appeared 
to  be  an  almost  barren  quartz.  This  was,  when  removed,  thrown  into  the  waste 
dump  as  worthless.  The  discovery  of  the  value  of  this  ore  by  'Mr.  Thomas  F. 
Walsh,  and  later  developments  and  production  will  long  be  remembered  as  an  ob- 
ject lesson  of  what  "might  have  been." 

In  1895  Walsh  was  running  a  pyritic  smelter  in  Silverton.  He  knew  of  the 
low-grade  mines  in  the  Imogene  Basin  and  engaged  an  old  prospector,  Andy 
Richardson,  to  sample  the  dumps.  One  of  the  samples  from  the  Gertrude  dump 
contained  80  oz.  of  gold  to  the  ton.  Then  Walsh,  keeping  his  own  counsel, 
determined  to  look  over  the  ground  for  himself  and  take  samples.  Ill  as  he  was, 
he  rode  on  horseback  with  Richardson  from  Ouray  to  the  basin  and  climbed  up 
the  steep  trail.  He  was  impressed.  He  could  not  enter  the  interior  workings  of 
the  Gertrude  and  Una  because  the  tunnel  was  buried  beneath  deep  snow  that  had 
never  melted  in  a  dozen  years.  Before  leaving,  Walsh  directed  Richardson  to 
dig  through  the  snow  and  get  samples  from  the  tunnel  that  had  never  been  fin- 
ished, the  work  having  been  interrupted  by  snowslide.  He  believed  there  was 
gold  in  the  vein. 

On  a  later  trip  Walsh  went  inside  and  carefully  examined  the  walls  of  the 
vein,  finding  tellurium  rich  with  gold.  He  broke  off  pieces  of  rock,  filled  his 
pockets  and  carried  away  sacks  of  samples,  which  he  took  with  him  to  Leadville 
to  be  assayed.  He  got  samples  that  ran  as  high  as  $3,000  to  the  ton.  That  was 
in  September,  1896.  Returning,  he  set  quietly  to  work  and  gathered  in  pretty 
much  all  the  claims  in  the  Imogene  Basin,  buying  them  on  tax  titles  for  $10,000. 
He  a'lso  paid  Hubbard  Reed  $10,000  for  the  Una  claim.  In  this  group  of  claims 
the  Gertrude  and  the  Una  formed  the  most  valuable  portion  and  constituted  the 
bonanza  afterward  named  the  Camp  Bird  mine,  which  yielded  $2,500,000  of 
gold  before  Walsh  sold  out,  in  1902,  for  $3,100,000. 

The  Camp  Bird  has  been  one  of  the  largest  gold  mines  in  the  world.  With 
the  exception  of  the  Portland,  it  was  probablv  the  richest  mine  in  Colorado.  The 
output  of  the  yellow  metal  from  the  wonderful  Camp  Bird  for  a  long  time  varied 
from  one  to  three  million  dollars  a  year.  During  the  twenty  years  (1897-1916) 
it  has  added  $25,000,000  to  the  money  of  the  nation. 

The  Red  Mountain  district  embraces  the  southern  portion  of  the  county  and 


VIEW   OF    SOfTHWARD    SIDE  OF   LARIMER   STREET,   DENVER,   BETWEEN   FIF- 
TEENTH  AND   SIXTEENTH   STREETS,   IN   1866 


F  sti;i;et,  denvek 

This  picture  was  drawn  by  A.  10.  Mathews,  in  the  suiniiior  of  1865,  and  is  from  a  point 
lietween  Blake  and  Wazee  streets.  The  name  "F  Street"  was  later  changed  to  Fifteenth 
Street. 


298  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

became  famous  for  its  rich  copper-silver  ores  through  the  Yankee  Girl,  Guston 
and  other  mines.  This  section  is  practically  tributary  to  Silverton,  with  which 
it  is  connected  by  the  Silverton  Railroad. 

IIISTORV    OF    MINING    IN    RIO    GRANDE    COUNTV 

The  mining  history  of  this  section  practically  begins  with  the  year  1870.  The 
reported  gold  discoveries  of  that  year  resulted  in  a  rush  to  that  section  in  187 1. 
Introduction  of  mills  followed  during  1874-75.  In  1883  this  district  gained  the 
distinction  of  being  the  third  largest  gold  producer  in  the  state.  Nine  amalga- 
mation mills,  aggregating  155  stamps,  were  at  that  time  actively  operated.  The 
percentage  of  value  saved  by  the  mills  was  low,  even  from  the  highly  oxidized  or 
surface  ores.  As  depth  was  gained  the  prevalence  of  base  metals  made  milling 
unprofitable,  and  in  1893  the  district  was  practically  deserted.  During  the  past 
few  years  there  has  been  a  gradual  return  to  former  activity.  Not  in  search  of 
the  phenomenal  pockets  of  "free  gold  ores,"  but  through  the  application  of  ad- 
vanced methods  in  metallurgy  to  recover  the  values  from  the  large  low  grade 
deposits. 

Summitville  is  now  the  principal  mining  camp  of  the  county.  This  is  near 
the  site  of  W'ightman's  Gulch,  where  James  L.  Wightman  and  companions  found 
gold  in  June,  1870. 

HISTORY  OF    MINING   IN    ROUTT   AND    MOFF.\T   COUNTIES 

In  1864  the  Hahns  Peak  gold  placers  were  discovered  by  Capta'n  Way,  a 
prospector,  who  brought  news  of  his  find  to  Empire.  The  next  spring  Joseph 
Hahn,  of  Empire,  and  W.  A.  Doyle,  of  Blackhawk.  organized  a  party  of  forty 
and  inspected  the  field.  Later  Hahn  and  Doyle  were  left  alone  in  the  camp  for 
the  winter,  and  in  their  efforts  to  return  for  provisions  Hahn  died  of  cold  and 
exhaustion.  In  1874  the  Purdy  Mining  Company  employed  150  men  on  these 
claims. 

In  the  vicinity  of  Hahns  Peak  there  has  been  a  large  amount  of  exploit 
work  done,  but  the  search  has  been  almost  wholly  devoted  to  "high-grade"  ores, 
which  occur  in  the  veins  in  form  of  small  pockets  and  shoots  at  irregular  inter- 
vals. 

North  and  northwest  of  Hahns  Peak  are  the  Whiskey  Park  and  Three  Forks 
districts.  Both  of  these  districts,  together  with  the  Farwell  district,  east  of  the 
peak,  have  attracted  considerable  attention  during  the  past  few  years.  These 
combined  districts  embrace  the  territory  between  the  Elk  Head  Mountains  and 
Rattle  Lake,  in  Wyoming.  Battle  Lake  is  the  leading  mining  center  of  what  is 
better  known  as  the  Grand  Encampment  mining  district.  The  ores  in  the  districts 
above  mentioned  occur  in  fissures  in  granite-gneiss.  In  the  Three  Forks,  lead- 
silver  ores  predominate;  in  the  Whiskey  Park,  lead-copper-silver,  and  in  the 
Farwell,  copper-silver.    All  the  ores  carry  more  or  less  gold  values. 

Desultory  mining  or  prospecting  has  been  prosecuted  along  the  granite-gneiss 
Park  Range,  from  the  Wyoming  line  to  the  Rrbbit  Ear  Peak. 

In  the  Rabbit  Ear  district  the  ores  are  mainly  lead-silver,  and,  although  but 
little  developed,  appear  to  occur  in  quite  large  deposits. 


J IIS'IORV  OF  COLORADO  299 

One  of  the  most  valuable  resources  of  Routt  County  is  its  large  coal  reserves, 
of  which  mention  is  made  elsewhere. 

MINING  HISTORY  OF  CHAFFEE  COUNTY 

Chaffee  County's  beginnings  are  those  of  Lake  County  for  until  1879  it  was 
part,  of  the  region  that  had  put  Leadville  on  the  world  map.  The  first  actual 
work  in  the  way  of  mining  was  done  at  Kelly's  Bar  near  Granite,  for  thefe  were 
the  gravel  deposits  which  made  small  fortunes  for  the  adventurous  spirits  who 
had  come  into  this  section.  The  old  Cache  Creek  placers  were  exploited  as  early 
as  i860  and  among  the  men  who  a  little  later  struggled  with  fate  in  this  section 
was  H.  A.  W.  Tabor.  Five  placers  were  opened  in  those  early  days  below 
Buena  Vista  and  below  the  mouth  of  Cottonwood  Creek. 

Great  activity  prevailed  until  1862,  when  there  was  an  exodus  of  many  to 
other,  supposed  better,  sections.  Those  remaining  pursued  mining  in  a  lethargic 
manner;  lode  claims  were  located,  mills  installed  and  the  success  attained  from 
the  supposed  exhausted  placers  and  milling  of  the  oxidized  ores  again  attracted 
attention.  These  mining  districts  were  therefore  active  during  1874-76.  Soon 
after  this  the  discoveries  at  Leadville  became  the  center  of  attraction  and  the 
great  revival  of  the  mining  industry,  which  reached  its  zenith  in  1880,  again  popu- 
lated this  section.  The  various  mineral  districts  were  thoroughly  overhauled  by 
the  prospectors,  and  their  favorable  reports  were  productive  of  a  short  era  of 
smelter  and  mill  building.  During  the  next  few  years  the  various  prospects 
were  gradually  deserted  for  the  supposed  better  fiekls  in  the  San  Juan  and  Creede 
districts,  and  finall}'  for  Cripple  Creek. 

Notwithstanding  the  apparent  willingness  of  the  prospectors  to  leave  this 
county  and  follow  any  new  excitement,  the  successful  operation  and  jjroduction 
of  a  few  properties  has  always  retained  this  section  among  the  lists  of  producers. 
From  1897  to  the  present  time  interest  in  the  mines  of  this  county  has  been  grad- 
ually increasing.  The  close  of  1917  marks  not  only  more  active  operation,  but  a 
great  increase  in  the  list  of  new  operators,  many  of  whom  follow  mining  as  a 
business  and  appreciate  the  advantages  this  section  affords.  Jn  almost  every 
mining  district  in  the  county  there  has  been  substantial  improvement. 

The  metal  production  from  1897  to  1901  inclusive  amounted  in  value  to  over 
two  million  dollars.  Fully  half  of  this  was  gold.  Its  lead,  silver  and  copper 
output  has  also  been  quite  heavy.  The  iron  beds  at  Calumet  have  been  operated 
systematically  and  the  product  was  consumed  bv  (he  iron  and  steel  works  at 
Pueblo. 

The  La  Plata,  rio])e.  and  Red  Mountain  districts  in  the  nortliwest  portion  of 
the  county  have  been  thoroughly  prospected  with  fair  results.  Lode  mining  in  the 
Dewey  and  Granite  districts  has  attracted  much  attention  in  recent  years. 

The  Chalk  Creek  district  has  been  successfully  mined.  The  Mary  Murjihy 
was  for  years  one  of  the  best  producers  in  the  stale,  it  first  attracted  allention 
in  1880.  The  erection  of  the  lead  smelter  near  Salida  gave  an  imj>ctus  to  mining 
in  this  section.  Tt  is  interesting  to  note  that  from  i860  to  1901  tlie  records  of 
the  county  clerk  at  P.ucna  Vista  show  the  filings  on  placer  claims,  lode  claims, 
mill  sites  and  Unmcl   sites  to  aggregate  nearly  fourteen  thousand.     The  county 


300  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

abounds  in  mineral  waters,  both  hot  and  cold.    The  most  important  are  the  Chalk 
Creek  Hot  Springs  near  Haywood,  Poncho  Springs  and  the  waters  at  Collinwood. 

IN   THE  MINES  OF  SAGUACHE 

As  early  as  1867  Saguache  had  gained  considerable  prominence  as  a  distribut- 
ing point,  but  the  history  of  precious  metal  mining  practically  begins  with  1879-80. 
During  the  years  of  1880-81  it  attained  its  greatest  prominence.  This  result  is 
largely  attributable  to  the  Gunnison  excitement  of  these  years.  To  reach  this 
latter  section  the  most  favored  route  at  that  time  was  via  Poncha  Pass  to 
Saguache,  thence  over  Cochetopa  Pass.  Many  who  started  to  and  returned  from 
the  Gunnison  district  remained  in  Saguache  County.  In  the  summer  and  fall 
of  1880  Cochetopa  Creek,  Bonanza,  Ford  Creek  and  Crestone  were  active  mining 
centers,  especially  that  of  Bonanza  on  Kerber  Creek.  During  1881-82  "locations" 
were  recorded  to  the  number  of  four  thousand  or  more.  Of  these  less  than  two 
hundred  have  been  patented.  This  season  of  great  activity  was  followed  by 
the  usual  period  of  mill  and  smelter  constrviction,  and  afterwards,  decline.  Sev- 
eral years  ago  there  was  quite  a  revival  of  interest  in  the  Crestone  section.  This 
however,  was  quieted  by  litigation  brought  about  by  reason  of  locations  having 
been  made  on  one  of  the  old  Spanish  land  grants,  known  as  Baca  Land  Grant 
No.  4.  The  litigation  was  finally  adjudicated  in  favor  of  the  Land  Grant  Com- 
pany, which  company  later  declared  the  territory  open  to  prospectors  under  cer- 
tain "rules  and  regulations."  Within  the  past  few  years  mining  operations  have 
again  been  revived,  not  only  in  the  Crestone  and  Baca  sections,  but  in  all  parts 
of  the  county,  and  indications  favor  a  largely  increased  production  for  the  future. 

The  ore  deposits  of  this  county  occur  under  variable  conditions,  that  of  fis- 
sure veins  predominating.  Locally  blanket  veins  occur  as  replacement  of  the 
carboniferous  limestone,  but  these  deposits  are  not  far  distant  from  igneous 
dikes,  intrusive  or  overlying  sheets.  The  ores  are  variable  and  may  only  be  gen- 
eralized. On  the  western  slope  the  main  value  is  in  gold,  often  in  free  form 
or  associated  with  iron  pyrites  in  a  hard  milk-white  quartz  occurring  in  fissures 
in  granite.  On  the  eastern  slope  of  the  hills  the  veins  are  generally  larger  and 
fill  fissures  in  the  volcanic  rocks.  The  ores  below  limit  of  oxidation  are  mainly 
sulphides  of  iron,  copper,  lead  and  zinc,  carrying  both  silver  and  gold  values. 

SAN    MIGUEL  AND   ITS   FAMOUS   MINES 

It  was  not  until  1875  that  the  first  prospector  entered  the  country  now  form- 
ing San  Miguel  County,  and  it  was  during  that  year  that  the  first  location  was 
made  upon  the  great  Smuggler  vein.  John  Fallon  was  the  locator  of  the  Sheri- 
dan, locating  in  one  day  the  Sheridan,  the  Emerald,  the  Ausboro,  and  what  is 
now  known  as  the  Ajax  lode.  Mr.  White,  who  was  an  associate  of  Mr.  Fallon, 
located  the  extension  of  these  claims,  but  did  not  have  the  same  faith  in  their 
value  that  Mr.  Fallon  had.  Mr.  White  allowed  the  year  to  go  by  without  doing 
his  $100  assessment,  as  was  then  required  during  the  first  year,  and  in  1876  all 
his  locations  were  jumped.  It  was  not  until  the  Smuggler  was  located  that  the 
vein  began  to  have  a  reputation.  This  location  was  made  by  J.  B.  Ingram,  and 
was  situated  between  the  Sheridan  and  the  Union  whose  boundan,'  stakes  had 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  301 

been  set  out  to  cover  more  than  fifteen  hundred  feet  of  ground  each.  Very 
high  grade  ore  was  struck  on  the  surface  of  the  Smuggler  and  shipping  began. 
The  difficulties  of  transportation  were  great,  it  being  necessary  to  first  pack  by 
burro  train  to  Ouray,  and  then  ship  by  wagon,  260  miles,  to  the  end  of  the 
railroad.  Moreover,  for  fully  six  months  in  the  year  the  mine  was  inaccessible 
to  pack  trains.  Transportation  charges  alone  amounted  to  $60  a  ton,  and  it  took 
time  to  obtain  returns.  But  the  Smuggler  had  ore  that  could  stand  the  expense. 
One  shipment  of  four  tons  gave  800  ounces  in  silver  and  eighteen  ounces  in  gold 
to  the  ton. 

The  Mendota,  just  above  the  Sheridan,  was  located  in  1878,  the  slide  rock 
having  made  it  difficult  to  find  the  vein.  John  Donnellan  and  William  Everett 
were  the  locators  and  they,  with  a  third  man,  worked  a  lease  on  the  Sheridan 
during  the  winter  of  1878,  and  ran  100  feet  of  tunnel  on  what  is  now  the  main 
level  of  the  Sheridan.  They  took  out  considerable  ore  which  by  careful  sorting 
could  pay  the  high  charges  of  freighting  and  yet  leave  a  good  margin. 

Such  were  the  beginnings  of  this  prosperous  camp,  which  has  shown  a  great 
advance  in  lode  mining  since  that  beginning  in  1875. 

The  important  mines  in  this  district  are  the  Smuggler-Union,  Liberty  Bell, 
and  Tom  Boy.  There  were  added  two  more  producing  mines  in  1914 — the  Weller 
mine  and  the  La  Junta.  The  La  Junta  has  a  fifty-stamp  mill  in  operation.  It 
is  treating  ores  by  amalgamation,  concentration,  and  cyanidation. 

The  only  large  vanadium  mill  in  the  state  is  located  in  this  county.  During 
the  past  year  this  mill  has  doubled  its  production.  The  mill  is  situated  at  the 
Town  of  Vanadium,  about  eight  miles  west  of  Telluride.  For  the  past  three 
years  there  has  been  a  great  deal  of  prospecting  done  in  the  western  part  of 
San  Miguel  County  for  uranium  ores.  There  are  a  few  mines  in  this  section 
which  have  produced  some  high-grade  uranium.  There  are  also  enormous  bodies 
of  low-grade  ores  in  this  part  of  the  county. 

HISTORY  OF  MINING  IN  PITKIN  COUNTY 

The  mining  history  of  this  section  practically  begins  with  1879.  Prior  to 
this  the  district  had  been  passed  over  casually  a  number  of  times  by  prospectors, 
without  any  discoveries  of  importance  being  made.  In  the  Leadville  district  the 
scramble  for  territory  was  followed  by  an  exodus  of  the  numerous  prospectors 
who  had  gathered  there  to  look  for  new  fields.  In  common  with  Eagle  and  .Sum- 
mit counties,  the  Continental  Divide  was  crossed  and  the  territory  now  embraced 
by  Pitkin  County  was  carefully  prospected.  That  the  experience  and  knowledge 
gained  by  the  prospectors  during  their  sojourn  in  the  Leadville  district  was  well 
utilized  is  demonstrated  by  the  fact  that  during  1879  nearly  all  of  the  mining 
claims  were  located  that  have  since  made  Aspen  and  surroundings  prominent  in 
the  mining  world.  The  general  conditions  connected  with  ore  deposits  in  Lead- 
ville and  Aspen  are  similar,  and  although  the  most  active  centers  in  Pitkin 
County  were  first  in  the  vicinity  of  .'Xshcroft,  Aspen  Mountain  and  later  Aspen 
were  made  prominent  as  early  as  1883-84.  Owing  to  inaccessibility'  to  market, 
production  was  restricted  until  the  fall  of  1887,  at  which  time  the  Denver  & 
Rio  Grande  Railroad  reached  Aspen.  The  stimulus  given  mining  by  the  advent 
of  rail  transportation  was  added  to  by  the  completion  of  the  Colorado  Midland 


302  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

Railroad  to  Aspen  early  the  following  spring.  Production,  which  prior  to  this 
had  been  subjected  to  a  freight  charge  of  $50  to  $100  per  ton,  could  then  be 
moved  for  $10  to  $15  per  ton.  The  result  was  a  largely  increased  tonnage  and 
a  realized  profit  from  ores  that  were  valueless  prior  to  the  advent  of  railroads. 
Operations  were  in  a  short  time  conducted  on  a  large  scale,  and  the  developed 
conditions  of  ore  deposition  were  productive  of  litigation  of  like  large  propor- 
tions. The  value  of  the  ore  product  was  almost  wholly  in  silver,  and  the  decline 
in  market  price  of  that  metal  in  1893  aided  in  restricting  production.  By  rhis 
time  the  mines  had  attained  greater  depths,  encountered  heavy  flows  of  water, 
and  operating  expenses  had  so  increased  that  the  raw  ore  could  not,  as  a  whole,  be 
marketed  at  a  profit.  lilills  were  therefore  erected  and  the  values  concentrated 
into  smaller  tonnage. 

The  silver  ores  of  the  iVspen  district  are  as  a  whole  very  low  grade.  High 
grade  silver  ores,  which  at  first  attracted  general  attention  to  this  section,  are 
still  encountered,  but  are  not  of  frequent  enough  occurrence  to  make  operation 
for  these  alone  profitable.  The  success  attained  in  the  milling  of  the  low  grade 
ores  is  second  to  that  of  no  other  section  in  the  state  and  could  be  advantageously 
followed  by  various  districts  where  existing  conditions  are  even  more  favorable 
than  at  Aspen. 

This,  like  other  mining  counties,  is  somewhat  indefinitely  divided  into  local 
mining  districts,  viz.,  the  Roaring  Forks,  including  the  territory  adjacent  to 
A.spen;  Highland,  south  of  Aspen;  Columbia,  south  and  east  of  Highland;  In- 
dependence, southeast  of  Aspen  and  adjacent  to  Independence ;  Lincoln,  south 
and  east  of  Independence;  Woody,  north  of  Aspen;  Dry  Pine,  north  of  Woody; 
Frying  Pan,  north  and  east  of  Woody. 

The  first  important  apex  case  came  out  of  this, district.  This  was  the  case 
of  the  Durant  vs.  the  Emma,  and  was  tried  before  Judge  Moses  Hallett.  Sena- 
tor Henry  AI.  Teller  and  Charles  J.  Hughes,  Jr.,  ajjpeared  for  the  "ape.x"  claim- 
ant, and  Charles  S.  Thomas  and  Thomas  M.  Patterson  for  the  "sideliners."  The 
verdict  went  to  the  Durant. 

MET.'VL  OUTPUT  OI-'  COLOR.^DO 

Year  Gold 

Previous  to  1S70 $27,213,081 

1870  3,015,000 

1871  3.633-95I 

1 872  2,646,463 

1873  1,835.248 

1874  -2,065.595 

1875  2,321,055 

1876  2,726,311 

1877  3,000,000 

1878  3.366.404 

1879  3,225,000 

18S0  3,200.000 

1881  3,300,000 

1882  3,360,000 


Silver 

Copper 

Lead 

330,000 

$   40,000 

660,000 

20,000 

1 ,029.058 

30,000 

2,015,001 

45,000 

S   5,000 

2,185,014 

65,000 

7,078 

3,086.926 

90,197 

37.502 

2,873-591 

90,000 

95.706 

2,950,256 

70,000 

81,774 

4.180.138 

93.797 

98,491 

4,807,001 

89,000 

481,502 

10,162,503 

131,000 

1.960,207 

15.055.302 

184,000 

3.595.939 

15.104,092 

161,000 

3,900,621 

14.436,136 

276.390 

5,401,000 

HISrORV  (JF  COLORADO 


303 


Year  Gold 

1883  $4,100,000 

1884 4,250,000 

1885  4,200,000 

1886  4,450,000 

1887  4,000,000 

1888  3.758.000 

if^.S9  3.833.859 

1890  4, 1 50,000 

1891  4,600,000 

1892  5,300,000 

1893  7.527.000 

1894  9.549.731 

1895 13.559.954 

1896  15,267,234 

1897  19.579.^537 

1898  23.534,531 

1899  26,508,676 

1 900  28,762,036 

1901  27,679,445 

1902  28,5x7,117 

1903  21,605,359 

1904  24,223,008 

1905  25,577,947 

1906  22,588,734 

1907  20,471,527 

1908  22,695,576 

1909  21,946,684 

1910  20,297,536 

191  r  19,042.732 

1912  18,691.577 

1913  18,148,711 

19M  19,883,105 

1915  22,414.944 

1916  19.153.821 


Silver 
$14,912,756 
13,984,066 
13,014,927 

12,313.404 
11,345,608 
13,813,900 
17,199,486 
19,665,245 
20,906,554 
23,082,600 
20,205,785 
14,638,696 
11,683,232 

14.458,536 
12,692,448 
13,690,265 

13.771.731 

12,488.775 

10.901,366 

8.315,192 
7,079.711 
7.416,157 
7.743.719 
8.499.735 
7.886.736 
4,975.428 
4.587,643 
4,392.736 

3.921.415 
5,023,961 

5.515. 107 
4,864,224 
3.563.182 
5,038,006 


Copper 

$182,751 

278,801 

127,435 
.44.990 
226,350 
270,059 
426,250 
945,000 
883,400 
837.375 
765.535 
624,097 

659.050 

820,270 

960,917 

1,304,504 

1,295,611 

1,293,012 

1.303.297 
1,006,108 

1.033.643 
1,205,667 
1,536.266 
1 .844,002 
2,251,258 

1,383.733 
1,220,642 
1,048,835 
1,146,135 
1,445,416 
1,240,901 
883,010 
1,244,694 
2.121,524 


Lead 
$6,096,125 
4.724,742 
4,345,000 
5,403,400 
5,670,000 
5,790,200 
5,423,400 
4,883,200 
5,568,000 
5,030,700 

3.147.97 1 
3,200,000 

2.954,714 
2,321,109 

2,731.032 
4.1 17.043 
6, 1 70,766 
7,770,196 
6,419,132 
4.325.484 
4.301,123 

4.624,515 
5,438,507 
5,666,9(;3 

4.965,517 
2,429,671 
2.765.512 
3.158,381 
2.925.397 
3.280.703 
3.716,251 
2.894,264 
3.234,098 
4,893,072 


$604,776,589    $452,467,356    $35,245,862  $166,111,038 


Year  Zinc 

"^K52 $2,544,993 

'903 4.353.264 

1904 3.313.788 

1905 4.774.498 

1906 5,298,602 

1907 5.275.377 

ifj<38 1 .798.603 


Tungsten 


$130,000 
255.000 
295.000 
560.000 
1 15.000 


\'anadiiini. 

Uranium. 

Radium,  etc. 


$185,000 
196,000 
157,000 


304  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

Vanadium, 
Uranium, 
Year  Zinc  Tungsten  Radium,  etc. 

1909    $2,295,046  $390,000  $310,000 

1910 3.366,437  725.000  625,000 

191 1 5,696,188  370.200  945.000 

1912 8,591,624  455,000  1,028,000 

1913 6,218,607  625,000  1,750,000 

1914 4,935,623  295,000  2,750,000 

1915 12,969,779  1,684,250  1,000,000 

1916 17,994,252  5,325,000  1,650,000 


$89,426,681  $11,224,450  $10,596,000 

DISTRIBUTION  OF  MINERALS  IN   COLORADO 

Adams  County — Coal,  brictc  clay,  sand,  gravel,  some  stone  of  little  economic 
value. 

Alamosa  County — Brick  clay,  sand,  some  gravel,  little  stone  of  commercial 
value. 

Arapahoe  County — Coal,  brick  clay,  sand,  some  gravel,  some  stone  of  little 
commercial  value. 

Archuleta  County — Undeveloped  and  largely  unproved  meta!  deposits,  carry- 
ing uncertain  values  in  gold,  silver,  copper,  lead  and  zinc,  a  considerable  part  of 
the  county  lies  in  what  is  known  as  the  gold  belt,  but  lack  of  transportation 
facilities  has  hindered  development ;  abundance  of  building  stone,  chiefly  granite 
and  sandstone ;  clay  deposits  of  uncertain  value. 

Baca  County — Has  produced^  small  quantities  of  silver  and  copper,  in  the 
southwestern  part,  the  deposits  having  been  but  little  developed  because  of  lack 
of  transportation  facilities;  extensive  undeveloped  deposits  of  clay,  sand,  gravel 
and  stone. 

Bent  County — Clay  of  many  varieties,  suitable  for  brick,  earthenware  and 
drain  tile ;  glass  sand,  building  sand,  gravel  and  stone. 

Boulder  County — Gold,  silver,  copper,  lead,  barium  (barite),  cerium  (alian- 
ite),  tungsten,  molybdenum,  bismuth  sulphide,  asbestos,  antimony  (stibnite), 
cement  materials,  coal,  clay  of  many  varieties,  including  kaolin  and  fire  clay, 
fluor  spar,  granite  of  many  varieties,  limestone,  marble,  amber,  mercury  (small 
deposits),  petroleum,  natural  gas,  pyrite,  antimony  sulphide,  sandstone  of  many 
varieties,  sand  gravel,  wide  variety  of  road  metal,  several  varieties  of  shale. 

Chaffee  County — Gold,  silver,  lead,  zinc,  aquamarine,  beauxite,  (aluminum) 
beryl,  bismuth,  bismuthinite.  bismutite  and  tetradymite,  brochantite.  corundum, 
cuprite,  epodite,  fluor  spar,  fuller's  earth,  asbestos,  garnet,  granite,  building  and 
monumental,  graphite,  iron,  clay  of  many  varieties,  limestone  and  other  cement 
materials,  magnetic  iron  ore,  marble,  rhimetite,  arsenate  and  chloride  of  lead, 
molybdenite  (silicate  of  beryllium),  phenacite,  platinum,  magnetic  iron  pyrites, 
sapphire,  building  sand,  zinc  blende,  a  wide  variety  of  building  stone. 

Cheyenne  County — Clays  of  uncertain  value,  building  sand,  stone  of  doubt- 
ful economic  value. 


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306  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

Clear  Creek  County — Gold,  silver,  lead,  copper,  zinc,  antimony  (polybasite 
and  stibnite),  beryl,  bluestone,  corundum,  fluor  spar,  granite,  mica,  pitchblende, 
platinum,  pyrite,  tungsten,  clays  of  unproved  value,  and  extensive  undeveloped 
deposits  of  building  stone. 

Conejos  County — Gold,  silver,  copper,  zinc  and  lead  deposits,  chiefly  un- 
developed; granite,  sandstone  and  other  building  stone;  clay,  sand,  gravel  and 
alunite. 

Costilla  County — Gold,  silver  and  perhaps  other  metals,  little  developed ; 
granite,  sandstone  and  other  building  materials,  undeveloped;  magnetic  iron  ore, 
clays,  building  sand  and  potash. 

Crowley  County — Clays  of  uncertain  value,  building  sand,  road  surfacing 
material,  some  stone. 

Custer  County — Gold,  silver,  lead,  zinc,  copper,  alunite.  fluor  spar,  nickel  (anna- 
bergite  and  niccolite),  gypsum,  granite,  sandstone,  and  a  variety  of  building  stone, 
undeveloped. 

Delta  County — Coal,  gypsum,  oil  shale,  granite,  sandstone  and  other  building 
stone,  little  developed;  sand,  gravel,  clays  of  wide  variety,  mostly  undeveloped. 

Dolores  County — Gold,  silver,  copper,  lead,  zinc,  carnotite,  fluor  spar,  gypsum, 
antimony  (polybasite),  rhodochrisite,  zinc  blende,  stephanite,  granite,  sandstone 
and  other  stone  suitable  for  building  purposes,  undeveloped  :  clays  of  a  wide 
variety,  wholly  undeveloped. 

Douglas  County — Gold,  silver,  coal,  sandstone,  granite,  limestone,  allanite, 
amazon  stone,  clay  of  good  quality,  but  little  developed,  suitable  for  pressed  brick, 
earthenware,  drain  tile,  terra  cotta  and  similar  purposes;  fluor  spar,  lava  stone 
and  a  wide  variety  of  building  stone,  partially  developed. 

Eagle  County — Gold,  silver,  copper,  lead,  zinc,  carnotite.  gypsum,  manganese, 
sandstone,  granite  and  other  building  stone,  little  developed ;  manganosiderite 
■  (carbonate  of  manganese  and  iron),  turquoise. 

Elbert  County — Coal,  clay,  several  varieties,  undeveloped ;  sandstone  and 
other  building  stone  of  uncertain  value ;  sand  and  gravel,  suitable  for  road  build- 
ing and  similar  purposes. 

El  Paso  County — Coal,  clays  of  wide  variety  and  considerable  value  for  brick, 
earthenware  and  similar  purposes ;  also  good  fire  clay ;  fluor  spar,  aluminum 
(cryolite),  granite,  gypsum,  phenacite,  smoky  quartz  and  similar  gem  stones,  sand- 
stone and  other  building  stone,  partially  developed. 

Fremont  County — Coal,  gold,  silver,  copper,  lead,  zinc,  nickel  (niccolite), 
tourmaline,  agate,  rose  quartz,  garnet,  amethyst,  beryl  and  similar  gem  stones; 
lithium  (amblygonite),  clay  of  good  quality,  asbestos,  limestone  and  other  cement 
materials  in  large  quantities,  petroleum,  natural  gas.  granite  of  good  quality,  some 
development;  gypsum,  lava,  mica,  lithium  and  aluminum  (amblygonite),  building 
sand,  sandstone  of  good  quality,  partially  developed. 

Garfield  County — Gold,  silver,  copper,  carnotite,  clay  of  many  varieties,  un- 
developed, cassiterite,  (ore  carrying  tin),  coal,  granite,  asphaltic  rock,  sandstone 
and  other  building  stone  in  abundance,  but  undeveloped  and  of  uncertain  value. 

Gilpin  County — Gold,  silver,  copper,  lead,  zinc,  arcenopyrite,  pitchblende. 
pyrite.  fluor  spar,  stone  of  wide  variety,  little  developed ;  a  wide  variety  of  clays. 

Grand  County — Gold,  silver,  asphaltic  rock,  antimony  (stibnite),  bituminous 
rock,  clay  of  wide  variety ;  molybdenite,  asphaltic  sandstone,  antimony  sulphide. 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  :{07 

Gunnison  County — Gold,  silver,  copper,  lead,  zinc,  aluminum,  arcenopyrite, 
antimony,  bismuth,  sulphur,  coal,  clays  of  many  varieties,  including  good  fire 
clay,  graphite,  granite,  in  abundance,  of  good  quality;  iron,  (magnetic  iron  ore 
and  hematite),  limestone,  cobalt  (erythrite  and  smaltite),  manganese,  marble, 
molybdenum,  nickel,  oil  shale,  onyx,  mineral  paint,  platinum,  sandstone,  slate, 
tungsten,  grindstone  and  other  abrasive  stones. 

Hinsdale  County — Gold,  silver,  copiK-r,  lead,  alunite,  amethyst,  iron,  pyrite, 
oxide  of  manganese,  wide  varieties  of  stone,  undeveloped;  clay,  sand  and  similar 
materials,  undeveloped. 

Huerfano  County — Coal,  clay,  building  stone,  including  nuich  basalt,  a  wide 
variety  of  good  sands  and  other  similar  materials,  little  developed;  gold. 

Jackson  Count\ — Coal,  stone  and  clay,  undeveloped. 

Jefferson  County — Coal,  valuable  clays,  including  plastic  clay,  kaolin,  lire  clay 
and  good  clay  for  the  manufacture  of  earthenware  and  china  ;  wide  varieties  of 
building  stone,  limestone,  granite,  sandstone.  a(|uamarine.  beryl,  columbite,  copper, 
fluor  spar,  gold,  (in  small  quantities)  pitchblende,  magnetic  iron  pyrites,  rose 
quartz,  zeolites. 

Kiowa  County — Clay  and  sand  of  uncertain  value;  some  building  stone  of 
little  economic  value. 

Kit  Carson  County — Clay  of  uncertain  value ;  sand  and  stone  of  several 
varieties,  but  of  doubtful  economic  value. 

Lake  County — Gold,  silver,  copper,  lead,  zinc,  alunite.  bisnuuh,  iron  ore, 
mostly  manganiferous,  manganese,  geslarite  or  hydrous  zinc  sulphate,  cadmium 
sulphate,  (greenockite),  topaz,  wide  varieties  of  stone  of  little  proved  economic 
value ;  clay. 

La  Plata  County — Gold,  silver,  copper,  lead,  aikinite  (compound  containing 
lead,  copper,  bismuth  and  sulphur),  amalgam,  bismuth  sulphide,  bismulitc.  cin- 
nabar (  mercury  ore),  coal,  clay,  cosalite  (compound  of  lead,  bismuth  and  sulphur  ), 
limestone  and  wide  variety  of  other  stone,  including  sandstone,  granite  and  other 
good  building  stone ;  quicksilver,  building  sand,  of  wide  variety  and  considerable 
value. 

Larimer  County — Marble,  granite,  wide  variety  of  clay  and  sand ;  copper, 
gynsum,  limestone,  bismuth,  (bismtithinite),  sandstone  of  .good  quality,  marble. 
granite,  mica,  pyrite,  rose  quartz,  tourmaline. 

Las  Animas  County — Coal,  clay,  graphite,  sand,  building  stone  of  sever.il 
varieties,  including  granite,  sandstone  and  limestone. 

Lincoln  County — Clay  of  uncertain  and  improved  value,  sand  and  gravel  and 
some  stone  of  uncertain  value. 

Logan  County — Clay  of  no  high  value,  sand  and  gravel  and  stone  of  appar- 
ently little  commercial  value. 

Mesa  County — Copper,  coal,  carnotite,  clay,  mica,  petroleum,  oil  shale,  lime- 
stone, sand.stone  and  a  variety  of  other  building  stone,  sand. 

Mineral  County — Gold,  silver,  copper,  sulphur,  barium  (barite),  lead.  zinc, 
fluor  spar,  alunite.  granite,  sandstone,  limestone  and  other  stone  not  develoi)ed. 
sand  and  gravel  in  abundance,  undeveloped. 

Moflfat  County — Gold,  silver,  coal,  clay,  carnotite.  (jil  shale,  wide  variety  of 
stone.    Neai^Iy  all  mineral  deposits,  includins;  coal,  largely  undeveIo])ed ;  amethyst. 

Montezuma  County — Gold,  silver,  lead,  aikinite.  coal.  clay,  stone,  sand,  gravel 


308  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

and  other  similar  materials  not  extensively  developed  because  of  lack  of  trans- 
portation facilities. 

Montrose  County — Gold,  silver,  copper,  carnotite  and  other  radium  bearing 
ores,  coal,  oil  shale,  petroleum,  clay,  sand  stone  and  other  similar  materials  but 
little  developed. 

Morgan  County — Clays,  stone  and  sand,  of  comparatively  little  proved  com- 
mercial value. 

Otero  County — Clays  of  good  quality,  stone,  sand  and  gravel  of  little  proved 
commercial  value. 

Ouray  County — Gold,  silver,  lead,  copper,  zinc,  tungsten,  bismuth,  iron 
(pyrite),  antimony  (polybasite),  alunite,  clay  of  wide  variety,  granite,  sandstone, 
limestone  and  many  other  varieties  of  stone,  undeveloped. 

Park  County — Gold,  silver,  copper,  lead,  zinc,  vanadium  (volborthite),  fluor 
spar,  manganese  (alabandite),  coal,  beryl,  bismuth  (beegerite),  clay,  sandstone, 
limestone,  granite  and  other  building  stone,  little  developed. 

Phillips  County — Clay  of  little  proved  value,  sand  and  some  stone. 

Pitkin  County — Gold,  silver,  copper,  lead,  zinc,  antimony  (polybasite),  coal, 
iron  (bornite),  hematite,  magnetite,  pyrite  (siderite),  arsenic,  (pearcite),  barium 
(barite),  clay  and  stone  almost  wholly  undeveloped. 

Prowers  County — Clay  of  good  quality,  excellent  glass  sand,  stone  of  several 
varieties  but  of  doubtful  commercial  value. 

Pueblo  County — Clay  of  many  varieties,  including  good  fire  clay,  sand  of  good 
quality,  including  some  glass  sand,  excellent  stone,  including  good  sandstone, 
marble  and  granite,  large  deposits  of  limestone. 

Rio  Blanco  County — Coal,  carnotite,  oil  shale,  petroleum,  asphaltic  rock,  lime- 
stone, sandstone,  granite,  sands  of  many  varieties,  including  asphaltic  sands,  ex- 
cellent road  making  material. 

Rio  Grande  Coimty — Gold,  silver,  copper,  sand,  asbestos,  alunite,  lava,  sand- 
stone, clay,  granite  and  many  varieties  of  stone,  not  widely  developed. 

Routt  County — Gold,  silver,  copper,  lead,  coal,  corundum,  clay,  asphaltic  rock, 
sand  and  wide  variety  of  building  stone,  but  little  developed. 

Saguache  County — Gold,  silver,  copper,  lead,  zinc,  iron,  alunite,  amethyst, 
manganese  (pyrolusite),  sand,  clay,  building  stone  of  several  varieties. 

San  Juan  County — Gold,  silver,  copper,  lead,  zinc,  tungsten,  iron  (marcasite, 
pyrite,  pyrrhotite),  arsenic  (arsenopyrite),  bluestone,  fluor  spar,  molybdenite, 
antimony  (bournonite,  polybasite,  stibnite),  a  wide  variety  of  stone  of  doubtful 
commercial  value,  clay,  utilized  to  some  extent  for  brick. 

San  Miguel  County — Gold,  silver,  copper,  lead,  zinc,  carnotite  and  other 
radium-bearing  ores,  antimony  (polybasite),  tungsten,  barite,  fluor  spar,  arseno- 
pyrite, enargite  (sulpharsenate  of  copper),  iron  (marcasite,  pyrite),  minium, 
barium  (barite),  platinum  (in  small  quantities),  stone  of  many  varieties,  like- 
wise clay  and  sand. 

Sedgwick  County — Plenty  of  clay,  some  of  which  has  been  utilized  for  mak- 
ing brick:  sand,  stone,  of  doubtful  economic  value. 

Summit  County — Gold,  silver,  copper,  lead,  zinc,  iron  (brown  iron  ore), 
manganese  (rhodochrosite),  molybdenum,  stone  of  many  varieties,  undeveloped, 
also  sand  and  clay. 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  309 

Teller  County — Gold,  silver,  fluor  spar,  molybdenite,  antimony  (stibnite), 
topaz,  phenacite,  tourmaline,  volcanic  ash,  stone  of  wide  variety,  clay  and  sand. 

Washington  County — Clay,  used  sparingly  for  brick,  Huor  spar,  stone  of  little 
economic  value,  fuller's  earth,  sand  and  gravel. 

Weld  County — Coal,  clay,  stone,  sand,  gravel. 

Yuma  County— Clay,  used  to  a  limited  extent  for  brick,  sand,  gravel  and  stone 
of  uncertain  economic  value. 


CHAPTER  XIV 
RECORD  OF  SMELTERS  FOR  HALF  A  CENTURY 

BEGINNING   OF  THE   SMELTER    INDUSTRY    IN    COLORADO PROF.    NATHANIEL   P.    HILL 

AND      HIS     WORK FIRST     COMPANY     ORGANIZED — RICHARD     PEARCe's      WORK 

PEARCE's    IMPROVED    TREATMENT    OF    ORES OTHER    SMELTERS — PRICES    PAID    BY 

BLACKHAWK    SMELTER    BEFORE    1870 GROWTH    OF    INDUSTRY LONG    FIGHT    OF 

THE    AMERICAN    SMELTING    AND    REFINING    COMPANY CONTROL    GOES    TO    THE 

GUGGENHEIMS. 

BEGINNING  OF   SMELTER    INDUSTRY    IN    COLORADO 

The  smelter  history  of  Colorado  had  its  actual  beginning  in  January,  1868, 
when  Prof.  Nathaniel  P.  Hill  opened  his  smelter  at  Blackhawk-.  The  crude 
Burdsall  smelter  at  Nevadaville  had  been  destroyed  immediately  after  its  erection 
in  1 861,  but  it  is  doubtful  if  its  operation  would  have  solved  the  great  problem 
of  the  day. 

When  Professor  Hill  built  his  smelter  it  was  necessary  to  send  the  metal  to 
Swansea,  Wales,  where  the  gold,  silver  and  copper  were  separated  from  the  com- 
bination. This  was,  however,  done  for  a  brief  period  only,  as  Professor  Hill 
and  his  associates,  the  success  of  the  smelter  assured,  soon  built  their  own  refinery. 
Nathaniel  P.  Hill,  the  father  of  the  smelting  industry  in  Colorado,  was  a  professor 
of  chemistry  at  Brown  University,  Providence,  Rhode  Island.  To  him  practically 
every  manufacturer  in  Rhode  Island  brought  his  chemical  problem,  with  a  feel- 
ing of  confidence  that  his  keen  analytical  mind  would  solve  it. 

And  thus  it  was  that  some  thought  perhaps  this  problem  of  the  refractory  ores 
of  Gilpin  County  could  be  solved  by  this  genius.  Of  one  thing  they  felt  assured : 
]f  he  undertook  the  task  he  would  not  give  it  up  until  he  had  either  solved  it  or 
knew  that  it  could  not  be  solved. 

PROF.  NATH.ANIEL  P.  HILL 

W'hen  Hill,  on  the  invitation  of  capitalists,  came  into  Gilpin  Coimty  he  found 
the  camp  nearly  deserted.  The  task  had  been  a  hopeless  one  to  most  of  those 
men,  and  they  had  given  it  up,  for  they  had  found  it  impossible  to  wrest  from 
these  iron  and  copper  sulphides  the  rich  gold  stains  that  lay  within  them.  Stamp- 
ing was  of  no  avail,  for  the  gold  was  plainly  held  in  a  chemical  combination,  and 
the  product  obtainable  was  hardly  25  per  cent,  of  actual  gold  values.  Professor 
Hill  made  two  trips  to  Colorado.  He  took  small  quantities  of  ore  with  him  to 
.Swansea,  and  to  Freiberg,  Germany,  where  the  celebrated   school  of   mines   is 

310 


O 


o 


2; 

c 


o 
W 

f 
O 


312  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

located.  Finally  he  returned  with  a  Swansea  metallurgist,  and  with  the  process 
fairly  well  outlined  in  his  own  mind.  They  had  succeeded  with  small  quantities. 
Could  they  duplicate  their  success  with  a  large  tonnage?  It  was  an  expensive 
proposition  this  of  carting  seventy-two  tons  taken  from  the  Bobtail  mine  over  the 
prairies  to  the  Missouri  River,  and  thence  to  Swansea. 

FIRST   COMPANY    ORGANIZED 

When  Professor  Hill  returned  with  his  smelting  process  completed,  the  Bos- 
ton and  Colorado  Smelting  Company  was  organized.  Construction  was  begun 
in  1867,  and  a  stated  operation  began  in  January,  1868,  and  the  first  matte  was 
shipped  to  Swansea  in  June,  1868. 

The  first  smelter  consisted  of  a  calcining  furnace,  and  a  small  reverbcratory. 
The  fire  brick  was  shipped  by  rail  from  St.  Louis  to  the  terminus  of  the  road, 
and  then  600  miles  by  wagon.  The  iron  cost  22  cents  a  pound,  and  skilled  labor 
$8.00  to  $10.00  a  day.    The  smelting  charges  were  $20  to  $45  a  ton. 

In  1869  the  works  consisted  of  two  reverberatories  for  roasting  and  two  for 
smelting,  together  with  roast  heaps  in  the  open  air.  In  1878  the  plant  was  re- 
moved to  Argo,  near  Denver. 

RICHARD  PEARCE's  WORK 

In  April,  1872,  Richard  Pearce,  of  Swansea,  Wales,  built  the  Swansea  smelter 
(capacity  eight  tons  in  twenty-four  hours)  near  Empire,  Clear  Creek  County, 
similar  in  design  to  the  Hill  smelter.  Owing  to  the  deficiency  of  iron  pyrites 
the  smelter  was  operated  steadily  only  about  one  month  in  1872,  but  in  1873,  it 
was  operated  intermittently,  the  deficiency  being  supplied  from  Gilpin  County.  No 
mention  of  the  Swansea  smelter  is  made  in  reports  subsequent  to  1874,  and  it  was 
probably  closed  when  Pearce  took  over  the  superintendency  of  the  plant  at  Black- 
hawk  and  lead  smelters  were  erected  at  Golden.  Mr.  Pearce  apparently  started 
at  the  Swansea  smelter  his  experiments  for  the  extraction  of  silver  from  the 
matte  and  carried  the  results  of  these  experiments  to  Blackhawk. 

Early  in  1871  the  plant  consisted  of  two  calcining  furnaces  for  tailings,  which 
were  too  finely  pulverized  to  be  roasted  in  heaps,  two  Gerstenhofer  or  terrace 
furnaces  for  calcining  (never  satisfactorily  operated),  and  two  reverberatory 
smelting  furnaces.  The  plant  was  enlarged  during  the  summer  of  1871  by  one 
smelting  furnace,  a  reverberatory  of  the  same  type  as  the  two  older  ones.  In 
1872  a  blast  furnace  was  added  for  re-working  slags  obtained  by  the  treatment 
of  zinciferous  silver  ores. 

From  the  beginning  of  operations  this  company  had  shipped  its  copper  matte 
to  Swansea,  Wales,  for  separation,  but  in  the  summer  of  1873  Richard  Pearce 
built  separating  works  at  Blackhawk  for  this  smelter,  and.  the  first  silver  bullion, 
0.998  fine,  was  turned  out  early  in  November.  The  residue  was  shipped  to 
Boston  for  the  recovery  of  the  gold  and  copper. 

pearce's  improved  treatment  of  ores 

In  1875  Pearce  invented  a  process  for  the  separation  of  the  gold,  silver,  and 
copper,  at  Blackhawk.     This  process  was  not  made  public  until  after  the  de- 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  J13 

cision  in  1908  to  close  and  dismantle  the  smelter  at  Argo,  a  suburb  of  Denver,  to 
which  the  smelter  had  been  removed  in  1878  from  Blackhawk,  because  of  the  ex- 
pansion of  business  and  the  need  of  closer  accessibility  to  fuel  supplies.  The 
refinery  at  Argo  was  destroyed  by  fire  in  1906  and  was  not  rebuilt.  The  fires  of 
the  smelting  furnaces  were  finally  "out"  on  March  17,  19 10. 

It  was  at  the  Argo  smelter  that  Richard  Pearce  developed  the  smelting  of 
copper  ore  in  rcverberatories,  gradually  working  up  from  5-ton  to  lOO-ton  fur- 
naces. The  works  at  one  time  included  five  furnaces,  later  reduced  to  two,  and 
finally  to  one  (1909-10).  In  1900  the  Argo  works  were  the  only  works  in  the 
United  States  that  smelted  gold  and  silver  ores  to  matte  exclusively  in  reverbera- 
tory  furnaces.  Copper  at  Argo  was  merely  a  vehicle,  and  only  sufficient  cupri- 
ferous ore  was  employed  to  make  sure  of  thoroughly  collecting  the  precious 
metals,  the  average  charge  smelted  containing  less  than  2  per  cent  copper.  The 
ores  treated  comprised  pyritic  (auriferous)  ores  and  concentrates  from  Gilpin 
County  and  elsewhere,  barytic  silver  ores  from  Aspen  and  Creede,  siliceous, 
telluride  and  other  gold  ores  from  Cripple  Creek,  and  any  and  every  kind  of 
ore  containing  gold  and  silver  and  not  too  rich  in  lead. 

OTHER  SMELTERS 

While  the  Hill  ^mcIler  at  Blackhawk  had  the  distinction  of  being  the  first 
successful  smelter  of  the  district  and  with  its  successor  at  Argo  played  a  most  im- 
portant part  in  the  development  of  this  region,  several  other  smelters  were  also  in 
operation  at  dift'erent  times.  In  1872  there  were  in  operation  the  Swansea  matte 
smelter  at  Swansea,  near  Empire;  a  matte  smelter  at  the  Whale  mill  (now  a  part 
of  the  Stanley  mill),  near  Idaho  Springs;  and  a  lead  smelter  at  Golden  (Bayley  & 
Sons  or  Golden  City  Smelting  Works).  In  1873  a  lead  smelter  (Denver  .Smelting 
Works)  was  established  at  Denver.  In  1875  the  Collom  Company,  which  already 
had  separating  and  concentrating  works  at  Idaho  Springs  and  Blackhawk,  com- 
pleted a  lead  smelter  at  Golden.  The  Golden  Smelting  Co.'s  plant  was  con- 
structed at  Golden  in  the  same  year.  This  plant,  which  started  in  September,  was 
first  operated  as  a  lead  smelter,  but  as  the  supply  of  galena  proved  inadequate,  it 
was  altered  to  a  copper-matte  smelter.  Golden  became  for  a  short  time  a  smelting 
center  of  some  importance.  In  1880  three  plants  were  in  operation  there,  but  from 
1884  to  1888,  inclusive,  only  one  was  in  operation.  In  1901  the  Golden  semi- 
pyritic  plant  was  built  by  F.  R.  Carpenter  according  to  plans  developed  at  Rapid 
City  and  Deadwood,  South  Dakota,  for  the  purpose  of  treating  highly  pyritic  ores 
from  Ciiljjin  and  Clear  Creek  counties.  The  smelter,  operated  for  several  years  by 
the  Clear  Creek  Mining  &  Reduction  Co.,  smelted  large  quantities  of  ore  from 
the  Saratoga  mine,  which  the  company  controlled,  also  ore  bought  in  the  open 
market.  In  April,  1910,  this  plant,  after  the  addition  of  a  reverberatory,  was  re- 
opened as  the  North  American  semipyritic  plant  for  the  treatment  of  copper  and 
pyritic  ores  of  Gilpin,  Clear  Creek,  and  other  counties,  and  was  operated  inter- 
mittently until  November,  191 1.  Its  building  is  still  intact,  btU  none  of  the  other 
])lants  at  Golden  are  standing. 

About  the  time  the  owners  of  tlie  .\rf,'i)  plant  were  jilanning  to  go  oul  of  busi- 
ness, a  new  matte  smelter,  styled  the  Modern,  with  McDonald  furnace,  went  into 
blast  on  r)c-tol)cr  22.    igof).  at   I'tah    lunclinn,  a  short  distance   frnin   G!()be\i!lc. 


314  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

on  ores  purchased  in  the  market  from  Clear  Creek,  Gilpin,  Lake,  and  other  coun- 
ties, but  it  was  closed  in  April,  1910,  and  was  never  opened  again,  being  dismantled 
in  1915-16. 

The  American  Smelting  &  Refining  Co.'s  Globe  plant,  at  Denver,  now 
treats  most  of  the  ores  of  this  region.  Some  ore  from  Georgetown  and  RoUins- 
ville  goes  to  the  Ohio  and  Colorado  Smelting  &  Refining  Co.'s  plant,  at  Salida. 
Zinc  ores  and  concentrates  from  Georgetown  and  Idaho  Springs  go  to  the  United 
States  Zinc  Co.'s  plant,  at  Blende,  and  to  smelter  plants  in  Kansas  and  Oklahoma. 

The  smelting  and  milling  charges  in  the  early  days  of  the  development  of  the 
region  seem  prohibitive  compared  with  those  now  in  vogue.  The  prices  paid  by 
the  Blackhawk  smelter  previous  to  January  i,  1870,  are  shown  in  the  following 
schedule,  which  was  not,  however,  invariably  adhered  to. 

PRICES  PAID  BY  BLACKHAWK   SMELTER  BEFORE   187O 


Ounces  of 

Percentage 

Ounces  of 

Percentage 

fine  gold 

of  the  value 

fine  gold 

of  the  value 

per  ton 

of  the  gold 

per  ton 

of  the  gold 

of  2,000 

and  copper 

of  2,000 

and    copper 

pounds 

paid 

pounds 

paid 

10 

60 

5 

45 

9 

58 

4 

40 

8 

55 

3 

30 

7 

52.5 

2 

20 

6 

50 

The  precious  metals  in  the  ores  were  up  to  1874  never  paid  for  below  a  cer- 
tain minimum,  which  for  silver  was  40  ounces  and  for  gold  1^4  ounces.  In 
July,  1874.  an  arrangement  was  adopted  whereby  the  Blackhawk  smelter  paid  for 
gold  ores  at  the  rate  of  85  per  cent  of  the  total  value  of  the  gold  and  silver  con- 
tained after  deducting  $35  (currency)  a  ton  for  treatment.  The  gold  was  esti- 
mated at  $20  an  ounce  and  the  silver  at  $1.25  (gold)  an  ounce,  with  the  premium 
(3  per  cent  below  New  Y6rk  quotations)  added. 

The  above  details  are  from  Government  reports  by  Messrs.  Bastin,  Hender- 
son and  Hill,  published  in  191 7. 

GROWTH    OF    INDUSTRY 

After  this  the  smelter  industry  assumed  vast  proportions.  In  1877  the  Ar- 
kansas Valley  smelter,  one  of  the  largest  in  the  country,  was  opened  at  Leadville. 
for  the  ores  here  were  lead  carbonates,  and,  like  the  sulphides,  had  to  be  smelted. 
James  B.  Grant,  later  governor  of  the  state,  another  graduate  of  the  School  of 
Mines  at  Freiberg,  Germany,  together  with  N.  H.  James,  built  what  was  called 
the  Grant  smelter,  at  Leadville,  but  as  this  was  burned  in  1882,  these  men,  to- 
gether with  E.  W.  Nash  and  Burton  Sewell,  built  the  Omaha  and  Grant  smelter 
at  Denver.  Nash  and  Sewell  put  up  the  refinery  at  Omaha  to  handle  the  bul- 
lion. Another  of  these  Freiberg  graduates,  and  one  of  the  ablest,  was  Anton 
Filers,  who  came  to  Leadville  in  its  opening  days.     He  secured  ample  capital  to 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  ;J15 

back  him  and  put  up  the  Eilers  smelter  at  Pueblo,  which  in  a  few  years  became 
one  of  the  greatest  plants  of  its  kind  in  the  world.  By  lyoo  the  smelting  capacity 
at  Pueblo  was  2,000  tons  daily  in  smelters  owned  by  The  Colorado  Smelting 
Company,  the  Philadelphia  Smelting  &  Refining  Company,  the  original  Guggen- 
heim plant,  and  The  I'ueblo  Smelting  Company. 

Py  1S89  there  were  four  large  smelters  operating  in  Leadville,  the  Arkansas 
\alley,  the  American,  the  Harrison  reduction  works  and  the  Manville  or  Elgin 
smelter.  These  were  all  prospering,  and  were  using  the  line  coal  and  coke  pro- 
duced in  the  Jerome  Park  mines  near  Glenwood  Springs. 

In  igoi  the  plant  of  The  Buena  Vista  Smelting  &  Refining  Company,  de- 
stroyed by  fire  in  1900,  had  been  replaced  and  was  in  active  operation.  The  Ohio 
and  Colorado  Smelting  Company  was  completing  its  plant  just  above  Salida. 
They  had  an  aggregate  capacity  of  1,200  tons  daily. 

In  1S86  Edward  R.  Ilolden,  backed  by  C.  B.  Kountze  and  Dennis  Sheedy, 
Denver  bankers,  built  the  Globe  smelter,  at  Denver. 

Meyer  Guggenheim,  a  shrewd  investor,  had  come  to  Colorado  from  the 
East,  where  he  was  one  of  the  largest  importers  of  Swiss  laces  in  the  country. 
.Switzerland  was  his  fatherland.  He  had  taken  over  a  Colorado  mine,  the  "A  J. 
&  Minnie"  and  one  of  his  sons,  Benjamin  Guggenheim,  was  placed  in  charge. 
This  was  in  the  halcyon  days  of  Leadville  and  every  property  looked  like  ready 
money.  With  ample  capital  at  his  command  the  elder  Guggenheim  decided  to 
go  into  the  more  certain  end  of  the  business,  that  of  smelting — and  with  E.  R. 
IToldcn.  who  had  just  put  up  the  Globe.  ?nd  in  which  he  also  interested  Mr. 
liuggenheini,  formed  The  Denver  Smelting  Company,  $500,000  capital,  expect- 
ing to  locate  at  the  capital.  In  this  respect,  as  well  as  in  the  matter  of  money 
needed  for  the  enter])rise,  they  altered  their  plans.  They  changed  the  title  to 
the  Philadelphia  Smelting  &  Refining  Company,  a  tribute  to  the  city  in  which 
the  elder  Guggenheim  had  had  his  first  great  success ;  and  in  1888  erected  the 
Philadelphia  smelter,  which  eventually  cost  $1,250,000. 

In  1893  the  panic  hit  the  smelters  as  well  as  the  mines,  but  the  slump,  at 
least  with  the  smelters,  was  not  of  long  duration  or  as  utterly  disastrous  as  in 
some  of  the  silver-mim'ng  districts. 

In  1899  eighteen  of  the  largest  smelting  concerns  in  the  country  organized  the 
American  Smelting  &  Refining  Company,  with  a  capital  of  $65,000,000.  Into 
this  came  the  Standard  Oil  interests.  re]iresented  by  H.  H.  Rogers.  That  fa- 
mous "Freiberg"  trio,  James  B.  Grant,  Anton  Eilers  and  G.  R.  Meyer,  who  had 
constructed  a  plant  at  Argentine,  near  Kansas  City,  joined  the  combination  with 
their  plants.  Dennis  Sheedy  represented  the  "Globe"  in  the  consolidation,  .ind 
E.  W.  Nash,  the  first  president,  representing  with  Governor  Grant  both  the 
Omaha  refinery  and  the  Omaha  &  Grant  smelter.  Thus  the  Colorado  plants  in 
the  first  combine  were  The  Colorado  Smelting  Company  and  The  Pueblo  Smelt- 
ing Company  plant  at  Pueblo,  the  Durango  at  Durango.  the  Omaha  &  GraiU  and 
the  Globe  at  Denver,  and  the  Arkansas  Valley  &  Bimetallic  at  Leadville.  Out- 
side of  the  state  eleven  smelting  and  refining  companies  were  in  the  consolida- 
tion. This  new  company,  the  .American  Smelting  Sr  Refining  Company,  was  in- 
corporated on  April  4,  1899,  as  a  New  Jersey  corporation.  The  only  large  Colo- 
rado concern  not  in  the  new  company  was  that  owned  by  the  Guggcnheims  in 
Pueblo.     They,   however,   had   two   Mexican   smelters  and   a   refinery  at    Perth 


316  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

Amboy,  New  Jersey,  to  assist  them  in  their  fight  on  the  new  combination.  Now  be- 
gan an  era  of  good  mine  contracts,  in  which  Hberal  propositions  were  made  to  mine 
owners,  and  within  two  years  the  Guggenheims  were  able  to  enter  the  combina- 
tion and  control  it.  The  American  Smelting  &  Refining  Company  in  1901  paid 
the  Guggenheims  $45,200,000  in  stock,  one-half  common  and  one-half  pre- 
ferred. In  the  market  on  the  date  of  the  sale  the  value  of  this  was  over  $35,- 
000,000. 

In  igio  when  the  Grant  and  other  Colorado  plants  had  been  dismantled  or 
shut  down,  there  were  left  in  Colorado  as  the  possession  of  the  American  Smelt- 
ing &  Refining  Company:  at  Denver,  the  Globe,  seven  furnaces,  annual  capacity, 
322,000  tons;  at  Pueblo,  the  Pueblo,  328,000  tons  annual  capacity;  the  Eilers, 
295,000  tons ;  at  Durango,  the  Durango,  146,000  tons  annual  capacity ;  at  Lead- 
ville,  the  Arkansas  Valley,  509,000  tons  annual  capacity. 

In  1917  the  Colorado  smelters,  controlled  by  the  American  Smelting  &  Re- 
fining Company,  the  Globe,  Pueblo,  Arkansas  Valley  and  Durango,  reported 
production  of  metals  as  follows:  gold,  $3,467,186;  silver,  $4,373,609:  lead,  $4- 
488,041;  copper,  $1,807,992;  total,  $14,136,826. 


CHAPTER  XV 
THE  POWER  PLANTS  OF  COLORADO 

FIRST  EFFORTS  TO  HARNESS  STATE  WATER  POWER — CURTIS  &  HINE  PIONEER  THE 
WORK — -FAILURE  OF  POWER  COMPANIES EASTERN  CAPITAL  BECOMES  INTER- 
ESTED  COLORADO    POWER    COMPANY STATEMENT    OF    BOARD    OF    UTILITIES    IN 

JANUARY,      I918 WESTERN     LIGHT     &     POWER     COMPANY ARKANSAS     VALLEY 

RAILWAY,  LIGHT  &  POWER  COMPANY COLORADO  SPRINGS  LIGHT,   HEAT  &  POWER 

COMPANY WESTERN    COLORADO   POWER    COMPANY TRINIDAD    ELECTRIC    TRANS- 
MISSION, RAILWAY  &  GAS  COMPANY OTHER  PLANTS  IN   COLORADO 

The  history  of. mining  in  Colorado  would  be  incomplete  without  a  reference 
to  the  development  of  hydro  and  steam  power  plants  and  their  application  to  the 
operating-  of  the  mines  of  the  state.  Thus  The  Colorado  Power  Company  now 
supplies  power  to  mining  territory  from  Twin  Lakes  on  the  south,  Redcliff  on 
the  west,  through  the  sulphide  belt  and  into  Boulder  County.  This  company,  on 
January  i,  1918,  was  serving  275  metalliferous  mining  properties  with  a  total 
of  30,CKX)  horse  power  and  with  installations  ranging  from  20  to  2,000  horse 
power. 

I-IRST  EFFORTS  TO  HARNESS  STATE  WATER  POWER 

The  use  of  the  streams  of  Colorado  for  power  ]Hirposes  began  in  a  small  way 
witli  the  advent  of  manufacturing.  I'ut  not  until  November  13,  1906,  was  it 
undertaken  on  what  may  well  be  called  a  gigantic  scale.  The  idea  of  harnessing 
the  Cjrand  River  occurred  first  to  Leonard  E.  Curtis  and  Henry  Iline,  two  promi- 
nent engineers  of  Colorado  Springs.  On  the  date  above  mentioned  they  incorpo- 
rated The  Central  Colorado  Power  Company,  with  a  capital  of  $22,500,000.  This 
was  the  final  outcome  of  a  long  scries  of  tests  and  of  experimentation  stretch- 
ing over  a  decade. 

The  incorporators  and  first  directors  of  tlK;  new  comjiany  were:  Myron  T. 
Herrick,  David  H.  Moffat,  J.  R.  McKee,  Henry  Ilinc,  Leonard  l-:.  Curtis,  Copley 
Amory,  J.  A.  Hayes,  Orlando  B.  Wilcox,  Charles  A.  MacNeill,  George  li.  Tripji, 
Horace  G.  Limt,  George  R.  Rucknan,  and  T.  P.  Hanscom. 

In  the  articles  of  incorporation  its  purposes  was  declared  to  be  the  iliverting 
of,  and  appropriating  for  power  purposes,  the  water  from  the  Grand  River,  and 
the  building  of  a  storage  reservoir  to  accommodate  the  waters  of  Williams 
Fork. 

Messrs.  Curtis  and  Hine  undertook  the  construction  of  a  finely  i>lainicd  sys- 

;!17 


318  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

tern  at  Shoshone,  on  the  Grand  River,  near  Glenvvood  Springs,  securing  a  head 
or  fall  of  165  to  170  feet. 

The  prospect  looked  feasible,  and  its  construction  was  progressing  so  satis- 
factorily that  a  second  company  was  formed  on  May  13,  1907,  and  known  as 
The  Eastern  Colorado  Power  Company,  with  Horace  G.  Lunt,  John  T.  Adams 
and  Henry  Hine  as  incorporators.  The  purpose  of  this  was  to  build  a  dam  at 
Nederland  in  Boulder  County,  with  a  complete  plant  on  Middle  Boulder  Creek. 

COLORADO   POWER   COMPANY 

The  original  incorporators  soon  found  that  the  two  projects  required  a  far 
greater  expenditure  of  money  than  had  been  anticipated.  But  eastern  capital 
was  looking  westward.  The  largest  operators  in  the  electric  field,  the  General 
Electric,  the  Westinghouse-Kerr  Company,  H.  M.  Byllesby  &  Co.,  of  Chicago, 
were  directing  their  eyes  to  the  Colorado  held. 

In  the  adjustments  which  followed,  both  hydro  plants,  at  Shoshone  and  in 
Boulder  County,  were  completed,  and  on  April  i,  1913,  the  properties  of  the 
two  companies  were  taken  over  by  The  Colorado  Power  Company,  which  has 
since  been  extending  its  field  of  operations. 

The  following  statement  was  issued  by  the  .State  Board  of  Utilities  for  this 
history   in   January,    1918: 

"The  Colorado  Power  Company  with  general  offices  in  the  Symes  Building, 
Denver.  Colorado,  operates  hydro-electric  plants  at  .Shoshone,  Boulder  and  Sa- 
lida.  The  company  also  operates  the  property  of  The  United  Hydro  Electric 
Company,  which  has  a  hydro-electric  plant  near  Georgetown.  The  capacity  of 
these  hydro-electric  developments  is  as  follows : 

"Shoshone    18,000  h.  p. 

"Boulder    21,000  h.  p. 

"Salida    1,900  h.  p. 

"Georgetown    (United  Hydro)    i,450  h.  p. 

"Total    42,350  h.  p. 

"This  company  also  operates  steam  plants  at  Leadville  and  Georgetown.  The 
plants  at  Shoshone,  Boulder,  Leadville  and  Georgetown  are  tied  together  by  means 
of  a  100,000  volt  transmission  line.  At  Salida,  there  are  two  small  hydro-electric 
plants  having  a  combined  capacity  of  1,900  h.  p.,  and  there  is  in  addition  a  steam 
reserve  plant  located  in  the  Town  of  Salida.  The  steam  reserve  plant  and  the 
hydro  plant  are  tied  together  by  means  of  a  17,000  volt  transmission  line. 

"In  addition  to  the  above  plants.  The  Colorado  Power  Company  operates 
steam  plants  at  Alamosa,  Monte  Vista  and  Sterling.  The  territory  served  by 
this  company  is  as  follows :  Alamosa,  Monte  Vista,  Salida,  Monarch,  Leadville, 
Redclift",  Georgetown,  Lawson,  Idaho  Springs,  Xederland,  .Sterling  and  IHfif.  In 
addition,  the  surplus  output  of  this  company,  known  as  "dump"  power,  is  sold 
to  The  Denver  Gas  &  Electric  Light  Company. 

"The  officers  of  The  Colorado  Power  Company,  January,  1918,  were;  Presi- 
dent, George  H.  Walbridge.  New  York  City :  first  vice  president,  Sidney  Z. 
Mitchell,  New  York  City ;  second  vice  president,  L.  P.  Hanmiond.  New  York 
City ;  secretary,  Irwin  W.  Day,  New  York  City ;  treasurer,  John  Connell,  Den- 


YUMA  IN  1885 


320  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

ver,  Colorado;  assistant  treasurer,  A.  E.  Smith,  Denver,  Colorado;  assistant 
treasurer,  J.  J.  Sherwin,  Denver,  Colorado;  attorney,  William  V.  Hodges,  Den- 
ver, Colorado ;  general  manager,  Norman  Read,  Denver,  Colorado. 

"Directors:  Bulkeley  Wells,  chairman,  Telluride,  Colorado;  A.  C.  Bedford, 
New  York  City;  Irving  W.  Bonbright,  New  York  City;  Irwin  W.  Day,  New 
York  City ;  L.  P.  Hammond,  New  York  City ;  George  C.  Lee,  Boston,  Massachu- 
setts ;  T.  R.  McKee,  New  York  City ;  Sidney  Z.  Mitchell,  New  York  City ;  F.  C. 
Walcott,  New  York  City;  George  H.  Walbridge,  New  York  City;  O.  B.  Wilcox, 
New  York  City." 

The  Colorado  Power  Company  is  controlled  by  Bonbright  &  Co.,  of  New 
York,  which  finn  also  is  closely  identified  with  the  General  Electric  interests. 

On  April  26,  1906,  The  Northern  Colorado  Power  Company  was  organized, 
with  William  J.  Barker,  Thomas  Keely  and  Robert  S.  Ellison  as  incorporators. 

Its  capital  stock  was  $50,000.  and  it  began  its  operations  in  Weld,  Boulder 
and  Larimer  counties,  with  the  following  directors :  William  J.  Barker.  Thomas 
Keely,  Charles  C.  Bromley,  James  P.  Miller,  William  Mayer,  Francis  E.  War- 
ren. Wm.  F.  Crossley,  Joseph  J.  Henry  and  Walter  S.  Schuylerare. 

WESTERN    LIGHT    &    POWER    COMP.^NY 

In  the  financial  readjustment  which  followed,  the  Westinghouse-Kerr  Com- 
pany became  interested  in  the  proposition.  The  following  is  from  the  statement 
issued  in  J-anuary,  1918.  by  the  State  Board  of  L'^tilities : 

"The  Western  Light  &  Power  Company  with  principal  offices  at  Boulder,  Col- 
orado, was  organized  May  i,  191 5,  taking  over  at  that  time  the  holdings  of  The 
Northern  Colorado  Power  Company,  which  latter  company  was  organized  April 
26,  1906.  This  company  ser\'es  either  directly  or  indirectly  the  following  terri- 
tory: Boulder.  Lafayette,  Louisville,  Superior,  Dacona,  Erie,  Frederick,  Long- 
mont,  Niwot,  Mead,  Berthoud,  Loveland,  Gilcrest,  Windsor.  Wellington.  Greeley, 
Eaton,  Ault,  Pierce,  Platteville,  Fort  Lupton,  Milliken,  Johnstown,  La  Salle, 
Evans  and  Kersey.  The  company  also  owns  and  operates  gas  and  electric 
properties  at  Cheyenne.  Wyoming,  but  there  is  at  this  time  no  physical  connec- 
tion between  the  Colorado  and  Wyoming  properties.  In  addition  to  supplying 
the  power  and  lighting  requirements  of  the  above  coinmunities.  this  company 
supplies  practically  all  of  the  power  requirements  for  the  northern  Colorado  lig- 
nite and  coal  fields. 

"The  entire  output  of  this  company,  with  the  exception  of  the  small  amount 
of  power  purchased  from  The  Colorado  Power  Company,  is  generated  by  means 
of  a  steam  power  plant  located  in  the  coal  fields  near  Lafayette.  The  power  re- 
quirements of  the  Denver  &  Interurban  Railroad  are  likewise  furnished  from 
the  Lafayette  plant.  The  capacity  of  the  plant  at  Lafayette,  exclusive  of  that 
portion  used  for  supplying  the  power  requirements  of  the  Denver  &  Interurban 
Railroad,  is  5,000  kilowatts. 

"The  officers  of  The  Western  Light  &  Power  Company,  on  January  i.  1918. 
were:  President,  Guy  E.  Tripp,  New  York  City;  first  vice  president.  H.  U. 
Wallace,  Boulder,  Colorado;  secretary,  John  Seager,  New  York  City;  treasurer, 
John  Seager,  New  York  Citv :  auditor.  E.  E.  Sherman.  Boulder.  Colorado :  at- 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  321 

torney,  M.  C.  Goss,  Boulder,  Colorado ;  general  manager,  H.  U.  Wallace,  Boulder, 
Colorado. 

"Directors:  Guy  E.  Tripp,  New  York  City;  John  Seager,  New  York  City; 
N.  C.  McPherson,  New  York  City;  J.  R.  Hall,  New  York  City;  H.  H.  Wehra- 
hane,  New  York  City ;  A.  Rothbarth,  New  York  City ;  A.  W.  Krech,  New  York 
City;  A.  L.  Kramer,  New  York  City;  J.  Imbrie,  New  York  City;  H.  U.  Wal- 
lace, Boulder,  Colorado;  J.  A.  Davis,  Boulder,  Colorado;  T.  H.  Eaves,  Fort  Col- 
lins, Colorado;  W.  B.  Lowry,  Denver,  Colorado. 

ARKANSAS  VALLEY   RAILWAY,   LIGHT   &   POWER   COMPANY 

"The  Arkansas  Valley  Railway,  Light  &  Power  Company  with  principal  of- 
fices in  Pueblo  operates  steam  power  plants  in  Pueblo  and  Caiion  City,  and  a 
water  power  plant  near  Skagway.  In  addition,  small  reserve  steam  plants  are 
maintained  at  Rocky  Ford  and  La  Junta.  All  of  these  plants  are  tied  together 
by  means  of  a  transmission  system  which  extends  from  Cripple  Creek  by  way 
of  Canon  City  and  Pueblo  to  the  Town  of  La  Junta  in  the  eastern  part  of  the 
state.  This  company  furnishes  service  for  mining  purposes  in  the  Cripple  Creek 
and  Victor  districts,  for  coal  mining  in  the  Canon  City  coal  fields,  for  oil  drilling 
and  oil  refining  near  Florence,  for  The  Portland  Cement  Company  at  Port- 
land, to  the  various  industries  in  the  City  of  Pueblo  and  to  the  agricultural  com- 
munity east  of  Pueblo  to  La  Junta.  The  company  also  operates  the  street  rail- 
way system  in  Pueblo,  power  necessary  for  this  purpose  being  generated  mainly 
at  the  Pueblo  steam  plant. 

"The  company  furnishes  all  electric  service  in  the  following  territory :  Canon 
City,  Victor,  Cripple  Creek,  Goldfield,  Turkey  Creek,  Pueblo,  Fowler,  Manzanola, 
Swink,  Olney  Springs,  Rocky  Ford,  Crowley,  La  Junta,  Cheraw,  Florence,  Rock- 
vale,  Coalcreek,  Ordway,  Sugar  City,  Altman,  Cimarron,  Independence,  Elkton, 
Anaconda  and  Penrose. 

"The  company  was  organized  November  14,  1911,  and  began  operations  as 
The  Arkansas  Valley  Railway,  Light  &  Power  Company  on  December  i.  191 1. 
A  number  of  plants  operating  in  the  communities  served  were  taken  over  at  the 
time  of  this  organization.  The  combined  capacity  of  the  generating  plants  of 
The  Arkansas  \'alley  Railway,  Light  &  Power  Company,  including  a  new  unit 
recently  placed  in  operation  at  Canon  City,  is  18,170  kilowatts.  The  capacity  of 
the  hydro-electric  development  at  Skagway  is  4,290  h.  p.  By  far  the  greater 
portion  of  this  company's  output  is  generated  by  steam  plants. 

"The  officers  of  The  Arkansas  Valley  Railway,  Light  &  Power  Company  on 
January  I,  191S,  were:  President,  George  H.  Harries,  Chicago,  Illinois;  vice 
president,  F.  C.  Gordon,  Chicago,  Illinois ;  vice  president,  W.  F.  Raber,  Pueblo, 
Colorado;  vice  president.  Otto  E.  Osthoflf,  Chicago,  Illinois;  secretary,  Herbert 
List,  Chicago,  Illinois;  assistant  secretary,  E.  J.  Rosenauer,  Pueblo,  Colorado; 
assistant  secretary,  William  E.  McKenna,  Chicago,  Illinois;  treasurer,  R.  J. 
Graf,  Chicago,  Illinois ;  assistant  treasurer,  Walter  J.  Benning,  Pueblo,  Colorado ; 
assistant  treasurer,  Herbert  List,  Chicago,  Illinois;  general  manager,  W.  F. 
Raber,  Pueblo.  Colorado;  auditor,  E.  J.  Rosenauer,  Pueblo,  Colorado. 

"Directors :  Arthur  S.  Huey,  Chicago,  Illinois ;  Otto  E.  Osthoff,  Chicago,  II- 


322  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

linois;  George  H.  Harries,  Chicago,  Illinois;  H.  M.  Byllesby,  Chicago,  Illinois; 
W.  F.  Raber,  Pueblo,  Colorado. 

COLOR.MDO  SPRINGS  LIGHT,   HEAT  &  POWER   COMPANY 

"The  Colorado  Springs  Light,  Heat  &  Power  Company  with  principal  offices 
in  Colorado  Springs  operates  a  hydro-electric  plant  at  Manitou,  and  a  steam 
power  plant  at  Curtis,  a  short  distance  north  of  the  City  of  Colorado  Springs. 
This  company  also  operates  in  connection  with  its  steam  heating  system  a  small 
steam  power  plant  in  the  City  of  Colorado  Springs.  The  company  likewise  op- 
erates the  gas  plant  in  the  City  of  Colorado  Springs.  All  three  plants  are  tied 
together  by  means  of  a  transmission  system. 

"Some  power  is  furnished  to  the  coal  mines  in  the  El  Paso  County  coal 
fields,  and  a  large  part  of  the  company's  output  is  taken  by  the  Golden  Cycle 
and  Portland  mills.  The  hydro-electric  plant  at  Manitou  has  a  capacity  of 
31,050  h.  p.  and  the  combined  capacity  of  the  two  steam  plants  is  5,550  kilowatts. 
About  one-half  of  the  entire  output  of  this  company  is  generated  by  means  of 
water  power. 

"The  company  was  organized  as  The  Colorado  Springs  Light,  Heat  &  Power 
Company  on  June  26,  1910,  consolidating  at  that  time  a  number  of  smaller  com- 
panies operating  in  the  City  of  Colorado  Springs. 

"The  officers  of  The  Colorado  Springs  Light,  Heat  &  Power  Company,  on 
January  i,  1918,  were:  President,  George  Bullock,  New  York  City;  first  vice 
president,  R.  L.  Holland,  Colorado  Springs,  Colorado ;  second  vice  president, 
George  B.  Tripp,  New  York  City;  secretary,  John  W.  Ryter,  Colorado  Springs, 
Colorado ;  treasurer,  John  W.  Ryter,  Colorado  Springs,  Colorado ;  auditor,  John 
W.  Ryter,  Colorado  Springs,  Colorado ;  attorne)',  R.  L.  Holland,  Colorado  Springs, 
Colorado ;  general  manager,  J.  F.  Dostal,  Colorado  Springs,  Colorado. 

"Directors:  George  Bullock,  New  York  City;  George  B.  Tripp,  New  York 
City ;  E.  G.  Connette,  New  York  City ;  M.  J.  Dodge,  New  York  City ;  R.  L.  Hol- 
land, Colorado  Springs,  Colorado ;  J.  A.  Hayes,  Colorado  Springs,  Colorado ;  W. 
M.  Hager,  Colorado  Springs,  Colorado ;  C.  T.  Fertig,  Colorado  Springs,  Colo- 
rado; C.  Underhill,  Colorado  Springs,  Colorado. 

WESTERN    COLORADO   POWER   COMPANY 

"The  Western  Colorado  Power  Company  with  principal  offices  in  Montrose, 
Colorado,  supplies  all  electrical  service  in  the  following  territory:  Durango,  Tel- 
luride,  Montrose,  Delta,  Olathe,  Ouray,  Ridgway  and  Silverton.  The  company 
was  organized  on  March  12,  1913,  taking  over  at  that  time  a  number  of  smaller 
companies  operating  in  the  various  communities.  This  is  part  of  the  system  of 
the  Utah  Light  &  Power  Company,  controlled  by  the  Electric  Bond  and  Share 
Company  (It  is  believed  to  be  a  subsidiary  of  the  General  Electric). 

"This  company  operates  hydro-electric  plants  in  the  southwestern  part  of 
the  state  having  a  total  capacity  of  17,250  h.  p.  In  addition,  a  reserve  steam 
plant  is  maintained  at  Durango,  and  steam  plants  are  operated  at  Montrose  and 
Delta  for  supplying  the  towns  of  Montrose,  Delta  and  Olathe  and  the  rural  ter- 
ritory thereabouts.    The  hydro-electric  plants  of  the  company,  together  with  the 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  323 

reserve  steam  plant  at  Durango,  are  connected  by  means  of  a  transmission  system. 
There  is  no  physical  connection,  however,  between  the  hydro-electric  plants  of 
the  company  and  the  plants  at  Montrose  and  Delta.  The  plants  at  Montrose  and 
Delta  are  likewise  tied  together  by  means  of  a  transmission  line  and  are  oper- 
ated as  a  unit.  This  company  furnishes  practically  all  of  the  power  requirements 
for  metal  mining  purposes  in  the  southwestern  section  of  the  state. 

"The  officers  of  The  Western  Colorado  Power  Com.pany  are:  President, 
Bulkeley  Wells,  Telluride,  Colorado;  first  vice  president,  G.  E.  Claflin,  New 
York  City;  second  vice  president,  C.  E.  Groesbeck,  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah;  secre- 
tary, E.  P.  Summerson,  New  York  City ;  treasurer,  E.  P.  Summerson,  New 
York  City;  auditor,  P.  F.  Parkinson,  Montrose,  Colorado;  general  manager, 
J.  A.  Clay,  Montrose,  Colorado. 

"Directors:  D.  C.  Jackling,  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah;  G.  M.  Dahl,  New  York 
City ;  G.  E.  Claflin,  New  York  City ;  C.  E.  Groesbeck,  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah ; 
Bulkeley  Wells,  Telluride,  Colorado;  E.  W.  Hill,  New  York  City;  J.  A.  Clay, 
Montrose,  Colorado;  E.  P.  Summerson,  New  York  City;  A.  E.  Smith,  New 
York  City. 

TRINIDAD    ELECTRIC    TRANSMISSION,    RAILWAY    &    GAS    COMPANY 

"The  Trinidad  Electric  Transmission,  Railway  &  Gas  Company  with  princi- 
pal offices  in  Trinidad  was  organized  August  7,  191 1.  This  company  operates 
steam  power  plants  at  Trinidad  and  Walsenburg.  These  plants  are  tied  together 
by  means  of  a  transmission  system  which  covers  the  bituminous  coal  fields  in 
the  southern  part  of  the  state.  In  addition  to  supplying  service  for  general  light- 
ing and  power  purposes  in  Trinidad  and  Walsenburg  and  a  few  other  small  towns 
in  the  southern  part  of  the  state,  the  company  furnishes  the  power  requirements 
of  the  coal  mines  operating  in  the  southern  part  of  Colorado.  The  transmission 
system  of  the  company  also  extends  into  New  Mexico,  and  power  is  furnished 
to  coal  mines  and  to  the  cities  and  towns  in  the  northern  part  of  the  state.  This 
company  also  operates  the  street  railway  and  interurbaii  railway  system  at  Trini- 
dad and  the  gas  plant  in  the  City  of  Trinidad. 

"The  total  generating  capacity  of  this  company's  steam  plants  is  13,000 
kilowatts. 

"The  officers  of  The  Trinidad  Electric  Transmission  Railway  &  Gas  Com- 
pany are:  President,  E.  N.  Sanderson.  New  York  City;  first  vice  president,  John 
Dunhill,  New  York  City;  secretary,  A.  R.  Marshall,  New  York  City;  treasurer, 
John  Dunhill,  New  York  City;  auditor,  H.  J.  Wightman,  Trinidad,  Colorado; 
attorney,  James  McKeough,  Trinidad,  Colorado;  general  manager,  E.  C.  Deal, 
Trinidad,  Colorado. 

"Directors :  E.  N.  Sanderson,  New  York  City ;  John  Dunhill,  New  York 
City ;  A.  R.  Marshall,  New  York  City. 

OTHER   PLANTS    IN    COLORADO 

"In  addition  to  the  plants  mentioned,  the  following  companies  generate  either 

a  portion  or  all  of  their  output  by  water  power  developments.    Some  of  these 
companies  also  furnish  a  large  part  of  their  outputs  to  the  mining  industry :    The 


324  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

Summit  County  Power  Company,  operating  near  Dillon,  has  a  total  electrical 
development  of  i,6oo  h.  p.  The  Roaring  Fork  Electric  Company,  operating  at 
Aspen,  has  a  hydro-electric  development  of  3,850  h.  p.  A  large  part  of  the 
output  of  this  company  is  supplied  to  the  metal  mines  near  Aspen.  The  Rifle 
Light,  Heat  &  Power  Company,  at  Rifle,  Colorado,  has  a  hydro-electric  develop- 
ment of  240  h.  p.  The  Rico  Mining  Company,  at  Rico,  Colorado,  has  a  hydro- 
electric plant  of  160  h.  p.  capacity.  The  Meeker  Electric  Company,  at  Meeker, 
Colorado,  has  a  water  power  installation  of  143  h.  p.  The  Town  of  Longmont 
operates  its  own  municipal  light  plant,  and  with  the  exception  of  a  small  amount 
of  power  purchased  from  The  Western  Light  &  Power  Company,  its  entire 
power  requirements  are  generated  by  means  of  a  water  power  plant  located  about 
eleven  miles  west  of  Longmont  on  St.  Vrain  Creek.  The  capacity  of  this  plant 
is  525  h.  p.  The  Hinsdale  Mining  &  Development  Company,  at  Lake  City,  Colo- 
rado, has  a  hydro-electric  plant  of  200  h.  p.  capacity.  The  Glenwood  Light  & 
Water  Company,  operating  in  Glenwood  Springs,  had  a  hydro-electric  plant  of 
300  h.  p.  capacity.  In  addition  to  the  power  furnished  by  this  plant.  The  Glen- 
wood Light  &  Water  Company  furnishes  power  at  wholesale  from  The  Colorado 
Power  Company.  The  Gem  Electric  Company  at  Idaho  Springs  until  a  short 
time  ago  operated  a  hydro-electric  plant  of  900  h.  p.  capacity.  This  property 
has  recently  been  taken  over  by  The  Colorado  Power  Company.  The  Crested 
Butte  Light  &  Water  Company  has  a  small  hydro-electric  plant  of  60  h.  p.  ca- 
pacity. The  Buena  Vista  Electric  Light  &  Power  Company  furnishes  light  and 
power  for  the  Town  of  Buena  Vista  and  generates  its  entire  supply  by  means  of 
a  hydro-electric  plant  having  a  capacity  of  125  h.  p." 


CHAPTER  XVI 
TRANSPORTATION— FROM  MULE  PACK  TO  RAILWAY 

BEGINNING  OF  WAGON   FREIGHTING FINDING  TRANSCONTINENTAL  RAILWAY  ROUTE 

STAGES  FOLLOW  THE  FREIGHTERS THE  OVERLAND  EXPRESS WELLS,    FARGO   & 

COMPANY ^THE     PONY     EXPRESS COLORADO     CENTRAL     &     PACIFIC     RAILROAD 

NEED  OF  TRANSPORTATION — SELECTION  OF  liRIDGER  PASS  BY  THE  UNION  PACIFIC 

^THE     CHEYENNE     MENACE LOVELAND's     AMBITIONS THE     KANSAS     PACIFIC 

R.\ILROAD AID  REQUESTED A  DAY  OF  CRISIS— SITUATION    IN    1868 — ADVENT   OF 

GEN.    WILLIAM    J.    PALMER ARRIVAL    OF    FIRST    TRAINS    IN    DENVER STRUGGLE 

FOR    MINING   OUTPUT FREIGHT   BUSINESS    IN    187I COLORADO    CENTRAL    &    PA- 
CIFIC    STARTS     BUILDING KANSAS     PACIFIC      IN      FINANCIAL     STRAITS — UNION 

PACIFIC  SECURES   CONTROL  OF  OTHER  ROADS 

BEGINNING    OF    WAGON    FREIGHTING 

Transportation  in  the  sense  of  freighting  with  wagons  had  its  beginning  in 
1824  along  the  Santa  Fe  Trail,  which  since  1812  had  been  thoroughly  hoof- 
marked  by  the  slow-going  pack-mule.  The  route  along  the  Arkansas  River  be- 
came familiar  to  the  eastern  public,  for  books  and  newspapers  told  more  of  its 
game-filled  sections  and  of  its  rich  opportunities  for  commerce  than  of  the  dan- 
gers and  physical  burdens  of  the  long  and  wearisome  journey. 

Zebulon  M.  Pike  had  pointed  the  way,  and  the  adventurous  spirits  of  the  east 
and  of  what  was  then  the  western  end  of  civilization  came  to  Santa  Fe  and  to 
Taos  to  trade  the  cheapest  of  American  merchandise  for  the  riches  of  New 
Mexico. 

Josiah  Gregg  in  his  "Commerce  of  the  Prairies,"  published  in  1831,  drifted 
away  from  the  fairy  tales  of  wealth  and  told  of  the  trials  of  these  early  trades- 
men who  suffered  untold  hardships  in  an  effort  to  do  business  with  the  Indians 
of  the  great  plains  and  to  reach  the  richer  pickings  at  Santa  Fe.  The  Tetons 
and  Comanches  were  especially  susceptible  to  the  cheap  glass  trinkets  and  cheaper 
cloths  of  the  caravans.  Among  these  earlier  traders  whose  journeys  are  men- 
tioned by  Josiah  Gregg  are  those  who  "outfitted"  from  Franklin,  Missouri,  about 
one  hundred  and  fifty  miles  above  St.  Louis,  on  the  Missouri  River. 

These  caravans  often  carried  'by  pack-mules  as  nuich  as  $15,000  worth  of 
goods. 

But  in  1824  a  company  of  eighty  traders  safely  transported  $50,000  worth 
of  goods  by  wagon  to  Santa  Fe. 

The  cupidity  of  the  Indians  was  now,  l.owever,  aroused  and  the  .\rapahoes, 

325 


326  "  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

Cheyennes  and  Kiowas  were  not  slow  to  swoop  down  on  succeeding  caravans 
and  maim,  kill  and  rob  at  will. 

In  1829  Major  Riley,  and  in  1834,  Captain  Wharton,  escorted  large  caravans 
along  the  dangerous  trail,  but  after  1843  military  escorts  were  dispatched  regu- 
larly with  the  trading  caravans. 

By  this  time  the  "outfitting"  point  had  been  transferred  to  Independence, 
near  the  western  border  of  Missouri,  and  practically  within  the  Indian  belt. 

Many  of  the  more  adventurous  tradesmen  moved  directly  west  to  the  Rockies, 
then  south,  following  the  present  route  of  the  Santa  Fe  Railroad  across  the  Raton 
Range  to  the  Rio  Grande.    This  trip  took  fifty  to  seventy  days. 

But  the  Santa  Fe  Trail,  protected  as  it  now  was  by  the  Government  and  with 
several  good  places  for  rest  and  repair  work,  was  long  the  favorite  route.  This 
lay  along  the  Arkansas  River,  and  then  followed  the  Cimarron  to  Las  Vegas, 
San  Miguel  and  Santa  Fe. 

FINDING  TRANSCONTINENTAL   RAILWAY   ROUTE 

General  Fremont's  five  expeditions,  the  history  of  which  is  narrated  in  an- 
other chapter,  were  in  reality  trail-making  explorations,  and  gave  the  Argonauts 
who  streamed  into  the  country  in  1859,  i860  and  1861  the  incentive  to  prospect- 
ing long  distances  from  the  earliest  discoveries  of  gold. 

In  February,  1850,  the  people  of  St.  Louis,  believing  that  Fremont  had  dis- 
covered a  feasible  railroad  route  to  the  Pacific,  passed  a  resolution  "that  the 
thanks  of  this  meeting  be  tendered  to  Col.  John  C.  Fremont  for  his  intrepid 
perseverance  and  valuable  scientific  explorations  in  the  region  of  the  Rocky 
and  Californian  mountains  by  which  we  have  been  furnished  with  a  knowledge 
of  the  passes  and  altitudes  of  these  mountains,  and  are  now  able  to  judge  of  the 
entire  practicability  of  constructing  a  railroad  over  them  from  St.  Louis  to  Cali- 
fornia." 

Speaking  of  the  final  journey  of  Fremont,  Senator  Thomas  M.  Benton,  his 
friend  and  protector,  said:  "He  followed  the  course  described  by  the  mountain 
men  and  found  safe  and  easy  passes  all  the  way  to  California,  through  a  good 
country,  and  upon  the  straight  line  of  38  and  39  degrees.  It  is  the  route  of  the 
Central  Pacific  Railroad  which  the  structure  of  the  country  invites  and  every 
natural  consideration  demands." 

On  March  3,  1853,  an  act  of  Congress  provided  for  explorations  and  surveys 
of  "a  practicable  and  economical  route  for  a  railroad  from  the  Mississippi  River 
to  the  Pacific  Ocean.  When  Capt.  J.  W.  Gunnison  was  chosen  for  this  task, 
which  was  to  end  in  his  death,  he  was  advised  by  the  secretary  of  war,  Jefferson 
Davis,  to  "survey  a  line  through  the  Rockies  near  the  headwaters  of  the  Rio  del 
Norte  by  way  of  Huerfano  and  Cochetopa,  or  some  other  available  pass,  into 
the  region  of  the  Grand  and  Green  rivers,  and  westerly  to  the  Vegas  de  Santa 
Clara  and  Nicollet  rivers,  to  the  Great  Basin,  and  thence  northward  to  the 
vicinity  of  Lake  Utah  on  a  return  route  with  the  view  of  exploring  the  most 
available  passes  and  canyons  of  the  Wahsatch  Range  and  the  South  Pass  to 
Fort  Laramie." 

The  work  of  Captain  Gunnison  and  the  story  of  his  untimely  end  are  nar- 
rated in  another  chapter.     Lieut.  E.  G.  Beckwith,  his  associate  on  the  journey, 


328  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

completed  the  task,  and  the  joint  reports  upon  the   feasibihty  of  a  transconti- 
nental railway  are  among  the  archives  of  the  war  department. 

STAGES   FOLLOW  THE   FREIGHTERS 

After  the  Mexican  War  the  trade  to  New  Mexico  increased  greatly,  and  the 
outfitting  points  were  changed  from  Independence  to  Westport,  the  first  settle- 
ment of  Kansas  City,  and  later  to  Kansas  City.  With  the  discovery  of  gold  in 
California  there  was  a  vast  increase,  and  it  took  both  outfitting  points.  Inde- 
pendence and  Westport,  to  meet  the  great  crowds  that  streamed  across  the 
Santa  Fe  Trail.  The  overland  mail  now  began  to  do  business.  Each  stage  con- 
veyed eight  passengers,  and  was  drawn  by  six  mules.  It  was  bqilt  much  on  the 
style  of  a  boat,  water-tight  and  in  good  shape  for  getting  over  high  streams. 
Eight  men  guarded  each  mail  stage.  At  Council  Grove  and  at  Walnut  Creek 
they  built  repair  stations.  This  service  began  with  a  monthly  stage,  then  changed 
to  a  weekly  run,  and  in  1862  daily  stages  were  each  carrying  eleven  passengers, 
nine  inside  and  two  outside.  The  passenger  fare  to  Santa  Fe  from  the  outfitting 
point  was  $250.  This  allowed  forty  pounds  of  baggage.  Excess  was  fifty  cents 
a  pound.  When  the  daily  stage  runs  began  there  were  eating  stations  at  all 
relay  points. 

In  1859,  and  until  June,  i860,  the  caravans  had  increased  in  number  and 
followed  the  old  and  now  w^ell-beaten  trails.  Merchandising  for  the  new  com- 
munities which  the  rush  for  gold  had  created  was  on  a  much  larger  scale  and 
vastly  different  from  trading  with  Mexicans  and  Indians.  Here  were  men 
with  the  knowledge  of  merchandise  values  and  with  practically  all  the  needs  of 
eastern  towns.  For  a  year  only  the  emigrant  train  and  merchandise  caravans 
had  brought  to  these  growing  centers  the  tools,  the  machinery,  the  clothes  they 
required  and  the  luxuries  they  craved.  Hauling  a  newspaper  plant  from  the 
Missouri  River  to  the  site  of  Denver  on  an  emigrant  wagon  was  no  small  task. 
Heavy  mining  machinery  was  brought  across  the  Great  Plains  only  at  heavy 
expense. 

The  mails  came  first  from  Fort  Laramie,  where  the  Salt  Lake  stages  going 
east  and  west  left  them,  and  later  from  the  old  California  route  crossing  of  the 
Platte.  Whatever  came,  whether  it  was  a  letter,  postage  50  cents,  a  newspaper, 
postage  10  cents,  or  merchandise  or  machinery,  had  been  en  route  from  one  to 
four  months. 

THE  OVERLAND   EXPRESS 

But  there  was  relief  in  sight.  B.  D.  Williams,  the  former  and  first  delegate 
of  the  territory  of  "Jefferson"  to  Congress,  had  been  engaged  to  lay  out  a  feasible 
stage  route  between  Leavenworth  and  Denver.  This  was  done  and  the  line,  687 
miles  long,  extended  from  Leavenworth  to  Riley,  thence  along  the  natural  high- 
way between  the  Republican  River  and  the  Solomon  Fork  of  the  Kansas,  then 
following  the  south  side  of  the  Republican  River  and  then  going  along  the 
Beaver,  Bijou,  Kiowa  and  Cherry  creeks.  It  was  later  reduced  to  about  625 
miles.  Fifty-two  fine  Concord  coaches,  one  leaving  either  end  daily,  made  the 
trip  in  from  ten  to  twelve  days. 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  329 

The  first  coach  left  Leavenworth  March  28,  1859,  and  reached  Denver  June  7th, 
with  its  precious  journalistic  load,  Horace  Greeley  of  the  New  York  Tribune, 
Albert  D.  Richardson  of  the  Boston  Journal,  and  Henrj'  Villard  of  the  Cincin- 
nati Commercial.  Its  first  title  was  the  "Leavenworth  &  Pike's  Peak  Express," 
but  its  early  promoters,  including  Dr.  J.  M.  Fox  of  Denver,  and  Nelson  Sargent 
of  Denver,  soon  sold  it  to  the  firm  of  Russell,  Majors  &  Waddell,  Government 
contractors,  only  John  S.  Jones,  of  Leavenworth,  retaining  his  original  interest. 
Absorbing  also  the  line  operating  between  the  Missouri  River  and  Salt  Liike 
City,  it  took  the  name  under  which  it  was  chartered  by  Kansas,  the  "Central 
Overland,  California  &  Pike's  Peak  Express  Company,"  but  soon  generally  known 
as  the  "C.  O.  C.  &  P.  P.  Express."  Gen.  Bela  M.  Hughes  was  president  and 
made  many  improvements,  shortening  the  route  to  Leavenworth  by  using  the  far 
more   feasible   Platte  River  road. 

He  later  expended  about  forty  thousand  dollars  on  the  stage  route  to  Salt  Lake 
City  over  Berthoud  Pass,  with  a  view  of  shortening  the  route  to  the  Pacific 
by  several  hundred  miles.  The  surveys  along  this  route  made  at  this  period  by 
General  Hughes  were  used  as  an  exhibit,  ineffectual  however,  in  the  notable 
argument  to  induce  the  Union  Pacific  to  abandon  the  Bridger  Pass  and  to  adopt 
the  Berthoud  Pass  line. 

Ben  Holladay  finally  obtained  control  of  the  C.  O.  C.  &  P.  P.  Express,  and 
the  times  improving,  the  stage  line  prospered. 

On  April  9,  1861,  the  "Pony  Express"  covered  the  distance  between  Sacra- 
mento, California,  and  St.  Joseph,  Missouri,  in  seven  days  and  seventeen  hours. 
With  the  relay  from  Fort  Laramie  to  Denver  by  the  ordinary  mail  route,  the  "Pony 
Express"  brought  the  new  Colorado  communities  into  much  closer  touch  with 
the  outside  world. 

The  C.  O.  C.  &  P.  P.  Express,  late  in  i860,  absorbed  the  Kehler  &  Mont- 
gomery and  the  Hinckley  Express  lines  to  the  new  gold  fields  in  the  Gregory 
Gulch. 

On  September  23,  1865,  the  first  coach  of  the  Butterfield  Overland  Dispatch 
line  arrived  in  Denver  from  Atchison  via  Smoky  Hill,  a  new  stage  route  estab- 
lished by  D.  A.  Butterfield  &  Company.  The  Legislature  which  met  in  1866  in- 
corporated the  new  company,  and,  with  W.  A.  H.  Loveland  as  president,  planned 
to  use  the  Berthoud  Pass  route  to  Salt  Lake  City.  The  Butterfield  Company 
finally  suspended  all  operations,  owing  to  the  expenses  incurred  in  construction 
work  in  Colorado. 

WELLS,   FARGO   &   COMP.VNY 

The  Holladay  Overland  Mail  and  Ivxpress  Company  was  incorporated  by 
legislative  enactment,  February  3,  1866,  with  Ben  Holladay,  David  Street,  Bela 
M.  Hughes,  .S.  L.  M.  Barlow  and  John  K.  Russell  as  incorporators.  In  Novem- 
ber, 1866,  this  became  Wells,  Fargo  &  Company,  the  Legislature  approving  the 
change  of  name.  Its  capitalization  to  begin  with  was  $3,000,000.  By  1870,  when 
the  railroads  began  the  work  of  "freighting"  in  this  section,  the  capitalization, 
which  had  crawled  up  to  $15,000,000,  was  reduced  to  $5,000,000.  It  was  then  in 
charge  of  the  following  directors :  William  G.  Fargo,  A.  H.  Baniey,  D.  V.  Mills, 
James  C.  Fargo,  Lloyd  Tevis. 


330  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

Wells,  Fargo  &  Company  Express  is  still  a  Colorado  corporation.  Its  cap- 
ital was  increased  in  1879  to  $6,250,000,  in  1893  to  $8,000,000,  and  in  1909  to 
$24,000,000. 

Denver  had  from  the  very  outset  sought  to  have  the  Overland  stage  routed 
up  the  South  Platte.  The  deciding  argument  finally  was  the  fact  that  the  In- 
dians were  making  the  North  Platte  route  more  and  more  dangerous.  So  in 
June,  1862,  the  Overland  followed  the  old  Cherokee  Trail  from  Denver  to  La- 
porte,  thence  via  Virginia  Dale  and  Laramie  Plains  and  on  west.  Later  the  route 
was  changed  to  pass  through  Fort  Collins.  Troops  were  stationed  at  the  Big 
Thompson,  Virginia  Dale  and  La  Porte  to  protect  the  stage. 

THE   PONY   EXPRESS 

Of  the  pony  express  and  of  its  marvelous  feats  of  speed  much  was  written, 
for  its  inauguration  nearly  cut  in  two  the  time  between  the  Pacific  and  the  At- 
lantic coasts.  It  took  twenty-two  days  to  carry  the  mail  by  water  and  across  the 
Isthmus  of  Panama  from  New  York  to  San  Francisco.  In  1861  the  Pony  Ex- 
press, carrying  Lincoln's  inaugural  message,  and  starting  at  St.  Joseph,  made 
the  1,950  miles  between  that  point  and  San  Francisco  in  seven  days  and  seven- 
teen hours.  Its  time  from  St.  Joseph  to  Denver,  665  miles,  was  made  in  two 
days  and  twenty-one  hours,  the  last  ten  miles  being  accomplished  in  thirty-one 
minutes. 

Denver  profited  only  as  a  branch,  its  pony  service  coming  from  the  nearest 
point  on  the  transcontinental  route.  When  the  first  through  line  was  cofistructed 
Denver's  pony  service  came  from  Julesburg,  the  nearest  point  on  the  Pacific  tele- 
graph line.  The  pony  coming  under  drive  up  Fifteenth  Street  to  the  postoffice, 
where  David  H.  Moffat  was  acting  postmaster,  was  a  daily  event  which  half  the 
town  gathered  to  witness. 

The  freighting  firm  of  Russell,  Majors  &  Waddell  inaugurated  the  pony  ex- 
press, but  it  was  at  the  suggestion  of  Senator  W.  M.  Gwin,  of  California,  who 
on  his  journey  to  the  capital  in  1854  had  covered  part  of  the  distance  on  horse- 
back and  in  the  company  of  B.  F.  Ficklin,  superintendent  for  the  freighters. 
There  were  at  this  period  four  routes  to  the  Pacific  Coast.  One  of  these  was 
by  way  of  Panama,  the  southern  route  was  controlled  by  Butterfield,  the  central 
route  was  operated  by  Russell,  Majors  &  Waddell,  and  the  Charpenning  monthly 
route  ran  via  Fort  Kearney,  Laramie  and  Bridger,  and  confined  itself  to  local 
business. 

Mr.  Russell,  head  of  the  freighting  firm.,  with  the  prospect  of  a  big  Govern- 
ment contract,  was  won  over  and  in  turn  persuaded  his  partners  to  permit  the 
organization  of  a  "pony"  express.  The  limit  of  mail  to  be  carried  was  twenty 
pounds.  The  first  rate  was  $5  per  one-half  ounce  letter,  later  however  reduced 
to  $2.50.  Many  newspapers  printed  issues  on  very  thin  paper,  but  the  price  in- 
cluding transmission  was  prohibitive,  so  that  this  use  of  the  Pony  Express  was 
not  extensive. 

The  first  Pony  Express  left  St.  Joseph,  April  5,  i860,  and  passed  through  Fort 
Kearney,  Laramie,  Bridger,  Salt  Lake  City,  Camp  Floyd,  Carson  City,  Washoe, 
Placerville,  Sacramento.  From  this  point  to  San  Francisco  a  fast  steamer  car- 
ried the  leather  pouch  with  its  four  locked  pockets.    It  reached  Sacramento  at 


OflSce  of  the  Leavenworth  &  Pike's  Peak  Express  Com- 
)an_T,  built  in  the  autumn  of  1859.  This  company  operated 
he  first  line  of  stage  coaches  into  Denver,  which  was  also 
Ithe  first  into  the  Pike 's  Peak  gold  country. 


"Thi'  DuiiVL-r  House,' 
Denver,  built  in  the  spring 
and  A.  J.  Williams. 


the   first  "regiilar  hotel"   in 
of  1859  by  Charles  H.  Blake 


Denver's  first  "Sky  Scraper."  B.  L.  Wooton's  buihl- 
ng,  the  first  in  Denver  of  more  than  one  story,  b\iilt  in  the 
pring  of  1859. 


The  dojjot  and  office  of  the  Central  Overland,  California 
&  Pike 's  Peak  Express  Conijiany.  The  men  in  lino  wero 
waiting  their  turn   to   reach   the  company's  postoflico. 


VIEW  OP  SOME  OF  THE  PIONEER  BUILDINGS  IN  DENVER 


332  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

5.30  p.  m.,  April  13th,  and  San  Francisco,  with  the  entire  town  awaiting  its  com- 
ing, at  I  a.  m.,  April  14th. 

Stations  were  established  from  ten  to  fifteen  miles  apart,  a  rider  covering 
approximately  seventy-five  miles  in  a  day.  Two  minutes  was  the  time  allow'ed 
to  change  horses,  and  at  relays  no  time  was  lost  in  the  transfer. 

Riders  covered  larger  distances  at  times.  On  the  famous  journey  with  the  Lin- 
coln message  "Pony  Bob"  covered  the  120  miles  from  Smith's  Creek  to  Fort 
Churchill  in  eight  hours  and  ten  minutes.  At  its  height  the  Pony  Express  required 
nearly  500  horses,  eight  riders,  200  station  keepers,  and  as  many  assistants.  It  cost 
$30,000  a  month  to  operate  it  on  a  semi-weekly  basis. 

Later  it  became  part  of  the  Government's  million  dollar  contract,  but  its 
backers  were  finally  forced  out  by  financial  difficulties,  which  even  the  high  rate 
paid  under  the  Federal  agreement  could  not  prevent.  Senator  Gwin,  the  father 
of  the  pony  express  idea,  died  many  years  later  in  Mexico. 

COLORADO    CENTRAL    &    P.ACIFIC    R.\ILROAD 

But  the  agitation  for  the  construction  of  railroads  grew  as  population  and 
trade  increased. 

In  1865  W.  A.  H.  Loveland,  one  of  the  greatest  of  Colorado's  builders,  was 
granted  a  charter  by  the  Legislature  for  a  railroad  "up  Clear  Creek  Caiion  to 
Empire  and  Central  City,  and  from  Golden  City  to  Boulder  and  via  Denver  to 
Bijou."  Later  its  title  was  changed  to  "The  Colorado  Central  &  Pacific  Rail- 
road," and  its  route  was  extended  to  the  western  borders  of  the  territory.  By 
the  end  of  1865  the  survey  had  been  completed,  and  some  capital  had  been  raised 
for  actual  construction. 

In  the  meantime  the  Pacific  Railroad  bill  was  again  under  consideration  in 
Congress,  and  there  were  indications  of  a  change  of  the  route  originally  out- 
lined in  the  measure.  But  the  engineers  who  came  to  Colorado  in  August,  1866, 
and  inspected  the  sur\'eyed  line  up  Clear  Creek  to  Berthoud  Pass,  decided  against 
it,  and  in  favor  of  the  route  to  Cheyenne  Pass,  through  the  Black  Hills  (the 
name  first  given  to  the  ridge  of  mountains  at  Virginia  Dale,  between  Cheyenne 
and  the  Laramie  plains)  and  Bridger's  Pass.  It  was  Jim  Bridger,  noted  pioneer, 
hunter  and  trapper,  who  convinced  the  L^nion  Pacific  ofificials  of  the  feasibility 
of  the  northern  route. 

There  was  some  consolation  in  the  passage  of  the  measure  providing  for 
the  construction  of  the  Kansas  Pacific,  the  so-called  eastern  division,  which  was 
to  be  built  to  Denver  and  "connect  within  fifty  miles  of  Denver,  with  the  main 
line." 

The  contest  had  been  a  long  and  bitter  one.  In  Washington  John  Evans 
and  Jerome  B.  ChafTee,  looking  for  recognition  as  L^nited  States  senators,  were 
making  a  splendid  fight  for  the  diversion  of  the  L'nion  Pacific  from  its  proposed 
route,  but  their  work  did  not  avail. 

During  the  contest  the  Colorado  Central  &  Pacific  was  practically  offered  to 
the  Union  Pacific,  and  there  was  actual  dickering  in  progress  as  to  the  disposi- 
tion of  the  grant  lands  should  the  route  be  accepted. 

In   Colorado  there  had  been   meetings   of   its   leading  citizens   wbo   sent   to 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  333 

Washington  trade  reports  showing  the  vast  growth  of  the  territory  in  the  short 
period  since  its  organization. 

NEED   OF    TRANSPORTATION 

It  is  interesting  to  note  the  great  need  of  transportation  at  this  period  from 
the  revised  census  returns  of  1870.  There  were  in  the  territory  in  that  year 
95,594  acres  of  improved  farms,  vahied  at  $3,385,748.  The  value  of  its  farm 
productions  was  $2,335,106.  Its  mineral  production  at  this  period  is  fully  cov- 
ered in  the  mining  history  chapter. 

But  the  business  of  Denver  was  the  best  illustration  of  the  great  need  of  trans- 
portation. From  the  Denver  Board  of  Trade  report  for  the  year  ending  Octo- 
ber 31,  1867,  this  record  is  taken: 

Gross  sales  of  merchandise $  5,946,000 

Cash  paid  for  freight 2,171,000 

Pounds  of  freight  received 17,122,000 

Pounds  of  corn  and  wheat  sold 12,638,000 

Sacks  of  flour  sold 70,386 

Cash  value  of  lumber  sold 850,000 

250  buildings  erected,  valued  at 722,650 

Cash  value  of  goods  manufactured  in  Denver 887,000 

Cash  receipts  from  passengers  by  stage  line 591,801 

Cash  receipts  from  express  matter 168,976 

Gold  shipped  by  Wells  Fargo 1,560,000 

Gold  bought  by  banks 604,000 

Gold  and  silver  received  by  U.  S.  branch  mint 289,158.10 

Average  cash  dejjosits  in  bank 741,000 

Average  loans  and  discounts  by  banks 398,000 

F.astern  exchange  sold  by  banks 8,301,000 

Amount  of  cash  paid  over  bank  counters 77,870,000 

"The  exhibit,"  says  the  report,  "represents  the  least  active  year  in  the  history 
of  Denver,  covering  a  period  of  Indian  war,  when  the  main  lines  of  travel  east 
and  west  were  about  closed  by  Indians  and  immigration  was  virtually  pro- 
hibited." 

But  when  on  November  23,  1866,  Gen.  Grenville  M.  Dodge  and  his  associate 
engineers  filed  their  report  recommending  the  Lone  Tree  and  Crow  Creek  route 
the  dream  of  Thomas  H.  Benton  was  nearing  realization.  His  famous  speech 
delivered  in  St.  I^uis  in  1849  had  indeed  been  prophetic:  "When  this  mighty 
work  is  completed,"  he  said  in  this  address,  "and  the  commerce  of  the  East  is 
being  brought  over  it,  and  the  iron  bands  connect  the  oceans,  a  grateful  country 
will  carve  out  of  the  granite  pillars  of  the  Rocky  Mountains  a  statue  of  Colum- 
bus pointing  to  the  West,  and  exclaiming,  'Tiiere  is  the  East !  There !  There 
is  India !'  " 

The  Union  Pacific  committee  on  location,  which  included  Sidney  Dillon. 
Oliver  Ames  and  Thomas  C.  Durant,  reported  in  favor  of  a  branch  to  Denver 
with  spurs  into  the  mining  centers.  It  made  particular  mention  of  the  vast  de- 
posits of  coal  which  would  become  available  by  the  construction  of  the  liranch. 


334  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

However,  it  was  not  the  Union  Pacific  directorate  but  pioneering  giants  who  built 
the  road  and  put  Denver  on  the  map. 

The  act  of  Congress  moreover  provided  a  land  grant  only  for  main-line  con- 
struction, hence  the  Union  Pacific  Company  soon  came  to  Colorado  with  out- 
stretched hands.  Again  it  took  the  energy  and  pluck  of  its  pioneers  to  steer 
Denver  out  of  the  grip  of  wily  financiers. 

It  is  apparent  therefore  that  there  were  powerful  reasons  for  the  adoption 
of  the  Bridger  Pass  route  for  the  main  line  aside  from  the  greater  cost  of  con- 
struction along  the  Berthoud  Pass  line.  The  land  grant  was  figured  on  a 
mileage  basis,  as  were  the  subsidy  bonds.  The  larger  the  mileage  the  greater  the 
borrowing  power  of  the  road.  So  this  three  years'  work  of  preliminary  surveys 
ended  as  might  have  been  anticipated,  with  the  all-powerful  money-making  argo- 
nauts clearly  in  the  ascendant  and  finally  victorious. 

THE  CHEYENNE  MENACE 

For  Denver  the  sudden  creation  of  a  railroad  metropolis  at  Cheyenne  seemed 
little  short  of  ruinous.  The  Union  Pacific  directors  had  given  it  a  body  blow  from 
which,  without  the  genius  and  pluck  of  its  citizens,  it  might  never  recover.  In 
1867  Denver  had  about  four  thousand  inhabitants,  and  even  this  remnant  was 
threatening  to  go  to  Cheyenne  and  to  other  more  prosperous  fields.  Leading 
firms  moved  their  stock  to  Cheyenne,  believing  that  only  ruins  would  soon  mark 
the  site  of  the  City  of  Denver.  On  the  heels  of  this  news  came  the  information 
that  the  Kansas  Pacific  was  surveying  for  a  southern  route  to  the  far  west,  elim- 
inating Denver  as  a  terminal. 

After  all  it  was  masterful  leadership  that  won  the  day  for  Denver  and  Colo- 
rado,— the  leadership  of  a  group  of  pioneers  built  much  on  the  order  of  those 
who  first  car\-ed  towns  out  of  the  American  wilderness  along  the  eastern  coast. 

Within  its  own  territory  too  the  Denver  men  had  wounds  to  heal.  W.  A.  H. 
Loveland,  the  president  of  the  Colorado  Central  &  Pacific,  was  one  of  the  found- 
ers of  Golden,  and  at  this  period  bent  all  his  energies  to  make  this  the  coming 
railroad  center  of  the  gold  region.  In  the  long  struggle  which  ensued  Love- 
land  never  gave  up  the  dream  of  building  northward  along  the  west  side  of  the 
Platte,  which  meant  a  terminal  at  Golden. 

THE  K.\NSAS  PACIFIC  RAILROAD 

In  June,  1866,  came  the  first  ray  of  hope  in  the  passage  by  Congress  of  the 
act  compelling  the  Kansas  Pacific  to  become  the  eastern  division  of  the  Union 
Pacific,  although  under  distinct  management  and  control,  and  to  connect  with 
the  main  line  at  a  point  not  more  than  fifty  miles  west  of  the  longitude  of 
Denver. 

The  Government  land  grant  of  the  Kansas  Pacific,  however,  ended  at  Pond 
Creek,  and  by  the  middle  of  1867  it  was  unable  to  go  on  with  construction  unless 
aid  came  from  one  of  two  sources.  Congress  in  the  shape  of  an  additional  land 
grant,  or  from  Denver  with  its  dream  of  greatness  apparently  shattered  by  the 
creation  of  booming  Cheyenne. 

Thus  in  midsummer  of  1867  Denver  was  facing  a  "stalled"  railroad  far  off 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  335 

in  Kansas,  what  seemed  a  hopeless  fight  for  a  branch  road  to  the  north,  and 
Loveland  still  struggling  for  a  "western"  Platte  route  connection.  The  situation 
was  anything  but   encouraging. 

In  this  quandary  Denver  for  a  time  became  the  prey  of  groups  of  wily  finan- 
ciers who  wanted  bonds — negotiable  securities  to  tide  their  companies  over  dif- 
ficulties. 

.Some  of  the  propositions  of  this  period  were  made  in  good  faith,  and  were 
supported  by  the  leading  men  of  the  community,  yet  in  the  end  it  was  not  the 
intruder  and  not  the  foreign  financier  who  brought  prosperity  and  the  basis 
of  greatness  to  Denver,  but  the  determination  and  the  pluck  and  the  sacrifice 
of  its  own  citizenship. 

AID  REQUESTED 

On  July  II,  1867,  Denver  was  visited  by  Thomas  J.  Carter,  one  of  the  Gov- 
ernment directors  of  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad,  who  came  to  find  out  what 
Denver  would  do  toward  the  construction  of  a  branch  to  connect  with  the  Union 
Pacific.  He  suggested  using  the  Colorado  Central  &  Pacific,  General  Loveland's 
proposed  road,  from  Denver  to  Cheyenne,  with  a  branch  to  Golden  and  one  to 
Boulder.  But  for  this  the  road  bed  must  be  built  by  the  people  of  the  counties 
to  be  benefited.  The  Union  Pacific  would  lay  the  iron  and  provide  the  rolling 
stock  and  operate  the  road,  giving  to  each  county  stock  equivalent  to  the  amount 
voted  in  bonds.  The.  total  to  be  raised  was  $600,000,  and  of  this  Denver  was  to 
contribute  $200,000,  the  remainder  to  be  voted  by  Jefferson,  Gilpin,  Clear  Creek 
and  Boulder  counties. 

To  the  keenness  and  to  the  genius  of  John  Evans,  Denver  owes  its  escape 
from  the  tangle  which  outsiders  were  creating.  Even  at  this  early  period  Mr. 
Evans  insisted  that  the  bonds  be  voted  for  a  direct  route  between  Denver  and 
Cheyenne,  stipulating  the  southern  bank  of  the  Platte  as  part  of  the  proposed 
line. 

The  Kansas  Pacific,  as  stated  before,  was  in  financial  straits.  There  was 
the  possibility  of  eventually  getting  a  big  stake  in  Denver,  and  Col.  James  Archer 
was  sent  as  the  emissary  to  induce  its  people  to  vote  down  the  Union  Pacific 
proposition. 

It  is  true  that  Congress  had  passed  the  act  creating  the  Kansas  Pacific  as 
the  eastern  division  of  the  Union  Pacific,  and  that  Denver  was  to  be  the  terminus, 
but  there  was  a  belief  current  that  with  the  "land  grant"  construction  about 
completed  the  road  could  be  built  independent  of  Government  aid  toward  the 
southwest  with  Las  Animas  on  the  Arkansas  River  as  the  first  objective  of  a 
proposed  southern  route  to  the  Pacific  Coast. 

Yet  without  Government  aid  help  must  come  from  eastern  capital  or  from 
the  country  traversed,  and  it  was  generally  supposed  that  while  no  subsidy  was 
asked  for  the  opposition  of  the  Kansas  Pacific  to  the  counter  proposition  was 
due  solely  to  the  fear  that  Denver  coiilrl  not  be  "bled"  twice  in  rapid  succession. 
There  was  logic  in  this  argument. 

However,  Denver,  on  August  17th,  unanimously  voted  the  aid  asked  for 
by  Mr.  Carter,  and  speedy  action  was  suggested  as  the  Union  Pacific  was  already 


336  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

completed  to  the  junction  of  the  North  and  South  Platte,  and  it  would  not  be 
many  months  before  it  would  reach  Cheyenne. 

The  wisdom  of  John  Evans  became  apparent.  General  Loveland  had  no 
intention  of  giving  up  his  dream  to  make  Golden  the  terminal  and  the  bonds 
voted  were  never  issued. 

The  Kansas  Pacific  now  began  its  campaign  for  help  from  Denver.  In  Sep- 
tember the  engineers  appeared  on  the  scene  and  began  the  survey  of  a  line  con- 
necting the  Colorado  metropolis  with  the  "land  grant"  terminal. 

A  DAY   OF   CRISIS 

November  14,  1867,  is  the  day  on  which  the  fate  of  Denver  was  in  the  bal- 
ance. Col.  James  Archer,  of  St.  Louis,  and  one  of  the  directors  of  the  Kansas 
Pacific,  later  an  honored  and  respected  citizen  of  Denver,  had  come  to  tell  the 
people  of  Denver  of  the  financial  difficulties  of  his  road,  so  to  speak,  stranded 
on  a  Kansas  prairie.  It  would  require  a  subsidy  of  $2,000,000  to  build  it  to 
Denver.  Col.  D.  C.  Dodge,  who  then  represented  the  Chicago  &  Northwestern 
road  in  Denver,  had  telegraphed  the  proposed  plan  of  subsidy  to  the  Union 
Pacific  officials  some  days  prior  to  the  meeting,  and  these  far-seeing  men  lost 
no  time  in  sending  to  Denver  George  Francis  Train,  then  a  famous  though  eccen- 
tric character,  and  an  orator  of  great  ability. 

Colonel  Archer  had  made  his  proposition,  which  was  new  to  many  present, 
and  fairly  staggered  the  entire  gathering.  Train  followed,  and  in  elaborate  and 
convincing  argument  suggested  a  local  company  to  build  the  branch  to  Cheyenne 
along  the  most  feasible  route. 

On  November  i8th  John  Evans  addressed  a  monster  meeting  of  citizens 
in  the  Denver  Theatre,  at  Sixteenth  and  Arapahoe  streets,  and  informed  them 
that  a  company  had  been  formed  to  incorporate  a  railroad  to  run  from  Denver 
to  Cheyenne.  In  a  few  days  this  was  done,  and  its  first  directors  were : 
Joseph  E.  Bates,  William  M.  Clayton,  John  Evans,  Bela  M.  Hughes,  W.  F. 
Johnson,  Luther  Kountze,  David  H.  MofTat,  John  Pierce  and  John  W.  Smith. 
Its  officers  were :  President,  Bela  M.  Hughes ;  vice  president,  Luther  Kountze ; 
treasurer,  David  H.  Moffat;  secretary,  W.  F.  Johnson;  chief  engineer,  F.  M. 
Case. 

SITUATION  IN   1868 

In  a  pamphlet  published  by  the  Denver  Board  of  Trade  in  1868,  the  railroad 
situation  is  thus  instructively  detailed: 

"The  Denver  Pacific  Railway  and  Telegraph  Company  was  organized  under 
the  laws  of  Colorado  in  November,  1867.  Books  of  subscription  were  opened, 
and  in  a  single  week  $280,000  were  subscribed  by  the  business  men  of  Denver. 
On  January  20,  1868,  by  an  almost  unanimous  vote  the  citizens  of  Arapahoe 
County  voted  a  subscription  of  $500,000  to  the  stock  of  the  company.  Con- 
tracts for  the  whole  road  have  been  made  with  prominent  members  of  the  Union 
Pacific  Railroad  Company.  Work  has  commenced.  The  grading  is  progressing 
at  the  rate  of  one  and  one-half  to  two  miles  per  day,  and  it  is  confidently  expected 
that  connection  with  Chicago  will  be  secured  by  November  and  certainly  within 
the  present  year. 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  337 

"The  Union  Pacific  (eastern  division)  has  reached  Pond  Creek,  i8o  miles 
east  of  Denver,  at  which  point  its  government  subsidy  of  $16,000  per  mile 
ceases.  The  policy  of  the  company  constructing  that  road  is  unknown,  but 
there  is  no  doubt  that  St.  Louis,  Cincinnati  and  Philadelphia,  which  are  to  be 
benefited  by  its  extension,  will  at  an  early  day  push  it  through  to  Denver,  and 
beyond  to  a  connection  with  the  main  line. 

"The  completion  of  the  branch  railroad  from  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad 
during  the  summer,  as  contemplated,  will  give  an  immense  stimulus  to  the 
growth  and  business  of  Denver   .    .    . 

"The  United  States  &  Mexico  Telegraph  Company,  with  a  capital  of  $1,000,000, 
lately  organized  under  the  general  incorporation  law  of  the  territory,  for  the 
purpose  of  constructing  a  telegraph  line  from  Denver  to  Colorado  City,  Pueblo, 
Trinidad  and  Fort  Union  to  Santa  Fe,  a  distance  of  430  miles,  have  already  con- 
structed 200  miles,  and  the  line  is  being  pushed  forward  at  the  rate  of  five  miles 
a  day. 

"The  Arapahoe,  Jefiferson  &  South  Park  Railroad  Company,  also  organized 
under  the  general  incorporation  law  of  the  territory,  has  projected  a  narrow 
gauge  road  from  Denver  to  the  mining  region  for  the  purpose  of  bringing  ores 
to  the  coal  fields  of  the  plains  for  cheaper  reduction,  and  for  the  cheaper  trans- 
portation of  the  coal,  building  stone  and  lumber  used  in  Denver.  About  one- 
third  of  the  capital  required  for  the  construction  of  the  first  and  most  important 
section  of  this  road  is  already  subscribed." 

The  enthusiasm  of  the  citizens  of  Denver  which,  in  December,  1867,  had  by 
legislative  enactment  become  the  momentary  capital  of  the  territory,  thus  taking 
much  of  the  prestige  which  had  aided  the  "Golden"  project  from  that  pushing 
little  town,  is  best  exemplified  in  the  vote  for  the  half-million  bond  issue.  Out 
of  1,306  votes  cast  only  47  were  against  the  proposition. 

And  yet  Loveland,  the  indefatigable,  was  not  easily  defeated.  In  fact  the 
first  ground  for  a  railroad  in  Colorado  was  broken  at  Golden  on  January  i, 
1868,  and  about  200  feet  was  graded.  There,  however,  the  Colorado  Central  & 
Pacific  project  rested  awaiting  financial  developments. 

The  Denver  Pacific  Company  was  not  idle.  Its  promoters  were  men  of  great 
energy,  who  did  not  know  what  defeat  meant.  In  January,  1868,  the  Kansas 
Pacific  again  sent  emmissaries  to  Denver,  who  were  informed  that  the  com- 
munity was  not  to  be  deluded  again  by  promises,  but  that  if  the  road  was  to  be 
extended  to  Denver  the  men  back  of  the  eastern  division  must  find  the  construc- 
tion capital  elsewhere  than  in  Denver. 

Governor  Evans  and  John  Pierce  in  the  meantime  had  gone  to  New  York 
and  closed  with  the  Union  Pacific  along  the  lines  of  the  earlier  contract,  which 
provided  that  the  local  company  was  to  furnish  the  funds  to  grade  the  road  and 
that  the  Union  Pacific  would  supply  the  iron  and  the  rolling  stock. 

The  route  was  to  be  along  the  Platte  as  far  as  practicable,  and  was  to  be 
a  direct  line  between  Cheyenne  and  Denver.  As  fast  as  twenty-mile  sections 
were  graded  the  Union  Pacific  agreed  to  lay  the  rails  and  put  the  road  into 
service. 

Before  actual  work  was  begun  the  contract  with  the  Union  Pacific  underwent 
some  changes.  Durant  and  Dillon  took  the  contract  for  building  the  entire  branch. 
The  Denver  Pacific  Company  was  to  supply  half  a  million  dollars  toward  this 


338  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

work,  and  the  Union  Pacific  was  in  turn  to  receive  a  subsidy,  based  on  mileage, 
of  Denver  Pacific  stock,  agreeing  in  turn  to  operate  the  road  when  completed 
and  to  pay  8  per  cent  on  its  two  million  capitalization. 

Actual  construction  was  to  begin  at  the  Cheyenne  end,  but  ground  was  first 
broken  at  Denver  on  Monday,  May  i8,  1868,  not  far  from  the  comer  of  Blake 
Street  and  Fortieth  Avenue. 

This  agreement  was  never  fulfilled,  the  Union  Pacific  failing  even  to  com- 
plete the  survey,  and  finally,  when  the  matter  was  peremptorily  put  up  to  its 
directors  in  Boston,  acknowledged  that  it  was  financially  unable  to  carry  out 
the  contract. 

In  the  meantime  Governor  Evans,  accurately  construing  .the  delay,  had  gone 
to  Congress  for  the  subsidy  which  was  really  contemplated  in  the  act  creating 
the  eastern  division  of  the  Union  Pacific  and  providing  for  its  connection  with 
the  main  line  not  more  than  fifty  miles  west  of  the  longitude  of  Denver.  All 
efforts  to  dispose  of  the  Arapahoe  County  bonds  had  failed,  but  with  a  Govern- 
ment subsidy  the  path  of  the  project  would  be  cleared  of  all  obstacles. 

The  Kansas  Pacific  fought  the  act  at  the  first  session,  but  finally  an  agreement 
was  reached,  and  in  March,  1869,  Congress  provided  a  land  grant  of  alternate 
sections  for  the  Kansas  Pacific  to  Denver,  and  for  the  Denver  Pacific  to  Cheyenne, 
the  Kansas  Pacific  to  operate  the  entire  line  on  its  completion.  This,  in  fact, 
confirmed  the  purpose  of  the  Pacific  Railroad  act  of  1866,  creating  a  through 
line  from  Kansas  City  to  a  point  on  the  Union  Pacific  in  Wyoming.  Each  com- 
pany was,  moreover,  authorized  to  bond  the  road  for  not  more  than  $32,000  per 
mile. 

The  news  of  the  success  of  Governor  Evans'  effort  reached  Denver  by  wire 
over  the  only  part  of  the  Denver  Pacific  project  so  far  completed.  This  was 
the  telegraph  line  between  Cheyenne  and  Denver,  which  had  been  built  in  sixty 
days  and  had  been  opened  for  business  January  i,  1869. 

In  the  midst  of  its  rejoicing  Denver  was  saddened  by  news  of  the  death  of 
Major  Johnson,  president  of  the  Denver  Pacific.  Governor  Evans  on  his  return 
succeeded  to  the  office. 

ADVENT  OF  GEN.   WILLIAM   J.   PALMER 

This  stage  in  the  railroad  history  of  Colorado  is  marked  by  the  advent  of 
its  greatest  railroad  builder.  Gen.  William  J.  Palmer,  who  was  closely  identified 
with  the  Kansas  Pacific  interests. 

He  came  into  the  territory  as  a  constructive  power,  and  soon  won  the  admi- 
ration and  respect  of  all  those  who  had  fought  so  long  for  this  rail  connection 
with  the  outer  world.  The  Kansas  Pacific  was  no  longer  a  beggar.  It  had  not 
alone  its  new  government  subsidy,  but  a  negotiable  foreign  loan  amounting  to 
$6,500,000.  It  did  not  take  long  to  start  things  moving,  the  two  roads  merging 
their  interests. 

The  capitalization  of  the  Denver  Pacific  had  been  increased  to  $4,000,000 
shortly  after  the  second  agreement  with  the  Union  Pacific,  and  this  was  now 
available  for  its  larger  purposes.  The  company  issued  $2,500,000  of  7  per  cent 
bonds,  a  lien  on  800,000  acres  of  land  secured  from  the  Government.  By  Sep- 
tember, 1869,  the  contractors.  Governor  Evans,  Walter  S.  Cheesman,  David  H. 


o 


Hi 

o 

o 

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340  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

Moffat  and  associates,  had  begun  laying  tracks,  and  before  winter  the  road, 
approximately  fifty-eight  miles,  with  a  small  equipment,  was  operating  to  the 
crossing  of  the  Platte,  at  the  town  which  had  been  given  the  name  of  Evans  in 
honor  of  the  president  of  the  Denver  Pacific. 

ARRIVAL  OF   FIRST  TRAINS   IN    DENVER 

In  Alay,  1870,  construction  was  begun  on  the  southern  part  of  the  line  under 
the  direction  of  General  Palmer,  and  the  line  from  the  site  of  the  present  Union 
Pacific  shops  to  Evans  was  completed  by  June  nth,  a  notable  day  in  the  history 
of  Colorado.  The  silver  spike  driven  as  the  concluding  act  of  construction  was 
presented  by  Georgetown,  and  was  inscribed  with  the  name  of  that  town,  to 
the  Denver  Pacific,  and  the  name  of  John  Evans,  president  of  the  road.  The 
first  locomotive,  which  arrived  on  that  day,  was  followed,  on  June  24th,  by  the 
first  passenger  train. 

The  officers  and  directors  of  the  Denver  Pacific  at  this  time  were :  President, 
John  Evans ;  vice  president,  John  Pierce ;  secretary  and  auditor,  R.  R.  McCor- 
mick ;  treasurer,  David  H.  Moffat ;  chief  engineer,  L.  H.  Eicholtz.  The  directors, 
in  addition  to  these  officers,  were:  Walter  S.  Cheesman,  William  M.  Clayton, 
Frank  Palmer,  of  Denver,  Robert  E.  Carr,  William  J.  Palmer,  R.  H.  Lambom, 
representing  Kansas  Pacific  interests. 

In  the  meantime  the  Kansas  Pacific  was  speeding  to  completion,  and  on  August 
15th  the  first  passenger  train  arrived  from  Kansas  City.  A  ten-mile  stretch  had 
been  completed  in  about  ten  hours,  a  rare  feat  for  those  early  days  of  railroad 
building  in  the  Far  West. 

In  April,  1870,  Governor  Evans  in  an  address  to  the  Board  of  Trade  stated 
that  it  had  been  found  impossible  to  reduce  the  capitalization  from  $4,000,000 
back  to  the  original  $2,000,000,  which  would  have  materially  enhanced  the  value 
of  the  Arapahoe  County  bond  issue.  "The  stock,"  he  added,  "represented  all  the 
value  then  existing,  and  it  was  an  absolute  necessity  that  the  stock  should  all 
be  given  to  secure  the  prosecution  and  completion  of  the  work.  Even  then  it 
was  doubtful  if  it  could  be  made  to  answer  the  purpose,  for  it  must  either  be 
sold  for  cash  enough,  or  the  assets  it  represented  be  made  to  ser\'e  the  purpose 
of  borrowing  enough  money  upon,  to  pay  for  the  entire  work.  Nothing  but  cash 
will  build  railways." 

"I  took  the  contract,  therefore,  to  build  the  road  with  the  remaining  stock. 
The  county  bonds  in  hand,  at  the  best  price  that  could  be  obtained  for  them, 
were  barely  sufficient  to  finish  the  grading  and  pay  the  pressing  indebtedness 
already  incurred  for  ties  and  other  material.  While  the  contract  was  thus  pressed 
upon  me,  and  while  there  were  serious  doubts  as  to  the  success  of  our  efforts 
to  make  the  means  accomplish  the  end  in  view,  I  held  in  mental  reservation  a 
determination  to  so  manage  the  matter  as  to  make  enough  out  of  the  contract 
to  enable  me  to  donate  to  the  county  an  additional  half-million  of  the  capital 
stock  of  the  road. 

"This  purpose  I  did  not  at  first  allow  myself  to  express  to  anyone,  for  fear 
of  disappointment  in  making  the  necessary  profit  on  the  contract  to  enable  me 
to  do  so,  and  in  my  negotiations  I  found  it  absolutely  necessary  to  place  the  half- 
million  capital  stock  in  trust,  to  be  voted  in  perpetuity,  but  reserving  to  myself 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  341 

and  my  assigns  the  entire  right  of  property  in  the  same,  and  all  profits  and  divi- 
dends arising  therefrom. 

"I  will,  therefore,  have,  to  all  intents  and  purposes,  the  whole  intrinsic  value 
of  said  stock  in  my  possession  and  ownership  as  soon  as  the  road  shall  be  com- 
pleted, and  I  now  for  the  first  time  publicly  declare,  that  it  is  my  full  purpose 
and  intention  to  donate  the  same  to  Arapahoe  County  as  soon  as  I  shall  become 
entitled  to  it  by  compliance  with  my  contract  to  complete  the  road  to  the  City 
of  Denver.  This  I  do  on  the  condition  that  the  people  shall  go  forward  with  the 
other  enterprises  so  necessary  to  our  prosperity." 

STRUGGLE  FOR  MINING  OUTPUT 

The  Union  Pacific  had  been  fairly  checkmated  in  the  railroad  game  in  Colo- 
rado, but  it  did  not  acknowledge  its  defeat  for  some  years.  Its  directors  were 
still  pinning  their  faith  to  the  project  of  W.  A.  H.  Loveland,  whose  untiring 
efforts  to  make  Golden  the  metropolis  of  Colorado,  even  though  unsuccessful, 
are  worthy  to  rank  among  the  great  pioneering  efiforts  of  this  formative  period. 

On  the  part  of  the  Union  Pacific  it  was  an  effort  to  secure  control  of  the 
mine  output  of  Clear  Creek,  Gilpin,  Jefferson,  and  Boulder  counties  and,  as  far 
as  possible,  at  the  expense  of  the  citizens  of  these  counties.  Jefferson,  Love- 
land's  home  county,  had  voted  the  Colorado  Central  $100,000  of  bonds,  and 
this  enabled  Loveland  to  make  some  progress  on  his  project.  He  purposely  made 
his  Denver  terminal  close  to  the  junction  of  the  Denver  Pacific  and  Kansas  Pacific 
lines  on  or  near  the  site  of  the  now  dismantled  Grant  smelter.  By  this  move 
he  hoped  to  divert  trafific  direct  to  Golden  and  away  from  the  growing  town  of 
Cherry  Creek.  As  part  of  this  plan  he  designed  a  standard  gauge  connection 
between  his  so-called  Denver  terminal  and  Golden,  but  the  line  up  Clear  Creek 
Valley  was  to  be  of  narrow  gauge  construction.  On  September  23,  1870,  the 
standard  gauge  section  had  been  completed  and  passenger  trains  were  run.  The 
Union  Pacific  had  finally,  when  the  Denver  Pacific  was  nearing  completion,  agreed 
to  put  down  the  rails  and  equip  the  graded  main  line  of  the  Colorado  Central. 
Not  until  1874  was  the  route  changed  to  enter  the  city  directly. 

In  1871  a  total  of  ninety  and  three  fourths  miles  of  operated  road  was  added 
to  Colorado's  transportation  system.  The  Boulder  Valley  from  Hughes  to  Erie, 
a  distance  of  fourteen  and  three-fourths  miles,  was  the  first  branch  of  the  Denver 
Pacific.  The  Denver  &  Rio  Grande,  the  history  of  which  will  follow,  had  built 
seventy-six  miles  between  Denver  and  Colorado  Springs,  the  town  then  founded 
by  General  Palmer.    But  this  section  had  not  been  opened  until  November. 

FREIGHT  BUSINESS  IN    1871 

With  this  added  mileage  the  following  exhibit  of  freight  received  and  for- 
warded at  Denver  by  all  railroads  during  1871  is  interesting  as  a  study  of 
immediate  growth : 

Lbs.  Received  Lbs.  Forwarded 

January 15.724.679  4.368,359 

February 13.094.741  2,609,735 

March    17,635.441  2,814,233 


342  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

Lbs.  Received  Lbs.  Forwarded ' 

April 18,888,270  2,679,688 

May    21,397,733  3.577.253 

June 19,709,435  3.088,963 

July    17,583,666  2,278,441 

August 21,317,435  2,390,689 

September 27,555,105  3.239.696 

October 23,769,860  5,853,261 

November 23,318,839  3.574.347 

*December 14,200,000  .                    2,910,406 

At  the  end  of  the  year  1871  there  were  in  operation  within  the  limits  of  the 
state  425  miles  of  railroad. 

The  passenger  fare  between  Chicago  or  St.  Louis  and  Denver  was  $55 ; 
between  Denver  and  Cheyenne,  $10;  between  Denver  and  Kansas  City,  $44. 
Local  fares  on  Colorado  roads  averaged  10  cents  per  mile.  Freight  between 
Denver  and  Kansas  City  or  Omaha  ranged  between  80  cents  and  $2.80  per  hun- 
dred, according  to  class.  Even  at  this  early  period  the  Union  Pacific  and  Kansas 
Pacific  made  uniform  rates  from  Missouri  River  points  to  Denver. 

There  was  received  at  Denver  over  the  Denver  Pacific  and  Kansas  Pacific 
for  the  first  eleven  months  of  1872,  88,539,710  lbs.  of  freight  as  against  62,551,- 
690  lbs.  for  the  corresponding  period  of  1871.  The  amount  of  outgoing  freight 
over  these  two  lines  for  1871  was  7,031,842  lbs.,  and  17,833,625  lbs.  for  1872. 

A  few  carloads  of  cattle  were  shipped  east  in  1871,  just  enough  to  demon- 
strate that  the  trade  could  be  made  a  profitable  one,  both  to  the  shipper  and  to 
the  railways.  In  1872,  13,878  head  of  cattle  were  shipped  out  of  Colorado.  To 
this  must  be  added  31,250  head  driven  out  of  the  state.  The  value  of  live  stock 
exported  from  Colorado  in  1872  was  $1,016,980.  • 

THE   C0LOR.\D0  CENTR.\L   &   PACIFIC    STARTS   BUILDING 

In  1870  the  clamor  of  the  mining  districts  was  at  last  heeded  and  construc- 
tion work  was  begun  by  the  Colorado  Central  along  Clear  Creek  Caiion.  This 
was  a  most  difficult  engineering  task,  but  the  bonus  of  $250,000  in  Gilpin  County 
bonds  proved  a  strong  incentive.  In  1871  Gilpin  had  voted  $300,000  in  bonds 
provided  the  road  could  reach  Blackhawk  in  a  year.  This  was  an  impossible 
task,  but  the  second  bond  offer  of  $250,000  was  approved,  yet  the  road  failed  to 
reach  Central  City  in  the  time  stipulated.  It,  however,  reached  Blackhawk  in 
December,  1872,  and  Floyd  Hill  in  March,  1873. 

The  completion  of  the  four-mile  branch  from  the  junction  of  North  and 
South  Clear  creeks  to  the  western  base  of  Floyd  Hill,  the  entrance  to  the  valley 
of  South  Clear  Creek,  gave  an  immediate  outlet  to  the  valuable  mines  of  Idaho, 
Spanish  Bar,  Georgetown  and  Empire.  In  a  report  issued  by  the  state  geologist, 
J.  Alden  Smith,  in  1883,  he  thus  describes  the  results  that  followed  the  advent 
of  the  Colorado  Central  in  the  Clear  Creek  mining  camp: 

"The  necessities  of  the  people  following  the  exhaustion  of  timber  on  the 
mountain  sides,  were  met  by  cheaper  and  better  fuel  brought  up  from  the  coal 
beds  of  the  plains.    Colder,  having  by  this  time  become  not  only  an  active  rail- 


*  Snow   blockade 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  343 

way  center,  but  a  strong  point  for  the  reduction  of  ores,  competing  markets  were 
opened  to  the  miners;  and  the  unsatisfactory  returns  of  the  stamp  mills,  which 
up  to  1868  when  the  Boston  &  Colorado  Smelting  Works  became  a  competitor, 
were  the  sole  arbiters  of  the  gold  product,  were  supplemented,  or  rather,  for  the 
higher  grade  of  minerals,  wholly  superseded  by  the  more  perfect  method  of 
reduction  in  reverberating  and  blast  furnaces.  The  change  became  a  revelation 
to  the  despondent  workers  underground,  since  it  brought  the  promise  of  sub- 
stantial gains  for  the  present  and  future. 

"Then  began  the  practical  demonstration  of  the  character  and  value  of  the 
fissure  veins  at  great  depths,  and  the  smelters  were  soon  enabled  to  pay  higher 
prices  for  the  grades  best  adapted  to  their  use,  and  to  multiply  their  facilities 
to  the  extent  of  the  growing  demand." 

FJut  the  Colorado  Central,  or  rather  the  Union  Pacific,  had  larger  plans  in 
mind  to  meet  the  last  successful  move  of  its  rivals.  In  these  years  of  1870,  1871 
and  1872  money  was  still  plentiful  for  investment,  and  in  the  financial  sky  there 
were  no  portents  of  the  collapse  to  come  in  1873. 

Actual  standard  gauge  construction  on  what  was  to  be  the  main  line  of  the 
Colorado  Central  was  begun  in  1872  along  a  survey  which  extended  from  Golden 
as  a  terminal  to  Julesburg,  by  way  of  the  coal  fields  at  Marshall,  and  by  way  of 
Boulder,  Longmont  and  Greeley,  thus  completely  sidetracking  Denver.  Boulder 
and  Weld  counties  had  voted  it  $200,000  and  $150,000  in  bonds,  respectively. 
When  the  panic  of  1873  broke  upon  the  nation  the  Colorado  Central  & 
Pacific  had  been  completed  and  was  in  operation  to  Longmont.  There  it 
remained,  for  the  great  eastern  sources  of  investment  funds  were  suddenly  dried 
up.    \\'ork  also  was  stopped  on  the  narrow  gauge  at  Floyd  Hill. 

But  the  plan  to  sidetrack  Denver,  which  was  ended  by  the  panic,  had  been 
followed  earlier  along  a  southerly  route  as  well,  where  a  connection  between 
Golden  and  Littleton  on  the  new  Denver  &  Rio  Grande  had  been  completed. 
This  was  plainly  to  divert  southern  business  to  Loveland's  proposed  Colorado 
metropolis. 

The  advent  of  the  Colorado  Central  and  the  Denver  Pacific  into  the  coal  fields 
of  Marshall  and  Erie  respectively  had  an  immediate  effect  in  greatly  cheapening 
the  price  of  fuel  in  Denver,  Golden,  Boulder,  reached  on  June  i,  1874,  by  the 
Denver  Pacific,  and  the  other  new  communities.  Prior  to  the  advent  of  the  rail- 
roads into  the  coal  fields  the  price  per  ton  of  lignite  coal,  delivered  by  wagons 
direct  from  the  field,  was  $10  to  $15  per  ton.  When  the  railroads  opened  the 
fields  the  retail  price  at  once  went  down  to  $4  and  $5  per  ton. 

It  was  not  until  1877  that  the  Floyd  Hill  branch  of  the  Colorado  Central 
was  extended  to  Georgetown.  In  that  year  also  the  coal  road  from  Boulder  to 
the  Marshall  coal  banks,  six  miles  distant,  was  completed  by  T.  G.  Lyster  and 
associates,  of  Denver.    This  was  known  as  the  Golden,  Boulder  &  Caribou. 

In  1878  the  gap  between  Blackhawk  and  Central  City  was  filled  by  a  switch- 
back a  remarkable  achievement  of  engineering  skill. 

In  1881  what  was  known  as  the  Julesburg  cut-off  was  extended  from  the 
Town  of  Evans  on  the  Denver  Pacific,  200  miles  down  the  valley  of  the  South 
Platte  River  to  a  junction  with  the  main  line  of  llie  Union  Pacific  at  a  point  about 
five  miles  east  of  the  old  Julesburg  station.  This  made  a  line  to  Omaha  seventy 
miles  shorter  than  via  Cheyenne. 


344  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

But  this  construction  work  on  the  part  of  the  Colorado  Central  and  Union 
Pacific  was  by  no  means  a  peaceful  proceeding.  In  fact  in  the  history  of  Colo- 
rado's railroad  wars  it  is  paralleled  only  by  the  fight  made  many  years  later  on 
the  builders  of  the  "Moffat  road,"  and  which  might  almost  be  called  a  renewal 
of  that  old  trouble. 

KANS.\S  PACIFIC  IN    FINANCIAL  STRAITS 

The  panic  had  left  the  Kansas  Pacific  without  the  feeders  so  necessary  for 
its  existence.  It  now  began  to  feel  the  heavy  hand  of  Union  Pacific  competition, 
for  with  the  Colorado  Central's  extension  to  Floyd  Hill  the  latter  road,  or  rather 
the  Union  Pacific,  controlled  practically  all  of  the  mining  trade  of  the  territory. 
In  March,  1872,  when  the  pinch  of  future  competition  was  in  evidence,  Presi- 
dent John  Evans,  of  the  Denver  Pacific,  resigned  and  R.  E.  Carr,  executive  of 
the  Kansas  Pacific,  replaced  him.  Their  first  move  was  the  incorporation  of  the 
Denver,  Georgetown  &  Utah  Railway  Company,  planned  to  run  through  Mt. 
Vernon  Canon  to  Idaho  Springs,  Georgetown,  and  then  over  the  range  to  Utah. 
A  branch  was  to  be  built  to  Central  City.  R.  E.  Carr  was  president  of  this 
company;  John  D.  Perry,  vice  president;  R.  R.  McCormick,  secretary;  David 
H.  Moffat,  treasurer;  with  Governor  Evans  as  adviser. 

Bond  issues  were  voted  by  Clear  Creek  and  Arapahoe  counties  but  no  bonds 
were  ever  issued  for  the  Colorado  Central  had  been  aroused  to  sudden  activity 
by  the  opposition  movement  and  speedily  finished  its  line  to  Blackhawk  and  Floyd 
Hill  as  already  related. 

The  Evans-Carr  project  lapsed  for  the  time  being,  and  the  Kansas  Pacific, 
hit  hard  by  the  panic  and  by  the  failure  to  establish  feeders  out  of  Denver,  soon 
showed  signs  of  distress.  In  1S73  the  company  defaulted  in  the  payment  of 
interest  on  its  bonds  and  was  placed  in  the  hands  of  a  receiver. 

The  Union  Pacific  directorate  now  became  conciliatory,  hoping  to  secure 
possession  of  the  Kansas  Pacific  and  Denver  Pacific.  Rs  first  move  along  this 
line  was  to  effect  a  lease  of  the  Colorado  Central  to  the  Kansas  Pacific.  This 
was  ratified  by  the  Colorado  Central  at  a  meeting  held  in  April,  1877,  and  pre- 
sided over  by  Senator  Henry  M.  Teller,  who  was  then  president  of  the  road. 
The  Union  Pacific,  in  control,  had,  however,  failed  to  consider  the  fighting 
capacity  of  the  founder  of  the  Colorado  Central,  W.  A.  H.  Loveland.  The  con- 
solidation, or  what  amounted  to  such,  wiped  out  much,  if  not  all,  of  the  value 
in  the  stocks  held  by  the  several  bonded  counties.  This  brought  the  people  to 
the  side  of  Loveland,  and  on  May  21,  1876,  they  took  forcible  possession  of 
the  road. 

The  courts  were  quick  to  act,  as  the  Union  Pacific  had  suddenly  entered  the 
contest  with  a  claim  of  $1,250,000  for  rolling  stock  and  material.  Judge  A.  W. 
Stone,  of  the  Second  Judicial  District,  appointed  David  H.  Moffat  receiver  and 
arranged  to  qualify  him  at  Boulder  on  August  15th,  the  last  day  of  the  term. 
But  on  the  morning  of  that  day  the  judge  was  forcibly  taken  from  a  train,  and 
hidden  in  the  mountains  for  three  days,  and  finally  brought  back  to  Denver  at 
night  none  the  worse  for  his  adventure.  But  the  governor  extended  the  term  of 
court  and  the  judge  then  qualified  the  receiver.  Loveland,  however,  held  on  by 
counter  court  proceedings.  In  the  meantime  statehood  had  been  granted,  and  Love- 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  345 

land  was  able  to  bring  the  Union  i'acilic  to  terms.  For  two  years  Loveland  con- 
tinued as  president,  and  in  that  period  the  Kansas  Pacific  was  given  a  last  body 
blow  in  the  construction  of  the  standard  gauge  line  via  Fort  Collins  to  a  junction 
with  the  Union  Pacific  five  miles  west  of  Cheyenne.  This  marked  the  beginning 
of  a  rate  war  which  was  disastrous  to  all  lines  and  finally  ended  in  an  agree- 
ment by  which  uniform  and  higher  charges  were  made. 

UNION    PACIFIC   Sl'XURES   CONTROL  OF  OTHER  ROADS 

On  January  24,  1880,  the  Union  Pacific  Railway  Company  was  formed,  con- 
solidating the  Union  Pacific,  the  Kansas  Pacific  and  the  Denver  Pacific  railroad 
companies.  By  the  terms  of  consolidation  the  shareholders  in  each  company  were 
to  receive  shares  in  the  new  company  corresponding  in  number  to  those  held  in 
the  old,  the  number  of  shares  of  Union  Pacific  being  367,623 ;  Kansas  Pacific, 
100,000;  Denver  Pacific,  40,000;  the  stock  of  the  consolidated  company  being 
507,623  shares,  or  $50,762,300.  On  February  6,  1881,  $10,000,000  additional 
stock  was  sold  at  par. 

In  November,  1879,  the  Union  Pacific  leased  the  Colorado  Central  for  a 
period  of  fifty  years,  and  W.  A.  H.  Loveland  resigned  the  presidency. 

Poor's  Manual,  the  railroad  authority,  in  its  issue  in  the  early  '80s  has  this 
illuminative  reference  to  the  Colorado  Central: 

"Colorado  Central  Railroad — Denver  to  Golden  (3  rails),  15.57  miles;  Golden 
to  Wyoming  line,  106.37;  Denver  Junction  to  La  Salle,  151. 16;  Golden  to  George- 
town (narrow  gauge),  34.23;  Forks  of  Clear  creeks  to  Central  City,  11. 12  miles; 
total,  318.45  miles.  The  Colorado  Central  of  Wyoming  is  operated  under  lease 
by  this  company.  The  company  is  controlled  by  the  Union  Pacific  through  the 
ownership  of  $6,229,000  stock  out  of  a  total  of  $6,230,300,  and  $4,697,000  first 
mortgage  bonds  out  of  a  total  of  $4,701,000  *  *  *  The  Julesburg  'cut-off,' 
Denver  Junction  to  La  Salle,  was  built  in  1882  in  consequence  of  the  extension 
of  the  Burlington  &  Missouri  in  Nebraska  to  Denver." 

After  all  it  was  a  great  triumph  for  Denver,  achieved  by  leaders  who  saw 
not  alone  the  big  interests  but  influential  men  within  the  state  arrayed  against 
its  further  development  into  a  metropolis,  a  great  railroad  center.  After  1874 
there  was  no  further  question  of  supremacy,  for  even  the  building  of  the  Golden- 
Cheyenne  line  in  1877,  while  it  injured  the  Denver  Pacific  and  the  Kansas  Pacific, 
aided  Denver,  for  it  was  to  the  growing  metropolis  that  the  rich  sections  in  the 
north  sent  their  product.  In  the  end  even  W.  A.  H.  Loveland,  one  of  the  most 
indomitable  spirits  of  that  early  period,  became  a  resident  of  Denver  and  was 
influential  and  helpful  in  its  progress. 

In  1873  the  Kansas  Pacific  extended  a  branch  from  Kit  Carson  to  a  point  near 
the  present  site  of  Las  Animas.  This  was  to  accommodate  the  traffic  at  Fort 
Lyon  and  Fort  Reynolds,  and  also  was  intended  to  mark  the  inauguration  of 
the  long-planned  southwestern  line.     The  road  was  abandoned  in  1878. 

The  Union  Pacific  has  the  following  new  construction  record  in  Colorado 
since  1910:  Sand  Creek  Junction  to  St.  Vrain,  Colorado,  17.45  miles,  opened 
for  traffic  November  i,  1909;  Greeley  to  Rriggsdale,  26.16,  opened  for  traffic 
May  22,  1910;  Clovcrly  to  Ilungcrfnrd,  Colorado,  13.16  miles,  opened  for  traffic 
May  22.   lO'o;  Dent  to  Fort  Collins,  25.25  miles,  opened  in    i<)ii. 


CHAPTER  XVII 
TRANSPORTATION— THE  DENVER  &  RIO  GRANDE 

VISION    OF    GEN.   WILLIAM     J.     PALMER PLANS     A     GREAT    SYSTEM     IN   AN     UNDEr 

VELOPED  COUNTRY FAITH  IN  ITS  GREAT  POSSIBILITIES PREDICTED  WITH  UNER- 
RING ACCURACY  TOURIST  TRAVEL HOW  THE  FIGHT  FOR  THE  CANON  OF  THE  AR- 
KANSAS WAS  WON THE  CANON  CITY  &  SAN  JUAN  RAILROAD  ON  THE  SIDE  OF  THE 

SANTA    FE WHAT    LEADVILLE    MEANT   TO   THE   FIRST    RAILROAD   TO    REACH    IT 

THE  DENVER  &  RIO  GRANDE  SELLS  OUT  TO  THE  SANTA  FE PALMER  MEN  TAKING 

FORCIBLE  POSSESSION SEIZING  ROLLING  STOCK  AND  STATIONS JAY  GOULD  EN- 
TERS  THE    FIELD    AND    EFFECTS    A    COMPROMISE} — TERMS    OF    THE    AGREEMENT 

FIGHT   FOR  RATON    PASS CONSTRUCTION    RECORDS   IN    COLORADO THE   WESTERN 

PACIFIC — IN    THE    HANDS   OF    RECEIVERS 

Gen.  William  J.  Palmer  was  by  far  the  greatest  of  the  actual  railroad  builders 
of  Colorado.  He  had  been  active  in  the  construction  of  the  Kansas  Pacific,  and 
when  he  came  to  Denver  to  smooth  out  the  difficulties  with  the  Denver  Pacific, 
it  was  found  that  he  was  even  more  than  a  great  engineer,  he  was  a  diplomat 
and  Statesman  as  well. 

It  was  with  a  rare  vision  that  he  scanned  this  great  field  for  railroad  oppor- 
tunities. There  were  no  gold  camps,  no  great  trading  centers,  save  perhaps 
Santa  Fe  far  south  in  this  vision.  There  were  not  500  people  between  Denver 
and  the  straggling  village  of  Pueblo.  In  Colorado  City  a  few  shacks  marked  the 
site  of  what  had  once  been  a  territorial  capital.  Colorado  Springs  and  Glen 
Eyrie,  the  town  and  the  beautiful  home  he  built  later,  were  in  the  vision  only. 
At  the  foot  of  Pike's  Peak  the  wild  vegetation,  the  pines  and  spruces  and  the 
mountain  flowers  of  the  region  grew  in  unmolested  grandeur  and  beauty. 

Only  a  scenic  wonderland  was  here,  Cheyenne  Caiion,  Cheyenne  Moun- 
tain, Seven  Falls,  which  in  his  vision  all  the  world  would  come  to  admire.  At 
these  mineral  springs  he  saw  the  long  pilgrimage  of  succeeding  years.  There 
was  only  beauty  in  the  juncture  of  the  valleys  of  the  Monument  Creek  and 
"Fontaine  qui  Bouille." 

General  Palmer  had  toured  the  territory  in  the  early  '60s  with  a  Government 
surveying  party,  one  of  the  manv  Federal  efforts  to  find  a  transcontinental  route. 
\\'ith  this  knowledge  and  what  he  gleaned  from  many  surveys  submitted  to  the 
Kansas  Pacific  and  Denver  Pacific,  and  with  an  almost  prophetic  vision,  he 
mapped  out  the  present  Denver  &  Rio  Grande  system.  For  sources  of  revenue 
he  went  to  his  marvelous  faith  in  what  these  mountains  would  give  up  to  the 
miner's  pick,  in  what  the  axe  would  supply  in  the  way  of  timber,  in  what  the 

346 


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348  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

virgin  quarries  would  give  of  their  stones,  and  in  what  these  vast  ranges  could 
feed  of  cattle,  hogs  and  sheep. 

The  system  as  he  mapped  it  out  before  1870  has  been  built,  every  line  save 
one,  and  that  was  a  railroad  stretching  along  the  valleys  of  the  Grand  and  the 
Colorado  to  San  Diego. 

In  his  first  annual  report  to  the  directors  of  the  Denver  &  Rio  Grande,  issued 
April  I,  1873,  General  Palmer  states  that  "the  idea  of  a  north  and  south  railway 
following  the  eastern  base  of  the  Rocky  Mountains  from  the  principal  city  of  the 
new  West — Denver,  southward  to  Mexico,  arose  from  a  conviction  that  this 
belt  of  country  had  especial  advantages  in  its  location,  climate  and  natural  re- 
sources. In  the  first  place  it  was  separated  from  the  boundary  line  of  arable 
culture  on  the  eastward,  in  Nebraska,  Kansas,  the  Indian  Territory  and  Texas, 
by  a  width  of  over  400  miles  of  arid  plains,  unfit  for  settlement  except  in  occa- 
sional valleys,  and  only  capable  as  yet  of  supporting  a  population  of  nomadic 
stock  raisers.  On  reaching  the  foothills  of  the  great  chain,  however,  new  con- 
ditions were  found :  First,  numerous  streams  of  water  pouring  out  upon  the 
plains,  and  fed  by  the  melting  of  the  mountain  snows.  The  slope  being  favorable 
to  the  distribution  of  this  water  over  the  adjoining  land,  the  result  was  a  fertile 
agricultural  district,  capable  of  raising  food  for  a  large  population.  Although 
this  watered  belt  was  not  of  great  width,  yet  experience  had  shown  that  land 
cultivated  by  irrigation  will  produce  much  larger  crops  than  the  same  amount 
under  ordinary  culture.  Second,  the  rugged  mountains  immediately  adjoining 
on  the  westward  had  been  found,  wherever  exploited,  to  contain  veins  and  deposits 
of  silver,  gold,  lead,  copper,  iron  and  other  metals.  An  active  population  of  miners 
had  begtm  to  seize  upon  these  treasurers  and  they  required  to  be  fed  from  the 
agricultural  produce  raised  near  the  foothills.  At  numerous  points  along  the 
whole  belt  named  from  Denver  to  El  Paso  were  found  extensive  deposits  of 
good  coal,  frequently  in  connection  with  iron  ore,  lime  and  fire  clay.  This  cir- 
cumstance and  the  water  power  afforded  by  the  rapid  fall  of  the  mountain 
water  courses  to  the  plain,  pointed  out  the  country  as  especially  fitted  for  manu- 
facture." In  the  next  three  paragraphs  he  tells  of  the  vast  supply  of  timber, 
stone  and  lime  for  building  purposes,  of  the  grazing  possibilities,  of  the  genial 
climate.  "It  was  plain,"  he  concludes,  "that  the  long  distance  from  all  other 
agricultural  districts  would  cause  its  farming  lands  to  be  rapidly  and  densely 
settled,  that  its  coal,  iron,  water  power,  timber,  wool,  hides,  etc.,  would  soon 
create  with  railroad  facilities,  a  large  manufacturing  community.  Assisted  by 
the  natural  tariff  afforded  by  the  distance  of  nearly  1,000  miles  intervening 
between  these  and  the  nearest  known  iron  deposits  on  the  eastward,  and  of  500 
to  600  miles  between  these  coal  mines  and  those  of  eastern  Kansas ;  that  the 
manufacturing  resources  and  the  working  of  the  mines  would  afford  a  reliable 
home  market  to  the  farmer  and  grazer,  that  the  larger  amount  of  water  near 
the  mountains  and  the  shelter  afforded  by  the  foothills  gave  peculiar  advantages 
to  this  section  for  raising  cattle,  horses  and  sheep;  that  the  climate,  scenery  and 
mineral  springs  would  attract  also  a  large  number  of  tourists  and  invalids ;  that 
the  uninterrupted  tide  of  emigration  would  have  to  leap  across  the  great  plains 
which  begin  200  to  250  miles  from  the  line  of  the  Missouri  River,  and  settle 
upon  this  first  inhabitable  belt  westward ;  and  that  the  six  or  eight  great  east  and 
west  railway  lines  crossing  or  preparing  to  cross  the  continent  would,  from  neces- 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  349 

sity,  promote  the  rapid  colonization  of  the  new  West,  and,  by  competition  for  its 
trade,  stimulate  its  subsequent  growth." 

It  was  taken  altogether,  a  pioneering  task  based  solely  upon  the  faith  that 
would  move  these  mountains,  for  within  them  were  the  riches  with  which  he 
was  certain  his  land  galleons  would  be  losded.  He  saw  in  Pueblo  the  natural 
depot  for  the  raw  material  of  the  mines  and  visioned  there  the  multiplied  smoke- 
stacks and  whirring  wheels  of  a  greater  smeltmg  industry. 

Out  on  the  prairies  of  the  Divide  men  had  begun  to  graze  small  herds  of 
cattle  and  sheep  which  were  later  driven  north  and  sent  by  rail  to  eastern 
markets.  But  to  this  visionary  the  potentiality  of  these  plains  was  clear.  The 
railroad  would  make  this  country  teem  with  vast  herds  of  cattle,  even  as  it  had 
once  been  filled  with  buffalo. 

He  knew  too  that  the  railroad  must  create  towns  and  passenger  traffic,  for 
the  Pueblo-Denver  stage  in  1870  carried  not  more  than  three  passengers  daily 
each  way.  It  was  not  a  glorious  outlook,  for  in  1870  it  must  be  remembered 
Leadville  was  still  a  few  years  distant  and  Cripple  Creek  two  decades  away. 
There  was  hope  in  the  dribbling  oil  fields  of  Florence,  but  that  too  was  but  in 
its  beginning  and  but  little  had  been  done  toward  development.  The  coal  fields 
of  Fremont  County  and  those  far  below  in  Las  Animas  and  Huerfano  were  well 
worth  reaching  by  rail.  Here,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  were  the  only  tangible  evi- 
dences of  prospective  railroad  business. 

But  the  original  incorporation  in  1870  under  the  laws  of  the  Territory  of 
Colorado  revealed  the  fact  that  the  great  plan  of  the  Denver  &  Rio  Grande 
Railway  was  a  most  carefully  considered  project.  Its  articles  of  incorporation 
provided  for  the  location,  construction,  operation  and  maintenance  of  the  Den- 
ver &  Rio  Grande  Railway,  of  the  Denver  &  Southern  Railway,  of  the  South 
Park  Railway,  of  the  Western  Colorado  Railway,  of  the  Moreno  Valley  Rail- 
way, of  the  San  Juan  Railway,  of  the  Gallesteo  Railway  and  of  the  Santa  Rita 
Railway.  The  general  route  of  each  was  designated,  and  there  were  the  saving 
clauses  which  in  the  long  fight  with  the  Santa  Fe  over  possession  of  the  Canon 
of  the  Royal  Gorge  finally  won  out  for  the  Denver  &  Rio  Grande. 

The  Denver  &  Rio  Grande  Company  was  incorporated  October  27,  1870, 
with  the  following  trustees :  Gen.  W' illiam  J.  Palmer  and  A.  C.  Hunt,  former 
governor  of  Colorado ;  William  P.  Mellen,  of  New  York ;  R.  Henry  Lamborn,  of 
Philadelphia ;  Howard  Schuyler,  of  Colorado.  W.  H.  Greenwood,  who  became 
superintendent  of  construction,  was  also  one  of  the  incorporators.  He  left  the 
company  in  1874,  and  later  met  a  violent  death  in  Mexico.  The  directors  the  first 
year  were  William  J.  Palmer,  William  P.  Mellen,  Robert  Henry  Lamborn,  A.  C. 
Hunt  and  William  A.  Bell. 

The  capital  stock  of  the  company  was  $14,000,000,  and  the  road  was  to  be 
bonded  at  the  rate  of  $10,000  for  each  mile  constructed.  General  Palmer 
was  chosen  president,  and  had  able  aids  in  J.  P.  Mersereau,  chief  engineer;  in 
W.  H.  Greenwood,  and  in  Samuel  E.  Browne  and  Wilbur  F.  Stone,  attorney. 

In  ]\Tarch,  1871,  the  work  on  a  narrow  gauge  railroad  was  begun  south  of 
the  site  of  the  present  Union  Depot  and  on  October  21,  1871,  the  last  rail  was 
laid  covering  the  seventy-four  miles  between  Colorado  City  and  Denver. 

Thus  far  the  road  had  been  built  without  county,  state  or  federal  aid. 

In  June,   1872,  Congress  passed  an  act  granting  the  Denver  i"v  Rio  Grande 


350  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

Railroad  the  right  of  way  over  the  public  domain,  lOO  feet  in  width  on  each  side 
of  the  track,  "together  with  such  public  lands  adjacent  thereto  as  may  be  needed 
for  depots,  stops  and  other  buildings  for  railroad  purposes,  and  for  yard  room 
and  sidetracks,  not  exceeding  twenty  acres  at  any  one  station  and  not  more 
than  one  station  in  every  ten  miles,  and  the  right  to  take  from  adjacent  public 
lands  stone,  timber,  earth,  water  and  other  material  required  for  the  construc- 
tion and  repair  of  its  railway  and  telegraph  lines." 

The  act  also  gave  the  company  the  rights,  powers  and  privileges  (condem- 
nation rights),  conferred  upon  the  Union  Pacific  by  section  3  of  the  act  of 
July  2,  1864,  provided  it  reached  Santa  Fe  within  five,  later  changed  to  ten, 
years  after  the  passage  of  the  act.  Another  proviso  stipulated  fifty  miles  of  con- 
struction below  Santa  Fe  each  year.  Before  the  railway  replaced  the  stage-coach 
from  Denver  to  Colorado  Springs  the  latter  ran  tri-weekly  and  carried  an  aver- 
age of  five  passengers  per  trip,  or  thirty  both  ways,  weekly.  A  few  "Mexican" 
and  other  teams  carried  all  the  freight  there  was  before  the  railway  was  built. 
The  actual  freight  hauled  by  the  railroad  in  1872  (an  average  distance  of  sixty- 
one  miles)  was  46,212  tons,  or,  omitting  construction  material,  34,892  tons  of 
commercial  freight. 

By  the  census  of  1870  Denver  had  a  population  of  4.800.  In  1872  the  city 
directory  showed  it  to  have  over  13,000.  Pueblo  when  the  Denver  &  Rio  Grande 
was  begun  had  500  people.  In  1872  it  had  3,500.  Colorado  Springs  did  not  exist 
in  1870.    In  1872  it  had  a  population  of  1.500. 

Pueblo  now  voted  $200,000  in  bonds  and  on  June  29,  1S72,  the  town  cele- 
brated the  arrival  of  the  first  train  from  Denver.  It  marked  the  beginning  of 
the  growth  and  industrial  prosperity  of   the  town. 

The  line  to  Florence  and  to  the  coal  field  near  Canon  City,  was  built  in  1872. 
The  people  of  Canon  City  were  chagrined  to  find  that  no  plans  had  been  made 
for  the  extension  of  the  road  to  the  town — a  matter  of  only  eight  miles.  They 
appealed  to  the  Santa  Fe  to  build  into  the  Arkansas  Valley,  but  the  panic  had 
hit  that  road  as  well  as  so  many  others.  General  Palmer  asked  for  an  issue  of 
$100,000  in  bonds.  It  was  voted  but  not  issued.  Finally  $50,000  was  subscribed 
to  the  stock  of  the  Rio  Grande  and  the  road  was  built  in  1875,  not  into  the  town, 
but  to  a  point  a  considerable  distance  below. 

The  earnings  of  the  Denver  &  Rio  Grande  for  1872,  deducting  construction 
material,  was  $281,400.29;  operating  expenses  deducting  cost  of  transporting 
construction  material,  $175,206.32.  Net  earnings,  $106,193.97.  Earnings  were 
divided:  freight,  $172,102.23;  passenger,  $134,371.56;  miscellaneous,  $1,645.03. 
Expense:  conducting  transportation,  $63,160.44;  motive  power,  $62,311.73;  main- 
tenance of  cars,  $4,885.95;  maintenance  of  way,  $55,060.13;  general  expenses, 
$16,526.60. 

In  the  second  annual  report  the  "company  was  able,  notwithstanding  a  panic 
which  caused  the  failure  of  seventy-seven  railroads  in  the  United  States,  to  meet 
all  of  its  obligations  promptlv  and  survive  the  gale."  The  net  earnings  for  1873 
increased  60  per  cent  over  those  of  1872. 

Out  of  the  wrangle  with  Canon  City  grew  the  struggle  for  the  right  of  way 
through  the  Royal  Gorge  to  the  Grand  Canon  of  the  Arkansas. 

A  local  company  was  formed  at  Canon  City,  and  on  February  15,  1877,  was 
incorporated  as  the  Cation  City  &  San  Juan  Railway  Company,  with  Messrs. 


I 
HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  351 

Ailing,  Locke  and  Megrue,  all  of  Fremont  County,  as  incorporators.  The  feud 
between  the  Santa  Fe  and  Denver  &  Rio  Grande  was  then  at  its  height,  and  the 
former  lost  no  time  in  backing  the  Caiion  City  enterprise  to  seize  the  route 
through  the  Canon  of  the  Arkansas.  Under  the  original  grant  the  Denver  & 
Rio  Grande  was  confirmed  by  Congress  in  any  route  which  it  had  specified  in 
its  articles  of  incorporation.  Justice  Harlan  in  his  famous  review  of  the  case  at 
its  final  hearing  in  the  United  States  Supreme  Court  stated:  "In  1877  and  1878 
it  became  evident  that  that  pass  was  of  vital  importance  to  any  company  desiring 
to  reach  the  trade  and  business  of  the  country  beyond  it,  whether  to  the  west, 
northwest  or  southwest.  Discoveries  then  recently  made  of  mineral  wealth  in 
western  Colorado  gave  it  immense  pecuniary  value  in  railroad  circles,  since,  as 
the  evidence  tends  to  establish,  the  occupancy  of  the  Royal  Gorge  by  one  line 
of  railroad  would  practically  exclude  all  other  competing  companies  from  using 
it  for  like  purposes  except  upon  such  terms  as  the  first  occupant  might  dictate. 
From  the  date  of  the  survey  made  in  1872  down  to  April  19,  1878,  the  record 
furnishes  no  evidence  that  the  Denver  company  actually  occupied  that  defile 
for  any  purpose  whatsoever.  On  that  day,  however,  Congress  having  extended 
the  time  to  ten  years  from  the  date  of  the  original  act  within  which  to  complete 
its  road  as  far  south  as  Santa  Fe,  that  company  did,  by  its  agents,  occupy  the 
narrow  portion  of  the  canyon  known  as  the  Royal  Gorge  with  the  avowed  inten- 
tion of  constructing  its  road  upon  the  line  of  the  surveys,  made  in  1871  and  1872. 
But  during  the  night  of  April  19,  1878,  the  board  of  directors  of  the  Caiion 
City  company  were  convened  and  Robinson  and  Strong,  the  chief  engineer  and 
manager  respectively  of  the  Santa  Fe  system,  were  elected  to  the  same  positions 
in  the  Canon  City  company.  On  the  morning  of  the  20th  as  early  as  4  o'clock, 
a  small  squad  of  their  employes,  nine  or  ten  in  number,  under  the  charge  of  an 
assistant  engineer,  swam  the  Arkansas  River  and  in  the  name  of  their  company 
took  possession  of  the  Canon." 

The  supreme  court  in  this  decision  gave  the  Denver  &  Rio  Grande  the  sole 
right  to  construct  a  railroad  through  the  gorge. 

This  battle  for  possession  of  the  Canon  of  the  Arkansas  is  one  of  the  great 
romances  of  early  railroad  building  in  the  west.  The  wonderful  discoveries 
at  Lcadville  proved  the  lodestone  for  the  Santa  Fe  directorate  which  until  that 
time  had,  like  so  many  other  eastern  powers,  regarded  Colorado  largely  as  a 
mere  matter  of  "scenery."  It  was  for  this  reason  that  the  people  of  Canon  City, 
when  in  1874  they  found  the  Denver  &  Rio  Grande  within  eight  miles  of  its 
town  limits,  were  unable  to  get  a  hearing  from  the  Santa  Fe.  But  the  Leadville 
excitement  wrought  a  magic  change.  Rates  of  4  cents  a  pound  were  cheerfully 
paid  on  freight  brought  by  teams  from  Canon  City  to  Leadville.  Both  the  Den- 
ver &  Rio  Grande  and  the  Santa  Fe  determined  to  get  to  the  big  mining  camp 
through  the  only  available  mountai~n  pass,  the  Canon  of  the  Arkansas,  twelve 
miles  west  of  Canon  City  and  with  hardly  fifty  feet  of  width  for  rail  traffic. 

The  Santa  Fe,  in  February,  1878,  had  fairly  outwitted  the  Denver  &  Rio 
Grande  in  securing  and  holding  Raton  Pass.  Thus  on  the  fateful  April  19th  of 
the  same  year  it  decided  to  secure  a  western  outlet  by  the  methods  which  won 
out  at  Raton. 

Judge  Harlan's  decision  covers  the  legal  phases  of  the  case,  the  fact  that 
General  Palmer  had  designated  the  canyon  route  in  his  original  incori)oration, 


352  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

that  Congress  had  confirmed  his  right  to  this  in  perpetuity  if  built  within  a  period 
of  five  years,  and  was  about  to  extend  this  confirmation  for  another  five  years. 

WilHam  B.  Strong,  who  in  December,  1877,  had  been  elected  vice  president 
and  general  manager  of  the  Santa  Fe,  was  one  of  the  great  construction  geniuses 
of  this  period.  He  lacked  the  wonderful  foresight  and  knowledge  of  General 
Palmer,  but  surpassed  him  in  a  native  shrewdness  which  too  often  degenerated 
into"  mere  trickery.  With  all  that,  it  took  men  of  his  calibre  to  pioneer  these 
early  railroads,  men  who  could  "vision"  towns  and  industries,  mines  and  manu- 
facturing in  these  rugged  wildernesses. 

The  struggles  of  these  great  builders  were  often  against  the  densest  ignorance. 
Thus  in  the  New  Mexico  Legislature  the  Mexican  faction  fought  the  coming 
of  the  Santa  Fe  for  fear  it  would  people  the  country  with  "Americanos."  Far 
from  granting  a  subsidy  it  was  largely  by  subterfuge  that  railroad  and  develoj)- 
ment  rights  were  at  first  obtained  in  New  Mexico. 

Strong  had  engineered  the  fight  at  Raton.  He  was  the  moving  spirit  in  the 
struggle  to  win  the  canyon.  At  that  time  the  Santa  Fe  was  building  southwest 
from  La  Junta.  W.  R.  I\Iorley,  in  charge  of  construction  at  El  Moro,  reached 
Pueblo  on  the  night  of  April  i8th,  only  to  learn  that  the  Denver  &  Rio  Grande 
construction  force  had  already  gone  west  to  take  possession  of  the  canyon. 

The  f)eople  of  established  towns  were  nearly  all  against  the  Denver  &  Rio 
Grande,  for  General  Palmer's  policy  of  building  up  his  own  towns  had  not  made 
him  many  friends  in  the  side-tracked  places.  This  was  the  case  at  Trinidad, 
which  he  purposed  to  surpass  by  his  own  town  of  El  Moro.  No  bonds  were  voted 
by  Trinidad.  It  was  the  case  at  Canon  City,  where  he  had  built  to  a  point  away 
from  the  center  of  the  town. 

Morley,  therefore  decided  to  reach  Canon  City  and  get  the  townsmen  to 
help  him  seize  the  canyon.  With  the  best  pair  of  horses  he  could  find  in  Pueblo 
he  made  the  distance  of  over  forty  miles  just  as  the  dawn  showed  him  that  the 
Denver  &  Rio  Grande  construction  crew  was  arriving.  He  rushed  to  the  home 
of  the  officials  of  the  Cafion  City  &  San  Juan  Road,  was  legally  empowered  by 
them  to  occupy  the  canyon,  and  leaving  then'  to  gather  a  force  of  men  to  follow, 
rode  to  the  canyon  two  miles  away  and  began  to  dig.  The  officials  of  the 
Canon  City  &  San  Juan  with  a  few  friends,  six  or  eight  in  niunber,  all  armed 
to  the  teeth,  came  to  Alorley's  aid. 

For  the  time  being  the  Denver  &  Rio  Grande  was  beaten,  for  its  men  came 
and  saw,  and  to  avoid  bloodshed,  left. 

For  Morley  there  was  the  handshake  of  Strong  and  the  satisfied  smile  which 
to  Santa  Fe  men  was  like  a  Victoria  Cross.  The  repeating  rifle,  elaborately 
mounted  with  gold,  which  was  given  to  Morley  for  his  work  in  the  canyon,  was 
later  accidentally  discharged,  killing  this  intrepid  engineer. 

The  Denver  &  Rio  Grande  took  possession  farther  up  the  canyon,  erected 
forts,  and  began  actual  construction  work.  The  state  courts  were  appealed  to, 
arrests  of  officials  were  frequent,  but  finally  Judge  Hallett  enjoined  both  parties 
from  work  in  the  canyon  until  the  matter  was  disposed  of  in  the  supreme  court. 

What  Leadville  meant  in  the  railroad  fight  between  the  Denver  &  Rio  Grande 
and  the  Santa  Fe  can  now  best  be  gleaned  from  the  confidential  communications 
made  in  those  years  to  General  Palmer,  and  in  the  correspondence  of  General 
Palmer.    These,  through  the  courtesy  of  the  Denver  &  Rio  Grande  officials,  are 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  353 

now  available.  On  March  23,  1878,  Col.  D.  C.  Dodge,  then  holding  the  title  of 
general  freight  agent,  began  pouring  into  General  Palmer's  offices  advices  of 
prospective  shipments  from  Leadville.  "The  Gallagher  mine  promises  twenty- 
five  tons  of  ore  a  day  after  May  ist."  "Harrison  reduction  works  could  ship 
100  tons  a  day  if  they  had  the  transportation.  Want  to  contract  for  shipment 
daily  of  100,000  lbs.  of  ore  and  bullion."  Here's  another  from  Charles  B.  Lam- 
born,  a  prominent  railroad  man  of  that  day,  written  to  General  Palmer  under 
date  April  i,  1878:  "Mr.  Streeter,  freighter,  informs  me  that  he  has  arranged 
to  take  charge  of  the  transportation  from  Leadville  across  Weston's  Pass  and 
South  Park,  with  mule  teams.  From  the  Park  down  to  Cold  Springs  'bull- 
teams'  are  being  arranged  for.  He  has  agreed  to  commence  during  this  month 
and  carry  over  Weston's  Pass  50,000  lbs.  ore  and  bullion  per  day  and  to  increase 
at  any  time  on  notice,  to  a  capacity  of  100,000  lbs.  per  day.  Harrison's  people 
expect  soon  to  ship  100,000  lbs.  per  day,  and  are  only  anxious  about  getting 
enough  transportation.  The  rate  they  expect  to  pay  is  $18  per  ton  to  Colorado 
Springs  and  Canon  City." 

One  of  the  earlier  "human  documents  of  this  period  is  the  letter  of  General 
Palmer,  dated  September  15,  1877,  from  Colorado  Springs,  and  addressed  to 
R.  H.  Lambom,  previously  if  not  then  treasurer  of  the  Denver  &  Rio  Grande. 
In  this  he  says :  "You  will  doubtless  be  surprised  to  learn  that  I  am  satisfied  the 
proper  route  is  from  Caiion  City  up  to  Oro  (Leadville),  no  miles,  with  a  branch 
of  thirty-nine  miles  if  necessary  from  mouth  of  Trout  Creek  to  Fairplay,  a  cheap 
line  to  build.  We  can  either  run  through  the  Arkansas  Canon  or  via  the  iron 
mines  and  down  Texas  Creek,  avoiding  the  worst  canyon  and  at  an  increased 
distance  of,  say,  fifteen  miles.  This  would  greatly  develop  Wet  Mountain  Val- 
ley, which  has  a  surplus  of  5,000  tons  best  hay,  besides  oats  and  potatoes;  and 
Rosita,  which  is  today  as  important,  perhaps,  as  Fairplay,  and  is  apparently  as 
large  as  Fairplay,  Dudley  and  Alma  put  together,  and  has  two  reduction  works  in 
full  blast,  with  another  just  going  up  on  Oak  Creek,  and  according  to  Professor 
Hill's  statement  to  me  is  good  for  twenty  tons  daily  of  shipping  ore  *  *  * 
Harrison  guarantees  at  once  to  a  railroad  15,000  tons  of  the  high  grade  silver 
lead  ore  for  shipment  besides  the  base  bullion  (33  to  40  per  cent)  of  product 
of  two  furnaces  and  the  coke  and  merchandise  (This  guarantee  was  later  in- 
creased to  eighty-five  tons  of  ore,  bullion  and  coke  per  day,  in  May,  1878)  *  *  ♦ 
Stevens  (of  the  firm  of  Wood  &  Stevens)  estimates  the  daily  shipment  of  ore 
with  railroad  at  1,000  tons  daily;  wood,  500  tons  daily  *  *  *  Every  gulch 
in  the  120  miles  of  Arkansas  Valley,  however,  from  Grape  Creek  up  to  Tennessee 
Pass,  on  each  side  of  Arkansas  River,  seeming  to  have  men  working  on  it  in 
the  mines  *  *  *  There  are  smelting  works  on  Chalk  Creek,  and  another 
just  going  up;  a  mill  or  two  at  Granite;  ore  smelting  furnace  at  Oro  (Leadville)  ; 
ore  mill  at  Printer  Boy  mine,  California  Gulch;  say  three  reduction  works  at 
Rosita  *  *  *  the  fifty  tons  daily  being  now  mined  at  Oro  average  thirty 
ounces  of  silver  and  40  per  cent  lead  to  the  ton  of  2,000  pounds.  Ten  bushels 
of  coke  are  used  to  one  ton  of  ore ;  25  per  cent  iron  ore  to  one  ton  of  silver 
ore.  This  carbonate  district  extends  from  Iowa  Gulch  to  Evans'  Gulch,  say  two 
miles  long  and  one  and  one-half  miles  wide.  The  ore  is  in  three  great  breaks  of 
the  strata.  There  are  said  to  be  six  to  eight  such  breaks  between  South  Park 
River  on  the  east  (head  of  Mosquito  Range  of  South  Park  Gulch  opposite  Fair- 

Tol.  1—28 


354  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

play)  and  the  Arkansas  River  on  the  west,  a  distance  of  say  eight  or  ten  miles. 
*  *  *  In  richness,  however,  the  "Gallagher,"  which  abuts  against  Weed  & 
Stevens  properties  on  the  north,  far  exceeds.  Everything  appears  to  pay  from 
time  of  striking  the  deposit,  which  is,  say,  ten  to  twenty  feet  down.  The  Hays 
&  Cooper  mines  were  discovered  a  week  or  two  before  my  arrival  within  200 
or  300  )ards  of  Harrison's  new  furnace.  There  was  considerable  excitement 
and  Senator  Logan  and  Governor  Routt  were  there  and  out  with  picks,  search- 
ing for  the  treasure  *  *  *  Fourteen  miles  down  the  Arkansas  are  the  Twin 
Lakes.  Witli  a  railroad  this  would  be  the  most  attractive  summering  spot  in 
Colorado,  and  could  not  be  exhausted  of  fish  *  *  *  j  doubt  if  it  would  be 
necess.iry  to  build  lor  some  time  the  branch  to  Fairplay  so  that  less  than  $1,000,- 
000  would  be  absolutely  necessary  *  *  *  The  carbonate  of  lead  district, 
on  present  yield,  and  Harrison's  guarantee,  would  pay  as  follows,  to  say  noth- 
ing of  any  of  the  numerous  mining  deposits  from  Rosita  to  Tennessee  Pass  or 
the  South  Park,  which  would  come  in  at  Trout  Creek. 
Rough  Estimate — • 

One  hundred  and  fourteen  miles  to  Canon  City  via  Arkansas 

Canon  to  Oro  (Leadville) $1,000,000 

Ten  per  cent  on  which  is  per  annum 100,000 

Cost  of  operating  per  year 120,000 

Necessary  to  earn  gross  yearly,  to  pay  operating  expenses  and 

10  per  cent  interest 220,000 


Ore  and  Coke  business  of  Oro  only — 

Harrison's  guarantee,  15,000  tons  of  high  grade,  he  now  pays 
$18  ($25  per  ton  paid  in  winter)  per  ton  ore  to  the  Mexican 
wagons,  freight  to  Colorado  Springs,  by  railroad  (half  pres- 
ent  cost)    $    135.000 

Forty  tons  daily  of  low  grade  ore  reduced  in  two  Harrison's 

furnaces  to  thirteen  tons  base  bullion  daily,  4,700  tons ....        43,000 

Requiring  ten  tons  coke  daily,  3,650  tons,  for  which  he  now 
pays  freight  from  Colorado  Springs  $12  per  ton,  say  by  rail- 
road, half,  or  $6  ($25  paid  for  half  when  ox  teams  not  prac- 
ticable)       22,000 

Omaha  works  in  high  grade  ores,  shipped  out  ten  tons  per  day        32,000 


$232,000 
"By  building  from  Canon,  no  miles,  we  would  of  course,  thoroughly  control 
the  trade  and  carry  it  to  Denver  as  readily  as  Pueblo.  We  could  discourage 
Denver  extending  the  South  Park  Railroad  thus,  as  readily  as  by  building  from 
Colorado  Springs.  Denver  gets  now  most  of  Canon  City  and  Colorado  Springs 
trade." 

General  Palmer  then  goes  into  the  advantages  of  the  Caiion  City  route,  pre- 
dicting even  at  that  early  day  the  enormous  tourist  travel  of  the  present  day. 
"From  Canon  City,"  he  says,  "to  Oro  (Leadville)  the  attractions  to  passenger 
travel  are  unusual.  The  Arkansas  Caiion  would  undoubtedly  be  traversed  by  nearly 
every  tourist  coming  to  Colorado,  and  much  of  the  California  travel  would  come 
by  way  of  Pueblo  and  Denver  in  order  to  see  this  bit  of  grand  scenery.   The  resi- 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  355 

dent  population  of  Colorado  would  mostly  manage  to  see  it  by  means  of  excur- 
sions *  *  *  As  iron  works  will  be  at  Pueblo  large  smelting  works,  etc.,  we 
could  supply  iron  cheaper  to  the  mines  in  the  mountains  *  *  *  jjjjg  Y\,ould 
make  a  real  central  and  national  Pacific  railroad  line  good  for  Oregon  and 
southern  California,  equally,  on  the  west,  and  Chicago  and  Memphis,  or  Texas  on 
the  east.  *  *  *  The  most  sheltered  and  appropriate  places  for  consumptives 
in  winter  that  I  have  seen  are  the  little  warm  openings  or  parks,  beside  the  dashing 
river  which  separates  the  several  canyons  of  the  Arkansas  from  Canon  City  up  to 
the  South  Arkansas  (Salida)." 

The  letter  goes  on  into  minute  engineering  details,  of  possible  production  from 
every  existing  mining  camp,  of  prospects  of  raising  vast  hay  and  oat  crops  in  Wet 
Mountain  Valley  and  Texas  Park,  of  the  forests  of  fine  timber. 

Beauty  in  nature  seemed  to  have  a  marvelous  appeal  for  this  practical  railroad 
builder.  Even  in  this  long  letter  advocating  construction  for  only  solid  business 
reasons  he  thinks  of  the  health-restorative  powers  of  the  mountains.  Here  is  a  bit 
of  his  description  of  the  scenic  wonderland  of  the  Arkansas  River:  " — above  the 
Arkansas  Canon  the  ride  is  mostly  through  the  cultivated  park-like  valley  of  the 
Upper  Arkansas,  interrupted  by  dashes  into  occasional  short  canyons  with  rapids 
and  falls.  For  sixty  miles  here,  the  passenger  can  look  up  on  one  side  to  the  'Con- 
tinental Divide'  which  the  line  runs  parallel  with,  and  from  whose  crest  it  is  but 
about  twelve  miles  distant  between  Poncho  and  Oro.  He  looks  up  in  this  three 
hours'  railroad  ride  at  ten  peaks  whose  elevation  exceeds  14,000  feet,  and  sees 
fields  of  snow  which  drain  into  two  oceans.  On  the  right  is  the  high  rim  of  the 
South  Park.  When  within  eleven  miles  of  Malta  he  passes  the  outlet  of  the  Twin 
Lakes,  a  mile  or  two  distant,  nearly  encircled  by  high  mountains,  whose  height 
seems  doubled  by  reflection  in  the  blue  waters." 

Financially  the  Santa  Fe  was  winning  the  long  struggle  with  the  Denver  & 
Rio  Grande,  for  its  resources  were  immediate — while  the  Rio  Grande  was  still  in 
the  earlier  development  stages.  In  that  year,  1878,  the  Santa  Fe  had  earned 
$3,950,868,  while  the  Denver  &  Rio  Grande  was  heavily  involved.  There  were 
quarrels  with  the  I'hiladelphia  backers  of  the  Denver  &  Rio  Grande  for  whom  the 
vision  of  General  Palmer  was  not  coming  to  realization  rapidly  enough. 

Dr.  John  Burton  Phillips,  professor  of  economics  and  sociology  at  the  Univer- 
sity of  Colorado,  in  his  article  on  "Freight  Rates  and  Manufactures  in  Colorado," 
published  by  the  University  in  1910,  writes  as  follows  of  the  extension  of  the  Rio 
Grande  s^-stem  from  Pueblo  to  Canon  City  and  to  Trinidad: 

".Vbout  1872,  the  Rio  Grande  Railroad  was  built  into  Pueblo.  General  Palmer, 
the  buildcT,  got  into  difficulty  when  the  road  had  reached  this  city  and  found  him- 
self short  of  funds.  He  wished  to  build  the  road  from  Pueblo  to  Canon  City,  a 
distance  of  forty-two  miles.  The  Colorado  Coal  and  Iron  Company  had  many 
coal  and  ore  lands  in  the  vicinity  of  Canon  CUy  which  they  wished  to  develop.  The 
coal  and  iron  company,  therefore,  raised  the  money  needed  to  build  the  road  to 
Canon  City,  taking  in  exchange  therefor  the  stock  of  the  railroad.  In  this  way 
the  road  was  successfully  extended  to  that  jjoint.  In  a  similar  f:isliion,  another  com- 
pany bought  up  the  coal  and  iron  lands  around  Trinidad.  Huerfano  .md  some  other 
points,  and  then  turned  over  one-half  of  their  iiUerests  to  the  raihoad  and  on  these 
properties  the  funds  were  raised  with  which  (he  railroad  was  built  to  Trinidad. 
In  1880  or  1881,  in  order  to  develop  the  resources  along  the  road.  Gener.-d  Palmer 


356  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

got  the  men  interested  in  these  properties,  both  at  Trinidad  and  at  Caiion  City,  to 
put  up  the  capital  for  a  steel  plant  at  Pueblo.  All  the  companies  were  consolidated 
into  the  Colorado  Coal  and  Iron  Company.  About  $2,500,000  was  expended  at 
that  time.  The  two  contracts  which  had  formerly  been  made  by  the  railroads  by 
which  special  favors  were  granted  to  the  companies  in  the  matter  of  freight  rates 
were  then  consolidated  into  one  contract  with  the  combined  company.  This  con- 
tract extended  special  favors  to  .the  company  in  the  matter  of  freight  rates  as  the 
company  had  united  with  Palmer  in  the  development  of  the  coal  and  ore  beds  and 
was  therefore  entitled  to  a  good  bargain.  This  is  why,  according  to  the  evidence 
of  the  receiver  of  the  Rio  Grande,  no  other  companies  were  allowed  to  sell  coal 
in  Leadville  except  the  Colorado  Coal  and  Iron  Company." 

On  October  19,  1878,  General  Palmer,  much  against  his  own  wishes  and  those 
of  his  able  aide.  Col.  D.  C.  Dodge,  but  acting  largely  upon  the  wishes  of  stockhold- 
ers, leased  the  road  right  for  a  period  of  thirty  years  to  the  Santa  Fe,  and  gave 
up  possession  December  13,  1878.  There  had  been,  it  should  be  added,  a  decided 
change  in  the  ownership  of  the  stock,  the  Philadelphians  gradually  disposing  of 
their  holdings  to  the  Santa  Fe. 

In  this  lease  nothing  was  said  concerning  a  cessation  of  the  litigation  over 
the  canyon.  But  an  express  stipulation  prevented  any  rate  discrimination  against 
Denver. 

The  Santa  Fe  was  a  Kansas  road,  and  its  metropolis  was  Kansas  City.  Its 
big  west-bound  business  originated  at  that  point,  and  its  east-bound  business  was 
distributed  there.  Thus  the  road  was  in  a  way  pledged  to  the  building  up  of 
Kansas  City  trade.  This  became  apparent  at  once  when  rates  from  Denver  to 
the  south  were  raised  and  its  jobbing  trade  was  at  once  diverted  to  Kansas  City. 
Moreover,  in  their  first  wrath  it  was  charged  by  Denver  and  Colorado  men  that 
the  Denver  &  Rio  Grande  was  to  be  wrecked  and  scrapped. 

The  old  officials  were  appealed  to  by  their  Colorado  friends  to  cancel  the 
lease  and  take  possession  of  their  road.  It  must  always  be  a  Colorado  road. 
General  Palmer  had  no  trouble  in  securing  funds  for  building  the  road  to  Lead- 
ville, where  it  was  certain  of  enormous  revenues.  Armed  men  took  possession  of 
the  old  forts  built  in  and  near  the  canyon  by  the  Denver  &  Rio  Grande.  Councils 
were  held  by  the  old  officials.  Friends  all  over  Colorado  tendered  their  aid. 
Practically  all  the  employes  of  the  system  were  quietly  helping  the  old  com- 
pany. Nor  was  the  Santa  Fe  idle.  It  was  actually  finishing  the  road  to  Lead- 
ville, ever}'  mile  of  which  had  been  graded  and  twenty  miles  completed  before 
the  trouble  was  settled. 

In  June,  1S79,  the  Denver  &  Rio  Grande  secured  an  order  from  Judge  Bowen 
restoring  the  road  to  the  old  company.  With  this  mandate  the  officials  decided 
to  take  forcible  possession,  a  feat  in  which  the  employes  aided.  The  sheriff  of 
every  county  traversed  by  the  Denver  &  Rio  Grande  system  was  instructed  to 
take  possession  at  6  a.  m.,  Wednesday,  June  9th.  The  armed  volunteers  made  a 
formidable  showing  as  the  time  for  action  approached. 

Leaders  were  on  hand  to  direct  and  to  fight  if  necessary.  Former  Governor 
A.  C.  Hunt  started  a  train  from  El  Moro  and  with  his  posse  of  200  captured 
station  after  station.  Col.  D.  C.  Dodge  was  coming  south  with  a  posse  from  Den- 
ver. 

The  Santa  Fe  had  hired  Bat  Masterson,  the  noted  former  sheriff  of  Dodge 


EL  PASO  COUNTY  COURTHOUSE,  COLORADO  SPRINGS 


CITY  HALL,  COLORADO  SPRINGS 


358  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

City,  Kansas,  to  hold  the  roundhouse  at  Pueblo.  With  a  force  of  Kansas  roughs 
he  kept  the  Denver  &  Rio  Grande  men  at  bay,  succumbing  finally  to  the  peace- 
making efforts  of  R.  F.  Weitbrec,  a  former  engineer  of  the  Denver  &  Rio 
Grande. 

This  battle  which  extended  all  along  the  lines  was  led  by  General  Palmer  and 
Col.  D.  C.  Dodge,  for  whom  every  employe  had  the  greatest  respect  and  admira- 
tion. As  the  captured  train  crews  reached  Colorado  Springs  they  joyfully  joined 
the  old  ranks  and  took  arms  to  prevent  recapture  of  trains  by  the  Santa  Fe. 

There  was  an  outburst  of  indignation  all  over  the  state  when  Judge  Hallett 
on  June  24th  appointed  Col.  L.  C.  Ellsworth  receiver.  The  latter  managed  the 
road  until  it  was  legally  restored  to  the  old  company. 

Jay  Gould  was  at  this  time  looking  for  western  railroad  investments  and  the 
Santa  Fe  stockholders  lost  no  time  in  disposing  of  their  Denver  &  Rio  Grande 
holdings  to  him. 

On  December  20,  1879,  with  Gould  acting  as  mediator,  an  agreement  was 
reached  which  ended  the  war.  The  lease  was  canceled,  the  receivership  termi- 
nated, the  line  to  Leadville  purchased  for  $1,400,000,  and  all  plans  for  eastern 
development  of  the  Denver  &  Rio  Grande  were  given  up. 

In  the  annual  report  for  1880  the  agreement  is  thus  outlined:  "The  struggle 
*  *  *  was  finally  terminated  and  the  Leadville  line  was  restored  to  the  Den- 
ver &  Rio  Grande  Company  on  March  27,  1880,  and  an  agreement  was  then 
made  under  which  the  Atchison,  Topeka  &  Santa  Fe  Company  agreed  for  ten 
years  not  to  build  through  any  portion  of  Colorado  west  of  the  north  and  south 
line  of  the  Denver  &  Rio  Grande  Railway  (except  a  coal  road  to  their  coal  mines 
near  Canon  City),  or  in  that  portion  of  New  Mexico  north  of  the  36th  parallel 
(approximately)  and  west  of  the  summit  of  the  Spanish  Range;  while  the  Den- 
ver &  Rio  Grande  Company  agreed  for  the  same  period  not  to  build  in  Colorado 
east  of  the  same  north  and  south  line  or  to  Trinidad,  or  in  that  portion  of  New 
Mexico  east  of  the  Spanish  Range  or  south  of  the  36th  parallel,  except  in  the 
western  part  of  New  Mexico.  There  were  also  reciprocal  obligations  in  regard 
to  traffic,  which  included  as  well  the  Union  Pacific." 

The  fight  for  Raton  Pass,  in  1878,  was,  it  is  asserted  by  historians  of  the 
period,  lost  to  the  Denver  &  Rio  Grande  by  half  an  hour.  It  is  possible  that 
the  loss  of  this  gateway  to  the  south  would  have  completely  altered  the  plans  of 
the  Santa   Fe. 

Mr.  Strong,  in  February,  1878,  had  just  returned  victorious  to  Pueblo  from 
the  long  legislative  fight  in  Santa  Fe.  Like  General  Palmer,  who  seemed  to  see 
far  into  the  future,  Strong  was  arguing  for  immediate  construction.  President 
Nickerson  of  the  Santa  Fe,  like  the  Denver  &  Rio  Grande's  Philadelphia  capital- 
ists who  fought  Palmer,  was  always  for  delay.  "Why,  Barlow  and  Sanderson," 
he  remarked,  "have  just  taken  off  the  stage  from  El  Moro  to  Santa  Fe  because  the 
Denver  &  Rio  Grande  would  not  guarantee  one  passenger  daily." 

Strong  finally  got  permission  to  spend  a  small  amount  of  money  on  surveys. 
When,  on  February  26,  1878,  A.  A.  Robinson  was  sent  south  to  take  possession 
of  Raton  Pass  he  foimd  Denver  &  Rio  Grande  officials  on  the  train  to  El  Moro. 
He  believed  it  was  merely  an  inspection  tour,  although  the  presence  of  the  chief 
engineer  led  him  to  surmise  that  their  mission  might  be  to  Raton.  With  the  in- 
spiration that  Strong  gave  to  all  his  men,  he  scoured  the  town  for  a  construction 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  359 

crew,  and  when  the  day  dawned  in  Raton  Pass  he  was  in  possession.  The  Den- 
ver &  Rio  Grande  crew  arrived  half  an  hour  later  and  was  met  by  armed  oppo- 
sition. The  Santa  Fe  held  the  pass.  On  December  7,  1878,  the  first  passenger 
train  entered  New  Mexico.  By  February,  1880,  Santa  Fe  was  reached,  Albu- 
querque April,  1880,  Deming  March  ist,  El  Paso  July  i,  1881.  In  1883  the 
Atlantic  &  Pacific  was  completed  from  Albuquerque  to  the  Pacific,  giving  the 
Santa  Fe  the  long-sought-for  connection  from  the  Missouri  to  California. 

The  Denver  &  Rio  Grande  earnings  and  expenses  and  mileage  of  the  first 
decade,  ending  December  31,  1881,  were  as  follows: 

Earnings 

1872  $  301,160.26 

1873  392,653.89 

1874  378,063.07 

1875  363,095,86 

1876  450,118.00 

1877  773,322.07 

1878  1,096,517.15 

1879  1 ,800,000.00 

1880  3,478,066.90 

1881  6,244,780.83 

Av.  Miles 
operated 

1872   100 

1873   155 

1874  163 

1875   163 

1876  , 240 

1877  293 

1878   308 

1879  337 

1880  474 

1881    7S6 

Before  going  into  the  later  history  of  the  Denver  &  Rio  Grande  Company  it 
will  be  interesting  to  follow  the  realization  of  General  Palmer's  vi.sion  in  the 
construction  of  its  many  lines  in  Colorado.  In  1876  the  branch  from  Pueblo  to 
El  Moro  was  built,  with  a  branch  from  Cuchara  to  La  Veta.  In  1877  the  La 
Veta  branch  was  extended  through  La  V^eta  Pass,  and  in  1878  it  was  completed 
to  .Maniosa.  The  work  on  thi.s  line  required  masterful  engineering,  for  La  Veta 
Pass  ])rcsentcd  many  unlooked  for  diflicullies  of  construction.  In  May,  1880, 
Salida  was  reached  and  Leadville  in  July  of  that  year.  Much  of  this  construc- 
tion was  done  by  the  Santa  Fe.  In  August,  1881,  Gunnison  was  reached  by  way 
of  Marshall  Pass,  another  feat  of  mountain  railroad  engineering.  By  October 
the  road  was  at  Crested  Butte.  In  1S80  the  road  lo  the  San  Juan  was  begun,  ex- 
tending from  Alamosa  over  the  Conejos  Range  to  Durango,  with  branches  from 
Antonito  to  Espanola,  New  Mexico,  and  from  Alamosa  to  Del  Norte  and  South 


Expense 

Net 

;    197,092.86 

$    104,067.40 

197,124.31 

195,529.58 

195,626.09 

182,437.58 

208,067.14 

155,028.72 

271,729.08 

178,388.22 

416,161.55 

357,160.56 

623,455.22 

473.061.93 

1,000,000.00 

800,000.00 

1,767,605.10 

1,710,461.80 

3,620,029.89 

2,624,750.94 

Total  miles 

at  end 

of  each  year. 

155-5 

155-5 

163.5 

163-5 

276.5 

307.8 

338-4 

360.7 

685-9 

1,066.6 

360  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

Fork,  reaching  the  latter  point  in  November,  1881.  Durango  was  reached  in 
July,  1881. 

In  September,  1881,  the  Villa  Grove  branch  to  the  upper  end  of  the  San  Luis 
Valley  was  finished,  as  well  as  the  branch  to  Orient.  The  road  from  Leadville 
through  Tennessee  Pass  to  Rock  Creek  was  opened  in  February,  1882;  and  by 
November  the  branch  to  Dillon  was  in  operation.  This  is  by  way  of  Fremont's 
Pass.  In  November,  1882,  the  road  from  Gunnison  through  Montrose  and  Delta 
reached  Grand  Junction,  and  on  December  19,  1882,  it  was  at  the  Colorado-Utah 
line  prepared  to  carry  out  the  great  transcontinental  plan  of  its  founder. 

The  Rio  Grande  Western,  at  this  time  practically  a  subsidiary  of  the  Denver 
&  Rio  Grande,  had  by  purchase  of  the  Utah  railroad  running  from  Provo 
to  Clear  Creek,  and  by  construction  at  both  ends  established  a  connecting  link 
between  the  Denver  &  Rio  Grande  and  Central  Pacific.  From  1881  to  1884  the 
Utah  road  was  leased  and  through  trains  were  run  from  Denver  to  Ogden  on  the 
narrow  gauge  system.  In  that  year  the  Rio  Grande  Western,  maintaining  the 
connection,  was  operated  under  its  own  management.  In  1889  it  secured  by 
lease  the  portion  of  the  road  running  from  Grand  Junction  to  the  state  line. 

In  July,  1883,  the  Denver  &  Rio  Grande  extended  its  Del  Norte  branch  to 
Wagon  Wheel  Gap,  and  later,  in  1891,  when  Creede  burst  upon  the  world  with  its 
discoveries,  to  that  point. 

Not  until  1887  did  the  road  reach  Trinidad  from  El  Moro. 

When  the  Mollie  Gibson  began  to  pour  out  its  great  silver  ores,  and  other 
mines  in  Aspen  followed  in  its  wake,  the  Denver  &  Rio  Grande  lost  no  time  build- 
ing along  the  canyons  of  the  Eagle  and  Grand  rivers  to  Glenwood  Springs,  then 
up  the  Roaring  Fork  to  Aspen,  which  it  reached  in  October,  1887.  In  1889  what 
is  now  the  main  line  was  extended  to  Rifle.  The  camp  at  Lake  City  was  added 
to  the  Denver  &  Rio  Grande  producers  in  that  year.  Ouray  and  its  mines  were 
reached  by  a  branch  from  Montrose  in  1887. 

By  1881  it  was  apparent  that  the  road  had  outgrown  its  narrow  gauge  swad- 
dling clothes,  although  General  Palrner  in  an  elaborate  printed  argument  had 
predicted  the  adoption  of  the  narrow  gauge  idea  all  over  the  country.  This  was 
in  1870.  In  1881  it  controlled  the  entrance  to  Denver  from  the  south,  and  with 
the  Santa  Fe,  and  later  the  Missouri  Pacific  and  Chicago,  Rock  Island  &  Pacific 
seeking  this  terminal,  it  was  imperative  that  the  road  be  broad-gauged  at  least 
from  Pueblo  to  Denver.  The  third  rail  for  this  stretch  was  completed  in  Decem- 
ber, 1881.  It  then  began  broad-gauging  its  main  line  from  Pueblo  to  Cafion 
City,  Salida,  Glenwood  and  Rifle.  At  that  point  it  joined  forces  with  the  Colo- 
rado Midland,  completing  the  standard  gauge  connection  to  the  state  line  and 
to  the  tracks  of  the  Rio  Grande  Western. 

In  1890,  after  the  line  from  Pueblo  to  Trinidad  had  been  made  standard 
gauge,  the  Villa  Grove  extension  was  built  on  to  Alamosa. 

The  Denver  &  Rio  Grande  Company  has  steadily  kept  up  with  development 
along  its  lines.  When  the  coal  fields  at  Ruby,  or  "Anthracite,"  were  opened,  in 
1893,  the  branch  from  Crested  Butte  to  that  point  was  built.  In  1896  it  pur- 
chased the  Texas,  Santa  Fe  &  Northern  running  into  Santa  Fe  from  its  main 
line.  In  November,  1898,  it  built  its  Ibex  branch  out  of  Leadville  to  meet  the 
new  discoveries  in  that  camp.  Later  this  was  in  part  swapped  to  the  Colorado 
&  Southern. 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  361 

The  Manitou  branch,  live  miles,  was  built  in  1880. 

The  Fort  Logan  branch,  two  miles,  was  built  in  1889. 

The  West  Clilt  branch,  twenty-five  miles,  was  built  in  1901. 

The  Monarch  branch,  twenty-eight  miles,  was  built  from  1881  to  1883. 

The  Silverton  branch,  forty-five  miles,  was  built  in  1882. 

The  Farmington  branch,  forty-seven  miles,  was  built  in  1905. 

In  1894,  during  the  height  of  the  Cripple  Creek  excitement,  a  subsidiary  com- 
pany built  the  Florence  &  Cripple  Creek  Railroad. 

In  1890  the  Rio  Grande  Southern,  backed  by  the  Denver  &  Rio  Grande,  built 
a  line  from  Ridgway  on  the  Ouray  branch  to  Vance  Junction  and  Telluride  and 
this  was  extended  to  Rico  and  Durango  in  1891. 

In  1899  the  La  Veta  Pass  road  was  relocated,  and  standard  gauged,  the  work 
being  completed  on  November  7,  that  year. 

The  road  from  Pagosa  Junction  to  Pagosa  Springs,  30.8  miles,  was  completed 
in  1900. 

In  1902  the  North  Fork  branch  was  started,  covering  rich  and  extensive  coal 
fields  and  fruit  growing  farms  at  Hotchkiss  and  Paonia.  Its  length  is  forty-six 
miles. 

The  standard  gauging  was  extended  during  1902  from  Monte  Vista  to  Del 
Norte  and  to  Creede,  making  the  whole  line  from  Alamosa  to  Creede  standard 
gauge.  The  Castle  Rock  branch  near  Denver,  2.65  miles,  was  made  standard 
gauge  the  same  year. 

The  standard  gauge  line  from  Minnequa  or  Southern  Junction  to  Walsenburg 
Junction  was  completed  in  191 1.  It  affords  a  low  grade  line  of  first  class  con- 
struction to  Walsenburg  and  the  various  coal  mines  in  that  vicinity,  where  it 
connects  with  the  main  line  across  the  Sangre  de  Cristo  Range  to  Alamosa. 

The  double  track  "Detour  line"  from  Soldier  Summit,  fifteen  miles  to  a  point 
near  Tucker,  on  the  existing  line,  was  completed  in  1913. 

In  1882  William  J.  Palmer  retired  from  the  presidency,  and  the  annual  re- 
port of  that  year  was  issued  by  L.  H.  Meyer,  first  vice  president.  At  the  annual 
election  Frederick  Lovejoy,  of  New  York,  was  made  president.  In  1S84  the 
heavy  construction  work  and  the  lack  of  necessary  increments  in  business  created 
a  condition  which  made  a  receiver  necessary.  On  July  12,  1884,  Judge  Hallett 
appointed  William  S.  Jackson  to  this  position.  While  the  road  was  under  the 
jurisdiction  of  the  court  the  Denver  &  Rio  Grande  Railway  Company  trustees 
elected  David  H.  Mofifat  president.  The  trustees  were:  David  H.  Moffat,  WilHam 
S.  Jackson,  W.  S.  Cheesman,  all  of  Denver;  T.  H.  A.  Tromp,  representing  in- 
vestors at  The  Hague,  Holland;  William  L.  Scott,  of  Erie,  Pennsylvania;  C.  F. 
Woerishofl^er,  Adolph  Engler,  Wm.  Wagner,  and  J.  C.  Reiflf,  of  New  York. 

The  reorganization  was  approved  July  ir,  1886,  and  George  Coppell,  of  New 
York,  became  chairman  of  the  board,  with  Wm.  S.  Jackson  as  president.  Other 
directors  were  Robert  B.  Minturn,  Adolph  F.ngler,  Richard  T.  Wilson,  of  New 
York;  John  L.  Welsh,  John  J.  Stadigcr,  of  Philadelphia;  T.  H.  A.  Tromp,  of  The 
Hague,  and  David  H.  MoflFat. 

In  1887  David  H.  Moffat  succeeded  to  the  presidency,  George  Coppell  re- 
maining chairman  of  the  board  of  directors.  On  the  board  Charles  M.  Da  Costa, 
of  New  York,  took  the  place  of  T.  PI.  A.  Tromp. 

Minor  changes  occurred  during  the  following  four  years,  but  in  1891  Edward 


362  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

T.  Jeffery  succeeded  to  the  position  of  president  and  general  manager.  He  had 
been  for  years  in  an  executive  position  with  the  lUinois  Central.  George  Coppell 
remained  chairman  of  the  board,  the  other  directors  being  Edward  O.  Wolcott 
and  Edward  T.  Jefi'ery,  of  Denver;  Adolph  Engler,  Richard  T.  Wilson,  Wm.  Mer- 
tens,  C.  C.  Beaman,  all  of  New  York;  John  Lawber  Welsh  and  Edmund  Smith, 
of  Philadelphia.     The  Gould  interests  remained  in  control. 

The  income  of  the  road  for  the  year  ended  June  30,  1893,  was  $9,372,221.53; 
its  net  earnings  from  traffic,  $4,035,561.61,  a  remarkable  showing  for  the  now 
fairly  developed  system. 

In  the  report  for  1894  the  panic  which  had  hit  the  west  was  fairly  well  mir- 
rored in  reduced  traffic  and  income,  but  for  the  year  ending  June  30,  1895  it  came 
back  into  its  stride  with  net  earnings  of  .$2,925,628.65,  being  $422,136.24  more 
than  the  previous  year. 

The  Rio  Grande  Southern  receivership,  a  consequence  of  the  panic,  was 
quickly  terminated  and  the  road  came  into  control  of  the  Denver  &  Rio  Grande. 
The  Santa  Fe  Southern,  which  ran  from  Espanola  on  the  Denver  &  Rio  Grande 
to  Santa  Fe,  was  also  purchased  during  this  period. 

In  1901  George  J.  Gould  became  chairman  of  the  board  of  directors,  the  re- 
maining members  being:  Jacob  H.  Schif¥,  Edward  H.  Harriman,  both  new  mem- 
bers, Winslow  S.  Pierce,  J.  Edward  Simmons,  Richard  T.  Wilson  and  Arthur 
Coppell  of  New  York ;  Edward  T.  Jeffery  and  Edward  O.  Wolcott  of  Denver. 

In  1903  Russell  Harding,  general  manager  of  the  Missouri  Pacific,  became 
general  manager  of  the  Denver  &  Rio  Grande,  Edward  T.  Jeffery  removing  the 
office  of  president  to  New  York  City.  Joel  F.  Vaile  succeeded  Edward  O.  Wol- 
cott as  a  director.  George  J.  Gould  remained  as  chairman  and  the  Gould  inter- 
ests continued  in  control  of  the  property. 

In  1905  Amos  C.  Ridgway  succeeded  to  the  position  of  general  manager.  He 
had  been  in  charge  of  the  Colorado  Springs  &  Cripple  Creek  Railway  for  some 
years. 

In  1905  President  Jeffery  gave  the  first  intimation  of  a  determination  on  the 
part  of  the  Goulds  to  build  their  own  Pacific  Coast  line.  In  this  report  he  says : 
"For  many  years  while  the  line  of  railway  between  Ogden  and  San  Francisco 
was  uncontrolled  by  interests  competitive  with  your  system,  your  company  en- 
joyed a  satisfactory  share  of  the  traffic  to  and  from  California,  and  one  of  the 
reasons  moving  the  management  between  four  and  five  years  ago  to  acquire  the 
Rio  Grande  Western,  was  the  closer  relationship  that  would  be  established  with 
the  San  Francisco  line  of  the  Southern  Pacific  Company  and  the  freer  inter- 
change that  it  seemed  probable  would  result  therefrom.  Subsequent  events  were 
in  a  measure  disappointing.  The  control  of  Southern  Pacific  by  Union  Pacific 
interests  has  led  to  unexpected  restrictions  of  interchange,  and  more  especially 
unlooked  for  impediments  in  the  way  of  securing  traffic  in  territor}'  reached  by 
the  Southern  Pacific  line." 

He  announces  the  formation  of  the  Western  Pacific,  capital,  $75,000,000,  and 
states  that  $50,000,000  of  first  mortgage  5  per  cent  thirty-year  gold  bonds  had 
been  disposed  of.  Mr.  JefTery  also  announces  that  he  has  taken  the  presidency 
of  the  new  road.  The  bond  issue  was  finally  guaranteed  by  the  Denver  &  Rio 
Grande  and  the  Rio  Grande  Western.  On  July  23,  1908,  these  two  roads  were 
consolidated,  the  stock  of  the  Rio  Grande  Western  being  extinguished. 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  363 

The  construction  of  this  road  proved  more  expensive  than  even  the  most  con- 
servative engineering  figures  given  after  the  survey. 

For  two  years,  1909  and  1910,  unprecedented  floods  in  the  Humboldt  valley 
and  a  series  of  storms  on  Great  Salt  Lake  retarded  construction  and  did  heavy 
damage  to  graded  sections.  Up  to  June  30,  1910,  the  Western  Pacific  Company 
expended  (exclusive  of  accrued  interest  on  second  mortgage  bonds)  $70,438,- 
302.41.  Funds  were  provided  as  follows:  Proceeds  of  $50,000,000  first  mortgage 
5  per  cent  thirty-year  gold  bonds;  $18,784,033.40  were  proceeds  with  interest 
of  $25,000,000  second  mortgage  5  per  cent  gold  bonds  sold  to  the  Denver  &  Rio 
Grande  Company;  and  $4,606,412.01  by  the  Denver  &  Rio  Grande  Company  in 
accordance   with  contract  entered  into  June  23,    1905. 

On  August  22,  1910,  one  through  passenger  train  each  way  daily  was  inau- 
gurated between  San  Francisco  and  Salt  Lake  City.  The  railway  was  placed  on 
a  full  operating  basis  July  i,  191 1. 

On  August  20,  1910,  the  Salt  Lake  City  union  depot,  which  had  cost  $1,217,- 
059.13  and  is  owned  jointly  by  the  Denver  &  Rio  Grande  Company  and  the  West- 
ern Pacific,  was  formally  opened. 

In  191 2  Benjamin  F.  Bush,  of  the  Missouri  Pacific,  succeeded  Edward  T. 
JefTery  as  president,  the  latter  taking  the  place  of  George  J.  Gould  as  chairman 
of  the  board.  For  the  time  being  the  Gould  interests  were  still  in  control,  the 
directors  being  George  J.,  Edwin  and  Kingdon  Gould,  Edward  T.  Jeffery,  Edgar 
L.  Marston,  Edward  D.  Adams,  Arthur  Coppell,  all  of  New  York ;  Benjamin  F. 
Bush,  of  St.  Louis;  Charles  H.  Schlacks,  of  San  Francisco;  Edward  L.  Brown 
and  Joel  F.  Vaile  of  Denver. 

On  June  30,  191 1,  the  mileage  of  the  Denver  &  Rio  Grande  Railroad  Com- 
pany, operated  and  leased,  was  2,604.86;  on  June  30,  1913,  this  had  been  in- 
creased by  the  building  of  spurs  to  2,639.81.  On  January  i,  1918,  with  small 
mileage  of  main  track  not  operated,  the  total  mileage  was  2,576.75. 

On  November  30,  .1912,  the  company  purchased  the  Rio  Grande  Junction 
Railway,  which  up  to  that  time  it  had  owned  jointly  with  the  Colorado  Midland. 
The  line  extends  from  Rifle  to  Grand  Junction,  and  the  price  paid  for  the  Mid- 
land's interest  was  approximately  $400,000.  A  leasing  arrangcmonl  was  made 
for  the  Colorado  Midland. 

The  interest  due  March  i,  191 5,  on  the  Western  Pacific  bonds  having  been 
defaulted,  the  United  States  Court  on  March  5,  191 5,  placed  that  road  in  the 
hands  of  receivers.  In  October,  1915,  the  Denver  &  Rio  Grande  was  called  upon 
to  pay  the  defaulted  interest  on  Western  Pacific  bonds  under  its  guarantee.  This 
has  now,  January,  1918,  ended  in  an  application  for  a  receivership  for  the  road. 
In  June,  1916,  the  Western  Pacific  Railroad  Corporation  was  organized  and 
bought  in  the  road.  This  corporation  owns  the  entire  capital  stock  of  the  West- 
em  Pacific  Railroad  Company  and  has  power  to  enforce  the  claims  against  the 
Denver  &  Rio  Grande. 

On  January  i,  1918,  the  directors  and  officers  of  the  Denver  &  Rio  Grande 
Railroad  Company  are:  Directors,  George  J.  Gould,  E.  T.  JeflFery,  George  G. 
Haven,  Kingdon  Gould,  .^rthur  Coppell,  Edward  D.  .\dams,  Finlcy  J.  Shepard, 
Benjamin  B.  Mc.Alpin,  IT.  U.  Mudgc,  Hairison  \\'illiams,  Benjamin  F.  lUish. 
E.  T.  Jeffery  is  chairman  of  the  l)oard  of  directors.  IT.  l^  Mudgc  is  president 
of  the  road. 


364  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

In  January,  1918,  the  Denver  &  Rio  Grande  system  went  into  the  hands  of 
receivers  by  order  of  the  Federal  Court.  This  was  done  largely  to  protect  it 
from  forcible  collection  under  foreclosure  for  claims  arising  out  of  Western 
Pacific  guarantee.  Later  in  the  year  the  receivership  was  annulled  owing  to  prior 
Federal  action  taking  possession  of  all  the  railroads  of  the  country.  An  adjust- 
ment has,  however,  been  reached  which  will  prevent  any  drastic  seizure  of  the 
property  under  foreclosure  proceedings. 


CHAPTER  XVIII 
TRANSPORTATION— OTHER  STATE  AND  TRUNK  LINES 

THE    DENVER    &    SOUTH    PARK THE    DENVER    &    NEW    ORLEANS ^THE    COLORADO    & 

SOUTHERN THE  BURLINGTON THE  SANTA  FE THE  MISSOURI  PACIFIC COLO- 
RADO    MIDLAND THE     MOFFAT    ROAD ITS    STRUGGLES     TO     FINANCE     ITSELF— 

WRECKED  GREAT  FORTUNE ERB  ENTERS  AND  LEAVES  THE  FIELD COLORADO  MEN 

AGAIN  IN  POSSESSION THE  DENVER,  LARAMIE  &  NORTHWESTERN HOW  IT  WAS 

BUILT ITS   JUNKING THE  ROCK    ISLAND THE  DENVER,   LAKEWOOD   &   GOLDEN 

UNION    DEPOT THE    COG    ROAD GOLD    CAMP    ROADS RAILROAD    MILEAGE    IN 

191 7 WHAT  IT  COST  TO  BUILD  THE  EARLY   ROADS 

THE  DENVER   &  SOUTH   PARK  RAILROAD 

The  Denver  &  South  Park  Railroad,  as  it  was  first  known,  was  designed  as  a 
feeder  to  the  Denver  Pacific  and  Kansas  Pacific.  It  was  at  first  planned  to  build 
the  road  to  South  Park  by  Bear  Creek,  with  prospect  of  mining  business  at  that 
end  in  competition  with  the  Colorado  Central.  The  great  discoveries  of  California 
Gulch  were  still  some  years  in  the  future,  and  the  new  route  was  a  later  develop- 
ment. 

But  in  Park  County,  Fairplay  was  a  thriving  mining  center.  There  were  good 
placer  mines  and  every  indication  of  a  fine  camp.  So  that  at  least  in  this  section 
there  would  be  passenger  and  freight  traffic  for  the  new  line. 

Aside  from  this  there  was  timber  skirting  the  South  Platte  on  both  sides, 
there  were  stone  quarries  at  Morrison,  there  were  rich  gypsum  beds  farther  up 
the  line.  The  railroad,  it  was  believed,  would  bring  an  army  of  men  into  the 
whole  region,  and  development  was  bound  to  follow.  In  July,  1873,  when  the 
project  was  in  full  swing  Arapahoe  County  voted  $300,000  in  bonds.  It  was 
found  difficult  to  float  them.  Prior  to  this,  however,  the  surveys  had  been  made, 
and  the  name  of  the  road  had  been  changed  to  the  Denver,  South  Park  &  Pacific 
Railroad.  Its  corporators  were  those  of  the  Denver  &  South  Park  road  of 
the  previous  year:  John  Evans,  Walter  S.  Checsman,  Joseph  E.  Bates,  F.  A. 
Clark,  Henry  Crow,  Bela  M.  Hughes,  C.  B.  Kountze,  F.  Z.  Salomon  and  David 
H.  MoflFat.  Its  capital,  which  at  first  was  $2,000,000,  was  increased  to  $5,000,000, 
and  its  purpose  was  now  to  build  eventually  to  the  Pacific. 

The  road  was  completed  by  a  subsidiary  construction  company  to  Morrison, 
sixteen  miles,  on  July  i,  1874.  By  this  time  the  effects  of  the  panic  of  1873 
were  beginning  to  pinch  the  far  west  and  further  constniction  was  out  of  the 
question.  This  was  perhaps  a  rather  fortunate  outcome,  for  the  delay  brought 
about  a  complete  change  in  the  company's  plans. 

365 


366  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

It  was  found  that  the  route  up  Platte  Canon  was  really  feasible,  and  new 
surveys  conlirmed  them  in  this  belief. 

The  people  of  Denver  resented  the  delay,  and  finally  in  1876  a  subsidiary  con- 
struction company  raised  $150,000  and  completed  the  road  to  Bailey's  ranch, 
taking  a  first  mortgage  bond  issue  in  payment  for  the  work.  This  company  had 
as  directors,  John  Evans,  W.  L.  Cheesman,  C.  B.  Kountze,  David  H.  MoiTat, 
John  W.  Smith,  the  leading  spirit  in  this  new  construction  movement,  William 
Barth,  F.  J.  Ebert,  J.  S.  Brown  and  George  Tritch. 

But  the  Leadville  excitement  now  completely  changed  the  aspect  of  matters. 
The  road  began  to  prosper  even  though  built  but  part  of  the  way  to  the  new 
camp.  Stages  and  freighters  completed  the  journey  for  thousands  from  the 
Denver  &  South  Park  terminus.  At  this  time  Jay  Gould  was  investing  heavily 
in  Union  Pacific,  Colorado  Central  and  Kansas  Pacific  stocks,  and  soon,  was 
able  to  control  and  complete  the  line  to  Leadville. 

The  Denver  men  continued  in  apparent  control  and  on  February  9,  1880,  took 
part  in  the  celebration  which  marked  the  completion  of  the  line  to  Leadville. 

In  1886  the  extensions  and  main  line  comprised  a  mileage  of  322.25.  From 
Poor's  jManual  of  that  year  the  following  is  taken:  "Gunnison  extension,  North- 
rop to  Gunnison,  65.50  miles;  Gunnison  to  Mount  Carbon,  17.25;  Como  to  Key- 
stone, 35.10;  Dickey  to  Leadville,  34.40;  Garo  to  London  Junction,  15.40; 
Bear  Creek  Junction  to  mines,  9.70;  Como  to  mines,  4.10 ;  Schwanders  to  Buena 
Vista,  3.80." 

In  this  year  its  capital  stock  was  increased  to  $6,235,400  to  meet  construc- 
tion expense. 

The  Leadville  excitement  had  died  out  and  the  road  soon  became  a  losing 
proposition.  It  was  finally  in  1889  sold  under  foreclosure  and  bought  in  by  the 
Union  Pacific  interests,  who  reorganized  it  under  the  name  of  the  Denver,  Lead- 
ville &  Gunnison  Railway  Company.  It  continued  a  heavy  loser,  finally  going 
under  in  the  panic  of  1893.  In  that  year,  after  a  receivership,  it  became  a  part 
of  the  Colorado  &  Southern  system. 

THE   DENVER    &    NEW    ORLE.\NS   R.\ILW.\Y    COMP.^NY 

The  restless  spirit  of  Denver's  early  railroad  builders  was  forever  in  evidence. 
To  them  the  metropolis  saved  from  ruin  by  timely  and  determined  action,  was 
now  something  to  build  up  into  the  ranks  of  the  greatest  cities  in  America.  Their 
faith  in  Denver  and  Colorado  was  little  short  of  inspiration, 

Denver  in  1881  had  its  connection  with  the  east  and  west  and  through  the 
Denver  &  Rio  Grande  and  Santa  Fe  toward  the  Mexican  border.  But  it  needed 
a  railroad  to  the  metropolis  of  the  gulf.  New  Orleans,  whence  its  products  could 
more  speedily  reach  the  growing  Central  and  South  American  markets,  the  gulf 
cities  of  the  United  States,  the  Atlantic  coastwise  trade  and  European  trade  as 
well.  So  in  January,  1881,  these  men  incorporated  the  Denver  &  New  Orleans 
Railway  Company :  John  Evans,  David  H.  Moffat,  Cyrus  W.  Fisher,  George 
Tritch,  J.  F.  Brown,  Isaac  Brinker.  William  Barth,  John  R.  Hanna,  John  A. 
Cooper,  T.  G.  Lyster,  K.  Sidney  Brown,  George  W.  Kassler  and  C.  B.  Kountze. 

Many  routes  were  suggested,  but  finally  the  air  line  to  Pueblo  was  decided  on 
as  the  first  branch  of  the  system,  and  by  December,  1882,  this  was  in  operation. 


368  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

Branches  to  Colorado  Springs  and  to  Franceville  gave  the  new  road  138  miles  of 
track  during  its  second  year  of  operation.  The  competition  with  the  Denver  & 
Rio  Grande  was  keen  and  finally  forced  the  road  into  a  receivership  before  the 
old  incorporators  could  carry  out  their  plan  of  building  south  of  Pueblo.  In 
May,  1885,  the  new  company  under  the  title,  the  Denver,  Texas  &  Gulf  Railroad 
took  possession,  but  this  was  practically  a  purchase  by  the  old  incorporators.  In 
1890  it  was  made  part  of  the  Union  Pacific,  Denver  &  Gulf  systems,  and  later 
was  merged  into  what  is  known  as  the  Colorado  &  Southern,  a  constituent  part 
of  the   Burlington  system. 

In  April,  1887,  the  Denver,  Texas  &  Fort  Worth  was  incorporated  by  the  men 
interested  in  the  Denver,  Texas  &  Gulf  and  Union  Pacific.  It  secured  operating 
rights  over  the  Denver  &  Rio  Grande  to  Trinidad,  this  line  having  been  equipped 
with  the  third  rail. 

In  April,  1888,  the  road  had  built  from  Trinidad  to  Texline,  and  with  its 
branches  and  small  subsidiary  lines  to  coal  fields  its  mileage  was  approximately 
one  hundred  and  seventy-six. 

The  Fort  Worth  &  Denver  City  Railway  Company  incorporated  in  1873,  was 
practically  taken  over  by  the  Denver,  Texas  &  Fort  Worth,  and  in  January, 
1888,  had  been  completed  from  Fort  Worth  to  Texline,  455  miles,  thus  making 
a  through  route  from  Denver  to  Fort  Worth,  and  of  course  to  gulf  tidewater. 

In  1890,  although  operated  independently,  it,  together  with  the  entire  "Denver 
Gulf  system,"  became  known  as  the  Union  Pacific,  Denver  &  Gulf  Railroad.  The 
cut-ofif  built  in  1882  from  Julesburg  to  La  Salle,  151  miles,  partly  Colorado  Cen- 
tral and  partly  Union  Pacific  construction,  also  became  a  constituent  portion  of 
the  LTnion  Pacific,  Denver  &  Gulf. 

Into  this  combination  also  went  the  Cheyenne  &  Northern,  built  in  1887  by 
Union  Pacific  interests  from  Cheyenne  to  Wendover;  the  Denver,  Marshall  & 
Boulder  built  first  to  Erie,  and  then  by  the  assistance  of  Boulder  citizens  to 
Boulder;  all  the  old  Colorado  Central  holdings,  and  the  subsidiary  companies 
under  which  some  small  sections  were  still  operating.  The  reorganized  "South 
Park"  line,  the  Denver,  Leadville  &  Gunnison,  though  operated  under  its  own 
name,  was  also  part  of  the  combination.  The  Denver,  Marshall  &  Boulder  had 
originally  been  the  Denver,  Western  &  Pacific  and  was  completed  to  Boulder  in 
1886,  and  to  Lafayette  in  1888. 

With  a  capital  of  $36,000,000  and  a  directorate  of  Union  Pacific  men,  it  now 
began  operations,  working  into  the  disastrous  period  of  1893.  It,  however,  did 
some  construction,  building  frorn  Wendover  to  Orin  Junction  the  line  which  is 
now  part  of  the  Burlington's  north  and  south  transcontinental  road.  It  also 
built  a  few  spurs  into  coal  and  other  properties  in  the  south.  The  old  Loveland 
road  from  Golden  to  Longmont,  that  between  Ralston  and  Louisville  Junction, 
and  that  between  Fort  Collins  and  Colorado  Junction  close  to  Cheyenne,  were  all 
abandoned. 

After  the  LTnion  Pacific  crash  in  1893  and  repeated  changes  in  receiverships, 
the  court  finally  placed  the  entire  mileage  of  the  LTnion  Pacific,  Denver  &  Gulf 
under  the  management  of  Frank  Trumbull,  one  of  the  ablest  of  Colorado's  rail- 
road men.  This  receivership  included  810.63  miles  of  standard  gauge,  79.66  miles 
of  narrow  gauge,  105.92  miles  of  leased  lines,  and  469.03  miles  of  allied  (Texas) 
lines,  a  total  mileage  of  1,465.24.    In  1895  Mr.  Trumbull  added  the  branch  from 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  369 

Walsenburg  to  Acme  and  that  from  Forbes  to  Rolling  Mills;  later  that  from 
Fairplay  to  Leavick. 

In  1894  Mr.  Trumbull  was  also  made  receiver  of  the  old  "South  Park"  line. 
In  December,  1898,  the  holders  of  the  debentures  bought  in  the  entire  system, 
and  on  December  20th  of  that  year  incorporated  the  Colorado  &  Southern  Rail- 
way Company,  with  a  capital  of  $48,000,000.  Grenville  M.  Dodge,  of  New 
York,  was  chosen  chairman  of  the  board,  and  Frank  Trumbull,  of  Denver, 
president.  This  position  he  retained  until  the  entire  system  was  purchased  by 
the  Chicago,  Burlington  &  Quincy  in  1914  and  made  a  constituent  part  of  that 
system. 

On  January  11,  1899,  the  new  owners  took  charge,  controlling  also  the  Fort 
Worth  &  Denver  City  Railway  Company,  which  continued  its  through  line.  The 
La  Salle-Julesburg  "cut-off"  had  been  purchased  by  the  Union  Pacific  and  be- 
came part  of  that  system  in  its  reorganization.  In  1900  the  Colorado  &  Southern 
acquired  a  joint  interest  with  the  Denver  &  Rio  Grande  in  the  Colorado  Midland. 
In  that  year  it  also  took  over  the  "Ward"  line,  which  had  been  built  by  private 
capital  between  Boulder  and  the  mines  at  Ward  and  opened  in  June,  1898.  This 
was  in  fact  the  old  Greeley,  Salt  Lake  &  Pacific  project,  which  had  actually  con- 
structed the  line  as  far  as  Sunset.  Other  portions  too  were  built  but  abandoned. 
Another  important  branch  which  became  a  part  of  the  Colorado  &  Southern 
system  was  the  famous  "loop"  at  Georgetown,  built  originally  by  a  Union  Pa- 
cific subsidiary  to  cross  the  range. 

The  Colorado  Railroad,  owned  by  the  Colorado  &  Southern,  was  chartered 
July  6,  1906.  In  1907  it  absorbed  the  Fort  Collins  Development  Railway.  Its 
total  mileage  is  120.35. 

The  Colorado  Springs  &  Cripple  Creek  District  Railway  was  incorporated 
April  13,  1897,  as  the  Cripple  Creek  District  Railway.  In  November,  1899,  the 
first-mentioned  name  was  adopted.  The  electric  line  from  Cripple  Creek  to  Vic- 
tor via  Midway  was  opened  June  i,  1898;  line  via  Anaconda,  September  9,  1900; 
other  lines  in  1901.  The  Colorado  &  Southern  owned  practically  all  of  its  out- 
standing capital  stock.  On  November  i,  1911,  the  road  and  equipment  were 
leased  to  the  Florence  &  Cripple  Creek  District  Railway  Company. 

The  Gilpin  Railroad,  from  Blackhawk  to  various  mines  has  a  mileage  of 
16.50.  It  was  chartered  July  24,  1906,  to  purchase  the  Gilpin  Tramway  Com- 
pany.    This  was  later  controlled  by  the  Colorado  &  Southern. 

On  December  21,  1908,  the  directors  of  the  Burlington  ratified  the  purchase 
from  the  late  Edwin  Hawley  and  associates  of  a  controlling  interest  in  the  com- 
mon stock  of  the  Colorado  Southern  and  the  entire  system  was  in  a  few  years 
operated  in  conjunction  with  the  Burlington.  The  company  has  in  the  past  few 
years  built  new  lines  from  Wellington  to  Cheyenne  and  from  Southern  Junction 
to  Walsenburg  Junction,  the  latter  a  double  track  owned  and  operated  jointly 
with  the  Denver  &  Rio  Grande.  The  main  line  between  Wendovcr  and  Orin 
Junction,  Wyoming,  has  been  leased  to  the  Burlington  and  is  part  of  its  Billings- 
Denver  line.    Its  mileage  June  30,  1916,  was  1,841.72.    This  includes 

Colorado  &  Southern 781.52 

Colorado  Railroad    120.35 

Trackage    rights    I34-20 

Colorado  Springs  &  Cripple  Creek  District  Railway 74-25 

Trt.  I— J« 


370  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

Denver  &  Interurban 20.36 

Fort  Worth  &  Denver  City  Railway 454-14 

Wichita  Valley  Railroad 52.20 

Wichita  Valley  Railroad 60.70 

Wichita  Falls  &  Oklahoma 22.80 

Stamford  &  Northwestern  . .  .■ 82.50 

Abilene  &  Northern 38.70 


1,841-72 

THE   BURLINGTON    ROAD THE   COLORADO    &    SOUTHERN    ROAD 

The  Chicago,  Burlington  &  Quincy,  now  one  of  the  most  important  systems 
in  Colorado,  had  its  lines  directed  toward  Denver  early  in  its  great  construction 
period.  In  1869  "The  Burlington  &  Missouri  River  Railroad  in  Nebraska"  was 
chartered  and  completed  to  Kearney  Junction.  Under  the  Federal  incorporation 
it  had  a  land  grant  which  eventually  sold  for  more  than  it  cost  to  build  the  road. 
In  March,  1881,  the  Burlington  was  at  Colorado's  northeastern  gate,  and  on  May 
29,  1882,  under  the  corporate  name  "The  Burlington  &  Colorado  Railroad  Com- 
pany" was  in  Denver. 

As  far  back  as  1892  the  Burlington  began  planning  its  present  north  and 
south  line,  the  first  step  in  which,  as  it  believed  at  the  time,  was  the  purchase  of 
a  little  road  known  as  the  Denver,  Utah  &  Pacific.  This  had  been  incorporated  in 
December,  1880,  and  at  first  leased  the  road  between  Utah  Junction  and  Burns 
Junction  from  the  Denver,  Western  &  Pacific,  then  built  to  Longmont  and  in 
September,  1885,  operated  the  road  to  Lyons. 

In  1900  the  Burlington  had  completed  its  connection  via  Brush  and  Alliance 
with  its  Black  Hills  system,  thus  placing  a  splendid  new  territory  into  the  trade 
area  of  Denver.  In  the  following  year  it  built  into  the  coal  and  iron  fields  around 
Guernsey,  Wyoming.  " 

During  the  year  ended  June  30,  1915,  the  line  extending  southerly  from  Laurel, 
Montana,  was  completed  to  Orin  Junction  and  the  connection  between  Guernsey 
and  Wendover  was  ready  for  operation  early  in  1916.  This  completed  the  line 
from  Billings.  Montana,  to  Northport,  Nebraska.  It  also  gave  the  Burlington  a 
complete  north  and  south  line  from  Billings  to  Denver. 

THE  SANTA   FE 

The  Atchison  &  Topeka  Railroad  Company  had  no  astounding  ambition  when 
it  was  incorporated  in  1859  to  build  a  line  from  Atchison  to  Topeka.  In  1863  with 
almost  three  million  acres  in  a  land  grant  it  started,  under  the  name  Atchison, 
Topeka  &  Santa  Fe  Railroad  Company,  to  build  as  far  as  possible  along  the  Santa 
Fe  Trail  to  the  old  New  Mexican  terminal.  In  i86g  actual  construction  was  be- 
gim  but  progress  was  slow.  In  1872  the  road  had  reached  Emporia  and  the  stretch 
of  340  miles  to  the  Colorado  boundary  was  undertaken  without  much  enthusiasm 
on  the  part  of  the  directors.  In  Pueblo  the  capitalists  had  been  looking  forward  to 
this  move  and  were  now  ready  to  cooperate.  The  Colorado  &  New  Mexico  Rail- 
way, the  Pueblo  &  Salt  Lake,  the  Pueblo  &  Arkansas  Valley,  all  "paper"  roads. 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  371 

were  now  consolidated  into  the  Pueblo  &  Salt  Lake  Railroad,  with  M.  A.  Shafifen- 
burg,  \V.  B.  Orman,  George  M.  Chilcott,  M.  D.  Thatcher,  O.  H.  P.  Baxter,  J.  N. 
Carlisle,  P.  K.  Dotson,  and  J.  Kaynolds  as  incorporators.  Pueblo  County  in 
March,  1874,  voted  $350,000  as  a  subscription  to  the  company's  stock.  Bent  County 
voted  $150,000.  Later  the  Santa  Fe  took  over  the  company,  Joseph  Nickerson, 
president  of  the  Santa  Fe,  taking  the  same  position  in  the  Pueblo  road,  M.  D. 
Thatcher  remaining  as  secretary  and  assistant  treasurer.  Not  until  1876  was  the 
road  in  Pueblo,  but  in  the  meantime  it  had  built  its  main  line  to  Trinidad  and  the 
steps  in  its  transcontinental  program  have  already  been  detailed.  In  1882  under 
its  traffic  arrangement  with  the  Denver  &  Rio  Grande  it  ran  its  trains  through  to 
Denver.  In  October,  1887,  't  came  in  on  its  own  lines,  using  the  route  around 
West  Denver.  Its  construction  in  Colorado  since  the  early  construction  periods 
has  been  confined  to  spurs  in  the  Arkansas  Valley  and  in  the  coal  sections. 

When  Governor  Osborn  rode  over  the  Colorado-Kansas  state  line  on  New 
Year's  day,  1873,  the  Atchison,  Topeka  &  Santa  Fe  was  informed  that  it  was  en- 
titled to  its  entire  land  grant  of  about  three  million  acres. 

The  building  of  the  road  over  the  Raton  Mountains  in  New  Mexico  was  an 
engineering  feat.  This  was  first  of  all  a  climb  up  Raton  Canon,  the  surmounting 
of  the  natural  obstacles  of  Raton  Pass,  nearly  eight  thousand  feet  above  sea  level, 
and  the  descent  through  Willow  Canon  to  the  New  Mexican  plains.  From  Trini- 
dad to  the  summit  of  the  pass  is  a  distance  of  fifteen  miles,  with  a  grade  in  that 
period  at  some  places  of  185  feet  to  the  mile.  Much  of  the  way  was  cut  through 
solid  rock.  The  road  was  often  protected  by  rip-rap  work  and  iron  bridges  were 
thrown  across  the  canyon.  When  the  builders  got  to  the  foot  of  the  crest  it  was 
a  case  of  constructing  a  tunnel  or  building  a  switch-back.  The  latter  was  decided 
on  as  a  temporary  makeshift — and  a  very  expensive  one.  The  enormous  grade 
of  316.8  feet  per  mile  was  reached  on  the  switch-back. 

By  1 88 1,  however,  trains  were  operating  through  a  tunnel. 

The  Pueblo  &  Arkansas  Valley  Railroad  Company  was  incorporated  as  a  Santa 
Fe  subsidiary  August  31,  1878,  a  consolidation  of  the  Pueblo  &  Arkansas  Valley 
Railroad  Company,  chartered  January  i,  1875,  and  the  Canon  City  &  San  Juan 
Railroad  incorporated  February  19,  1877.  This  line  was  placed  in  operation  from 
the  Kansas  State  line  to  Pueblo  on  March  i,  1876.  Its  length  was  148.72  miles. 
The  road  from  Pueblo  to  Rockvale,  37.01  miles,  began  operation  January  i,  1881. 

THE  MISSOURI  PACIFIC 

The  Missouri  Pacific  built  into  Colorado  in  1887,  reaching  Pueblo  in  that  year, 
giving  Colorado  a  second  direct  connection  with  Kansas  City  and  St.  Louis.  As 
its  interests  for  years  have  been  closely  identified  with  those  of  the  Denver  &  Rio 
Grande,  the  traffic  agreements  give  the  Missouri  Pacific  what  may  be  termed  a 
through  line  to  Denver. 

THE  COLORADO  MIDLAND 

The  Colorado  Midland  was,  to  begin  with,  a  Santa  Fe  subsidiarv.  It  was  in- 
corporated in  1883,  work  was  begun  in  1885  on  a  standard  gauge  railroad  to  the 


372  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

west  from  Colorado  Springs  via  Leadville,  and  completed  to  New  Castle  in  1889. 
From  that  point  to  a  connection  with  the  Rio  Grande  Western  it  built  jointly  with 
the  Denver  &  Rio  Grande,  later  selling  out  its  interest  in  this  branch  to  the  latter 
road.  It  also  built  from  Aspen  to  Aspen  Junction,  and  in  1882  through  a  subsidiary 
company  completed  the  Midland  Terminal  Railway  to  Cripple  Creek,  giving  the 
gold  camp  a  short  line  to  Denver.  Until  1894  it  was  operated  by  the  Santa  Fe. 
It  then  went  into  the  hands  of  a  receiver,  and  in  the  spring  of  1900  was  taken 
over  jointly  by  the  Denver  &  Rio  Grande  and  the  Colorado  &  Southern,  Frank 
Trumbull  acting  as  president,  and  Col.  D.  C.  Dodge  as  vice  president. 

On  December  13,  1912,  George  W.  Vallery,  then  president  of  the  company, 
was  appointed  receiver  on  the  application  of  the  bondholders'  committee. 

The  Colorado  Midland  Railroad  Company  was  incorporated  May  31,  1917, 
buying  in  at  public  auction  at  Colorado  Springs,  Colorado,  on  April  21,  1917,  the 
entire  property  of  the  Colorado  Midland  Railway  Company.  The  price  paid 
was  $1,425,000.  A  committee  representing  the  first  mortgage  bondholders  of  the 
Railway  Company  on  March  17,  1917,  suggested  a  plan  of  reorganization,  which 
failed  of  approval.  The  new  owners  are  now  projecting  an  eight  mile  road  to 
connect  the  Uintah  Railroad  at  Mack,  Colorado,  with  the  Grand  River  Valley 
Railroad  at  Fruita.  This  will  mean  access  to  the  rich  gilsonite  deposits  near 
Dragon. 

The  officers  of  the  road,  January  i,  1918,  are:  Chairman  of  the  board,  Spen- 
cer Penrose ;  president,  A.  E.  Carlton ;  vice  president,  C.  M.  MacNeill ;  secretary, 
L.  G.  Carlton ;  treasurer,  H.  L.  Hobbs.  The  following  are  directors,  in  addition 
to  the  officers:  E.  D.  Shove,  Irving  Howbert,  C.  C.  Hamlin,  C.  L.  Tutt,  A.  V. 
Hunter,  W.  R.  Freeman,  C.  C.  Parks,  Charles  Boettcher,  A.  G.  Miner,  Gerald 
Hughes. 

This  directorate  shows  it  to  be  in  control  of  Colorado  men,  who  at  the  public 
auction  in  April  combined  to  save  it  from  being  sold  to  junk  dealers. 

THE    MOFFAT   ROAD 

The  vain  eflforts,  in  1865  and  1866,  to  induce  the  Union  Pacific  to  construct 
its  main  line  through  Denver,  and  over  a  shorter  but  more  rugged  route,  via 
Berthoud  Pass  to  Salt  Lake,  found  a  far  echo  in  the  determination  of  David  H. 
Moft'at  to  build  in  1902  what  was  known  at  the  outset  as  the  Denver,  Northwestern 
&  Pacific.  In  the  records  of  the  secretary  of  state  there  were  many  incorpora- 
tions which  had  similar  objects,  but  most  of  these  lapsed  and  a  few  only  were 
utilized  in  other  branch  construction. 

And  since  the  early  fighting  days  of  Governor  John  Evans  and  his  associates, 
among  whom  was  David  H.  Mofifat,  there  had  been  many  surveys  and  much  ex- 
ploitation, and  the  wealth  of  Grand  and  Routt  counties  and  what  is  now  Mofifat 
County,  made  a  railroad  incursion  to  this  field  full  of  promise. 

The  Denver  &  Northwestern,  a  Denver  Tramway  connection  to  a  point  be- 
yond the  Leyden  coal  fields,  furnished  an  entrance  to  Denver  for  the  projected 
road. 

The  articles  of  incorporation  filed  July  18,  1902,  named  Denver,  Salt  Lake 
City  and  San  Francisco  as  points  on  the  route  of  this  new  transcontinental  car- 
rier.    The  capital  stock  was  placed  at  $20,000,000,  $10,000,000  preferred  and 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  373 

$10,000,000  common;  the  board  of  directors  for  the  first  year  were:  David  H. 
Moffat,  Walter  S.  Cheesman,  William  G.  Evans,  Charles  J.  Hughes,  Jr.,  George 
E.  Ross-Lewin,  Samuel  M.  Perry  and  Frank  B.  Gibson. 

This  directorate  made  it  evident  that  it  was  purely  a  Denver  enterprise.  Two 
of  its  incorporators,  David  H.  Moffat  and  Walter  S.  Cheesman,  had  been  con- 
nected with  the  Denver  Pacific,  the  first  road  to  enter  Denver,  William  G.  Evans, 
the  son  of  Governor  John  Evans,  and  Charles  J.  Hughes,  Jr.,  of  the  family  of 
Bela  M.  Hughes,  represented  two  of  the  principal  incorporators  of  the  earliest- 
rail  connection. 

The  first  actual  construction  was  in  charge  of  the  Denver  &  Northwestern, 
of  which  Samuel  M.  Perry  was  president,  and  was  for  the  first  eighteen  miles 
west  from  the  terminus  of  that  road.  This  was  let  on  July  23,  1902,  to  A.  A. 
Utley,  of  Rock  Springs,  Wyoming. 

As  in  the  building  of  the  other  roads,  however,  the  "Moffatt"  road  construc- 
tion work  was  to  be  in  the  hands  of  the  Colorado-Utah  Construction  Company, 
which  was  now  .incorporated  with  a  capital  stock  of  $2,000,000  and  with  Sylves- 
ter G.  Smith  as  president  and  general  manager,  and  A.  C.  Ridgway,  F.  G.  Moffat, 
William  G.  Thomas  and  Charles  K.  Durbin  as  directors. 

It  now  became  evident  that  Denver  capital  must  be  depended  on  at  least  to 
begin  the  work  of  building  this  road. 

On  June  24,  1902,  when  Mr.  Moffat  had  returned  from  his  first  financing  trip 
to  the  east,  his  determination  to  build  the  road  was  fixed;  this  despite  the  fact 
that  he  had  met  with  but  little  encouragement  from  moneyed  men  in  the  eastern 
centers.  It  was  the  first  of  a  long  series  of  disappointments,  but  he  did  not  then 
realize  the  extent  of  the  "trunk  line"  opposition  to  his  dream  of  a  short-cut  trans- 
continental line.  His  announcement  to  the  public  of  Colorado  was  in  part  as 
follows:  "I  am  convinced  that  the  building  of  this  railway  is  a  matter  of  great 
importance  to  Colorado  and  that  it  will  do  much  to  further  the  growth  of  Den- 
ver, where  my  chief  interests  are.  I  am  also  satisfied  that  the  enterprise  is  one 
of  great  merit  and  will  be  profitable  in  itself.  For  these  reasons  I  am  devoting 
much  time  and  money  to  it.  Satisfactory  progress  has  already  been  made  in  this 
undertaking.  Important  financial  assistance,  both  at  home  and  in  the  east,  is 
already  assured.  Surveying  parties  are  in  the  field.  Contracts  for  grading 
upon  the  eastern  slope  of  the  range,  west  of  Denver,  are  to  be  let  at  once,  and, 
speaking  for  myself  and  my  Denver  associates,  whether  the  work  goes  on  rapidly 
or  slowly  we  propose  to  keep  at  it  until  the  railroad  is  built." 

On  July  30,  1902,  officers  were  elected  as  follows:  President,  David  H.  Mof- 
fat ;  vice  president,  William  G.  Evans ;  secretary,  Frank  Gibson ;  treasurer,  George 
E.  Ross-Lewin ;  general  counsel,  Charles  J.  Hughes,  Jr.  The  contract  for  500 
miles  of  construction  was  approved  and  tlic  debenture  plan  was  as  follows :  Mort- 
gage for  $22,500,000  to  be  placed,  covered  by  4  per  cent  fifty-year  gold  bonds. 
The  issue  was  to  be  at  the  rate  of  $40,000  a  mile,  and  $2,500,000  was  to  be  held 
in  the  treasury  for  emergencies  of  construction. 

Construction  was  to  begin  at  Rollinsville,  the  proposed  terminus  of  the  Den- 
ver &  Northwestern. 

The  reports  of  that  date  state  "and  the  very  first  crack  will  be  at  the  11,000 
foot  tunnel  through  the  main  range." 


374  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

And  that  "first  crack"  was  soon  side-tracked,  for  the  sale  of  the  bonds  was 
not  easily  negotiated. 

H.  A.  Sumner,  formerly  state  engineer,  and  who  had  built  the  Florence  & 
Cripple  Creek  road,  was  made  engineer,  and  started  on  his  task  with  enthusiasm. 

On  Tuesday,  October  2 1st,  the  bond  issue  was  placed  upon  the  market,  and 
while  subscribed  for  liberally  in  Denver,  failed  to  meet  the  expectations  of  the 
promoters  of  the  project. 

But  Mr.  Moffatt  was  determined  to  build,  and  the  work,  though  interrupted 
for  periods,  went  on  with  funds  furnished  by  himself  and  associates. 

It  soon  developed  into  a  struggle  with  the  men  who  controlled  the  eastern 
money  markets,  and  in  this  fight  Mr.  Moft'at,  brave  and  determined  as  he  was, 
lost  out. 

In  February,  1903,  the  incorporation  papers  and  route  were  filed  with  the 
Secretary  of  the  Interior,  thus  giving  the  Moffat  road  the  right  of  way  through 
Gore  Canon.  In  the  struggle  which  ensued  with  the  New  Century  Power  & 
Light  Company  over  possession  of  the  canyon,  the  Moffat  road  finally  won  out. 

The  first  section  of  the  road,  Denver  to  Sulphur  Springs,  was  completed  in 
1905,  and  by  November  i,  1908,  the  road  reached  Steamboat  Springs.  Its  mile- 
age now  was  214.  The  extension  from  Steamboat  Springs  to  Craig,  40.51  miles, 
was  completed  November  22,  1913;  the  belt  line  to  the  Denver  stock  yards,  4.87 
miles,  was  opened  September  i,  1913. 

David  H.  Moffat  died  at  Hotel  Belmont,  New  York,  on  March  18,  191 1,  his 
entire  fortune  of  many  millions  consumed  in  this  enterprise.  In  the  Denver  Re- 
publican of  March  19,  191 1,  the  following  appeared,  giving  the  reasons  for  the 
long  struggle: 

"Mr.  Moffat  pledged  his  personal  means  in  the  completion  of  the  new  line, 
and  the  magic  of  his  past  success  brought  him  the  generous  support  of  local 
capital.  But  this  was  not  enough.  Such  a  line  of  railroad  as  was  surveyed,  nego- 
tiating heavy  grades  and  numerous  curves,  almost  involving  a  complete  change  in 
the  topography  of  many  stretches  along  the  survey,  meant  money  and  plenty  of 
j|.  *  *  *  ii  ^y3s  during  the  early  days  in  the  building  of  the  line  that  a  new 
power  was  rising  in  Wall  Street,  destined  to  dominate  the  railroad  situation  of 
the  entire  nation.  Edward  H.  Harriman  had  been  silently  welding  together  the 
disorganized  constituents  of  a  network  of  railroads  for  the  purpose  of  gaining 
the  transcontinental  mastery  of  America.  Harriman  speedily  came  into  his  own. 
The  Union  Pacific  system  he  immediately  marked  out  for  vast  improvements. 
On  that  line,  long  since  constructed  and  controlling  the  greater  portion  of  trans- 
continental traffic,  he  purposed  to  spend  on  modernization  alone  twice  the  cost  of 
completing  the  Moffat  road  from  Denver  to  Salt  Lake.  *  *  *  Harriman 
would  not  have  been  Harriman  had  he  permitted  a  rival  line,  financed  mainly  by 
local  capitalists,  to  pluck  his  plums.  At  the  south  was  the  Denver  &  Rio  Grande, 
controlled  by  the  Gould  interests.  It  was  enough  for  those  interests  to  com- 
pete with  the  astute  Harriman,  let  alone  an  air  line  which  would  slash  into  their 
hours  of  travel  and  length  of  mileage.  But  Mr.  Moffat  went  ahead.  He  built 
the  line  into  Sulphur  Springs.  More  money  was  needed  to  build  down  the  Gore 
Caiion.  He  built  into  Yampa.  *  *  *  When  more  money  was  needed  to  build 
into  Steamboat  Springs  he  again  asked  for  support  and  was  refused.  *  *  * 
Can  there  be  any  wonder  that  the  Moffat  tunnel  has  not  been  built?" 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  375 

The  success  of  the  Denver  &  Salt  Lake  road,  it  was  clear  now,  depended 
upon  the  building  of  the  tunnel  through  the  range.  At  an  election  held  May  20, 
1913,  a  charter  amendment  was  adopted  by  an  enormous  majority  of  the  voters 
of  Denver,  creating  a  tunnel  commission  which  was  to  supervise  the  issuance  of 
bonds  for  the  construction  of  the  "Moffat"  tunnel.  On  February  17,  1914,  the 
city  authorized  the  issue  of  $3,ooo,CXX)  in  bends,  its  share  of  the  proposed  tunnel 
expense,  for  the  new  owners  of  the  road  had  agreed  upon  a  plan  of  joint  con- 
struction. 

This  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  state  declared  unconstitutional  on  the  ground 
that  the  contract  between  the  railway  company  and  the  city  construed  as  a  part- 
nership is  in  violation  of  the  state  constitution,  and  that  the  provision  to  use  the 
tunnel  to  bring  water  from  the  Western  Slope  "is  merely  a  subterfuge." 

The  efforts  to  pass  an  amendment  to  the  state  constitution  to  permit  of  this 
tunnel  construction  also  failed. 

In  June,  191 1,  the  "Moffat"  road  was  taken  over  by  the  Denver  Railway 
Securities  Company,  under  a  reorganization  accepted  by  the  bondholders.  On 
May  I,  1912,  the  road  went  into  the  hands  of  Col.  D.  C.  Dodge  and  S.  M.  Perry, 
as  receivers.  This  was  in  an  action  begun  when  the  Railway  Securities  Company 
failed  to  meet  interest  and  principal  payments  on  short  term  notes  of  the  com- 
pany aggregating  $3,cxx3,cioo.  These  had  been  secured  by  $8,000,000  in  Denver, 
Northwestern  &  Pacific  bonds,  $4,000,000  in  notes  of  the  Colorado  Construction 
Company  and  $8,200,000  par  value  stock  of  the  parent  company. 

On  January  24,  1913,  Newman  Erb,  an  eastern  railroad  man,  became  inter- 
ested in  the  properties,  together  with  Dr.  F.  S.  Pearson,  English  financier  and 
railroad  builder,  who  with  Percival  Farquhar,  another  English  promoter,  had 
just  completed  the  financing  of  Central  and  South  American  railroads.  It  was 
now  incorporated  as  the  Denver  &  Salt  Lake  Railroad  Company,  and  its  directors 
in  1915  were:  Lawrence  C.  Phipps,  Charles  S.  Boettcher,  of  Denver;  Ward  E. 
Pierson,  Harry  I.  Miller,  Newman  Erb,  all  of  New  York;  W.  M.  Madden,  of 
F.  H.  Prince  &  Co.,  of  Boston. 

On  December  5,  1915,  the  local  owners  of  stock  secured  control  with  Charles 
Boettcher  as  president.  In  the  winter  of  1916  and  of  1917  the  road  was  forced 
to  shut  down  operations  of  trains  by  unusual  weather  conditions.  Lack  of  cars, 
heavy  operating  expenses,  discrimination  in  the  matter  of  rates,  made  deficits 
certain.  For  the  year  ending  June  30,  1917,  the  deficit  from  operations  alone 
was  $186,436. 

On  August  17th  the  court  appointed  Charles  Boettcher,  its  president,  and 
W.  R.  Freeman,  co-receivers.    These  are  now  in  charge  of  the  system. 

The  deficits  have  been  large.  In  1909-10  its  passenger  earnings,  largely 
tourist,  were  $336,204,  its  freight  earnings,  $592,896;  its  net  earnings  $209,494. 
Taxes  and  interest  were  $637,097,  leaving  a  deficit  for  the  year  of  $406,583.  In 
1910-11  the  deficit  was  $287,826.  In  1911-12  it  was  $234,443.  Then  with  the 
reorganization  and  the  reduction  in  interest  the  road  had  a  surplus  of  $58,229 
for  the  year  1912-13.  In  the  following  fiscal  year  the  deficit  was  again  $147,565. 
In  1915-16,  with  gross  earnings  $1,893,747,  and  interest  charges  of  $565,514,  its 
deficit  was  reduced  to  $83,912.  In  1916-17,  with  passenger  earnings  $330,406, 
a  normal  figure  for  the  entire  period,  freight  earnings  $1,585,676;  interest  charges 
$674,001,  its  deficit  was  $526,871. 


376  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

The  Northwestern  Terminal  Railway,  incorporated  July  30,  1904,  is  a  sub- 
sidiary company  owning  the  terminals  of  the  road  in  Denver.  The  property 
is  leased  to  the  Denver  &  Salt  Lake  for  fifty  years  from  January  i,  1914. 

THE  DENVER.  LARAMIE  &  NORTHWESTEKN 

The  Denver,  Laramie  &  Northwestern  Railway  Company  was  incorporated 
in  Wyoming  February  19,  1906,  with  a  capital  of  $5,000,000,  and  the  following 
directors :  Edward  A.  Buck,  William  R.  West,  Robert  H.  Dwyer,  Joseph  T.  West, 
all  of  Laramie;  J.  O.  Curry,  of  Boston;  Jesse  W.  Avery,  of  Aurora,  Illinois; 
and  Charles  S.  Johnson,  of  New  York. 

The  project  was  an  ambitious  one  for  the  railroad  was  to  go  through  the 
rich  northern  counties  of  Colorado,  through  to  Laramie  and  on  to  Seattle.  Under 
the  management  of  Charles  S.  Johnson  it  began  a  stock  selling  campaign,  largely 
in  Kansas  and  Oklahoma,  which  netted  it  sufficient  in  a  couple  of  years  to  begin 
construction.  A  subsidiary  "Land  and  Iron  Company,"  looked  after  town  sites, 
the  purchasing  of  producing  properties  in  the  coal  and  iron  regions  of  Wyoming, 
and  the  leasing  of  terminals.  The  company  had  gone  so  far  as  to  dicker  for 
dock  properties  in  Seattle.  It  actually  built  the  tunnel  through  Fish  Creek  Cafion 
near  Virginia  Dale,  Wyoming,  while  the  road  was  still  a  hundred  miles  south. 
Sixteen  hundred  stockholders  residing  in  the  middle  west  subscribed  more  than 
$3,400,000  for  the  securities  of  the  main  and  subsidiary  companies. 

On  February  8,  1910,  the  name  was  changed  to  the  Denver,  Laramie  & 
Northwestern  Railroad  Company,  and  its  capital  was  increased  to  $30,000,000. 
By  the  end  of  1910  it  had  made  Denver  terminal  arrangements  with  the  Moffat 
road,  was  operating  56.16  miles  of  road  to  Greeley  and  was  grading  the  first 
twelve  miles  beyond. 

Many  prominent  Denver  and  northern  Colorado  men  became  interested  in 
the  road,  and  on  April  i,  191 1,  its  directors  were:  C.  S.  Johnson,  W.  E.  Green, 
John  D.  Milliken,  W.  E.  Skinner,  Z.  C.  Felt,  C.  M.  Day,  A.  J.  Spengel,  W.  L. 
Clayton,  S.  J.  Kent,  N.  H.  Heft,  H.  B.  Holcomb,  Allyn  Cole  and  O.  D.  Berroth. 

The  heavy  promotion  expense,  inabihty  to  sell  bonds,  differences  among  the 
stockholders,  dissensions  among  directors,  finally  necessitated  a  receivership. 
The  deficit  for  the  year  1909-10  was  $25,643;  for  1910-11  it  was  $122,229. 

On  June  12,  1912,  Marshall  B.  Smith,  bailiff  in  the  court  of  District  Judge 
H.  C.  Riddle,  was  made  receiver  together  with  the  Continental  Trust  Company. 

All  efforts  to  oust  the  receivers  failed,  and  the  road  remained  in  the  jurisdic- 
tion of  the  district  court  until  May  16,  191 7,  when  it  was  sold  as  junk  for  ap- 
proximately $300,000.  In  June  the  purchasers  of  the  road,  together  with  Mar- 
shall B.  Smith  and  Clinton  Smith,  incorporated  the  Denver  &  Northern  Railroad 
Company  for  the  purpose  of  disposing  of  the  property  which  had  been  bought  in 
May. 

On  August  29,  1917,  the  State  Utilities  Commission  sanctioned  the  sale  of 
a  portion  of  the  road  to  the  Great  Western  Sugar  Company.  This  was  the  sec- 
tion extending  from  the  Union  Pacific  crossing  east  of  Brighton  to  Elm  in  Weld 
County.  The  remainder  of  the  road,  the  tracks  from  Utah  Junction  to  Brighton, 
fifty  miles,  and  from  Elm  to  Greeley,  about  fifteen  miles,  were  then  junked  by 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  377 

the  purchasers.    The  Great  Western  Sugar  Company  at  once  began  the  operation 
of  the  purchased  section. 

THE   ROCK    ISLAND 

The  Chicago,  Rocl<  Island  &  Pacitic  completed  its  line  to  Colorado  Springs 
in  1890,  coming  into  Denver  from  Limon  on  the  Union  Pacific  tracks.  It  still 
operates  to  Pueblo  under  a  traffic  agreement  with  the  Denver  &  Rio  Grande. 

The  Colorado  Eastern,  incorporated  in  1886  as  the  Denver  Railroad  &  Land 
Company,  later  as  the  Colorado  &  Eastern  Railway  Company,  was,  to  begin 
with,  a  narrow-gauge  road  running  from  the  site  of  the  former  Grant  smelter 
to  the  Scranton  coal  field,  a  distance  of  seventeen  miles.  In  1894  it  was  sold 
under  foreclosure,  and  named  Colorado  Eastern.  It  has  since  been  abandoned. 
Its  first  president  was  E.  H.  Hallack. 

The  Denver,  Lakewood  &  Golden  Railway  Company  incorporated  July  11, 
1892.  Its  original  incorporators  were:  J.  W.  Starkweather,  R.  Ryan,  H.  J. 
Hersey,  of  Denver;  W.  B.  Willard  and  J.  P.  Hayner  of  Hartford,  Connecticut.  It 
was  completed  early  in  1892.  It  runs  from  Denver  via  Lakewood  to  Golden, 
with  a  branch  to  Barnum.  On  July  31,  1896,  it  went  into  a  receiver's  hands. 
The  president  of  the  corporation  at  the  time  was  Samuel  Newhouse. 

The  Denver  &  Intermountain  Railway  Company  was  incorporated  May  20, 
1904,  as  successors  by  foreclosure  of  the  Denver,  Lakewood  &  Golden  road. 
On  April  21,  1909,  the  name  was  changed  to  the  Intermountain  Railway  Com- 
pany, being  a  subsidiary  of  the  Denver  City  Tramway  Company. 

The  "Cog"  road  from  Manitou  to  the  top  of  Pike's  Peak  is  one  of  several 
roads  that  now  take  the  tourist  to  the  towering  heights  of  the  Rockies.  Maj. 
John  Hulbert,  of  Manitou,  conceived  the  idea  in  1889,  and  in  1890  the  com- 
pany was  organized  with  Roswell  P.  Flower,  of  New  York,  R.  R.  Cable, 
president  of  the  Rock  Island,  David  Dows,  H.  H.  Porter,  David  H.  Moflfat, 
Maj.  Jerome  B.  Wheeler  and  Maj.  John  Ilulbert  as  its  backers.  In  August, 
1891,  trains  were  run  to  the  half-way  house.  The  following  year  the  old 
Government  signal  station  at  the  top  was  the  terminus.  It  was  first  built  on 
what  was  known  as  the  Swiss  "Abt"  system,  but  has  been  greatly  improved 
and  strengthened  in  recent  years. 

It  is  known  as  the  Manito'u  &  Pike's  Peak  Railway,  and  is  operated  from  May 
to  November  of  each  year  solely  for  tourist  business.  In  1913  it  paid  a  dividend 
of  40  per  cent.  In  the  fiscal  year  ending  June  30,  1916,  it  paid  a  dividend  of 
10  per  cent.  In  that  year  it  carried  69,159  passengers  to  the  top  of  Pike's 
Peak.  Its  officers  are:  C.  W.  Sells,  president  and  manager;  H.  J.  Holt,  vice 
president;  Z.  G.  Simmons,  treasurer;  A.  H.  Lance,  secretary.  Its  ownership 
has  practically  remained  unchanged. 

The  Laramie,  Hahns  Peak  &  Pacific  Railway  was  incorporated  in  Wyoming 
February  27,  1901,  and  the  road  was  buili  from  Laramie,  Wyoming,  to  Coal- 
mont,  Colorado,  a  di.stance  of  1 11.35  milc^  I'*^  promoters  were  Otto  Grainm, 
Jesse  Converse,  H.  R.  Woods,  of  I^aramie ;  L.  W.  Thompson,  of  Woburn, 
Massachusetts;  Wallace  Hackctt,  of  Portsmouth,  New  Hampshire;  C.  E.  Davis, 
of  Meredith,  New  Hampshire,  and  A.  S.  Howe  of  Boston.  Faikire  to  reach  its 
terminal  early  in    191 1.  i)ut  the  road  into  the  receivers'  bands  on  Juno  0,   1012, 


378  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

although  in  November,  191 1,  the  hne  had  reached  Coalmont.  On  June  2,  1914, 
the  Colorado,  Wyoming  &  Eastern  Railway  Company  was  incorporated  in  Colo- 
rado, and  purchased  the  road  at  Master's  sale.  Its  first  directors  under  the 
purchase  were:  Trowbridge  Calloway,  Lewis  B.  Franklin,  Carl  M.  Owen, 
Henry  Sanderson  of  New  York,  C.  Hutchins  of  Boston,  W.  E.  Green  of 
Laramie. 

During  1915  the  Denver  Union  Depot  &  Railway  Company  was  completely 
reorganized.  The  old  owners  were  the  Union  Pacific,  Denver  &  Rio  Grande 
and  Colorado  &  Southern.  The  Denver  Union  Terminal  Company  took  over  the 
properties  and  the  stock  was  divided  evenly  between  the  old  owning  companies, 
the  Burlington,  the  Santa  Fe  and  the  Rock  Island  companies.  The  Union 
Pacific  profit  in  the  liquidation  was  $848,681.90.  This  is  approximately  what 
each  of  the  other  owners  made. 

GOLD    CAMP    RAILROADS 

The  Cripple  Creek  Central  Railway  Company,  organized  under  the  laws  of 
Maine  on  September  30,  1904,  is  the  successor  of  the  Denver  &  Southwestern 
Railway,  the  property  of  which  it  bought  in  under  foreclosure  October  4,  1904. 
It  is  now  a  holding  company,  and  owns  the  securities  of  the  Cripple  Creek  & 
Colorado  Springs  Railroad  Company,  the  Midland  Terminal  Railway  Company 
and  the  Beaver  Park  road. 

The  Midland  Terminal  Railway  was  incorporated  in  Colorado,  August  8, 
1892,  and  the  road  opened  from  Divide  to  Midland  December  11,  1893;  from 
Midland  to  Gillett,  July  4,  1894;  from  Gillett  to  Victor,  December  10,  1894; 
from  Victor  to  Cripple  Creek,  December  18,  1895.  Its  officers  in  1895  were: 
H.  Collbran,  president  and  general  manager;  W.  J.  Gillett,  of  Chicago,  vice 
president  and  treasurer;  J.  H.  Waters,  superintendent.  Its  directors  in  1906, 
when  it  had  gone  into  control  of  the  Cripple  Creek  Central  Railway  Company, 
were  Henry  M.  Blackmer,  J.  H.  Waters,  K.  C.  Schuyler,  C.  ^I.  MacNeill  and 
C.  C.  Hamlin,  with  J.  H.  Waters  as  president.  On  July  21,  1917,  the  entire 
road  and  equipment  were  leased  to  the  Cripple  Creek  &  Colorado  Springs  Rail- 
road Company. 

The  Florence  &  Cripple  Creek  Railroad  was  incorporated  for  $1,000,000, 
April  17,  1893,  and  opened  from  Florence  to  Cripple  Creek,  40.02  miles,  in 
July,  1894.  It  was  an  exceedingly  profitable  road  in  its  first  years.  For  the 
year  ending  June  30,  1895,  its  passenger  earnings  were  $82,745,  and  its  freight 
earnings,  $142,128;  its  net  earnings  from  operating  were  $89,916.  Its 
surplus  for  that  year  was  $36,990.  ]\Iuch  of  its  equipment  in  those  early 
years  was  furnished  by  the  Denver  &  Rio  Grande.  The  first  directors  were 
William  E.  Johnson,  James  A.  McCandless,  Eben  Smith,  George  E.  Ross-Lewin, 
and  A.  B.  Roeder,  what  was  known  as  a  "Mofi'at"  directorate.  In  1904  it  was 
controlled  by  the  Cripple  Creek  Central  Railway  Company,  and  later  operated 
under  lease  the  Canon  City  &  Cripple  Creek  Railroad  and  the  Golden  Circle  Rail- 
road. On  April  30,  1915,  the  Florence  &  Cripple  Creek  Railroad  was  dissolved 
and  the  line  from  Wilbur  to  Victor  was  abandoned.  The  remainder  of  the  road, 
together  with  equipment,  was  sold  to  the  Golden  Circle  Railroad,  which  changed 
its  name  to  the  Cripple  Creek  &  Colorado  Springs  Railroad,  the  latter  assuming 


VIEW  OF  DENVEB 

(Reproduced  from  a  photographic  enlargement  of  a  wood  engraving  published  in  Frank 
Leslie's   Illustrated   Newspaper,  New  York,  December   15,   1860.) 


VIEW  IN  DENVER,  MAY  20,   1864,  T.OOKTNO   ROUTHWEST   FROM   INTERSECTION 
OF  LARIMER  STREET  AND  OIIKRRY   CREKK   WHEN   C'llEKUV   CREEK 
AND  THE  SOUTH  PLATTE  RIVER  WERE  AT  FLOOD  STAGE 


380  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

also  the  Florence  &  Cripple  Creek  lease  of  the   Colorado   Springs  &  Cripple 
Creek  District  Railway. 

The  Golden  Circle  Railroad  was  incorporated  April  15,  1896,  and  was  to 
begin  with  a  small  line  running  from  Cripple  Creek  to  Vista  Grande,  a  distance 
of  eleven  miles.  In  1904  it  came  into  control  of  the  Cripple  Creek  Central 
Railway  Company.  On  April  30,  1905,  it  changed  its  name  to  Cripple  Creek  & 
Colorado  Springs  Railroad,  and  has  taken  over  the  equipment,  the  Cripple  Creek 
District  terminals  and  the  lease  of  the  District  Railway  from  the  former 
Florence  &  Cripple  Creek  Company. 

Its  mileage,  owned  and  leased,  is  as  follows:  Cripple  Creek  to  Vista  Grande, 
10.98,  Colorado  Springs  to  Cripple  Creek,  46.62. 

The  Colorado  Springs  &  Cripple  Creek  District  Railway  was  incorporated 
April  13,  1897,  as  the  Cripple  Creek  District  Railway,  changing  its  name  in 
November,  1899.  It  operates  lines  from  Colorado  Springs  to  Colorado  City, 
Cripple  Creek  and  Victor,  a  total  mileage  of  74.25.  On  November  i,  191 1,  it 
was  leased  by  its  owners,  the  Colorado  &  Southern,  to  the  Florence  &  Cripple 
Creek  Railroad,  and  this  was,  on  April  30,  191 5,  transferred  to  the  Cripple 
Creek  &  Colorado  Springs  Railroad. 

The  following  is  a  record  of  railroads  operating  in  Colorado  January  i,  1918, 
together  with  main  track  mileage. 

Main  Track 
Miles 

Atchison,   Topeka  &  Santa  Fe   Ry.   Co 505.94 

Beaver,   Penrose   &   Northern  Ry.   Co 6.49 

Chicago,   Burlington  &  Ouincy  R.  R.   Co 394-36 

Chicago,  Rock  Island  &  Pacific  Ry.  Co 165.52 

Colorado    Railroad    Company 107.47 

Colorado  &  Southeastern  R.  R.  Co 7.52 

Colorado   &    Southern   Ry.    Co 808.37 

Colorado  &  Wyoming  Railway  Co 36.70 

Colorado-Kansas  Railway  Co 22.20 

Colorado  Midland  Railway  Co 261.10 

Colorado  Springs  &  Cripple  Creek  D.  Ry.   Co 74-25 

Cripple  Creek  &  Colorado  Springs  R.  R.  Co 12.40 

Colorado,  Wyoming  &  Eastern  Ry.  Co 43-88 

Crystal  River  R.  R.  Co 32.43 

Crystal  River  &  San  Juan  R.  R.  Co 7.40 

Denver  &  Rio  Grande  Railroad  Company 1,578.77 

Denver  &  Salt  Lake  Railroad  Company 252.35 

Denver,  Boulder  &  Western  R.  R.  Co 45-99 

Georgetown  &  Gray's  Peak  Railway  Co i5-90 

Great  Western  Railway  Company .83 

Manitou  &  Pike's  Peak  Ry.  Co 8.70 

Midland  Terminal   Ry.   Co 29.40 

Missouri  Pacific  Ry.  Co 152.12 

Rio  Grande  Junction  Ry.  Co 62.08 

Rio  Grande  Southern  R.  R.  Co 182.27 

San  Luis  Central  R.  R.  Co 12.21 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  381 

Main  Track 
Miles 

San  Luis  Southern  Ry.  Co 31.53 

Silverton    Railway 17.00 

Silverton  Northern  R.  R.  Co 20.80 

Uintah   Railway  Company 50-8o 

Union  Pacific  R.  R.  Co 591-22 

Total 5,538-10 

The  Argentine  &  Gray's  Peak  Railway  is  owned  by  the  Georgetown  &  Gray's 
Peak  Railway  Company,  which  was  incorporated  in  1913.  It  is  purely  a  scenic 
and  tourist  line. 

The  Beaver,  Penrose  &  Northern,  is  a  "fruit"  road,  organized  in  1909,  and 
provides  rail  facilities  from  the  orchard  portions  of  Fremont  County.  Its  head- 
quarters are  at  Colorado  Springs. 

The  Colorado-Kansas  Railway  Company  operates  out  of  Pueblo. 

The  Crystal  River  Railroad  is  a  "marble"  road,  owned  by  the  Colorado  Fuel 
&  Iron  Company,  and  the  Crystal  River  &  San  Juan  is  owned  by  the  Colorado- 
Yule  Marble  Company. 

The  Great  Western  Railway  Company  is  a  "sugar-beet"  road,  controlled  by 
the  Great  Western  Sugar  Company. 

The  San  Luis  Central  Railroad,  incorporated  February  18,  1913,  runs  from 
Monte  Vista  to  Sugar  Factory  and  from  Sugar  Factory  to  Center.  J.  B.  Cos- 
griflf,  of  Denver,  and  associates  owned  the  road  in  19 17. 

The  San  Luis  Southern  Railway  was  incorporated  July  3,  1909.  Road  put 
in  operation  from  Blanca  to  Jaroso  September  i,  1910.  It  was  built  by  the 
present  owners  of  the  old  Spanish  Land  Grant  in  the  San  Luis  Valley. 

The  Silverton  Northern  was  incorporated  November  4,  1895,  and  the  road 
was  completed  in  June,  1905.  In  July,  191 5,  it  purchased  the  Silverton,  Glad- 
stone &  Northerly,  running  out  of  Silverton.  The  Silvertori  Railway,  incorpor- 
ated on  November  9,  1904,  runs  to  Joker  Tunnel,  and  is  a  reorganization  of  the 
Silverton  Railroad  Company,  incorporated  July  5,  1887,  and  after  a  receivership, 
which  was  ordered  in  1898,  was  sold  under  foreclosure  in  1904.  A  company, 
of  which  Otto  Mears  is  president,  controls  these  roads. 

The  Uintah  Railroad  is  the  line  running  from  Mack,  Colorado,  to  Dragon, 
Wyoming,  and  taps  the  gilsonite  fields  in  that  region.  It  is  controlled  by  the 
Barber  Asphalt  Paving  Company.  It  was  incorporated  in  Colorado  on  November 
4,  1903,  and  completed  February  i,  1905.  Its  net  earnings  have  been:  1910-11, 
$143,042;  191 1-12,  $79,473;  1912-13,  $152,225;  1913-14,  $43,220;  1914-15,  $37,029; 
1915-16,  $156,190.     For  1916,  $98,445. 

The  Colorado  &  Wyoming  Railway,  incorporated  in  Colorado,  May  9,  1899, 
runs  from  Guernsey  to  Sunrise,  Wyoming,  and  in  the  southern  coal  fields. 
Its  total  mileage  is  42.78.  It  is  a  C.  F.  &  I.  road.  The  Colorado  &  Southeastern 
is  also  a  small  coal  road  that  operates  to  properties  of  the  Victor  Company. 

The  only  interurban  roads  in  the  state  are  the  Denver  &  Intermountain,  Denver 
to  Golden,  which  is  part  of  the  Denver  Tramway  system;  the  Denver  Sr  Inter- 
urban, Denver  to  Boulder,  which  is  a  Colorado  &  Southern  company ;  the  Grand 


382  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

River  Valley  Railway,  Grand  Junction  to  Fruita ;  and  the  Trinidad  Electric, 
Trinidad  to  the  coal  fields.  Aside  from  these  the  Union  Pacific  has  gasoline 
motors  operating  in  northern  Colorado. 

Up  to  January  i,  1885,  there  were  on  file  in  the  office  of  the  secretary,  J02 
distinct  articles  incorporating  as  many  dififeient  railroad  projects.  Among  these 
was  the  Atlantic  &  Pacific  Railway  Tunnel  Company,  designed  to  go  from 
Atlantic  City  to  Pacific  City,  and  capitalized  for  $7,000,000.  There  was  also 
the  Denver,  Hot  Springs  &  Pacific  Railway,  incorporated  for  $30,000,000  on 
February  12,  1882,  the  precursor  of  the  "Moffat"  road.  The  most  important  was 
that  consolidating  the  Denver  Pacific  Railway  &  Telegraph  Company,  the  Union 
Pacific  Railroad  Company,  and  the  Kansas  Pacific  Railway  Company,  under  the 
name  Union  Pacific  Railway  Company,  witli  a  capital  stock  of  $50,962,300. 

The  cost  of  railroad  construction  in  the  early  period  was  heavy,  but  with  the 
peculiar  financiering  methods  of  holding  and  construction  companies,  was  by 
no  means  accurately  reported  to  state  officials.  In  1885  the  state  railroad  com- 
missioner says  in  his  report :  ''The  Colorado  Central,  Utah  &  Pacific  and  Denver 
.&  New  Orleans  are  the  only  roads  that  have  fully  reported  the  cost  of  road  and 
equipment  separately.  The  cost  per  mile  of  the  Colorado  Central,  including 
road,  $10,708,563.14,  and  equipment,  $515,805.73,  was  $34,318  per  mile  ;  that  of  the 
Denver,  Utah  &  Pacific,  road,  $1,305,000;  equipment,  $109,653.88  per  mile,  $39,- 
189.18;  the  Denver  &  New  Orleans,  road,  $3,015,136.79,  equipment,  $269,431.90; 
per  mile.  $23,880.65.  This  last-named  was  the  road  built  to  Pueblo  and  was  not 
of  difficult  construction. 


CHAPTER  XIX 
THE  TELEGRAPH  AND  THE  TELEPHONE 

EFFORTS  TO  ORGANIZE  TELEGRAPH  COMPANIES  IN  1860  FAIL CONGRESSIONAL  SUB- 
SIDY IN  1861  EFFECTIVE LINE  REACHES  JULESBURG ^DENVER  USES  PONY  EX- 
PRESS TO  STATE  LINE — FIRST  LINE  REACHES  DENVER— CONSTRUCTING  TO   SANTA 

FE WESTERN    UNION    ACQUIRES   ALL   EXISTING  LINES   IN    TERRITORY   IN    iS/O 

ENTRANCE    OF    POSTAL    TELEGRAPH     IN     FIELD MILEAGE    IN     I918 THE    TELE- 
PHONE   COMPANY    ORGANIZES    FOR    BUSINESS    IN    COLORADO DETAILED    HISTORY 

OF  ITS  GROWTH— THE  BEGINNING  AT  LEADVILLE SUBSTITUTING  GIRLS  FOR  MALE 

OPERATORS IMPROVEMENTS — EXTENDING       THE       SYSTEM ORGANIZING       THE 

MOUNTAIN   STATES  TELEPHONE  COMPANY 

The  agitation  for  telegraphic  ccniiniunication  with  the  east  began  with  the 
first  rush  of  gold  seekers,  for  in  1859  and  in  i860  it  seemed  as  though  the  Union 
must  break  asunder  under  the  driving  stream  of  the  slave-holding  section.  And 
these  thousands  who  were  crossing  the  plains  were  eager  for  news.  Fast  as  was 
the  pony  express,  it  could  not  satisfy  their  hunger  for  information.  In  i860 
President  Charles  M.  Stebbins,  of  the  Missouri  &  Western  Telegraph  Company, 
came  to  Denver,  and  obtained  the  promise  of  a  small  realty  subsidy,  but  the  ex- 
pense of  construction  proved  too  heavy,  for  all  supplies,  all  material,  had  to  be 
hauled  by  teams  and  this  \was  not  only  a  slow  but  a  money-devouring  process. 

Congress,  however,  in  i860,  ofTered  a  guarantee  of  $40,000  a  year  from  Fed- 
eral business  to  the  builders  of  a  transconlincntal  telegraph  line.  Edward  Creigh- 
ton  and  associates  had  previously  organized  the  Pacific  Overland  Telegraph  Com- 
pany, and  begun  building  from  Omaha  westward.  The  Missouri  &  Western 
lines  were  secured  by  the  new  company  and  early  in  1861  construction  on  the 
long  overland  route  began  via  Fort  Kearney,  Julesburg,  Fort  Laramie,  Fort 
Bridger,  Salt  Lake  City,  where  it  expected  to  meet  the  construction  gangs  from 
the  Pacific  Coast.  Henry  M.  Porter,  one  of  Colorado's  prominent  pioneers,  built 
the  division  between  Omaha  and  Fort  Kearney.  Denver  was  in  1861  getting  its 
telegrams  by  pony  express  from  Julesburg,  that  mode  of  transmission  having 
kept  pace  with  the  advance  of  the  telegraph  lines. 

Edward  Crcighton  came  to  Denver  in  1861,  and  ofifcred  to  build  the  line 
from  Julesburg  to  Denver  for  a  subsidy  equal  to  the  cost  of  construction.  This 
was  rejected.  At  this  time  the  telegraph  company  had  opened  an  office  in  Den- 
ver and  placed  David  H.  Moffat  in  charge.  The  business  soon  became  so  heavy 
that  the  company  officials  returned  in  1863.  in  the  midst  of  the  Civil  War,  when 
the  hunger  for  news  was  keenest,  and  secured  advance  telegraph  payments 
amounting  to  $35,000,  part  of  which  was  contributed  by  Central  City  on  the 

383 


384  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

promise  that  the  hne  would  be  extended  to  that  point.  B.  F.  Woodward,  another 
of  Colorado's  noted  pioneers,  built  this  line,  cutting  across  country  from  the 
present  site  of  Fort  Morgan  by  way  of  Living  Springs  to  Denver.  This  was  even 
then  called  the  "cut-off  road."  On  October  lo,  1863,  Mayor  Amos  Steck,  of 
Denver,  sent  the  first  message  to  the  mayor  of  Omaha.  Mr.  Woodward  succeeded 
David  H.  Moffat  as  manager,  and  in  November  announced  the  completion  of  the 
line  to  Central  City.     He  remained  manager  until  1866. 

The  business  was  by  no  means  profitable  in  these  early  years,  for  the  buffalo 
herds  made  scratching  posts  of  the  poles,  which  were  generally  planted  in  sandy 
soil,  and  the  outlay  for  repairs  wiped  out  profits,  even  though  rates  for  ten  words 
were  $9.10  to  New  York;  $9.25  to  Boston;  $7.50  to  St.  Louis.  The  Indians 
too  were  troublesome,  and  storms  on  the  prairies  wrought  great  havoc.  Con- 
struction, too,  was  crude,  and  it  was  some  years  before  these  long  lines  were 
really  profitable. 

B.  F.  Woodward,  however,  saw  other  opportunities  for  telegraph  business, 
and  with  William  N.  Byers,  David  H.  Moffat,  H.  M.  Porter  and  Fred  Z.  Salo- 
mon and  other  progressive  Denver  men  organized  the  United  States  &  Mexico 
Telegraph  Company,  later  the  Denver  &  Santa  Fe  Railway  &  Telegraph  Com- 
pany. "  On  March  8,  1868,  Denver  was  in  telegraphic  communication  with  Santa 
Fe.  This  was  really  a  part  of  the  north  and  south  railroad  planned  about  this 
time  by  Mr.  Moffat,  and  later  merged  into  the  Denver  &  New  Orleans  project 
of  John  Evans. 

In  the  autumn  of  1868  the  same  telegraph  company  built  along  the  located 
route  of  the  Denver  Pacific  to  Cheyenne. 

In  1870  the  Western  Union  acquired  both  telegraph  lines. 

Wire  facilities  were,  however,  planned  with  all  railroad  lines  and  followed 
the  right  of  way  of  these  projects. 

The  Western  Union  controlled  the  telegraph  business  in  Colorado,  extending 
its  lines  into  all  districts  until  1890,  when  the  Postal  Telegraph  Company  reached 
Denver. 

In  the  reports  to  the  Tax  Commission  for  1917  the  Western  Union  mileage 
of  wire  in  the  state  was  21,248.32;  that  of  the  Postal  Telegraph  Company,  5,- 
652.08,  and  that  of  the  Colorado  &  Wyoming  Telegraph  Company,  a  Colorado 
Fuel  &  Iron  Company  subsidiary,  847.98. 

The  Mountain  States  Telephone  &  Telegraph  Company  has  a  mileage  in  Colo- 
rado of  269,893, — with  a  valuation  of  $2,527,250.  There  are  many  small  telephone 
companies  throughout  the  state,  most  of  which  are  either  part  of  the  Mountain 
State  system  or  cooperate  with  it.  Of  these  the  Colorado  &  Eastern  Telephone  & 
Telegraph  Company  has  a  mileage  of  2,122;  the  Delta  County  Cooperative  Tele- 
phone Company,  1. 136;  the  Eagle  Valley  Telephone  Company,  246.50;  the  Gar- 
field County  Telephone  Company,  275 ;  the  La  Garita  Telephone  Company,  230 ; 
the  Montezuma  County  Telephone  Company,  526.40;  the  Springfield-Lamar 
Telephone  Company,  185;  the  Yampa  Valley  Telephone  Company,  216. 

Late  in  the  fall  of  1889  the  Postal  Telegraph-Cable  Company  started  the 
construction  of  a  new  line  of  telegraph  from  Kansas  City  to  Denver,  building 
westward  from  Kansas  City  paralleling  the  Atchison,  Topeka  &  Santa  Fe  Rail- 
road through  Kansas  to  Colorado,  and  terminating  its  line  at  Denver,  in  July, 
1890.     A  main  office  was  then  opened  at  1705  Larimer  Street,  with  branch  of- 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  385 

fices  in  the  Windsor  Hotel  and  at  Sixteenth  and  Larimer  streets,  in  the  old  office 
location  of  the  Western  Union  Company,  from  which  they  had  just  moved. 

The  Postal  Company,  with  its  direct  wires  to  Kansas  City,  St.  Louis  and 
Chicago,  soon  became  a  factor  in  the  telegraph  field  in  Colorado.  The  new  line 
gave  competitive  telegraph  service  to  such  points  in  the  state  as  Holly,  Lamar, 
Las  Animas,  La  Junta,  Rocky  Ford,  Fowler,  Pueblo,  Colorado  Springs,  Palmer 
Lake,  Castle  Rock  and  Littleton,  and  it  was  not  long  before  there  were  eighteen 
competitive  branch  offices  being  operated  in  the  City  of  Denver  by  the  two  com- 
peting lines. 

The  next  construction  was  in  1892,  when  the  Postal  built  a  line  into  Lead- 
ville  via  the  Colorado  Midland  route,  and  the  Postal  was  the  first  telegraph  com- 
pany to  give  telegraph  service  in  the  Cripple  Creek  district,  building  its  own 
independent  line  into  that  wonderful  gold  camp  ahead  of  the  railroads. 

In  1893-94  the  Postal  extended  a  line  of  telegraph  from  Denver  to  El  Paso, 
Texas,  and  from  Albuquerque,  New  Mexico,  to  Los  Angeles,  California,  to  con- 
nect with  the  Pacific  Postal  system ;  and,  in  1904,  after  seven  years  of  litigation 
with  the  Western  Union  and  Union  Pacific  (both  owned  by  Gould  interests,  Har- 
riman  not  yet  having  secured  control  of  the  Union  Pacific)  the  Postal,  after  set- 
tling its  litigation,  extended  its  lines  from  Denver  to  Omaha  and  from  Denver 
to  Salt  Lake  via  Union  Pacific  rights-of-way,  and  still  later  a  line  of  telegraph 
was  further  extended  from  Salt  Lake  to  San  Francisco,  carrying  the  largest  cop- 
per wire  ever  placed  on  poles  for  telegraph  purposes. 

THE  TELEPHONE   IN  COLORADO 

Within  three  years  from  the  date  in  1876  when  Bell  exhibited  his  electric  tele- 
phones at  the  Centennial  Exposition  in  Philadelphia  the  new  method  of  transmit- 
ting messages  was  successfully  applied  in  Colorado. 

The  Bell  controlling  patents  were  issued  March  7,  1876,  and  January  30, 
1877,  the  company  was  putting  out  magneto  telephones  in  original  form,  on  rental 
and  royalty  for  about  two  years,  which  at  first  were  used  only  on  private  lines. 

In  1877  Berliner  invented  the  Microphone  (contact  transmitter)  and  filed  ap- 
plication for  American  patents.  This  was  the  original  and  basis  of  all  later  bat- 
tery transmitters.  The  Berliner  patent  was  delayed  by  interference  and  litiga- 
tion, but  the  claim  was  finally  bought  by  the  Bell  company  in  1879,  although  the 
patent  was  not  issued  until  1891,  persistent  litigation  following  the  issue. 

In  the  same  year  Edison  invented  the  Carbon  Microphone  transmitter,  which 
gave  to  the  Berliner  invention  its  commercial  effectiveness.  The  Edison  British 
carbon  patent  was  dated  1877,  but  the  American  application  for  the  same  was 
delayed  in  the  patent  office  by  interference  and  litigation  and  was  not  issued  until 
1891,  fourteen  years  later,  and  then  held  to  be  technically  void  by  reason  of  the 
prior  British  patent.  Meanwhile  Edison  sold  his  American  rights  to  the  Western 
Union  Telegraph  Company,  giving  them  a  big  advantage  over  the  Bell  company, 
which  at  that  time  had  no  transmitter,  and  consequently  could  not  furnish  any- 
thing but  purely  local  service. 

In  1878  the  Blake  Carbon  Platiiuiiii  transmitter  was  invented,  and  this  en- 
abled the  Bell  company  to  furnish  more  than  purely  local  service  and  saved  the 
day  for  them  in  their  competition  with  the  Western  Union. 


386  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

The  tirst  telephone  exchange  was  built  at  New  Haven,  Connecticut,  in  1878, 
a  crude  switch  and  signal  device  being  used.  In  the  same  year  work  on  the 
Boston  and  Chicago  exchanges  was  started.  Prior  to  this  telephones  had  been 
rented  to  merchants  and  others  for  private  lines  between  departments  or  between 
offices  and  yards  or  factories. 

In  1878  the  Western  Union  Telegraph  Company  went  actively  into  the  tele- 
phone business,  both  private  and  exchange,  relying  chiefly  on  its  Edison  trans- 
mitter patent  and  the  chances  of  litigation  against  the  Bell  patents.  The  Western 
Union  Telegraph  Company  also  acquired  the  Gray  claims. 

On  Monday,  February  24,  1879,  the  Denver  exchange  opened  and  was  prob- 
ably the  third  or  fourth  one  in  the  world.  This  was  in  a  way  a  crucial  year  for 
this  infant  industry,  for  the  Bell  company  and  the  Western  Union  began  com- 
peting for  territory.  This  was  of  brief  duration  for  late  in  1879  the  Western 
Union  sold  all  its  rights,  claims,  patents  and  properties  in  telephone  instruments 
and  apparatus  to  the  Bell  company,  retiring  entirely  from  the  telephone  end  of 
the  message  transmission  business. 

F.  O.  Vaille  came  to  Denver  on  July  20,  1878,  with  the  idea  of  engaging  in 
some  business  enterprise  in  Colorado  if  the  prospects  appeared  favorable.  He 
visited  Central  City  and  other  points  of  activity  and  became  enthusiastic  over  the 
resources  of  the  state.  While  he  had  some  doubts  as  to  the  future  of  the  tele- 
phone business,  he  concluded  to  embark  in  it,  and  visited  Boston  and  secured 
from  the  Bell  company  the  license  to  use  its  instruments  in  Colorado.  He  re- 
turned to  Denver  in  October,  1878,  formed  a  partnership  with  Senator  E.  O. 
Wolcott  and  Henry  R.  Wolcott,  to  carry  on  the  enterprise,  and  at  once  announced 
to  the  public  that  a  telephone  exchange  would  be  opened  if  125  subscribers  could 
be  obtained.  The  new  enterprise  was  given  some  publicity  by  the  newspapers. 
In  December  Mr.  Vaille  began  a  canvass  of  the  business  men,  putting  telephones 
on  exhibition.  It  was  a  new  invention,  there  being  only  three  exchanges  in  the 
world,  those  at  New  Haven,  Boston  and  Chicago,  and  these  had  just  started. 
The  Bell  company  had  been  renting  telephones  for  use  only  on  private  lines. 
There  was  such  a  line  in  Denver  equipped  with  telephones  rented  of  Mr.  Vaille. 
This  was  used  by  the  Colorado  Coal  &  Iron  Company  (now  the  Colorado  Fuel  & 
Iron  Company). 

By  February  2,  1879,  sixty-three  Denver  exchange  subscribers  had  been  se- 
cured, not  including  those  of  the  City  of  Denver,  and  work  on  the  lines  started. 
On  Monday,  February  24,  1879,  ^^^  Denver  exchange,  which  has  now  reached 
such  huge  proportions,  was  modestly  opened  for  business,  receiving  meager 
recognition  from  the  newspapers.  While  one  paper  gave  considerable  notice  to 
the  opening  of  the  exchange,  a  second  paper  merely  said  under  an  inconspicuous 
heading,  "The  Line  Open."'  "The  telephone  was  in  working  order  yesterday 
and  the  line  was  well  patronized.  After  the  novelty  of  the  thing  has  worn  off 
the  operators  will  be  able  to  get  some  rest.  All  of  yesterday  ihev  were  burdened 
with  anxious  inquiries  from  about  two  hundred  subscribers  asking  questions  about 
the  weather,  the  telephone  and  other  unimportant  subjects." 

The  central  office  was  located  on  the  south  side  of  Larimer  Street,  between 
Fifteenth  and  Sixteenth  streets,  on  the  second  floor  of  the  building  owned  by 
George  Tritch  and  over  Frick's  shoe  store.    The  company  had  three  rooms,  using 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  387 

the  front  room  lor  a  business  office,  the  one  back  of  it  for  a  battery  room,  and 
the  third  or  rear  room  for  the  central  office. 

In  1880  after  consoHdation  with  tlie  Western  Union,  or  rather  the  Colorado 
Eastern  Telephone  Company,  which  had  followed  the  Bell  with  competing  ex- 
changes, the  company  moved  to  the  Bardwell  Block,  on  Larimer  Street.  With- 
in three  months  it  was  moved  to  the  top  floor  of  the  newly-completed  Tabor 
Block,  next  door  to  the  Bardwell   Building. 

In  1890  the  company  erected  a  fire-proof  building  at  1447  Lawrence  Street, 
remaining  there  until  1903,  when  it  built  the  first  four  stories  of  its  present  eight- 
story  building  at  142 1  Champa  Street.  In  1915  the  one-story  building  to  the  east 
of  the  large  structure  was  erected,  and  later  the  greater  part  of  the  Wyoming 
Building  at  the  southeast  corner  of  Fourteenth  and  Champa  streets  was  leased. 
Many  branch  exchanges  have  also  been  opened. 

The  first  lines  were  iron,  the  discovery  of  the  process  for  hardening  copper 
to  stand  a  strain  not  having  been  invented,  and  the  subscribers  were  grouped 
together  on  grounded  lines. 

General  Manager  Vaille  believed  that  lines  should  be  run  upon  poles  instead 
of  upon  fixtures  placed  upon  roofs,  although  this  latter  construction  was  being 
followed  in  the  few  exchanges  which  had  been  started  elsewhere  in  the  United 
States. 

The  switchboard  was  crude,  being  modeled  after  that  of  telegraph  companies. 
The  subscriber's  set  consisted  of  a  black  walnut  back  board  to  which  was  at- 
tached a  primitive  apparatus  consisting  of  a  single  stroke  bell  which  tolled  ofi:' 
the  number  of  the  subscriber's  ring. 

The  rates  established  were  $5.00  per  month  for  business  and  $4.00  per  niontii 
for  residence  use. 

The  line  to  Georgetown  was  the  first  long  distance  line  built  in  the  State  of 
Colorado,  the  line  to  Boulder  being  built  later.  The  rates  made  for  local  ex- 
change service  at  Golden  and  the  towns  mentioned,  including  Boulder,  were 
$60.00  per  annum  for  business  and  $48.00  for  residence  service. 

The  fir.st  telephones  used  in  Leadville  connected  two  plants  of  the  Malta 
Smelting  Com])any  on  May  15,  1879,  and  worked  perfectly,  and  on  June  25. 
1879,  ^  1'"^  "i  ni'ls  'o"??  from  the  Western  Union  office  at  the  corner  of  Pine  and 
Chestnut  streets  to  the  Birdwell  &  Witherell  smelter,  equipped  with  telejjhones, 
worked  so  well  that  an  operator  at  the  smelter  heard  over  the  telephone  and  re- 
corded telegraph  messages  which  were  being  received  at  the  telegraph  office.  Thi.';. 
was  only  three  years  after  vocal  sounds  were  first  transmitted  by  telephone. 

An  exchange  was  established  in  the  old  Herald  Building,  corner  of  Third  and 
Harrison  avenues,  adjoining  the  Western  Union  telegraph  office.  It  is  recorded 
that  at  this  time  seventy  miles  of  telephone  wire  were  strung  on  poles,  trees, 
housetops,  and  anything  that  would  afford  support  for  them,  connecting  the 
smelters,  mines,  hotels,  business  houses,  etc. 

A.  G.  Hood,  manager  of  the  Western  Union  Telegra])h  Company,  was  also 
manager  for  the  telephone  company.  The  switchboard,  which  was  considered  a 
marvel  of  the  inventor's  art,  was  a  horizontal  table  affair  with  metal  strips  cross- 
ing each  other  at  right  angles.  Connections  were  made  by  in.scrting  "pumpkin 
seed"  plugs  between  the  strips  at  the  proper  points,  which  was  "something  to 
know."     The  talking  instruments  were  of  the  Edison  tvpe  receiver,  transmitter 


388  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

and  gravity  battery.     The  signaling  was  with  push-button  and  single-stroke  bell, 
— rather  old-fashioned,  but  up-to-date  at  the  time. 

In  the  spring  of  1880  the  Leadville  Telephone  Company  was  formed,  and 
H.  A.  W.  Tabor  furnished  the  money  to  replace  the  primitive  exchange.  The 
Quincy  Block  was  being  built.  This  was  the  tallest  building  in  town  at  the  time, 
and  the  new  company  secured  rooms  for  office  purposes  in  it  at  a  rental  of 
$2,000  per  year.  A  tower  was  erected  on  the  top  of  the  new  building,  from 
which  wires  were  run  in  every  direction.  Poles  fifty-five  and  sixty  feet  long  were 
set  along  Harrison  Avenue  and  Chestnut  Street,  and  ten-pin  cross-arms  were 
placed  on  them.  It  was  considered  a  brave  act  in  those  days,  before  Eastern 
climbers  had  reached  this  Western  country  and  safety  belts  and  straps  were 
unknown,  to  carry  up  and  place  a  ten-pin  arm  on  one  of  those  tall  poles  with 
only  the  grip  of  the  leg  around  the  pole  for  support. 

A  new  Gilliland  switchboard,  thirteen  feet  long,  standing  upright  and  equipped 
for  300  grounded  lines,  with  "barn  door"  annunciator  jacks  and  ringing  and 
connecting  strips,  was  placed,  and  for  many  years  gave  excellent  service  to 
patrons. 

In  1888  the  Colorado  Telephone  Company  bought  the  Leadville  exchange  and 
soon  connected  the  great  mining  camp  with  Denver  and  its  other  exchanges  by 
means  of  a  copper  toll  line  over  Mosquito  Pass  and  across  the  South  Park  via 
Fairplay,   Como  and  Morrison  to  Denver. 

In  the  early  '80s  every  gambling  house  and  up-to-date  "joint"  was  connected 
— theaters,  "free  and  easies,"  billiard  halls,  etc.,  where  every  class  and  kind  of 
patron  stood  on  a  level.  Whether  from  sound  judgment  of  these  conditions  or 
from  some  other  phase  of  undevelopment,  it  was  decreed  that  the  job  of  operat- 
ing or  "switching"  in  the  telephone  office  was  peculiarly  fitting  for  young  men 
and  decidedly  inappropriate  for  girls. 

An  operator  who  could  not  answer  back  in  kind  was  not  well  qualified  for 
his  job.  His  ability  to  compete  in  language  and  style  with  the  slang-whangers 
of  the  saloons  was  considered  quite  the  thing  and  commanded  respect. 

It  was  several  years  before  young  ladies  were  employed  as  operators. 

In  1880  the  Pueblo  and  Colorado  Springs  exchanges  were  opened  and  in 
1881  party  lines  were  run  from  Boulder  to  Longmont. 

In  1882  the  company  had  593  subscribers  in  Denver,  46  in  Boulder,  41  in 
Central  City,  33  in  Georgetown,  24  in  Golden,  108  in  Colorado  Springs  and  138 
in  Pueblo.  The  exchanges  at  Silverton  and  Gunnison  were  abandoned  after  the 
boom  days  in  these  camps. 

The  long  distance  lines,  then  called  toll  lines,  were  exceedingly  few  in  num- 
ber, being  only  about  two  circuits  of  one  wire  each  running  from  Denver  through 
Golden,  Central  City  and  Blackhawk  and  thence  to  Georgetown,  and  one  or 
perhaps  two  lines  from  Denver  to  Boulder.  Even  Colorado  Springs  and  Pueblo 
were  not  connected  with  Denver  at  that  time.  However  that  connection  was 
made  in  the  spring  of  1884,  the  line  terminating  at  Pueblo.  It  was  of  iron  and 
grounded.  So  limited  at  that  time  were  the  possibilities  of  talking  with  any 
satisfaction  more  than  forty  or  fifty  miles  that  when  the  Pueblo  line  was  being 
built  doubt  was  expressed  as  to  its  working. 

After  the  invention  of  hard-drawn  copper  wire  in  1883  by  Thomas  B.  Doo- 
little,  of  the  Bell  company,  the  business  made  tremendous  advances,   for  this 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  389 

wire,  with  six  times  the  conductivity  of  iron,  made  long  distance  talking  a  certain 
quantity. 

In  1884  F.  A.  Vaille,  the  founder  of  the  company,  retired,  and  was  succeeded 
by  E.  B.  Field,  Sr.,  as  general  manager. 

Mr.  Field  came  to  the  company  January  i,  1880,  as  an  operator  of  the  first 
exchange.  He  was  soon  made  superintendent,  and  has  now  for  many  years 
been  active  as  president  of  the  company. 

In  1884  the  Bell  Telephone  Company  in  Boston  organized  a  department  of 
Telephone  Engineering  and  Development  for  the  benefit  of  all  the  Bell  com- 
panies. 

To  this  step  the  most  notable  improvements  have  been  due,  the  last  being 
the  achievement  of  wireless  telephoning  between  New  York  and  Honolulu  in 
October,   1915. 

In  New  Mexico,  probably  about  1881,  certain  people  of  that  state,  which  was 
then  a  territory,  organized  a  telephone  company  and  secured  the  Bell  rights  for 
New  Mexico,  Don  Miguel  S.  Otero,  delegate  to  Congress,  being  one  of  the  in- 
corporators. The  territory  was  so  sparsely  developed  that  they  could  not  main- 
tain the  organization  of  a  telephone  company,  and  do  the  small  business  offered 
it,  with  any  profit.  The  company  became  bankrupt,  and  The  Colorado  Telephone 
Company  purchased  it  about  November,  1884,  at  sheriff's  sale. 

In  1885  Denver  had  763  subscribers,  Colorado  Springs  92,  Pueblo  98,  Boulder 
32,  Central  City  39,  Georgetown  32,  Golden  22,  Longmont  15,  total  in  Colorado, 
1,101. 

In  this  and  the  succeeding  five  years  there  was  a  revolution  in  the  types  of 
apparatus  involving  big  financial  loss  in  discarding  existing  apparatus.  Copper 
wire  cost  several  times  the  price  of  iron,  and  had  to  be  used  for  long  dis- 
tance lines.  This  also  increased  the  cost  of  constructing  such  lines  in  another 
way,  namely,  the  spans  had  to  be  much  shorter  because  of  the  tensile  strength  of 
copper  being  much  less.  The  cost  of  long  distance  lines  increased  fully  300 
per  cent. 

In  June  of  this  year  street  railroad  men  experimented  with  the  first  electric 
car  system,  building  a  line  the  full  length  of  Fifteenth  Street,  Denver.  The 
system  was  the  invention  of  Professor  Short,  of  Denver.  The  cars  used  an 
underground  trolley.  They  were  abandoned  in  June  of  the  following  year.  The 
system  while  it  lasted  caused  great  inductive  disturbance  in  telephone  lines. 
Denver  then  resumed  its  dei)pndence  ui)on  cable  and  horse  cars  until  1889,  when 
the  overhead  trolley  was  introduced  by  one  company  on  Lawrence  Street,  by  an- 
other from  Ilroadway  and  Alameda  Avenue  south.  Then  the  real  troubles  be- 
gan with  induction  from  tlie  trolley  car  lines. 

In  1889,  however,  it  was  found  that  the  induction  and  resulting  noise  from 
electric  light  and  trolley  railroad  circuits  were  somewhat  reduced  by  using  a 
common  return  wire. 

Mountain  construction  of  the  telephone  lines  was  not  an  easy  task.  When 
in  1888  the  company  built  the  celebrated  lino  up  the  Platte  River  and  over 
Mosquito  Pass  it  was  found  that  the  first  storm  wrecked  the  jioles  which  had 
been  placed  100  feet  apart.  This  is  Mr.  Howard  T.  Vaillc's  description  of  the 
undertaking  after  they  found  that  fifty-foot  spans  would  not  work: 

"Next  we  set  two  poles  in  between  the  poles  making  the  spans  only  seventeen 


390      .  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO       • 

feet  long.  We  had  started  out  with  No.  12  bare  copper  wire,  then  changed  it  to 
No.  10  insulated,  thinking  the  snow  would  not  stick' to  it,  but  it  did  stick.  Then 
to  No.  6  iron,  and  when  we  had  the  spans  only  seventeen  feet  apart  we  had  the 
No.  6  iron  wire  on  them.  Our  people  then  thought  we  would  have  no  more 
trouble,  for  why  should  we,  with  heavy  poles  so  close  together  and  with  iron  wire 
almost  as  large  as  a  pencil?  But  it  was  no  use,  the  snow  would  freeze  to  the 
wires  several  inches  thick,  and  the  next  winter  the  wind  tore  the  wire  down  as 
though  it  had  been  cotton  thread.  Our  people  then  concluded  the  place  for  the 
line  was  on  the  ground  where  the  wind  could  not  reach  it,  so  they  abandoned 
the  poles  and  laid  No.  10  insulated  copper  wire  on  the  ground.  That  lasted  a 
little  while,  but  would  get  broken  by  burros  in  the  summer  and  be  blown  around 
or  be  carried  away  by  snows  in  the  winter.  We  then  put  down  a  No.  10  copper 
submarine  cable  and  put  it  in  a  trench  or  put  rocks  on  it  wherever  we  could. 
That  lasted  us  nine  years,  when  we  placed  our  present  wire,  which  is  No.  14 
twisted  pair  copper  covered  in  trenches  or  by  rock  wherever  possible." 

The  building,  of  the  Leadville  line  was  a  notable  event  for  other  reasons. 
It  was  the  first  toll  line  built  into  sparsely  settled  territory,  and  the  first  across 
the  main  range.  At  that  time  there  were  exchanges  at  Boulder,  Denver,  Golden, 
Central  City,  Georgetown,  Colorado  Springs,  Pueblo,  Canon  City,  Leadville  and 
Aspen,  about  twenty-five  hundred  subscribers  in  the  state,  and  the  toll  line  sys- 
tem went  no  farther  north  than  Boulder,  south  than  Pueblo  or  w^est  than  George- 
town.    The  lines  then  connected  only  the  largest  centers  of  population. 

From  Leadville  the  company  went  on  to  Aspen,  later  to  Glenwood  Springs, 
down  the  Grand  River  to  Grand  Junction,  thence  up  the  Gunnison  to  Delta 
and  Montrose,  south  to  Ouray,  branching  over  to  Telluride,  from  Ouray  to 
Silverton  and  Durango,  thence  west  to  Mancos  and  south  to  Farmington  and 
Aztec.  It  built  south  from  Pueblo  to  Trinidad  and  down  into  New  Mexico, 
bringing  that  state  into  Colorado  business  connection,  over  into  the  San  Luis 
Valley,  down  the  Arkansas  to  Holly,  over  to  Cripple  Creek.  Salida  and  Buena 
Vista. 

In  1893  there  were  in  Colorado  2,782  telephones,  and  in  Denver  1,731.  The 
number  of  telephones  in  the  state  increased  to  92,561  on  September  i,  191 5,  and 
the  Denver  exchange  to  41,903  on  September  25,  1915. 

It  was  in  1893  ^^^^  ^^e  company  experimented  with  the  Beach  village  system 
for  small  towns.  This  system  did  away  with  a  local  manager,  the  forty-eight  or 
smaller  number  of  subscribers  being  divided  among  eight  circuits  and  the  sub- 
scriber controlling  his  connection  by  a  certain  number  of  rings.  This  was  un- 
satisfactory, and  later  in  that  year  the  toll  line  was  built  from  Longmont  through 
Berthoud,  Loveland,  Fort  Collins,  Windsor,  to  Greeley. 

In  1901  the  company  ran  its  lines  up  the  Gunnison  River  through  Delta  to 
Montrose,  thence  south  to  Ouray,  Silverton,  Durango  and  Aztec  to  Farmington, 
New  Mexico.  From  Durango  it  built  a  branch  westward  to  Mancos  and  from 
Ouray  west  to  Telluride.  At  the  same  time  it  made  arrangements  for  the  pur- 
chase of  exchanges  whicli  were  then  in  operation  at  Delta.  Montrose,  Telluride 
and  Durango. 

During  the  succeeding  five  years-  the  San  Luis  Valley  lines,  and  those  at 
Salida  and  Buena  Vista  were  purchased  and  put  into  good  working  condition. 
By   1912  it  had  bought  the  systems  at  Gunnison,   Pitkin,   Crested  Butte.   Lake 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  391 

City,  connecting  these  with  the  rest  of  the  system.  The  Julesburg  line  was 
bought  in  1908,  the  Lincohi  Telephone  Company,  operating  in  Hugo  and  Limon, 
was  purchased  in  1910. 

During  these  constructive  years  it  also  bought  the  Akron  line,  extending  it 
to  Yuma,  and  also  secured  possession  at  sheriff's  sale  of  the  exchanges  at  Fort 
Morgan  and  Brush. 

It  also  purchased  and  completely  rebuilt  the  line  running  from  Rifle  north 
through  Meeker,  Axial,  Craig,  Steamboat  Springs  and  Yampa,  down  to  Wol- 
cott. 

On  May  8,  191 1,  the  Bell  company  completed  its  line  to  Denver  and  gave  a 
public  demonstration  with  New  York  City.  At  that  time  the  line  from  Xew 
York  to  Denver  was  the  longest  long  distance  line  in  the  world. 

In  July,  191 1,  the  name  of  The  Colorado  Telephone  Company  was  changed  to 
"The  Mountain  States  Telephone  &  Telegraph  Company,"  the  company  acquir- 
ing control  of  the  Bell  and  other  telephone  exchanges  and  toll  lines  of  all  the 
Rocky  Mountain  region,  including  all  of  the  states  of  Montana,  Idaho,  Wyoming, 
Utah.  Colorado,  New  Mexico  and  Arizona,  as  well  as  El  Paso  and  the  section 
of  Texas  adjacent  thereto,  with  a  total  area  of  22  per  cent  of  the  total  area  of 
the  United  States. 

In  1915  there  were  in  the  whole  Mountain  States  system  over  220,000  tele- 
phones, owned  by  this  company,  over  617,000  miles  of  wire,  or  enough  to  en- 
circle the  globe  twenty-five  times,  and  an  invested  capital  of  appro.ximately  $35,- 
000,000.  Denver  is  the  headquarters  and,  to  an  extent,  the  supply  i)oint  of  this 
large   system. 


CHAPTER  XX 
BANKS  AND  BANKING 

EARLY    BANKING    IN    DENVER CLARK,    GRUBER    &    COMPANY — ESTABLISHMENT    OF 

UNITED   STATES    MINT    IN    DENVER OTHER    PIONEER    BANKING    BUSINESS C.    A. 

COOK     &     COMPANY THE     EXCHANGE     BANK P.     P.     WILCOX     &     COMPANY — 

KOUNTZE  brothers'  BANK BANKS  NOW  DEFUNCT THE  FIRST  NATIONAL  BANK 

COLORADO     NATIONAL     BANK DENVER     NATIONAL     BANK OTHER     BANKS — ■ 

BANKING    FRAUDS    IN    DENVER DENVER    CLEARING    HOUSE    ASSOCIATION— FIRST 

BANKING   IN    OTHER    COMMUNITIES,    COLORADO    SPRINGS,    PUEBLO,    ETC.— STATIS- 
TICS OF  COLORADO   BANKS  IN   1918. 

EARLY   BANKING   IN    DENVER 

Banking  was  first  started  at  the  Cherry  Creek  settlements  in  the  year  i860. 
During  the  two  years  prior  to  this  time  there  had  been  Httle  or  no  necessity  for 
banks  or  brokerage  concerns.  The  pioneers  of  1858  came  to  Colorado  with 
their  supplies  for  the  winter,  and  their  personal  belongings,  but  with  no  money. 
Very  little  cash  changed  hands  in  Auraria  and  Denver,  whatever  trading  neces- 
sary being  carried  on  largely  by  bartering. 

But  the  gold  rush  of  1859  brought  richer  people  to  the  colony  and  gold  and 
silver  coins  made  their  appearance.  The  Clear  Creek  gold  discoveries  in  the 
spring  of  this  year  brought  forth  a  new  medium  of  exchange — gold  dust  and  nug- 
gets. Gold  dust  of  varying  quality  was  weighed  out  over  the  merchant's  counter 
or  the  saloon  bar  in  trade  for  supplies  of  all  kinds.  It  became  the  common  prac- 
tice for  everyone  to  carry,  in  addition  to  his  pouch  of  gold  dust,  a  small  pocket 
scale  for  weighing  the  gold.  It  is  said  that  the  dealer  gave  himself  the  advantage 
in  a  transaction  of  this  kind,  but  upon  the  other  hand  the  customer  usually  had 
a  fair  percentage  of  foreign  metal — brass  filings,  for  instance — mixed  with  his 
dust,  so  the  bargain  was  even.  With  the  increasing  number  of  gold  "strikes"  the 
amount  of  gold  upon  the  market  reached  a  point  necessitating  a  definite  means 
of  handling  it,  requiring  persons  whose  business  would  be  to  receive  the  gold, 
ascertain  its  value  by  scientific  methods,  and  give  in  return  an  equivalent  amount 
in  gold  or  silver  coins.  This  led  to  the  first  banking  business,  as  such,  in  Den- 
ver. These  men  who  transacted  this  exchange  business  with  the  miners  were 
more  in  the  nature  of  brokers.  They  purchased  the  gold  dust  at  prices  ranging 
from  $12  to  $16  per  ounce,  the  higher  price  being  paid  for  the  bright  yellow  ar- 
ticle, the  purest  of  the  gold.  For  three  years  the  "Platte  River"'  gold  was  the 
standard  quality.  They,  in  turn,  shipped  the  dust  to  bankers  upon  the  Missouri 
River.     Gold  dust  continued  to  be  the  principal  medium  of  exchange  until  the 

392 


HISTORY  OF  COLOR/VDO  393 

summer  of  i860,  wlien  the  Clark,  Gruber  &  Company  gold  coins  made  an  ap- 
pearance. In  1862  war  time  paper  money  was  circulated  in  the  territory,  but 
not  until  1865  did  local  national  bank  notes  come  into  use. 

The  first  men  in  Denver  to  buy  gold  dust  from  the  miners  were  Samuel  and 
George  W.  Brown,  brothers,  who  came  in  June,  i860,  and  opened  an  office  in 
a  log  building  on  the  north  side  of  Larimer  Street  between  Fourteenth  and  Fif- 
teenth streets.  George  W.  Brown  continued  in  the  business  for  many  years 
after  his  brother  had  k-ft  the  country  and  became  the  first  collector  of  internal 
revenue  in  Denver. 

The  firm  of  Turner  i\;  llobbs,  bankers  and  brokers,  also  opened  up  for 
business  in  June,  i860.  William  H.  Russell,  of  the  freighting  firm  of  Russell, 
Majors  &  Waddell,  was  the  principal  owner  of  this  business  and  George  W. 
Kassler  was  the  cashier.  The  place  of  business  was  first  located  in  a  building 
on  Eleventh  Street,  but  later  was  moved  to  a  two-story  brick  building  on  the 
southwest  corner  of  Tenth  and  Larimer  streets.  The  firm  of  Turner  &  Hobbs 
may  be  considered  as  the  first  real  banking  organization  in  Denver,  but  as  such 
its  career  was  short,  having  been  abandoned  in  the  summer  of  1861. 

CLARK,    GRUBER   &    COMPANY 

The  largest  financial  organization  of  pioneer  days  in  Colorado  was  the  bank 
and  mint  of  Clark,  Gruber  &  Company.  This  firm  was  composed  of  Austin  M. 
and  Milton  E.  Clark,  brothers,  and  E.  H.  Gruber,  the  former  two  from  Ripley, 
Ohio,  and  the  latter  from  Hagerstown,  Maryland.  They  came  to  Leavenworth. 
Kansas,  in  1858,  and  entered  the  banking  business,  in  the  course  of  which  they 
became  acquainted  with  the  Denver  country  through  the  gold  coins  received 
from  there.  \'ery  soon  they  conceived  the  plan  of  establishing  a  bank  at  Denver, 
also  a  mint  where  the  gold  dust  could  be  converted  into  coins  identical  with  the 
regular  Government  issue.  In  this  way,  as  they  estimated,  the  cost  of  transpor- 
tation across  the  plains  could  be  eliminated.  They  were  perfectly  within  the  law 
in  this  procedure,  as  no  Government  statute  existed  which  would  have  prevented 
them  from  coining  gold  pieces. 

In  the  spring  of  i860  Austin  M.  Clark  and  Gruber  came  to  Denver  to  pre- 
pare the  way,  while  Milton  E.  Clark  went  to  Boston,  Massachusetts,  to  secure 
the  necessary  presses  and  dies.  A  tract  of  land  was  purchased  at  the  northwest 
corner  of  Market  and  Sixteenth  streets,  and  a  small,  two-story  building  erected 
thereon.  By  the  middle  of  the  summer  all  of  the  equipment  had  arrived  and 
the  establishment  was  ready  for  a  start. 

The  formal  0])ening  occurred  July  20,  i860.  George  W.  McClure.  an  assayer 
from  Iowa,  was  in  charge  of  the  minting  department.  The  coins  issued  in  i860 
were  of  the  $10  and  $20  sizes,  made  of  pure  gold  and  devoid  of  any  alloy,  which 
made  them  of  greater  intrinsic  value  than  the  corresponding  L^nited  States  coins. 
However,  in  1861,  when  the  coins  of  $2.50,  $5,  $10  and  $20  were  minted,  alloy 
was  used,  but  yet  contained  i  per  cent  more  gold  than  the  Government  coin,  as 
a  guarantee  of  full  value.  Fully  $3,000,000  in  gold  coins  were  minted  by  this 
company  in  the  two  years  after  the  opening  of  the  bank.  The  organization  won 
a  high  reputation  in  the  Far  West  and  never  was  there  a  suggestion  of  dishonesty 
or  unf;iir  dealing  connected  with  the  institiUion. 


3y4  '  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

In  i860,  late  in  the  year,  a  branch  bank  was  established  at  Central  City,  the 
operation  of  which  was  identical  with  that  at  Denver.  Demand  notes  were  issued 
shortly  afterward,  for  $5,  made  payable  in  local  coinage  at  the  Denver  bank. 
These  notes  were  at  a  premium  in  1862,  which  exceeded  the  value  of  the  regu- 
lar United  States  notes. 

However,  some  doubts  soon  arose  as  to  the  legality  of  the  minting  business 
carried  oh  in  Denver  and  Central  City.  This  open  discus.sion  of  the  status  of 
the  business  came  up  after  the  Territorial  Government  had  been  established  in 
Colorado,  in  the  year  1861.  In  the  summer  of  this  year  a  movement  was  started 
to  have  the  Government  start  a  branch  mint  at  Denver.  The  first  territorial 
convention  of  the  republican  party,  held  at  Golden  July  2,  1861,  passed  a  resolu- 
tion favoring  the  establishment  of  a  Government  mint  in  Colorado  and,  with 
characteristic  fair  play,  Clark,  Gruber  &  Company  openly  joined  forces  with 
this  movement,  and  made  every  efifort  to  have  a  Government  mint  started.       * 

Proceedings  at  Washington  were  first  started  by  Hiram  P.  Bennett,  Colo- 
rado's first  delegate  to  Congress,  and  Austin  M.  Clark.  It  was  ascertained  that 
the  gold  coins  issued  in  Colorado  were  of  full  value  and  weight  and  that  no 
laws  had  been  violated,  whereupon  the  secretary  of  the  treasury  recommended 
that  a  law  be  passed  prohibiting  the  coinage  of  gold  by  private  concerns  in  the 
country,  that  a  branch  miiU  of  the  Government  be  established  in  Denver,  and 
that  the  property  of  Clark,  Gruber  &  Company  be  ptirchased  for  use  as  Govern- 
ment property.  Bennett  prepared  a  bill  incorporating  a  portion  of  these  recom- 
mendations, succeeded  in  getting  it  through  both  the  House  and  Senate,  and  it 
became  a  law  by  the  President's  approval  on  April  21,  1862. 

By  a  later  act,  approved  March  3.  1863,  the  Secretary  of  the  Treasury  was 
authorized  to  buy  the  Clark.  Gruber  &  Company  property,  for  which  purpose 
the  sum  of  $25,000  was  appropriated.  The  transaction  was  consummated  in 
April,  1863.  The  law  prohibiting  private  coinage  was  not  passed  until  June  8, 
1864,  this  clause  not  having  been  in  the  original  Bennett  Bill.  Although  the 
Treasury  Department  at  W'ashington  intended  at  first  to  create  a  mint  at  Denver, 
other  provisions  were  made  later.  The  minting  machinery  used  by  Qark,  Gru- 
ber &  Company  is  now  in  the  collection  of  the  State  Historical  Society. 

The  firm  of  Clark,  Gruber  &  Company  remained  in  business  about  a  year 
longer.  This  was  a  large  concern,  the  "home  office"  being  at  Leavenworth  and 
Ijranch  banks  at  Denver,  Central  City  and  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah.  On  March  10, 
1864,  E.  H.  Gruber  left  the  firm  and  the  Clarks  continued  under  the  name  of 
Clark  &  Company  until  May  9.  1865.  Then  the  business  was  transferred  to  the 
First  National  Bank.  The  branch  at  Central  City  was  purchased  by  George  T. 
Clark,  first  cashier  of  the  First  National  Bank  of  Denver,  and  Eben  Smith. 
This  business  was  perpetuated  under  the  firm  name  of  George  T.  Clark  & 
Company,  also  a  branch  was  established  at  Georgetow-n. 

OTHER    PIONEER    B.ANKING    BUSINESS 

In  the  year  1859  Dr.  John  Parsons  came  into  the  South  Park  country  from 
Ouincy,  111.  In  i860  he  brought  out  dies  and  presses  and  established  a  mint  at 
Tarryall.  Here  he  coined  gold  pieces  of  the  $2.50  and  $5  denominations  which 
were  in  free  circulation  in  Denver  and  surrounding  country. 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  395 

Another  banker  was  \\  airen  llussey,  who  came  to  Denver  from  Des  Moines 
Iowa,  in  the  spring  of  iiS(u  and  on  April  141I1  opened  a  general  banking,  or 
gold-buying  business  under  the  lirm  name  of  Warren  Husscy  &  Company.  His 
office  was  located  in  the  William  Graham  drugstore,  on  the  northwest  corner 
of  Larimer  and  Fifteenth  streets.  He  later  started  a  branch  bank  at  Central 
City  and  about  the  same  time  employed  Frank  Palmer  as  manager  of  the  Denver 
office. 

In  January,  1863,  the  ofVice  having  been  moved  to  the  Ford  building  at  the 
northeast  comer  of  Fifteenth  and  Market  streets,  Joseph  A.  Thatcher  was 
made  a  partner,  having  the  position  of  cashier  and  manager  of  the  Central  City 
branch.  In  1865  Palmer  became  a  partner  in  the  business,  which  had  been  con- 
siderably enlarged  and  now  constituted  general  banking  of  all  kinds.  However, 
in  1867  Palmer  sold  out  to  Hussey,  but  retained  his  position.  Thatcher  pur- 
chased the  Central  City  branch  entire  in  1870  and,  with  Joseph  Standley,  organ- 
ized the  banking  firm  of  Thatcher,  Standley  &  Company,  with  a  capital  stock 
of  $50,000.  This  firm  was  succeeded  January  i,  1874,  by  the  First  National 
Bank  of  Central  City,  Thatcher  being  the  first  president.  The  Denver  house 
was  succeeded  in  1872  by  the  City  National  Bank.  Hussey  went  from  Colorado 
to  Washington  Territory  and  then  to  New  York  City. 

C.   A.   COOK    &   COMPANY 

In  September,  1859,  there  arrived  in  Denver  two  merchants,  C.  A.  Cook 
and  Jasper  P.  Sears,  hailing  from  Leavenworth,  Kan.  These  men  established 
their  mercantile  business  on  the  north  side  of  Blake  Street,  between  Fourteenth 
and  Fifteenth  streets,  and  quickly  developed  an  excellent  trade.  In  the  course 
of  their  business  they  accepted  a  large  amount  of  gold  dust,  which  naturally 
led  them  to  establish  the  gold-buying  activities  as  a  side  line,  using  part  of  their 
store  for  this  purpose.  In  1860-61  this  developed  into  a  regular  banking  busi- 
ness, which  in  turn  brought  up  the  necessity  of  some  medium  of  making  small 
change.  To  supply  this  need  the  C.  A.  Cook  &  Company,  as  the  firm  was  known, 
issued  small  notes,  engraved,  which  were  popularly  called  "scrip."  These  were 
in  denominations  of  ten,  twenty-five  and  fifty  cents,  and  $1,  and  were  redeem- 
able at  the  store  and  bank.  Until  1863,  when  all  of  them  were  redeemed  by  the 
company,  these  small  notes  formed  a  great  i)art  of  the  common  exchange  in 
the  territory. 

So  large  did  the  banking  business  become,  that  C.  A.  Cook  iK:  Company,  in 
1864,  discontinued  the  mercantile  ])art  of  their  establishment.  However,  the 
business  was  discontinued  entirely  in  1865,  Mr.  Cook  later  becoming  one  of  the 
stockholders  of  the  First  National  Bank  of  Denver.  Cook  died  in  1878  and 
Sears  in  1899. 

TIIK    F.XCIIANGE    BANK 

In  May,  i860.  Dr.  O.  D.  Cass,  a  native  of  New  Hampshire  and  a  California 
'49er,  came  to  Denver  from  Leavenworth.  Kansas,  and  engaged  in  the  banking 
business.  He  established  his  business  in  Hinckley  &  Company's  office  on  Blake 
.Street,   between    Foitrtcpntli    and    Fifteenth    streets,   and    in    the   spring   of    1861 


396  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

was  joined  by  his  brother,  Joseph  B.  Cass,  and  G.  H.  Wilcox.  The  brother  had 
previously  been  engaged  in  the  banking  business  at  Leavenworth,  with  the  firm 
of  Carney  &  Stevens.  These  three  men  formed  a  partnership  and  named  their 
bank  the  "Exchange  Bank."  After  a  time  the  business  was  transferred  to  a 
building  erected  on  Blake  Street,  near  Cherry  Creek,  but  the  flood  of  1864 
demolished  this  property.  The  Henry  C.  Brown  building  was  constructed  on 
the  southeast  corner  of  Sixteenth  and  Market  streets  in  1868,  and  to  this  the 
Exchange  Bank  was  moved.  A  branch  office  was  opened  in  Central  City  when 
the  business  justified  and  the  agency  for  the  Holladay  Overland  Mail  Stage 
Company  was  added.  In  1865  Holladay  purchased  the  banking  business,  but 
did  not  continue  long  after.  Dr.  O.  D.  Cass  remained  a  citizen  of  Denver  until 
his  death  in  1894. 

p.  p.  WILCOX  &  COMP.^NY 

In  1 861  the  first  Legislature  of  the  Territory  of  Colorado  passed  a  law 
providing  for  the  organization  of  the  "Bank  of  Colorado,"  by  P.  P.  Wilcox, 
E.  C.  Jacobs  and  E.  W.  Cobb.  Certain  stipulations  were  made  by  the  Legis- 
lature governing  the  organization  and  administration  of  the  proposed  bank. 
However,  the  Bank  of  Colorado  failed  to  materialize,  but  very  soon  afterward 
Wilcox  formed  the  P.  P.  Wilcox  &  Company  banking  firm.  Inferior  scrip  was 
issued,  most  of  which  was  redeemed  just  after  the  fire  of  1863,  which  destroyed 
the  remainder.  Scrip  was  against  the  Territorial  law  at  this  time,  but  very  few 
cases  were  prosecuted.  Wilcox  was  one  of  the  latter  few,  but  nothing  definite 
was  ever  accomplished  against  him. 

KOUNTZE    brothers'    BANK 

Luther  Kountze  came  to  Denver  from  Omaha  in  the  spring  of  1862  and 
opened  a  gold-buying  business  in  one  corner  of  the  Walter  S.  Cheesman  drug- 
store on  the  southeast  corner  of  Blake  and  Fifteenth  streets.  He  used  for 
his  business,  the  firm  title  of  Kountze  Brothers,  for  the  reason  that  his  three 
brothers,  Augustus  and  Herman  in  Omaha  and  Charles  B.  in  Ohio,  were  as- 
sociated with  him  in  banking  and  they  had  agreed  to  transact  all  business  con- 
ducted by  any  of  them  under  the  name  of  Kountze  Brothers. 

After  the  fire  of  1863,  when  the  Cheesman  drugstore  was  destroyed,  Kountze 
transferred  his  business  to  the  general  store  of  Tootle  &  Leach,  on  the  south 
side  of  Blake  Street  between  Fifteenth  and  Sixteenth  streets,  where  it  remained 
until  the  spring  of  1864,  then  moved  to  the  Kountze  Brothers'  own  new  brick 
building  on  the  northwest  corner  of  Fifteenth  and  Market  streets.  At  the  same 
time  Charles  B.  Kountze  joined  Luther  at  the  Denver  office,  and  in  1866  became 
a  partner,  at  which  time  the  business  was  reorganized  as  the  Colorado  National 
Bank.  The  Kountze  Brothers  became  bankers  of  national  reputation  and  had 
large  banks  in  New  York  City,  Omaha,  Cheyenne  and  Denver. 

BANKS    NOW    DEFUNCT 

The  City  National  Bank,  the  business  of  which  was  purchased  by  the  Amer- 
ican National  Bank  on  June  21,  1894,  was  the  outgrowth  of  the  Warren  Hussey 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  397 

&  Company  banking  firm.  The  business  started  June  lo,  1872,  on  the  northeast 
corner  of  Fifteenth  and  Market  streets,  with  a  paid-up  capital  of  $200,000.  The 
last  location  of  the  institution  was  on  the  northwest  corner  of  Sixteenth  and 
Lawrence  streets.  The  first  officers  were:  Henry  Crow,  president;  Frank 
Palmer,  vice  president;  John  R.  Hanna,  cashier;  and  Hyatt  Hussey,  assistant 
cashier. 

A  bank  known  as  the  Colorado  Savings  Bank  was  started  on  July  20,  1872, 
with  John  W.  Smith  as  manager.  This  bank  was  not  incorporated  and  con- 
tinued in  business  until  January,  1880,  when  the  depositors  were  paid  in  full 
and  the  doors  closed. 

In  1872  Henry  C.  Brown  and  C.  D.  Gurley  opened  up  a  banking  business, 
known  as  the  Bank  of  Denver,  on  the  southeast  corner  of  Sixteenth  and  Market 
streets.  In  1873  Brown  sold  out  his  share  to  William  H.,  J.  H.  and  F.  D.  Hager, 
and  then  the  firm  became  the  "Bank  of  Denver,  Hager,  Sons  &  Company, 
Bankers."  In  1876  the  bank  discontinued  business  after  paying  all  the  de- 
positors. 

Collins,  Snider  &  Company  was  a  banking  firm,  started  in  1873,  by  Samuel 
G.  Collins,  Frederick  J.  Ebert,  J.  H.  Jones,  Jacob  F.  L.  Schirmer,  Jacob  Snider 
and  Hiram  Witter,  with  a  capital  stock  of  $90,000.  In  January,  1876,  the  bank 
was  sold  to  the  stockholders  of  the  Exchange  Bank,  which  then  was  beginning 
in  business. 

The   People's   Savings   Bank   was  another  concern  established   in  the   year 

1873,  by  John  W.  Blackburn,  Dr.  R.  G.  Buckingham,  Dr.  H.  K.  Steele  and 
H.  C.  Donnell.  The  business  was  opened  in  the  Evans  Building,  on  the  south- 
west corner  of  Fifteenth  and  Lawrence  streets,  with  Blackburn  as  president  and 
Donnell  cashier.  This  bank  came  to  a  disastrous  end  in  January,  1878,  nearly 
all  of  the  depositors  suffering  total  loss. 

On  March  3,  1874,  the  German  Bank  of  Denver  was  incorporated,  with 
paid-up  capital  of  $100,000.  Those  principally  interested  were:  Joseph  L. 
Bailey,  L.  F.  Bartels,  M.  D.  Clifford,  J.  M.  Eckhart,  John  Good,  John  J.  Rieth- 
Hiann,  Walter  A.  Stuart,  George  Tritch  and  Conrad  Walbrach.  Riethmann  was 
elected  president,  Tritch  vice  president,  and  C.  F.  A.  Fisher  cashier.  Henry 
Suiir  became  cashier  within  the  year. 

The  bank  opened  for  business  May  4,  1874,  in  the  Fink  building,  southeast 
corner  of  Fifteenth  and  Market  streets.  In  1877  the  institution  was  made  a 
national  bank,  with  George  Tritch  as  president.  The  organization  had  been 
moved  in  the  meantime  to  the  Good  building  on  the  northwest  comer  of  Six- 
teenth and  Larimer  streets,  and  here,  in  April,  1877,  the  German  National  Bank 
opened.  Until  the  panic  of  1893  this  bank  maintained  its  business  in  apparently 
creditable  manner,  then  the  storm  broke.  On  July  19th  of  that  year  the  bank 
was  closed,  but  reopened  on  August  19th  to  provide  depositors  with  time  cer- 
tificates. In  this  condition  the  bank  continued  until  June  6,  1894,  then  closed 
definitely  and  passed  into  the  hands  of  a  receiver.  The  Riethmanns,  John  J.  Sr. 
and  Jr.,  were  president  and  vice  president  respectively  at  this  time. 

One  of  the  interesting  phases  of  the  history  of  this  bank  was  the  activities 
of  Walter  A.  Stuart,  one  of  the  directors  when  the  institution  was  organized  in 

1874,  and  who  proved  to  be  one  of  the  cleverest  bank  criminals  in  the  country. 
More  of  him  is  related  elsewhere  in  this  chapter. 


398  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

In  the  summer  of  1881  the  Denver  Bank  was  organized,  capitaHzed  for 
.'^50,000.  A.  E.  Pierce  was  the  chief  organizer  of  this  bank,  and  the  first  officers 
were :  G.  W.  Gildersleeve,  president ;  D.  C.  Wyatt,  vice  president ;  and  A.  E. 
Pierce,  cashier.  The  bank  was  located  on  the  northeast  corner  of  Larimer  and 
Twelfth  streets.  For  the  reason  that  the  business  center  of  Denver  gradually 
withdrew  from  the  west  side  to  the  east,  the  bank  discontinued  operations  in 
the  winter  of   1884-85,  settling  all  obligations  in  an  honorable  manner. 

The  State  National  Bank  was  organized  in  the  spring  of  1882  with  a  capital 
stock  of  $120,000.  Those  interested  were:  Elias  R.  Barton,  C.  E.  Billings, 
J.  A.  Chain,  Charles  Hallack,  Charles  F.  Hendrie,  Julius  C.  Lewis,  George  N. 
Wheeler  and  E.  P.  Wright.  Wheeler  was  the  first  president.  The  bank  opened 
for  business  on  May  ist  in  the  McClintock  building,  northeast  comer  of  Six- 
teenth and  Larimer  streets.  The  State  National,  after  a  more  or  less  successful 
career,  suspended  payments  on  July  19,  1893,  resumed  on  August  31st,  but  on 
[une  25,  1894,  transferred  its  entire  business  to  the  Union  National  Bank  and 
closed. 

The  Merchants  National  Bank  was  also  a  product  of  the  spring  of  1882. 
Samuel  N.  Wood  was  the  chief  organizer  of  this  institution  and  associated  with 
him  were:  William  M.  Bliss,  D.  C.  Dodge,  A.  W.  Waters  and  Henry  R.  Wolcott. 
The  last  named  gentleman  was  the  first  president.  This  bank  opened  for 
business  on  May  ist  in  the  McClintock  building.  Sixteenth  and  Larimer  streets. 
On  December  31,  1882,  the  business  was  taken  over  by  the  First  National  Bank. 

On  July  2,  1887,  the  second  bank,  known  as  the  Colorado  Savings  Bank, 
opened  for  business.  The  capital  stock  was  $250,000  and  the  stockholders  were : 
F.  K.  Atkins,  E.  M.  Battis,  J.  G.  Benkelman,  John  A.  Clough,  William  G.  Evans, 
C.  S.  Howard,  B.  Lombard,  Jr.,  James  L.  Lombard,  W.  B.  Mills,  Jacob  Scherrer 
and  Walter  J.  Wildman.  John  A.  Clough  was  the  first  president.  Business  was 
first  started  at  the  southeast  corner  of  Larimer  and  Fifteenth  streets.  On  July 
17,  1893,  the  Colorado  Savings  closed  its  business  and  was  never  revived,  the 
majority  of  the  stockholders  undergoing  a  total  loss  of  their  money. 

In  the  year  1888,  during  the  spring,  Mortimer  J.  Lawrence  came  to  Denver 
from  Cleveland,  Ohio,  and  organized  the  People's  Savings  and  Deposit  Bank. 
M.  T.  Lawrence,  W.  W.  Porter,  Scott  J.  Anthony,  J.  J.  Joslin  and  F.  A.  Knight 
were  others  interested.  This  bank  opened  its  doors  July  9.  1888.  at  1644  Arap- 
ahoe Street,  with  Charles  A.  Raymond  as  president. 

In  the  summer  of  1889  the  Peoples  National  Bank  was  organized  by  the 
same  men  as  the  above  institution,  with  a  capital  stock  of  $300,000.  On  July  31, 
1889,  the  People's  Savings  and  Deposit  Bank  was  renamed  the  People's  Savings 
Bank  and  became  an  adjunct  of  the  national  bank.  An  ofifice  building  was  con- 
structed on  the  southwest  comer  of  Sixteenth  and  Lawrence  streets  and  the 
capital  stock  of  the  national  bank  increased  to  $600,000.  However,  in  spite  of 
the  prosperity  which  came  to  these  allied  institutions,  the  financial  panic  of  1893 
proved  fatal.  The  Savings  closed  on  July  17th  of  that  year  and  two  days  later 
the  national  bank  followed.  The  Savings  Bank  resumed  business  June  i,  1894, 
but  continued  only  a  year  longer.  Much  litigation  resulted  between  the  receiver 
and  the  stockholders,  the  result  of  which  was  a  judgment  of  $475,000  against 
the  national  bank,  to  which  the  greater  part  of  the  funds  of  the  Savings  Bank 
had  been  diverted  prior  to  the  1893  panic.     This,  with  other  assets,  enabled  the 


HISTORY  Ui-  COLORADO  3<J9 

depositors  to  recover  their  money  in  1900.  The  national  bank  itself  had  resumed 
business  after  its  suspension  in  1893,  but  finally  liquidated  and,  after  the  suit 
against  it,  was  closed  out.  The  stockholders  suffered  complete  loss,  although 
the  depositors  were  paid  in  full. 

The  Commercial  National  Bank  started  business  September  12,  1889,  at 
906-8  Sixteenth  Street,  with  a  capital  stock  of  $250,000.  The  officers  were : 
C.  H.  Dow,  president ;  C.  D.  Cobb,  vice  president ;  F.  H.  Dunleavy,  assistant 
cashier,  later  cashier.  This  bank,  with  many  others,  was  smothered  in  the 
panic  of  1893,  entailing  a  great  loss  to  the  slockholders. 

The  North  Denver  Bank  was  an  institution  incorporated  August  15,  1889. 
established  at  Fifteenth  and  Central  streets,  with  C.  F.  Ray  president.  This 
bank  closed  July  iS,  1893,  paying  depositors  in  full. 

The  American  National  Bank  was  established  in  the  autumn  of  i88<j,  the 
capital  stock  being  $250,000.  The  first  officers  were:  I.  B.  Porter,  president; 
J.  M.  Armstrong,  vice  president;  and  Howard  Evans,  cashier.  The  bank  opened 
December  2d  in  the  Granite  building  on  the  southwest  corner  of  Larimer  and 
Fifteenth  streets.  The  bank  continued  in  business  with  fair  success  until  .\pri1 
22,  1S96.  when  the  doors  were  closed,  the  depositors  subsequently  being  paid 
in  full. 

The  Union  National  Bank,  an  outgrowth  of  the  Union  Bank,  was  chartered 
June  19,  1890,  with  a  capital  stock  of  $1,000,000.  The  first  officers  after  the 
reorganization  were :  R.  W.  Woodbury,  president ;  M.  Spangler,  vice  president ; 
\V.  H.  Trask,  cashier.  Located  at  Sixteenth  and  Arapahoe  streets,  the  bank 
entered  a  period  of  great  prosperity.  In  1893  the  bank  temporarily  suspended, 
but  resumed  business  a  month  later.  In  1894  the  Union  National  took  over  the 
business  of  the  State  National  Bank  and  moved  to  the  McClintock  building  on 
the  corner  of  Sixteenth  and  Larimer  streets.  Dissatisfaction  with  the  affairs  of 
the  old  State  National  eventually  led  to  severe  criticism  of  the  Union  National, 
although  it  is  claimed  by  some  that  the  latter  was  not  in  the  wrong.  The  result 
was  that  the  Union  National  ceased  business  July  29,  1895.  Both  stockholders 
and  depositors  were  paid  by  the  bank. 

The  Rocky  Mountain  Dime  and  Dollar  Savings  Bank  was  incorporated 
May  7,  1891.  The  first  officers  were:  F.  W.  Woodbury,  president;  K.  G. 
Cooper,  vice  president ;  and  E.  S.  Thompson,  cashier.  The  bank  was  located 
at  151 5  .^^apahoe  Street,  where  it  maintained  a  good  business  until  the  stress  of 
1893.  On  July  17th  of  that  year  the  bank  closed.  Business  was  resumed  a  few 
weeks  later  and  continued  until  April  20,  1894,  when  a  reorganization  was 
effected  and  the  name  changed  to  the  Rocky  Mountain  Savings  Bank.  However, 
the  new  organization  was  compelled  to  suspend  business  indefinitely  August  (S, 
1895.     Some  loss  was  suflfered  by  the  depositors. 

The  Capita!  Bank,  the  Fast  Denver  Savings  Bank  and  the  Mercantile  Bank 
were  other  institutions  which  existed  for  a  short  time  in  the  early  '90s. 

Tlir.    FIRST    N.^TI0NAL    H.\NK 

The  First  National  Bank  of  Denver  is  the  oldest  of  the  banking  institutions 
now  in  the  city,  having  had  an  uninterrui>tcd  career,  with  the  same  name,  since 
the  .spring  of  the  year  1865.    This  was  the  first  bank  in  Denver  or  Colorado  organ- 


400  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

ized  under  the  national  banking  law.  The  First  National  is  the  successor  of  the 
banking  firm  of  Clark  &  Company,  which  succeeded  the  firm  of  Clark,  Gruber 
&  Company,  the  history  of  which  is  given  elsewhere  in  this  chapter.  The  First 
National  received  certificate  of  authority  from  Washington  April  17,  1865. 
The  first  stockholders  were:  Bela  S.  Buell,  Jerome  B.  Chaffee,  Austin  M.  Clark, 
Milton  E.  Clark,  Charles  A.  Cook,  Henry  J.  Rogers,  George  T.  Clark  and  Eben 
Smith.  The  original  capital  stock  of  this  bank  was  $50,000  and  the  first  officers 
elected  were :  Jerome  B.  Chaffee,  president,  Henry  J.  Rogers,  vice  president ; 
and  George  T.  Clark,  cashier. 

The  business  of  Clark  &  Company  was  transferred  to  the  First  National  on 
the  9th  of  May,  and  on  the  loth  the  doors  of  the  new  institution  were  opened 
to  the  public.  The  bank  was  located  in  the  old  Clark  &  Company  room  in  the 
O.  K.  building  on  Fifteenth  Street.  Later  in  the  year  the  bank  moved  into  a 
new  building  on  the  northeast  corner  of  Fifteenth  and  Blake  streets.  Here  it 
remained  until  1875,  when  a  removal  was  made  to  the  McClintock  building  on 
the  northeast  corner  of  Larimer  and  Sixteenth  streets.  In  1885  another  move 
was  made  into  the  corner  room  of  the  Tabor  building  on  the  southeast  corner 
of  Larimer  and  Sixteenth,  where  the  bank  remained  until  the  spring  of  1896. 
In  this  year  the  bank  was  again  moved  to  the  Equitable  building  on  the  south- 
west corner  of  Seventeenth  and  Stout  streets,  where  it  remained  until  the 
erection  of  the  present  structure. 

The  currency  of  the  First  National  Bank  of  Denver  was  the  first  national 
banking  currency  issued  in  the  city  or  in  the  State  of  Colorado.  The  presidents 
of  this  strong  institution  have  been:  Jerome  B.  Chaffee,  David  H.  Moffat,  A.  V. 
Hunter,  H.  J.  Alexander.  The  other  officers  are :  Gerald  Hughes,  C.  C.  Parks, 
vice  presidents ;  J.  C.  Houston,  cashier ;  C.  C.  Hendrie,  J.  M.  Hauk,  O.  Preston, 
W.  F.  Rogers,  D.  E.  Miller.  H.  M.  Beatty,  assistant  cashiers;  A.  R.  Milks, 
auditor. 

COLORADO  NATIONAL  BANK 

The  second  bank  organized  in  Denver  under  the  national  banking  law  was 
the  Colorado  National,  at  present  the  second  oldest  bank  in  the  city.  This 
institution  was  the  outgrowth  of  the  Kountze  Brothers  banking  business,  de- 
scribed in  preceding  paragraphs.  The  first  plans  toward  the  organization  of 
this  bank  were  made  in  the  spring  of  1866,  and  on  August  ist  business  was  begtm 
in  the  Koimtze  Brothers  building  on  the  northwest  corner  of  Fifteenth  and 
Market  streets.  The  first  officers  were :  Luther  Kountze,  president ;  Joseph  H. 
Goodspeed,  vice  president ;  Charles  B.  Kountze,  cashier ;  Luther  Kountze,  Charles 
B.  Kountze,  Joseph  H.  Goodspeed,  Joshua  S.  Raynolds  and  Edward  Creighton, 
directors. 

The  Colorado  National  remained  in  its  first  location  until  1881.  In  that 
year  a  new  building  of  four  stories  was  erected  on  the  northeast  comer  of  Seven- 
teenth and  Larimer  streets  and  occupied  by  the  bank  until  the  present  building 
was  erected  in  1915. 

The  presidents  of  the  Colorado  National  Bank  have  been :  Luther  Kountze. 
Augustus  Kountze,  Charles  B.  Kountze,  George  B.  Berger.  The  other  officers 
are:   Harold  Kountze,  Dennis  Sheedy.  vice  presidents;  Wm.  B.  Berger,  cashier. 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  401 

The  original  capital  stock  of  the  Colorado  National  was  $100,000,  which  now 
has  reached  the  sum  of  $500,000. 

UNITED   STATES   NATIONAL   BANK 

The  United  States  National  i'.ank  of  Denver  was  organized  October  10, 
1904.  A  few  years  later  the  institution  took  over  the  business  of  the  National 
Bank  of  Commerce  and  Gordon  Jones  was  chosen  president.  Upon  the  latter's 
death,  April  14,  19 17,  W.  A.  Hover  succeeded  to  the  president's  chair.  The 
remaining  officers  at  the  present  time  are :  Henry  T.  Rogers,  A.  C.  Foster,  James 
Ringold.  Albert  A.  Reed,  vice  presidents;  E.  C.  Ellett,  cashier;  R.  F.  Bates, 
assistant  cashier.  The  capital  stock  is  $400,000  and  the  surplus  and  undivided 
profits  $600,000.  The  United  States  National  Bank  absorbed  the  National  Bank 
of  Commerce  in  September,  1908,  and  the  Central  National  Bank  in  March,  1912. 

DENVER    NATIONAL  BANK 

The  Denver  National  Bank  of  Denver  was  started  December  8,  1884,  in  the 
Barclay  building,  on  the  northwest  corner  of  Larimer  and  Eighteenth  streets. 
The  first  capital  stock  was  $500,000  and  the  first  officers  were :  Joseph  A. 
Thatcher,  president ;  James  B.  Grant,  vice  president ;  A.  A.  Denman,  cashier ; 
James  Duff,  Edward  Eddy,  James  B.  Grant,  W.  S.  Jackson,  Otto  Sauer,  Joseph 
Standley,  Dennis  Sullivan,  Joseph  A.  Thatcher  and  George  W.  Trimble,  directors. 
The  bank  remained  in  the  Barclay  building  until  October,  1893,  then  moved  to 
the  Cooper  building  on  the  northeast  comer  of  Seventeenth  and  Curtis  streets. 
The  capital  stock  of  the  Denver  National  has  been  increased  to  $1,000,000  since 
the  organization. 

OTHER    BANKS 

The  present  Central  Savings  Bank  &  Trust  Company  was  started  as  the  North 
Side  Bank  April  11,  1892,  with  a  capital  of  $25,000  and  the  following  board  of 
directors :  John  A.  Clough,  William  Light.  David  Brothers,  Henri  R.  Foster, 
Samuel  E.  Marshall,  Henry  H.  Mills,  William  E.  Wilson,  Adelia  E.  Clough, 
Roland  D.  Smith.  Willis  M.  Marshall  and  S.  E.  Howard.  The  bank  was  first 
established  at  the  intersection  of  Dunkeld  and  Gallup  avenues,  with  John  A. 
Clough.  president,  and  Willis  M.  Marshall,  cashier.  In  1894  the  bank  was 
removed  to  1032  Fifteenth  Street,  and  on  January  15,  1896.  took  the  name  of 
the  Central  Savings  Bank. 

The  National  Bank  of  Commerce  was  the  successor  of  a  private  banking 
firm.  The  firm  of  Mcintosh  &  Mygatt,  consisting  of  Charles  L.  Mcintosh  and 
William  R.  Mygatt,  opened  a  bank  on  July  i,  1887,  at  1615  Curtis  Street,  after- 
wards occupying  the  southeast  corner  of  Sixteenth  and  Curtis  streets.  In  the 
summer  of  1890  the  National  Bank  of  Commerce  was  organized  to  succeed  this 
business,  with  a  capital  stock  of  $500,000.  The  first  directors  were:  L.  Anfenger, 
P.  L.  Bockfenger,  Charles  Boettcher,  Benn  Brower,  Job  A.  Cooper,  Phillip 
Feldhouscr,  F.  C.  Goudy.  J.  W.  Graham,  W.  L.  Graham,  L.  L.  Iliggins,  Frank 
B.  lim.  J.  F.  Hopkins,  Charles  L.   Mcintosh,  William  R.  Mygatt  and  D.   D. 


402  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

Streeter.  Business  was  started  July  i6,  1890,  in  the  Ernest  &  Cranmer  building, 
southwest  corner  of  Seventeenth  and  Curtis  streets.  This  bank  was  merged 
with  the  United  States  National  in  September,  1908. 

The  Denver  Savings  Bank  was  organized  January  2,  1890,  by  the  following 
directors :  Dr.  F.  J.  Bancroft,  Isaac  E.  Blake,  A.  W.  Chamberlin,  H.  B.  Chani- 
berlin,  D.  H.  Ferguson,  J.  A.  Ferguson,  Joseph  W.  Gilluly,  S.  H.  Hastings,  C.  Y. 
McClure,  John  L.  McNeil,  I.  B.  Porter,  Charles  H.  Smith,  and  S.  N.  Wood.  The 
bank  opened  February  9,  1890,  at  1227  Sixteenth  Street,  later  occupying  quarters 
of  the  Union  National  at  Sixteenth  and  Larimer  streets.  In  the  1900s  this  bank 
went  into  the  hands  of  a  receiver. 

The  Western  Bank  was  incorporated  November  13,  1891,  by  Frederick  C. 
Kilham,  John  L.  McNeil.  Robert  D.  Ihompson,  Charles  Hallack,  Edward  L. 
Raymond,  E.  S.  Kassler,  William  R.  Thompson,  and  W.  A.  Hover.  The  bank 
started  activities  shortly  thereafter  at  1640  Arapahoe  Street,  but  in  1895  was 
removed  to  the  northwest  corner  of  Seventeenth  and  .Arapahoe  streets.  This 
bank  failed  many  years  ago. 

The  Citizens  Trust  and  Savings  Bank  succeeded  the  Citizens  Savings  Bank 
which  was  organized  in  May,  1892.  The  first  bank  failed  to  weather  the  1893 
storm  satisfactorily  and  in  1895  became  known  as  the  Citizens  Savings  and  Com- 
mercial Bank.  In  1897  the  bank  was  given  the  title  of  the  Citizens  Trust  and  Sav- 
ings Bank,  located  at  721  Sixteenth  Street. 

The  Union  Stockyards  Bank  was  incorporated  October  27,  1898,  by  Samuel 
G.  Gill,  William  J.  Fine  and  Frank  C.  Goudy.  David  H.  Moffat  was  the  first 
president. 

The  International  Trust  Company,  at  present  one  of  Denver's  important 
financial  institutions,  was  started  in  1885.  This  company  is  the  successor  of  two 
similar  institutions — the  Security  Safety  Deposit  and  Trust  Company,  organized 
in  1885.  and  the  National  Trust  Company,  organized  in  1891.  The  incorporators 
of  the  first  were:  David  H.  Moffat,  Henry  R.  Wolcott  and  S.  N.  Wood;  of  the 
second,  David  H.  Mofifat,  Henry  W.  Hobson,  Moses  Hallett,  Walter  S.  Chees- 
man  and  thirty-four  others.  On  January  29,  1892,  the  name  of  the  National 
Trust  Company  was  changed  to  the  International  Trust  Company  and  in  1897 
the  business  of  the  Security  was  merged  with  it. 

The  Union  Deposit  &  Trust  Company  of  Denver  started  in  1874  as  the 
Denver  Safe  Deposit  &  Savings  Bank,  which  was  changed  in  August,  1882.  to 
the  Union  Bank  of  Denver.  Late  in  1886  the  property  was  sold  to  J.  V.  Dexter 
who  organized  the  Union  Safe  Deposit  &  Trust  Company  with  a  capital  of 
$50,000. 

B.'\NKING    FR.AUDS    IN    DENVER 

At  various  times  in  the  history  of  Denver  unscrupulous  men  have  endeavored 
to  promote  fraudulent  banking  schemes  in  the  city,  but  have  nearly  always  been 
discovered  before  they  had  reached  the  pinnacle  of  their  ill-directed  success. 

One  of  the  first  of  these  arrived  in  1871.  His  name  was  Abel  Endelman. 
but  he  assumed  the  name  of  Benjamin  Erlanger  while  here.  He  started  in 
business  on  Larimer  Street,  combining  banking  with  a  pawnshop  trade  and  call- 
ing his  place  the  "Denver  Savings  Bank."    He  opened  a  "branch"  at  Blackhawk 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  403 

soon  after.  A  fairly  large  sum  in  small  deposits  was  placed  in  his  hands  and  all 
seemed  to  go  well  until  November  3,  1873.  Then  Endelman  disappeared,  taking 
all  the  money  with  him.  Nothing  more  was  heard  of  him,  except  one  instance 
when  he  was  recognized  in  San  Francisco. 

Perhaps  the  cleverest  bank  criminal  ever  in  Denver  was  Walter  A.  Stuart, 
one  of  the  directors  of  the  German  Bank  which  was  organized  in  1874.  Stuart, 
whose  true  name  was  Walter  C.  Sheridan,  appeared  in  Denver  in  1873,  accom- 
panied by  his  wife  and  boy,  supposedly.  Here  they  quickly  made  friends,  moved 
in  the  best  society,  took  prominent  part  in  church  affairs,  purchased  property  on 
Grant  Avenue,  near  Sixteenth  Street,  and  in  every  way  made  themselves  popular. 
Stuart  obtained  recognition  from  the  business  men  through  references  he  held, 
which  were  afterward  found  to  be  forgeries.  His  part  was  skillfully  plaved 
during  the  first  phase  of  his  operations  in  Denver. 

A  few  months  afterward  the  German  Bank  was  organized  and  Stuart  pur- 
cha.sed  several  thousand  dollars  worth  of  stock.  As  his  interest  in  the  new  bank 
gave  him  influence,  he  was  chosen  as  one  of  the  directors.  In  this  manner  he 
proceeded  until  the  fall  of  1875,  when  he  became  acquainted  with  T.  W.  Herr. 
principal  owner  of  the  Pocahontas  silver  mine  at  Rosita,  Custer  County.  Stuart 
recognized  Herr  as  easy  prey,  consequently  interested  the  mine  owner  in  the 
establishment  of  a  bank  at  Rosita.  With  this  in  view,  Stuart  withdrew  his 
money  from  the  German  Bank  and  accompanied  Herr  to  Rosita,  there  meeting 
James  R.  Boyd,  a  confederate,  posing  as  a  wealthy  investor.  Stuart  and  Boyd 
opened  up  a  bank  in  Rosita,  Herr's  influence  serving  them  well  in  obtaining  de- 
posits from  the  miners. 

It  was  not  long  until  Stuart  and  Boyd  had  obtained  virtual  possession  of  the 
Herr  mine  and  were  engaged  in  selling  the  ore  as  rapidly  as  possible.  Herr 
realized  how  he  had  been  hoodwinked  and  began  action  against  the  pair  of 
conspirators  and  finally  had  them  cornered.  Their  mining  activities  ended  in 
a  riot,  during  which  one  man  was  killed  and  several  injured.  Shortly  after, 
Stuart  and  Boyd  decamped  without  paying  the  miners  or  Herr  and  with  every 
dollar  deposited  in  the  Rosita  Bank.  Then  it  was  that  Stuart's  identity  became 
established.  His  career  had  been  one  of  criminal  activities  and  before  coming 
to  Denver  he  had  served  two  terms  in  prison.  After  leaving  Rosita  Stuart  went 
to  New  York  City,  where  he  was  recognized,  arrested  and  sent  to  Sing  Sing 
Penitentiary  for  ten  years  on  an  old  charge.  His  sentence  expired  and  on  De- 
cember 13,  1888,  in  partnership  with  another  of  like  character,  he  returned  to 
Denver.  Here  he  and  his  partner,  Hovan,  attempted  a  common  robbery  of  the 
Peoples  .Savings  Bank  on  ,'\rapahoe  Street.  .Stuart  stood  guard  while  Hovan 
entered  the  bank  vault.  The  latter  was  captured  while  inside  of  the  bank  and 
Stuart  escaped,  never  to  be  seen  again  in  the  city.  Stuart  continued  his  opera- 
tions in  various  parts  of  the  country,  finallv  dying  in  jail  at  Montreal,  Canada,  in 
January,  1890. 

The  efforts  of  the  Vanwoerts,  James  and  F.llen,  to  establish  the  "ConniKMcial 
Rank  of  Denver"  in  1881  ranks  as  another  of  the  fraudulent  banking  entcr|irises 
of  the  city.  The  Vanwoerts  filed  a  certificate  of  incorporation  on  February  21st, 
naming  as  incorporators  James  L.  Vanwoert,  Pliny  ,S.  Rice,  Horace  W.  Cotton, 
P.  T.  Smith  and  F.llon  Vanwoert,  claiming  $100,000  capital.  James  Vanwoert 
was  designated  as  president  and  his  wife,  Ellen,  as  cashier.    Quarters  were  leased 


404  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

at  the  corner  of  Sixteenth  and  Curtis  and  the  bank  was  advertised  to  open  on 
April  1st,  but  for  some  reason,  alleged  to  be  the  non-arrival  of  fixtures  and 
safe,  the  institution  did  not  open  its  doors  at  the  time  mentioned.  The  press 
of  Denver  became  suspicious  of  the  Vanwoerts  and  conducted  an  investigation, 
with  the  result  that  Vanwoert  was  discovered  to  be  a  former  convict,  forger  and 
general  confidence  man.  He  had  committed  several  "jobs"  in  the  East  similar 
to  the  one  he  was  attempting  in  Denver.  The  \'anwoerts,  of  course,  lost  no  time 
in  shaking  the  dust  of  Denver  from  their  shoes,  while  Cotton,  Smith  and  Rice 
were  Denver  men  and  were  proved  to  be  simply  dupes  of  the  clever  Vanwoerts. 

DENVER    CLE.-^RING   HOUSE 

The  Denver  Clearing  House  Association  was  organized  in  the  autumn  of 
1885.  Gen.  R.  W.  Woodbury,  then  president  of  the  Denver  Chamber  of  Com- 
merce, took  the  first  step  toward  the  forming  of  this  association  by  requesting 
each  of  the  national  banks  in  the  city  to  appoint  delegates  to  confer  with  him 
on  October  25th.  This  meeting  was  held,  the  following  representatives  attend- 
ing: John  R.  Hanna,  City  National;  Wilham  B.  Berger,  Colorado  National;  J. 
A.  Thatcher  and  A.  A.  Denman,  Denver  National ;  David  H.  Moffat  and  S.  N. 
Wood,  First  National ;  George  Tritch,  German  National ;  E.  P.  Wright,  State 
National ;  and  William  D.  Todd,  Union  Bank.  Mr.  Woodbury  explained  the 
benefits  of  a  clearing  house  and  strongly  urged  the  organization  of  such  an  asso- 
ciation. J.  A.  Thatcher  was  chosen  chairman  of  the  meeting  and  A.  A.  Denman, 
secretary.  A  committee,  consisting  of  S.  N.  Wood,  William  B.  Berger  and  Wil- 
liam D.  Todd,  was  appointed  to  draft  rules  and  by-laws  and  to  arrange  the  organi- 
zation. The  committee  having  done  its  duty,  another  meeting  was  held  and  the 
organization  effected.  The  clearing  house  began  active  duty  on  November  16, 
1885. 

FIRST  B-XNKING  IN  OTHER  COMMUNITIES 

Hiller,  Hallock  &  Company  were  the  first  bankers  in  Buena  Vista.  The  Bank 
of  Buena  \'ista  was  incorporated  December  i,  1890,  but  had  been  conducted  pre- 
viouslv  as  a  private  bank  by  R.  W.  Hockaday  and  C.  L.  Graves,  who  sold  to 
George  C.  Wallace  and  A.  C.  Wallace  in  December,   1890. 

At  Salida  the  Chaffee  County  Bank  was  established  in  1880  by  W.  E.  Robert- 
son and  Robert  A.  Bain.  The  First  National  Bank  of  Salida  was  founded  Janu- 
ary 2.  1890,  with  L.  W.  Craig,  president;  E.  B.  Jones,  vice  president;  and  F.  O. 
Stead,  cashier.  The  Continental  Divide  Bank  was  opened  in  1885  by  L.  W.  and 
D.  H.  Craig,  who  closed  out  the  business  en  December  31,  1889. 

The  First  National  Bank  at  Alamosa  was  established  February  i,  1884,  as 
the  successor  of  the  Bank  of  San  Juan.  The  Bank  of  Alamosa,  first  opened  by 
the  Schiffer  Brothers  at  Del  Norte,  as  the  Rio  Grande  County  Bank,  was  re- 
moved to  Alamosa  July  18,  1890. 

At  Silver  Cliff,  Stebbins,  Post  &  Company  started  a  bank  in  February,  1880. 
The  Custer  County  Bank  was  opened  for  business  here  in  November,  1878,  with 
F.  A.  Raynolds  and  F.  W.  Dewalt,  proprietors,  and  Fred  S.  Hartzell.  cashier. 
This  later  became  the  Merchants  and  Miners  Bank. 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  405 

The  Delta  County  Bank  was  established  at  Delta  by  H.  A.  Bailey  and  T.  B. 
Crawford.  This  bank  was  incorporated  in  July,  1889.  R.  Bigelow  &  Sons  also 
transacted  a  general  banking  business  in  Delta  in  the  early  days. 

The  first  bank  in  Glenwood  Springs  was  started  in  1885  by  Geo.  Arthur  Rice 
&  Company  and  was  conducted  as  a  private  bank  with  a  capital  stock  of  $10,000. 
On  December  i,  1887,  a  consolidation  with  the  Glenwood  National  Bank  was  ef- 
fected. The  First  National  Bank  of  Glenwood  Springs  began  in  the  spring  of 
1887,  with  W.  B.  Devereaux  as  president  and  J.  H.  Fesler,  cashier;  capital  stock, 
$100,000.  The  Glenwood  National  Bank  was  opened  June  i,  1887,  with  John  L. 
McNeil,  president,  and  C.  N.  Greig,  cashier.  In  the  summer  of  1891  the  latter 
bank  was  consolidated  with  the  First  National. 

The  first  bank  in  Gunnison  County  was  started  by  Edwin  Hiller  at  Hillerton. 
The  next  was  the  Bank  of  Gunnison,  which  was  organized  by  Sam  G.  Gill,  H.  A. 
W.  Tabor,  Col.  E.  P.  Jacobson,  Mrs.  Augusta  Tabor  and  several  others  in  March, 

1880.  This  was  the  first  incorporated  bank  in  Colorado  west  of  the  Continental 
Divide.  The  safe,  which  contained  .$25,000  in  cash,  was  hauled  by  wagon  from 
Saguache,  accompanied  by  Mr.  Gill,  who  acted  as  cook  and  general  hired  man. 
The  Bank  of  Gunnison  was  changed  to  the  Iron  National  in  July,  1883,  and  in 
1884  went  into  voluntary  liquidation.  The  second  bank  in  the  county,  exclusive 
6f  a  private  institution  in   Pitkin,  was   the   Miners  Exchange,   started  in    July, 

1881,  with  the  following  officers:  Lewis  Cheney,  president;  M.  Coppinger, 
ca.shier;  and  C.  E.  McConnell,  assistant  cashier.  In  May,  1882,  this  bank  became 
the  First  National  Bank,  retaining  the  same  officers.  The  Pitkin  Bank,  located 
at  Pitkin,  was  organized  in  1881.  Banks  were  also  established  in  the  early  '80s 
at  Irwin,  Tin  Cup  and  Tomichi. 

The  Bank  of  Durango  was  established  by  John  L.  McNeil,  as  a  branch  bank 
of  Daniels,  Brown  &  Company  of  Alamosa  in  1881.  In  1885  the  charter  of  the 
First  National  was  purchased  and  the  two  merged  under  the  latter  name.  The 
Colorado  State  Bank  at  Durango  was  organized  December  29,  1886,  by  Frederick 
L.  Kimball,  Benjamin  N.  Freeman,  Thomas  F.  Burgess.  William  F.  Morgan  and 
James  H.  Hoskins.  F.  L.  Kimball  was  the  first  president  and  the  first  capital 
stock  was  $30,000. 

The  Trinidad  National  Bank  was  organized  in  1874  as  the  Bank  of  Southern 
Colorado,  and  in  1886  was  nationalized.  The  First  National  Bank  at  Trinidad 
was  established  in  1875,  with  a  capital  of  $100,000.  The  American  Savings  Bank 
was  incorporated   February   i,    1889. 

The  Bank  of  Grand  Junction,  .started  by  S.  G.  Crandall  in  1882,  was  llie  first 
in  Mesa  County.  The  Mesa  County  Bank  was  founded  in  1883  by  W.  T. 
Carpenter.  It  later  became  a  state  bank.  The  First  National  Bank  at  Grand 
Junction  was  organized  March  15,  188S,  by  William  Gelder,  A.  A.  Miller,  John 
O.  Boyle,  T.  J.  Blue,  David  Roberts.  George  Arthur  Rice,  T.  M.  Jones  and  J.  F; 
McFarland,  succeeding  the  firm  of  George  .Arthur  Rice  &  Companv,  who  in  turn 
had  succeeded  the  Commercial  Bank,  founded  in  t886  by  J.  F.  McFarland. 

The  Bank  of  Montrose  began  business  August  i,  1882,  and  was  operated  by 
C.  E.  McConnell  &  Company,  the  institution  later  becoming  the  l^ncnmpahgre 
Valley  Bank.  The  First  National  Bank  of  Montrose  was  started  as  the  Mont- 
rose County  Bank  in  1888  and  in  April,  1889,  was  made  a  national  bank. 

The  Morgan   County   Bank   at   Fort   Morgan   was   incorporated   and   opened 


406  HISTORY  OF  COLORi\DO 

for  business  in  November,  1889,  and  became  a  state  bank  in  May,  1890,  with 
the  following  officers:  L.  M.  More,  president;  A.  C.  Fisk,  vice  president;  and 
Burton  Preston,  cashier.  The  Bank  of  Fort  Morgan,  the  pioneer  institution,  sus- 
pended business  in  1890.  The  State  Bank  was  started  September  4,  1890,  with 
Arthur  Hotchkiss  as  president. 

The  Bank  of  Ouray  was  established  by  J.  Fogg  in  1877,  but  soon  afterward 
went  into  voluntary  liquidation.  The  Miners  and  Merchants  Bank  of  Ouray 
was  founded  in  1878  by  M.  D.  and  John  A.  Thatcher  of  Pueblo,  with  A.  G. 
Siddons  as  cashier.  The  First  National  Bank  of  Ouray  was  opened  September 
5,  1889,  with  George  Arthur  Rice,  president;  L.  L.  Bailey,  cashier. 

The  San  Luis  Valley  Bank  at  Del  Norte  was  opened  by  E.  T.  Elliott,  H.  B. 
Adsit  and  John  G.  Taylor  in  March,  1874.  Shortly  after  the  bank  entered  vol- 
untary liquidation.  The  Bank  of  Del  Norte  was  founded  by  Asa  F.  Middaugh 
in  1 88 1.  The  First  National  Bank  at  Del  Norte  was  opened  May  6,  1890,  with 
the  following  officers:  W.  H.  Cochran,  president;  R.  H.  Sayre,  vice  president; 
and  Charles  W.  Thomas,  cashier.  The  Bank  of  San  Juan  was  established  at 
Del  Norte  in  1876  by  Daniels,  Brown  &  Company  of  Denver,  with  John  L.  Mc- 
A\e'i\  as  manager  and  cashier.    This  bank  was  afterward  established  at  Alamosa. 

The  Bank  of  Monte  Vista  was  started  by  R.  B.  and  John  Wallace  under  the 
firm  name  of  Wallace  Brothers.  The  State  Bank  of  the  same  place  was  started 
as  the  Bank  of  Commerce  by  A.  M.  Isbell  and  E.  M.  Perdew. 

The  Bank  of  Telluride  was  founded  May  14,  1889,  capitalized  for  $50,000, 
with  the  following  officers :  J.  H.  Ernest  Waters,  president ;  W.  H.  Gabbert,  vice 
president ;  W.  E.  Wheeler,  cashier,  and  J.  L.  Brown,  assistant  cashier.  The  First 
National  Bank  was  started  in  Telluride  September  19,  1890.  with  officers  as  fol- 
lows: William  Stor}-,  president;  L.  L.  Nunn,  vice  president;  T.  A.  Davis,  cashier; 
and  William  Bird,  assistant  cashier. 

At  Julesburg  the  Citizens  Bank,  private,  was  started  in  March,  1886,  by  H. 
L.  McWilliams  and  Frank  McWilliams.  The  Bank  of  Denver  Junction  was 
organized  in  1885  by  the  Liddle  Brothers ;  this  was  the  first  bank  in  the  com- 
munity. When  the  name  was  changed  from  Denver  Junction  to  Julesburg,  the 
institution  became  known  as  the  Julesburg  Bank,  and  still  later  the  State  Bank 
■of  Julesburg. 

The  first  bank  in  the  City  of  Greeley  was  established  by  the  H.  T.  West  & 
'Company  on  May  14,  1870.  The  Union  Bank  was  organized  in  1887  by  J.  L. 
Brush,  Bruce  F.  Johnson,  J.  C.  Scott,  W.  F.  Thompson,  Daniel  Hawks  and 
others.  Mr.  Johnson  was  the  first  president.  The  First  National  Bank  at  Greeley 
began  business  June  23,  1884,  with  J.  M.  Wallace,  president;  D.  B.  Wyatt,  vice 
president;  B.  D.  Harper,  cashier;  and  A.  J.  Park,  assistant.  The  Weld  County 
Savings  Bank  was  organized  November  20,  1889,  by  J.  M.  Wallace,  president; 
D.  H.  Gale,  vice  president;  A.  J.  Park,  treasurer;  and  J.  B.  Phillips,  cashier. 

In  May,  1871,  George  C.  Cornung  established  the  Bank  of  Boulder,  the  first 
financial  institution  in  the  community.  In  1877,  however,  through  mismanage- 
ment, the  bank  went  into  liquidation.  The  National  State  Bank  was  founded 
April  20,  1874,  by  Charles  G.  and  W.  A.  Buckingham  and  was  conducted  as  a 
private  bank  until  May,  1877,  then  was  nationalized  with  a  paid-up  capital  stock 
of  $50,000.  The  First  National  Bank  at  Boulder  opened  for  business  May  10, 
1877,  with  the  following  officers:  Lewis  Cheney,  president;  I.  M.  Smith,  cashier. 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  407 

The  Boulder  National  Bank  opened  October  i,  1884,  capitalized  at  $50,000,  and 
officered  by  H.  N.  Bradley,  president;  Dr.  I.  L.  Bond,  vice  president;  and  Charles 
L.  Spencer,  cashier. 

At  Longinont  the  first  bank  was  started  by  C.  Emerson  and  VV.  A.  Bucking- 
ham in  April,  1871.  In  1880  F.  H.  and  C.  H.  Stickney  organized  a  private  bank. 
Afterward  F.  H.  purchased  his  partner's  interest  and  organized  the  Bank  of 
Longmont,  with  W.  H.  Dickens,  Rienzi  Streeter,  John  Kitely  and  S.  H.  Dob- 
bins as  associates.  The  First  National  Bank  at  Longmont  was  chartered  June 
17th  and  opened  for  business  September  i,  1885. 

The  pioneer  banking  institution  in  Georgetown  was  that  of  George  T.  Clark 
&  Company,  in  the  first  years  of  Georgetown's  prominence  as  a  mining  center. 
The  business  was  transferred  to  J.  B.  Chafi^^ee  &  Company  and  then  to  W.  H. 
Cushman,  et  al.,  who  established  the  First  National,  which  failed  in  1876.  The 
Merchants  National  Bank  followed,  was  changed  to  a  private  bank,  then  closed 
out  business.  The  Bank  of  Clear  Creek  County  was  started  in  1876  by  Charles 
K.  Fish  &  Company.  The  Bank  of  Georgetown  was  founded  in  1882  by  Henry 
Seifried,  J.  F.  Tucker,  Col.  C.  P.  Baldwin  and  others. 

In  1872  a  bank  was  established  at  Colorado  Springs  by  W.  H.  Young. 
Through  the  insolvency  of  a  New  York  firm.  Young  failed  and  in  1873  was 
l)ought  out  by  WilHam  S.  Jackson,  C.  H.  White  and  J.  S.  Wolfe,  who  founded 
the  El  Paso  Bank.  W.  H.  Young,  in  the  meantime,  became  more  successful  finan- 
cially and,  in  association  with  Eastern  capital,  organized  the  First  National 
Bank  of  Colorado  Springs.  A  short  time  after,  this  institution  was  reorganized 
by  B.  F.  Crowell,  G.  H.  Stewart,  F.  L.  Martin  and  others.  In  1876  J.  H.  B. 
McFerran  organized  the  Peoples  Bank,  but  closed  out  after  eleven  years'  activi- 
ties. The  Exchange  National  Bank  in  Colorado  Springs  was  established  in  1888 
with  the  following  directors:  F.  E.  Dow,  George  De  La  Vergne,  D.  M.  Holden, 
George  H.  Case,  D.  B.  Fairley,  W.  S.  Nichols,  J.  A.  Himebaugh,  K.  H.  Field. 
D.  H.  Heron,  John  J.  LaMar  and  A.  L.  Lawton. 

The  first  banking  house  in  Lcadville  w-as  the  Lake  County  Bank,  established 
in  April,  1878,  by  Zollars,  Eshelman  &  Company,  who  continued  the  business 
until  April  i,  1879,  then  organized  the  Fiist  National  Bank.  On  January  22, 
1884,  the  First  National  closed  its  doors,  heavily  in  debt.  F.  W.  De  Walt  was 
the  principal  stockholder  at  the  time  and  he  immediately  fled  the  country.  How- 
ever, he  was  soon  captured,  tried  in  the  United  States  Court  at  Denver,  and  sen- 
tenced to  a  term  of  seven  years  in  the  penitentiary.  After  serving  five  years  of 
this  sentence  he  was  liberated  through  a  technicality.  Under  the  administration 
of  a  receiver,  J.  Samuel  Brown,  the  bank  paid  about  40  per  cent  of  its  liabilities. 

In  April,  1878,  Trimble  &  Hunter  established  the  Miners  Exchange  Bank 
at  Lcadville.  In  October,  188 1,  the  firm  mentioned  retired  and  the  business 
was  merged  with  the  Rank  of  Lcadville,  which  institution  had  been  started  in 
October,  1878,  by  H.  A.  W.  Tabor,  president;  August  Rische,  vice  presid.int ; 
and  George  R.  Fisher,  cashier.  This  bank  also  came  to  a  disastrous  end  July 
2<^.  1883,  in  debt  nearly  $450,000.  The  Merchants  &  Mechanics  Rank,  a  private 
institution,  began  in  the  summer  of  1879,  with  L.  M.  and  L.  J.  Smith,  proprietors. 
This  bank  failed  in  January,  1884,  with  a  total  loss  to  the  depositors  of  $300,000. 
The  City  Rank  of  Ixadvillc  started  in  June,   1880.  but  soon  closed  its  business 


408  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

honorably.     The  Bank  of  Colorado  was  another  short-lived  institution  at  Lead- 
ville. 

The  Carbonate  Bank  at  Leadville  was  opened  as  a  state  bank  September  3', 
1883,  with  a  capital  of  $50,000.  This  bank  became  a  national  institution  in 
July,  1887.  The  American  National  Bank  opened  for  business  January  7,  1889, 
with  a  capital  stock  of  $100,000,  paid  up. 

One  of  the  earliest  banks  of  Pueblo  was  the  Peoples  Bank,  established  in 
April,  1873.  The  capital  stock  was  $100,000  and  the  first  officers  were:  E.  W. 
Bailey,  president;  J.  L.  Lowther,  cashier. 

The  First  National  Bank  of  Pueblo  was  organized  first  in  1871  w^ith  the  fol- 
lowing officers:  M.  D.  Thatcher,  president;  John  A.  Thatcher,  vice  president; 
and  Robert  F.  Lytle,  cashier.  The  Stockgrowers  National  Bank  was  established 
privately  in  1873  by  Goodnight,  Cresswell  &  Company,  Colorado  stockmen.  In 
the  year  following,  the  firm  of  Raynolds,  Lambom  &  Company  became  the  owner. 
In  1876  the  institution  was  incorporated  as  a  national  bank  and  C.  B.  Lamborn 
became  the  first  president.  The  Western  National  Bank  at  Pueblo  was  incorpo- 
rated in  August,  1881,  and  was  first  officered  by  W.  L.  Graham,  president,  and 
C.  B.  McVay,  cashier.  The  Central  National  Bank  was  originally  started  as  the 
South  Pueblo  National  Bank  in  August,  1881,  by  the  following  directors:  H.  L. 
Holden,  president;  D.  L.  Holden,  cashier;  James  N.  Carlisle,  Marcellus  Sheldon, 
James  B.  Orman,  William  Moore,  Garrett  Lankford  and  William  W.  Taylor. 
When  South  Pueblo  became  a  part  of  Pueblo,  the  name  of  the  bank  was  changed. 
The  Pueblo  Savings  Bank  was  incorporated  in  1889  and  opened  for  business 
January  i,  1890.  The  American  National  Bank  also  came  into  existence  in 
1889. 

COLORADO   BANKS   IX    1918 

Location.         Name  of  Bank.  Year  Organized.         Capital  Stock. 

Aguilar — First  State  Bank   191 1  $15,000 

Akron — City  National  Bank 1916  30,000 

Akron — First  National  Bank 1907  40,000 

Alamosa — Alamosa  National  Bank   1907  25,000 

Alamosa — American  National  Bank   1905  50,000 

Alamosa — Safety  First  State  &  Savings  Bank  .  .  ,  1915  20,000 

Alma — Bank  of  Alma    1882  10,000 

Antonito — Commercial  State  Bank    191 1  25,000 

Arriba — Lincoln  State  Bank   1908  10,000 

Arvada — First  National  Bank 1904  25,000 

Aspen — Aspen  State  Bank   1908  25,000 

Ault — Farmers  National  Bank   1906  25,000 

Ault — First    National    Bank    1906  25,000 

Austin — State  Bank  of  Austin 1910  12,000 

Bayfield — Fanners  &  Merchants  Bank   1910  15,000 

Bennett — Bennett  State  Bank   1917  10,000 

Berthoud — Berthoud  National  Bank  1892  50,000 

Berthoud — First   National    Bank    1906  25,000 

Blanca — Blanca  State  Bank   1909  10,000 


THE  LOBBY  OF  THE  FIRST  NATIONAL  BANK  IN   THE  THATCHER  BUILDING, 

PUEBLO 


THE  THATCHER  BUILDING,  PUEBLO 


410  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

Location.         Name  of  Bank.  Year  Organized.         Capital  Stock. 

jirandon — First  State  Bank 1910  $10,000 

Breckenridge— Engle  Bros.  Exchange  Bank 1S88  20,000 

Boulder — Boulder  National   Bank    1884  50,000 

Boulder — First  National  Bank 1877  100,000 

Boulder — National  State  Bank   1877  50.000 

Boulder — Mercantile  Bank  &  Trust  Company   .  .  1904  50,000 

Briggsdale — Briggsdale  State  Bank 1912  10,000 

Brighton — Farmers  &  Merchants  State  Bank 1907  30,000 

Brighton— First  National  Bank   1904  25,000 

Bristol— Bristol   State  Bank    1909  10,000 

Brush — Farmers  State  Bank    191 5  50,000 

Brush— First   National   Bank    1902  25,000 

Brush — Stockmens   National   Bank    1907  35,000 

I'.uena  Vista — First  National  Bank 1880  25,000 

Burlington — Burlington   State   Bank   1908  15,000 

Burlington — Stock  Growers  State  Bank 1910  12,000 

Byers— Byers  State  Bank    1910  15,000 

Calhan— First  State  Bank  1907  15-000 

Caiion  City— First  National  Bank 1888  50,000 

Canon  City — Fremont  County  National  Bank  . . .  1874  100,000 

Carbondale— First  National  Bank   1907  25,000 

Castle  Rock — First  National  Bank  of  Douglas  Co.  1903  25,000 

Cedaredge — First  National  Bank   1907  25,000 

Center — First  National  Bank    1906  30,000 

Central  City — First  National  Bank   1873  50,000 

Cheraw— First  State  Bank    1910  10,000 

Cheyenne   Wells — Cheyenne   County    State    Bank  1895  15,000 

CHfton— First  State  Bank 1914  10,000 

Collbran— Stockmans    Bank    1916  25,000 

Colorado  City — First  National  Bank 1902  50,000 

Colorado  Springs — Colorado   Savings   Bank    ....  1907  50,000 
Colorado  Springs — Colorado      Springs      National 

Bank      1907  100,000 

Colorado  Springs — Colorado  Title  &  Trust  Co.  . .  1900 

Colorado  Springs — Exchange  National  Bank   . . .  1888  300,000 

Colorado  Springs — First  National   Bank    1874  300,000 

Colorado  Springs — State  Savings  Bank   191 3  25,000 

Cortez — Montezuma  Valley  National  Bank 1905  30,000 

Crawford — Crawford  State  Bank   1910  10,000 

Craig — Craig  National  Bank   1861  25,000 

Craig — First  National  Bank   1904  25,000 

Creede — Tomkins   Brothers  Bank    1899  10,000 

Crested  Butte— Bank  of  Crested  Butte 1881  15,000 

Cripple  Creek — Cripple  Creek  State  Bank   1904  30,000 

Cripple  Creek — First  National   Bank    1893  50,000 

Crook— First  State  Bank   1916  10,000 

De  Beque — Bank  of  De  Beque 1910  10,000 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  411 

Location.         Name  of  Bank.  Year  Organized.         Capital  Stock. 

Deer  Trail — Deer  Trail  State  Bank 1910  $15,000 

Del  Norte — Bank  of  Del  Norte 1882  10,000 

Del  Norte — Rio  Grande  State  Bank  1907  15,000 

Delta — Colorado  State  Bank 1909  30,000 

Delta — Delta   National    Bank    1907  50,000 

Delta — First  National  Bank   1900  50,000 

Denver — Broadway   Bank    1906  100,000 

Denver — Capitol  Hill  State  Bank   1912  30,000 

Denver — Central  Savings  Bank  &  Trust  Co 1892  300,000 

Denver — Citizens   Exchange   Bank    19 12  30,000 

Denver — City  Bank  &  Trust  Company 1909  100,000 

Denver — Colorado   National   Bank    1866  500,000 

Denver — Colorado  State  &  Savings  Bank   1904  50,000 

Denver — Commercial  State  &  Savings  Bank  ....    1911  50,000 

Denver — Continental  Trust   Company    1902  300,000 

Denver — Denver  National  Bank 1884  1,000,000 

Denver — Denver  Stock  Yards  Bank  1883  100,000 

Denver — Drovers  State  Bank  1916  100,000 

Denver — First  National  Bank 1865  1,250,000 

Denver — German-American  Trust  Company    ....    1905  500,000 

Denver — Guardian  Trust  Company    1912  240,000 

Denver — Hamilton   National   Bank    1910  250,000 

Denver — Hibernian  Bank  &  Trust  Company  ....    1910  100,000 

Denver — Home  Savings  &  Trust  Company 1910  100,000 

Denver — International  Trust  Company    1885  500,000 

Denver — Interstate   Trust  Company    1906  200,000 

Denver — Italian-American   Bank    1909  50,000 

Denver — Liberty  Bank   1916  10,000 

Denver — Merchants  Bank   191 2  75,ooo 

Denver— Motor  Bank 1916  50,000 

Denver — North  Denver  Bank    191 1  10,000 

Denver — Pioneer  State  Bank   1912  75,ooo 

Denver — Silver  State  Bank   191 2  50,000 

Denver — State  Mercantile  Bank    1908  70,000 

Denver — Union  Deposit  &  Trust  Company 1874  50,000 

Denver — Union   State   Bank    1913  30,000 

Denver — United  States  National  Bank 1904  400,000 

Denver— West  Side  State  Bank 1910  30,000 

Dolores — First    National    Bank    1910  25,000 

Dolores — John  J.  Harris  &  Company 1887  50,000 

Duran£;o — Burns  National   Bank    1910  loo.oon 

Durango — Durango  Trust  Company    1909  50,000 

Durango — First  National  Bank 1880  100,000 

Fads— First   National   Rank    1906  25,000 

Eagle— First  National   Bank  of  Eagle    1903  25.000 

East  Lake— East  Lake  State  Bank  I9U  10,000 

Eaton— Eaton   National    Bank    1007  25,000 


412  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

Location.         Name  of  Bank.  Year  Organized.         Capital  Stock. 

Eaton — First  National  Bank 1902  $ioo,000 

Eckley — Eckley  State  Bank   1915  io,ckx) 

Elbert — Elbert   County   Bank    1902  10,000 

Elizabeth — Elizabeth  State  Bank   1906  10,000 

Englewood — First  National  Bank    1908  25,000 

Erie — Erie  Bank   1903  12,000 

Estes  Park — Estes  Park  Bank   1908  12,000 

Evans — Farmers  &  Merchants  Bank 1904  12,000 

Fairplay — Bank  of  Fairplay   1898  10,000 

Flagler — Farmers  State  Bank 191 1  10,000 

Flagler — Flagler  State  Bank 1908  12,500 

Fleming — Fleming  State  Bank  1913  10,000 

Florence — First  National  Bank    1900  50,000 

Fort  Collins — Farmers  Bank  &  Trust  Company  .    1916  50,000 

Fort  Collins — First  National  Bank  1881  150,000 

Fort  Collins — Fort  Collins  National  Bank igoo  100,000 

Fort  Collins — Poudre  Valley  National  Bank  ....    1878  150,000 

Fort  Lupton — Fort  Lupton  State  Bank  1900  25,000 

Fort  Lupton — Platte  Valley  State  Bank 1912  10,000 

Fort  Morgan — First   National    Bank    1903  100,000 

Fort  Morgan — Fort  Morgan  State  Bank 1915  20,000 

Fort  Morgan — Morgan  County  National  Bank   .    1889  50,000 

Fountain — First  National  Bank   1903  25,000 

Fowler — First   National   Bank    1905  25,000 

Fowler — Fowler  State  Bank 1899  25,000 

Frederick — First  State  Bank 1916  10,000 

Fruita — First  Bank  of  Fruita   1904  25,000 

Fruita — First   National   Bank    1907  25,000 

Genoa — Genoa  State  Bank    1909  10,000 

Georgetown — Bank  of  Clear  Creek  County 1876  50,000 

Georgetown — Bank   of    Georgetown    1882  30,000 

Gilcrest — Gilcrest  State  Bank   19 14  10,000 

Glenwood  Springs — Citizens  National  Bank   ....    1903  50,000 

Glenwood  Springs — First   National   Bank    1887  100.000 

Golden — Golden   Savings   Bank    1908  25.000 

Golden — Rubey  National  Bank 1893  50,000 

Granada — American  State  Bank 1915  10,000 

Grand  Junction — Bank  of  Grand  Junction 1914  40,000 

Grand  Junction — Grand  Valley  National  Bank  . .    1902  100,000 

Grand  Junction — LTnited  States  Bank  &  Trust  Co.   1903  125,000 

Grand  Valley — Garfield  County  State  Bank   ....    1907  10,000 

Greeley — First  National  Bank   1884  100,000 

Greeley — Greeley  National  Bank   1890  100,000 

Greeley — Union  National  Bank   1877  100,000 

Greeley — Weld  County  Savings  Bank 1889  25,000 

Grover — Grover  State  Bank   1909  10,000 

Gunnison — First  National  Bank 1882  50,000 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  413 

Location.         Name  of  Bank.  Year  Organized.         Capital  Stock. 

Gunnison — Gunnison  Bank  &  Trust  Company...  1910  $50,000 

Gypsum — Bank  of  Gypsum 191 1  25,000 

Hartman — Hartman  State  Bank   1907  10,000 

Has  well — Colorado  State  Bank 1909                     ■  10,000 

Haxtum — Bank  of  Haxtum   1906  10,000 

Haxtum — Farmers  State  Bank 1909  25,000 

Hayden — First  National  Bank  1903  25,000 

Hayden — Yampa  Valley  Bank   1903  30,000 

Hillrose — First  State  Bank  1906  15,000 

Holly — First  National  Bank  1905  25,000 

Holly— Holly  State  Bank 1907  30,000 

Holyoke — First  National  Bank    1888  50,000 

Holyoke — Phillips  County  State  Bank  1909  25,000 

Hooper — Hooper  State  Bank   1912  10,000 

Hotchkiss — Bank  of  North  Fork 1893  10,000 

Hotchkiss — First  National  Bank    1901  25,000 

Hot  Sulphur  Springs — First  .State  Bank 1909  10,000 

Hudson — Hudson  State  Bank 1909  10,000 

Hugo — First  National  Bank   1907  25,000 

Hugo — Hugo  National  Bank 191 5  35,ooo 

Idaho  Springs — Clear  Creek  &  Gilpin  Trust  Co.   .  1906  50,000 

Idaho  Springs — First  National  Bank   1880  50,000 

Idaho  Springs — Merchants    &    Miners     National 

Bank    1901  50,000 

Idalia — First  State  Bank   1916  10,000 

Ignacio — Ignacio  State  Bank    1910  10,000 

Iliflf — First  Bank  of  Iliff 1907  30,000 

Johnstown — First   National    Bank    1907  25,000 

Johnstown — Johnstown  State  Bank  1916  15,000 

Julesbiirg — Citizens  National  Bank  1909  25,000 

Julesburg — First  National  Bank .  1906  50,000 

Keota — Farmers   State    Bank    1915  10,000 

Kersey — Kersey  State  Bank   1908  10,000 

Kiowa — Kiowa  State  Bank  1908  10,000 

Kirk — Kirk  State  Bank  1917 

Kit  Carson — Kit  Carson  State  Bank 1909  10,000 

Kremmling — Bank  of  Krcmmling   1905  10.000 

Lafayette — First  National   Bank    1907  25,000 

Laird — Laird  State  Bank   1909  5.000 

La  Jara — First  National  Bank  iQio  25.000 

La  Jara — La  Jara  State  Bank  iqob  30,000 

La  Junta — Colorado  Savings  &  Trust  Company  .  1907  75-000 

La  Junta — First  National  Bank   i8qo  50.000 

La  Junta — La  Junta  State  Bank  1893  50.000 

Lamar — Citizens  State  Bank    1908  35.000 

Lamar — First  National  Bank   1887  50.000 

Lamar — Lamar  National    Bank    1900  50,000 


414  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

Location.         Name  of  Bank.  Year  Organized.         Capital  Stock. 

La  Salle — l^  Salle  State  Bank 1908  $10,000 

Las  Animas — Bent  Count)'  Bank 1875  30,000 

Las  Animas — Farmers  State  Bank   1910  50,000 

Las  Animas — First  National  Bank   1901  30,000 

La  Veta — La  Veta  State  Bank 1903  15,000 

Leadville — American   National   Bank    1888  100,000 

Leadville — Carbonate  National  Bank 1887  100,000 

Limon — Limon  State  Bank 1905  30,000 

Littleton — First  National   Bank    1905  25,000 

Littleton — Littleton  State  Bank   1909  15,000 

Longmont — Emerson     &     Buckingham     Bank     & 

Trust  Co 1871  50,000 

Longmont — Farmers  National  Bank   1881  50,000 

Longmont — Longmont  .National  Bank    1905  30,000 

Louisville — First  State  Bank 191 5  15,000 

Loveland — First  National  Bank 1905  50,000 

Loveland — Larimer  County  Bank    i8go  100,000 

Loveland — Loveland  National  Bank   1882  100,000 

Lyons — State  Bank  of  Lyons   1908  12,000 

Manassa — Colonial  State  Bank 191 2  10,000 

IMancos — First  National  Bank   1910  50,000 

Manitou — Bank  of  Manitou    1907  20,000 

Manzanola — J.  N.  Beaty  &  Company 1898  15,000 

Marble — Marble  City  State  Bank 1912  15,000 

Matheson — Matheson  State  Bank    1916  10,000 

Mead — Longmont  National   Bank    1916 

Meeker — Bank  of  Meeker 1889  15,000 

Meeker — First  National   Bank    1904  40.000 

Merino — Merino  State  Bank 1908  10,000 

Mesita — First    State    Bank    1910  10,000 

Milliken — First  State  Bank   1909  10,000 

MofTat — Bank   of    Alofifat    1910  10,000 

Monte  Vista — First  National  Bank   1904                  ■  25,000 

Monte  Vista — Wallace  State  Bank  100.000 

Montrose — First   National   Bank    1889  10,000 

Montrose — Home  State  Bank 1909  30.000 

Montrose — Montrose  National  Bank 1904  60,000 

Nederland — First   State    Bank    1915  10.000 

New  Castle — New  Castle  State  Bank 1909  10,000 

New  Raymer — State  Bank  of  Raymer 191 5  10,000 

Niwot — Niwot  State  Bank    1909  10,000 

Norwood — Bank  of  Norwood 1907  50,000 

Nunn— First  State  Bank   1908  10.000 

Oak  Creek — Routt   County   Bank    1910  10.000 

Olathe — First  National  Bank   1910  25.000 

Olathe — Olathe  Banking  Company    1904  30,000 

Olney  Springs — Olney  Springs  State  Bank 1916  10,000 

Ordway — Citizens  National  Bank   1911  15.000 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 


415 


Location.         Name  of  Bank.  Year  Organized.         Capital  Stock. 

Ordway — First  National  Bank 1907  $25,000 

Otis — First  National  Bank   1910  25,000 

Ouray — Citizens  State  Bank   1913  15,000 

Ouray — Miners  &  Merchants  Bank 1878  25,000 

Pagosa  Springs — Citizens  Bank   1908  50,000 

I'alisades — Palisades  National  Bank   1905  25,000 

Paoli — Paoli   State  Bank    1916  10,000 

Paonia — First   National    Bank    1903  25,000 

Paonia — Fruit  Exchange  State  Bank   1909  30,000 

Parker — Parker  State  Bank   191 1  ic.ooo 

Peetz — Peetz  State  Bank 191 5  •        10,000 

Peyton — Farmers    State   Bank    1916  10,000 

Pierce — Pierce  Exchange  Bank    1913  10,000 

I'itkin — Pitkin  Bank   1884  10,000 

Platteville — Platteville   National   Bank    1909  25,000 

I'roctor — Proctor  .State  Bank   1909  10,000 

Pueblo — First  National  Bank   1871  500,000 

Pueblo — Bank   of   Pueblo    1916  50,000 

Pueblo — Minnequa    Bank    1902  30,000 

I'ueblo — Pueblo  Savings  &  Trust  Company 1909  100,000 

Pueblo — Western  National  Bank   1881  100,000 

Pueblo — Wigton  .State  Bank   1916  30,000 

Ramah — .State  Bank  of  Ramah 1908  10,000 

Red  Cliff — Red  Cliff  State  Bank  1915  10,000 

Ridgway— -Bank  of  Ridgway    1891  10,000 

Rifle — F"ir.5t  National  Bank   1902  50,000 

Rifle — Union  State  Bank 1910  25,000 

Rocky  Ford — First  National  P>ank    1904  60,000 

Rocky  Ford — Peoples  Home   Bank    igo8  30,000 

Rocky  Ford — Rocky   Ford   National   Bank    1908  50,000 

Roggen — Roggen  State  Bank  1016  10,000 

Saguache — First   National    Bank    191 1  60.000 

.Saguache — Saguache  County  Bank   1880  30,000 

Salida — Commercial    National    Bank    1905  50.000 

Salida — First  National  Bank i88g  100.000 

.San  .'Xcacio — Costilla  County  Bank  1910  10,000 

Sedgwick — First   National   Bank    1908  25,000 

.Seibcrl — .Seibert  State  Bank   1908  10,000 

.Severance — Farmers  Bank    1916  10,000 

Silt — First   .State   Rank    191  r  10,000 

.Silverton — First  Nation.-il  Bank   1882  50.000 

Simla — State  Bank  of  Simla   1914  lO.OOO 

Springfield — First   State   Bank    1914  10,000 

Steamboat  .Springs — Bank  of   Steamboat  Springs  1898  10,000 

Steamboat  Spring.s — First    National    Rank    1902  25,000 

Steamboat  Springs — Miners    Rank    &    Trust    Co.  1889  50,000 

.Sterling — Farmers  National  Bank   1909  50,000 

Sterling — First  National  Bank    1900  100,000 


416  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

Location.         Name  of  Bank.  Year  Organized.         Capital  Stock. 

Sterling — Logan  County  National  Bank 1893  $50,000 

Stoneham — Stoneham  State  Bank   1916  10,000 

Stonington — Colorado    State    Bank    1916  10,000 

Stratton — Stratton  State  Bank 1909  10,000 

Sugar  City — State  Bank  of  Sugar  City 1910  15,000 

Swink — First  State  Bank 1906  10,000 

Telluride — Bank  of  Telluride   1889  50,000 

Telluride — First  National  Bank   1890  75,ooo 

Timnath — Farmers    Bank    1906  15,000 

Towner — Peoples   State   Bank    1907  10,000 

Trinidad — Commercial  Savings  Bank   1905  50,000 

Trinidad — First  National  Bank    1875  200,000 

Trinidad — International  State  Bank   191 1  100,000 

Trinidad — Trinidad  National  Bank   1886  100,000 

Two  Buttes — Bank  of  Baca  County 1912  10,000 

Victor — Bank  of   \'ictor    1895  30,000 

Victor — Citizens  Bank    1914  30.000 

Vona — Vona  State  Bank   1915  10,000 

Walden — North  Park  Bank    1903  30,000 

Walden — Stock  Growers   Bank    1916  20,000 

Walsenburg — First  National  Bank 1903  60,000 

Walsenburg — Guaranty  State  Bank    1909  30,000 

Weldona — \\"eldon  \'alley  State  Bank   1908         .  10.000 

Wellington — First  National  Bank    1905  25,000 

Westcliffe — Henry  H.  Tomkins  &  Company  ....    1890  10,000 

Wiggins — First  State  Bank   1909  10,000 

Wiley— State  Bank  of  Wiley   1907  25.000 

Windsor — Farmers  State  Bank   1908  15.000 

Windsor — First  National  Bank    1903  40,000 

Wray— First  National  Bank   1903  30,000 

Wray — National  Bank  of  Wray   1910  30,000 

Wray — Peoples  State  Bank 1910  15.000 

Yampa — Bank  of  Yampa 1903  15.000 

Yampa-^Stockmans    Bank    1908  10,000 

Yuma — Farmers  State  Bank iqi  i  25,000 

Yuma— First   National   Bank    1886                 '  40,000 

The  present  banking  facilities  and  resources  of  the  state  are  shown  by  the 
following  figures  in  addition : 

Number  of  national  banks   122 

Number  state  banks  and  trust  companies 197 

Number   savings   banks    6 

Number  private  banks 28 

Total  number  of  banks  353 

Total  capital  stock  of  all  banks $  18,904.000 

Total  surplus  of  all  banks   13,933,000 

Total  deposits  of  all  banks   221,978.000 

Total  loans  of  all  banks    174.362,000 


CHAPTER  XXI 
COLORADO'S  POLITICAL  CAMPAIGNS 

POLITICS    BEGAN     WITH     THE     COMING    OF    THE     GOLD-SEEKERS ORGANIZING    THE 

TERRITORY    OF    "jEFFERSON" — NAMING    THE    NEW    TERRITORY ELECTING    THE 

FIRST  "state"  OFFICERS THE  FIRST  GOVERNOR  ARRIVES — TERRITORIAL  SQUAB- 
BLES  GILPIN's  removal TURNING  DOWN  COLORADO'S  FIRST  CHOSEN  "SEN- 
ATORS"  GRANT  SPRINGS  A  SURPRISE  BY  REMOVING  ELBERT— THOMAS  M.  PAT- 
TERSON TELLS  OF  THE  WINNING  OF  STATEHOOD THE  FIRST  STATE   ELECTION 

JUDGE  WILBUR  F.  STONE  ONLY  DEMOCRAT  CHOSEN JOHN  L.  ROUTT  WINS  GOV- 
ERNORSHIP  THE    BELFORD    AND    PATTERSON    CONGRESSIONAL    FIGHT CHAFFEE 

AND   TELLER   GO   TO   SENATE — BELFORD    FOR   CONGRESS N.    P.    HILL    ENTERS   THE 

FIELD PITKIN    CHOSEN    GOVERNOR ^TELLER    GOES    INTO    CABINET BOWEN    AND 

TABOR  GO  TO  THE  SENATE EATON    ELECTED  GOVERNOR — E.   O.   WOLCOTT   CHOSEN 

SENATOR- — ROUTT   AGAIN   CHOSEN    GOVERNOR REPUBLICAN    FACTIONS   IN    RIOT 

WAITE     IS    GOVERNOR WAITE     RIOTS THE    LONG    SILVER     FIGHT THE     BRYAN 

CAMPAIGNS LABOR    WAR    OF     1894 — THE    PEABODY-ADAMS    CONTEST TELLER'S 

RE-ELECTION    TO    THE    SENATE GUGGENHEIM'S    ELECTION — C.    J.    HUGHES,    JR., 

GOES  TO  SENATE SIIAFROTH   AND  THOMAS  WIN  OUT AMMONS,   CARLSON,  GUN- 

TER    FOLLOW    EACH    OTHER    IN    GOVERNOR'S    CHAIR CHANGING    THE    ELECTION 

LAWS 

BEGINNING    OF    COLORADO    POLITICS 

Politics  began  in  Colorado  with  the  coming  of  its  Argonauts.  On  November 
6,  1858,  200  men  gathered  to  create  a  government,  elected  Hiram  J.  Graham 
delegate  to  Congress,  and  A.  J.  Smith  a  representative  to  the  Kansas  Legislature 
for  what  was  Arapahoe  County  of  the  Territory  of  Kansas.  In  April,  1859,  at 
a  convention  to  which  thirty-seven  precincts  sent  in  all  167  representatives,  a 
state  constitution  was  framed  which  was  promptly  repudiated  by  the  people, 
who  had  no  yearning  for  the  expenses  attached  to  the  premature  institution  of 
statehood.  Another  convention  followed,  and  despite  the  protests  of  Kansas 
officials,  a  constitution  was  prepared  for  a  provisional  government  of  the  Terri- 
tory of  Jefferson,  and  on  October  24th  the  election  was  held.  R.  W.  Steele,  of 
Florence,  Nebraska,  was  chosen  governor ;  Lncien  W.  Bliss,  secretary  of  state ; 
Charles  R.  Ijisscll,  auditor;  G.  W.  Cook,  treasurer;  Samuel  McLean,  attorney 
general;  A.  J.  Allison,  chief  justice;  John  M.  Odell  and  E.  Fitzgerald,  associate 
judges;  Oscar  P..  Totten,  clerk  of  the  court;  John  L.  Merrick,  marshal;  H.  H. 
McAfee,  superintendent  of  public  in.struction. 

417 

Vol.    t— IT 


418  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

PROVISIONAL  GOVERNMENT 

The  officials  of  the  Territory  of  Kansas  ordered  an  election  of  a  legislative 
representative  in  what  had  been  organized  as  Arapahoe  County.  The  pioneering 
statesmen,  however,  claimed,  and  with  the  law  entirely  on  their  side,  that  the 
Indian  title  to  what  is  now  known  as  Colorado  remained  unextinguished  and  had 
been  expressly  excepted  in  the  organic  act  creating  the  Territory  of  Kansas. 

Beverley  D.  Williams  was  then  elected  a  delegate  to  Congress  in  a  free-for- 
all,  with  eight  candidates  in  the  field  and  the  voting  considerably  heavier  than 
the  male  voting  population.  In  these  days  the  election  machinery  was  unor- 
ganized and  utterly  inadequate  in  the  way  of  ballot  protection.  Mr.  Williams 
remained  a  provisional  delegate  to  Congress  until  the  organization  of  the  terri- 
tory and  although  given  the  courtesy  of  the  floor  of  the  House  was  never  officially 
recognized  by  Congress. 

But  the  political  meetings  had  become  an  outlet  for  much  of  the  pent-up  energy 
of  the  period.  With  a  provisional  government,  in  effect,  but  still  unauthorized,  a 
Senate  of  eight  and  House  of  Representatives  of  twenty-one  were  elected.  The 
first  consisted  of  N.  G.  Wyatt,  Henry  Allen,  Eli  Carter,  Mark  A.  Moore,  James 
M.  Wood,  James  Emmerson,  W.  D.  Arnett,  D.  Shafer.  The  House  was  com- 
posed as  follows:  John  C.  Moore,  W.  P.  McClure,  William  M.  Slaughter,  M.  D. 
Hickman,  David  K.  Wall,  Miles  Patton,  J.  S.  Stone,  J.  N.  Hallock,  J.  S.  Allen, 
A.  J.  Edwards,  A.  McFadden,  Edwin  James,  T.  S.  Golden,  J.  A.  Gray,  Z.  Jack- 
son, S.  B.  Kellogg,  William  Davidson,  C.  C.  Post,  Asa  Smith,  and  C.  P.  Hall. 

William  N.  Byers,  who  then  owned  the  News,  made  this  remarkable  predic- 
tion when  the  Legislature  of  the  Territory  of  Jefferson  convened  on  November 
7th: 

"We  hope  and  expect  to  see  it  (Territory  of  Jefferson)  stand  until  we  can 
boast  of  a  million  people,  and  look  upon  a  city  of  a  hundred  thousand  souls,  having 
all  the  comforts  and  luxuries  of  the  most  favored.  Then  we  will  hear  the  whistle 
of  the  locomotive,  and  the  rattle  of  trains  arriving  and  departing  on  their  way 
to  and  from  the  Atlantic  and  Pacific.  The  future  of  Jeft'erson  Territory — soon 
to  be  a  sovereign  state — is  glorious  with  promise.  No  country  in  the  world  in 
so  short  a  time  has  developed  so  many  resources  of  wealth." 

The  Legislature  proceeded  with  its  work  despite  protests,  created  nine  coun- 
ties, provided  a  revenue  in  the  form  of  a  dollar  poll  tax,  gave  a  charter  to  the 
City  of  Denver,  and  appointed  a  committee  to  prepare  civil  and  criminal  codes. 
It  adjourned  December  7,  1859,  and  on  the  following  day  Richard  Sopris  was 
elected  Arapahoe  County  representative  in  the  Kansas  Legislature.  The  fac- 
tions, reactionary  and  progressive,  were  beginning  the  great  work  of  creating  a 
stable  government. 

N.\MING  THE  NEW  TERRITORY 

When  the  question  of  territorial  organization  came  up  in  the  United  States 
Senate  the  name  "Jefferson"  was  promptly  turned  down.  It  is  an  interesting 
list,  this  of  proposed  names,  including  "Tampa,"  "Idaho,"  which  was  the  name 
first  accepted,  "Nemara,"  "San  Juan,"  "Lula,"  "Arapahoe,"  "Weappollao,"  "Ta- 
hosa,"  "Lafayette,"  "Columbus,"  "Franklin,"  "Colona."    When  the  bill  was  about 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  419 

to  pass  the  name  "Colorado"  was  ordered  substituted  for  that  of  "Idaho"  at  the 
suggestion  of  Delegate  Williams.  The  actual  motion  was  made  by  Senator  Wil- 
son, of  Massachusetts. 

But  it  was  a  bitter  struggle  in  Congress.  The  "Slavery"  controversy  had  been 
injected  into  the  bill  organizing  the  new  territory,  and  the  North  and  South  were 
divided  on  the  question  of  repealing  that  portioin  of  the  law  passed  by  the  Legis- 
lature of  New  Mexico,  recognizing  slavery  in  the  new  territory.  Schuyler  Colfax 
claimed  that  it  was  the  "slave  power"  in  Congress  that  even  defeated  his  name 
"Colona"  for  the  new  territory. 

Congress  adjourned  without  passing  upon  the  measure.  In  the  Territory  of 
"Jefferson"  the  people  were  divided  on  the  question  of  the  legality  of  the  pro- 
visional government,  and  failed  to  give  it  financial  or  even  moral  support.  A 
convention  at  Golden  City,  on  August  /th,  proposed  united  action  with  other 
communities  in  the  gold  region  for  the  creation  of  a  state  government.  The 
adherents  of  the  provisional  government  met  in  Denver  August  6th  and,  repudir 
ating  all  allegiance  to  Kansas,  issued  a  call  for  a  convention  to  frame  a  state 
constitution. 

These  movements  did  not  develop  owing  to  the  action  of  Congress  at  its 
next  session,  but  on  October  22d  the  regular  ticket  of  the  provisional  govern- 
ment, headed  by  Governor  Steele,  was  elected,  although  the  voters  were  generally 
opposed  to  it  on  principle. 

On  February  28,  1861,  President  Buchanan  signed  the  bill  creating  the  Terri- 
tory of  Colorado,  and  political  activities  which  for  two  years  had  been  confined 
to  Kansas  legislative  campaigning  and  to  the  bitter  struggle  for  a  distinctive 
territorial  government  assumed  a  new  interest. 

FIRST  TERRITORIAL   OFFICERS 

On  March  22,  1861.  President  Lincoln  nominated  and  the  Senate  immediately 
confirmed  the  following  first  territorial  officers  of  the  Territory  of  Colorado: 

William  Gilpin,  of  Missouri,  governor. 

Lewis  Ledyard  Weld,  of  Colorado,  secretary. 

William  L.  Stoughton,  of  Illinois,  attorney  general. 

Francis  M.  Case,  of  Ohio,  surveyor  general. 

Copeland  Townsend,   of  Colorado,   marshal. 

B.  F.  Hall,  of  New  York,  S.  Newton  Pettis,  of  Pennsylvania,  and  Charles 
Lee  Armour,  of  Ohio,  judges  of  the  Supreme  Court. 

But  in  these  appointments  there  had  been  no  end  of  politics.  Gen.  William 
Larimer  was  a  prominent  candidate  for  governorship,  and  until  I'rank  P. 
Blair,  of  Missouri,  entered  William  Gilpin,  of  his  state,  as  his  personal  choice, 
it  was  believed  the  former  would  surely  secure  the  honor. 

Missouri  was  a  lx)rder  state  in  the  impending  Civil  War,  and  many  conces- 
sions were  made  to  these  of  its  politicians  who  were  struggling  to  hold  the  state 
in  the  Union.  In  these  early  days  there  was  still  a  vague  hope  that  civil  war 
could  be  averted. 


420  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

FIRST    GOVERNOR   ARRIVES 

When,  on  May  20,  1861,  Governor  Gilpin  arrived  in  Denver  he  was  welcomed 
by  Judge  H.  P.  Bennett,  chairman  of  a  reception  committee,  with  the  remark 
that  "We  accept  you  as  governor  of  Colorado  under  the  palladium  of  the  Union 
and  the  principles  of  the  Constitution." 

The  removal  of  Governor  Gilpin  in  1862  was  the  result  of  an  enormous  un- 
authorized military  expenditure,  the  details  of  which  will  be  found  in  the  chap- 
ters devoted  to  the  Military  History  of  the  State.  His  successor  was  Dr.  John 
Evans,  of  Illinois,  who  became  one  of  the  greatest  of  Colorado's  builders. 

But  the  injury  done  him  by  the  national  administration  rankled  and  he  deter- 
mined to  run  for  delegate  to  Congress  as  the  candidate  of  the  "People's"  party. 
Hiram  P.  Bennett  was  renominated  by  the  Union  Administration  party,  to  which 
democrats  and  republicans  alike,  who  were  pro-Union,  gave  adherence.  There 
was  but  this  one  issue,  and  all  elections  were  fought  out  along  the  lines  of  anti- 
or  pro-secession. 

Bennett  was  reelected  by  a  substantial  majority  over  Gilpin. 

DEFEAT  OF  STATEHOOD 

The  first  effort  in  Congress  for  statehood  was  made  by  Mr.  Bennett  on  Jan- 
uary 5,  1863.  But  the  bill  was  not  even  reported  out  of  the  committee.  At  the 
second  session  of  the  Territorial  Legislature  held  in  Colorado  City — which  was 
the  seat  of  law-making  for  a  few  months  only — a  further  futile  effort  was  made 
to  frame  the  machinery  for  a  state  government. 

On  March  21,  1864,  Congress  passed  the  act  enabling  the  people  of  Colo- 
rado to  form  a  state  government.  The  population  was  at  this  time  about  forty 
thousand,  and  the  great  majority  was  opposed  to  assuming  the  burdens  of  taxa- 
tion which  statehood  would  create.  Governor  Evans,  however,  issued  the  call, 
the  constitutional  convention  met  first  at  Golden  City,  and  later  in  Denver,  with 
C.  A.  Whittemore  as  chairman,  and  Eli  M.  Ashley  as  secretar)',  and  framed  a 
state  constitution.  The  ticket  of  the  Union  men  was  named,  and  after  some 
changes  was  headed  by  Daniel  Witter  for  governor,  and  Col.  John  M.  Chivington 
for  Congress.  Governor  Evans  and  Henr\'  M.  Teller  were  named  for  the 
United  States  Senate.  The  former,  when  the  struggle  became  bitterly  partisan, 
declined  the  nomination.  Allen  A.  Bradford,  the  Union  candidate  for  Supreme 
Court,  repudiated  the  nomination  and  ran  for  delegate  to  Congress  on  an  anti- 
statehood  ticket.  He  was  elected  by  a  large  majority  and  statehood  was  defeated. 
The  rancor  of  this  campaign  extended  into  politics  for  over  a  decade. 

In  June,  1865,  a  second  effort  was  made  for  statehood  under  the  old  enabling 
act  of  Congress.  A  better  feeling  existed  and,  although  there  was  much  oppo- 
sition, the  constitution  framed  by  a  convention  presided  over  by  W.  A.  H. 
Loveland,  was  carried  by  a  majority  of  155.  Conventions  were  held  in  October 
of  this  year  by  republicans,  democrats  and  the  so-called  "Sand  Creek"  faction. 
This  latter  was  for  an  emphatic  endorsement  of  the  battle  of  Sand  Creek,  and 
bitterly  opposed  all  those  who  had  in  any  way  condemned  the  soldiers  who  took 
part  in  it.  The  democrats  named  Captain  William  Craig  for  governor,  the  re- 
publicans nominated  William  Gilpin,  with  George  M.  Chilcott  for  Congress.    The 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  421 

Sand  Creek  men  named  Edwin  Scudder  for  governor.  The  Union  men  elected 
their  ticket,  with  exceptions  of  lieutenant  governor  and  treasurer.  The  Legis- 
lature met  in  Golden  City  on  December  i8th,  and  elected  John  Evans  and  Jerome 
B.  Chaffee  as  senators.    The  session  was  brief. 

The  territorial  government  was  still  in  force.  Governor  Evans  had  resigned 
and  was  succeeded  by  Acting  Governor  Samuel  Elbert,  who,  on  October  19th, 
was  succeeded  in  office  by  Alexander  Cummings,  of  Philadelphia.  In  the  bitter 
controversy  that  followed,  in  which  the  governor  opposed  the  meetings  of  a 
"state"  legislature  and  favored  the  continuation  of  the  Territorial  Legislature, 
which  was  the  only  legal  law-making  power  of  the  territory,  the  people  again 
took  sides  for  and  against  statehood,  or,  as  they  put  it,  for  or  against  Cummings. 

FAILURE  OF  STATEHOOD  BILLS  BY  PRESIDENT^'s  VETO 

Congress  passed  the  senate  bill  providing  for  the  admission  of  Colorado  May 
3,  1866.  On  January  12,  1866,  the  President  had  sent  the  communication  notify- 
ing him  of  the  election  of  John  Evans  and  Jerome  B.  Chaffee  as  senators  to 
Congress,  without  recommendation.  On  May  15th  the  President  vetoed  the 
Colorado' statehood  measure.  He  charged  insufficiency  of  population,  that  the 
burdens  of  state  taxation  were  too  great  and  finally  intimated  a  fraudulent  ma- 
jority for  statehood. 

In  the  next  contest  for  delegate  to  Congress,  Governor  Cummings  took  a 
deep  partisan  interest,  favoring  A.  C.  Hunt,  an  anti-statehood  candidate,  against 
George  M.  Chilcott,  the  republican  and  statehood  nominee. 

A.  C.  Hunt  was  given  the  certificate,  but  Congress  later  seated  George  M. 
Chilcott.  When,  on  April  21st  of  this  year,  Cummings  resigned  the  governor- 
ship he  was  succeeded  by  A.  C.  Hunt. 

In  February,  1867,  Congress  again  passed  a  bill  for  the  admission  of  Colo- 
rado, but  it  was  again  vetoed,  and  could  not  be  carried  over  the  veto. 

On  April  15,  1869,  Governor  Hunt,  whose  administration  had  been  devoted 
largely  to  a  settlement  of  the  Indian  troubles,  was  succeeded  by  Gen.  Edward  M. 
McCook,  who  during  the  Civil  War  rose  to  the  brevet  rank  of  major  general. 
The  burning  question  of  statehood  was  still  uppermost  in  the  minds  of  Union 
party  leaders,  and  they  were  finally  enabled  to  efi"ect  the  appointment  of  Samuel 
H.  Elbert,  who  succeeded  General  McCook  April  17,  1873. 

On  January  27,  1874,  less  than  a  year  after  his  appointment,  the  President, 
without  any  previous  notification,  removed  Governor  Elbert  and  reappointed 
General  McCook,  with  John  W.  Jenkins  of  Virginia  as  secretary,  taking  the 
place  of  Frank  Hall,  and  T.  B.  Searight  of  Pennsylvania  taking  the  place  of 
Surveyor  General  Lessig.  Jenkins  and  Searight  were  confirmed  in  February  and 
the  fight  on  McCook  continued  until  June  19th,  when  he  too  was  given  the  office. 
This  was  perhaps  one  of  the  most  bitter  fights  ever  made  on  political  leaders  in 
territory  or  state.  On  McCook's  side  the  I. as  Animas  land  deal,  growing  out 
of  an  old  Spanish  land  grant,  was  made  the  basis  of  charges  against  friends  of 
the  removed  officials.  On  the  other  hand,  serious  charges  were  brought  against 
General  McCook  by  the  Chaffee  faction.  On  the  arrival  of  the  new  officials  a 
clean  sweep  was  begun  and  practically  every  appointment  made  at  the  suggestion 
of  Jerome  B.  Chaffee,  already  the  republican  leader,  was  annulled.     This  hos- 


422  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

tility  even  extended  to  Supreme  Court  appointments,  Judge  Hallett  being  re- 
tained, but  Judges  E.  T.  Wells  and  James  B.  Belford  being  succeeded  by  A.  W. 
Brazee,  of  Lockport,  New  York,  and  Amherst  W.  Stone,  of  Colorado.  Among  the 
removals  was  that  of  Amos  Stack,  receiver  of  the  Denver  land  office,  and  the 
appointment  of   Maj.   Samuel  T.  Thomson  as  his  successor  followed. 

But  President  Grant  strongly  favored  statehood  for  Colorado,  and  in  his 
message  to  Congress  December  3,  1873,  urged  the  enactment  of  such  a  measure. 

In  August,  1874,  the  republicans  and  democrats  met  to  name  candidates  for 
delegates  to  Congress.  In  the  republican  party  the  removal  of  Governor  Elbert 
and  associates  was  the  cause  of  serious  dissension.  Jerome  B.  Chafifee  declined 
to  run  again,  but  the  nominee,  Judge  H.  P.  H.  Bromwell,  was  selected  to  make 
the  race  in  an  effort  to  bring  the  factions  together. 

The  democrats  had  nominated  Thomas  M.  Patterson,  who  had  come  to  Colo- 
rado in  1872  from  Crawfordsville,  Indiana,  and  who  proved  to  be  one  of  the 
best  campaigners  the  territory  had  known.  He  carried  nineteen  of  the  territory's 
twenty-five  counties. 

On  December  8,  1873,  Jerome  B.  ChafTee,  delegate,  had  introduced  the  Colo- 
rado statehood  measure.  It  passed  the  House  June  8,  1874,  and  was  called  up 
in  the  Senate  February  24,  1875.  Here  began  a  long  and  bitter  struggle,  in  which 
many  of  the  best  features  of  the  House  bill  were  eliminated  for  purely  political 
reasons.  Thus,  the  new  state  was  given  for  internal  improvements  5  per  cent  of 
the  proceeds  of  public  land  sales  made  subsequent  to  admission.  This  was  made 
to  apply  only  to  agricultural  lands  and  not  to  any  lands  taken  up  under  the 
homestead  laws.  Finally  all  mineral  lands  were  excepted  from  the  operation 
of  the  act.  These  and  many  other  minor  changes  were  all  cheerfully  agreed  to. 
Then  began  a  venomous  fight  on  the  territory,  the  claim  being  put  forward  that 
it  had  only  a  roving  population  of  less  than  one  hundred  thousand,  that  it  had 
no  great  resources,  that  its  only  asset  was  "scenery."  It  became  clear  to  the 
"statehood"  leaders  that  the  bill  could  not  be  carried  by  the  Senate  until  General 
McCook's  removal  or  voluntary  resignation.  He  was  finally  induced  to  step 
down,  and  Col.  John  L.  Routt,  second  assistant  postmaster-general  was  named 
and  confirmed  as  his  successor.  The  bill  then  had  smooth  sailing  in  the  Senate. 
But  House  concurrence  in  the  Senate  amendments  was  now  the  occasion  for 
another  struggle.  There  were  but  a  few  days  left  of  the  session  and  of  the 
term  of  Jerome  B.  ChaiTee,  who  with  the  help  of  the  leaders  of  his  party  was 
struggling  to  secure  consent  of  the  House  for  consideration.  Wlien  the  bill 
came  to  the  House  on  February  26th  it  was  loaded  with  the  New  Mexico  meas- 
ure, and  Senator  Elkins  had  been  promised  that  they  would  not  be  separated  ex- 
cept in  the  most  extreme  emergency. 

After  the  morning  hour  on  March  3d  as  soon  as  the  deficiency  bill  had  been 
passed  Mr.  Haskins,  of  New  York,  by  previous  arrangement,  proposed  concur- 
ring in  the  Senate  amendments  to  House  Bill  No.  435  (the  Colorado  statehood 
measure)  and  to  House  Bill  No.  2418  (the  New  Mexico  statehood  measure). 
This  was  defeated.  It  was  now  apparent  that  the  bills  must  be  separated  and  at 
8  o'clock  Ellis  H.  Roberts,  of  Utica,  moved  the  suspension  of  the  rules  and  con- 
sideration of  bills  on  the  speaker's  table,  with  the  understanding  that  only  a 
two-thirds  vote  could  carry  any  measure.  A  few  other  bills  preceded  the  Colo- 
rado measure.     To  the  great  relief  of  its  friends,  it  passed,  and  within  a  few 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  423 

minutes  carefully  enrolled  copies,  prepared  in  advance,  had  been  signed  by  the 
president  of  the  Senate  and  speaker  of  the  House.  The  men  who  were  largely 
responsible  for  this  success  were  Jerome  B.  Chaffee,  Thomas  M.  Patterson,  who 
as  a  democrat  and  delegate-elect  was  urging  members  of  his  party  to  support 
the  measure,  Jasper  D.  Ward,  of  Chicago,  "Sunset"  Cox,  of  New  York,  James 
G.  Blaine,  then  the  speaker  of  the  House,  and  a  great  host  of  other  republicans  and 
democrats. 

THOMAS   M.   P.MTERSON    TELLS   OF  WINNING  STATEHOOU 

The  late  Senator  Patterson,  a  few  years  before  his  death,  told  the  inside 
story  of  the  action  taken  by  the  House.  His  article  in  the  Jubilee  edition  of 
the  Rocky  Mountain  News  follows : 

"The  first  session  of  the  Forty-third  Congress  commenced  on  the  first  Mon- 
day in  December,  1873.  Very  shortly  after  it  convened  Mr.  Chaffee  and  Hon. 
Stephen  B.  Elkins,  who  had  been  elected  delegate  from  the  Territory  of  New 
Mexico  to  the  Forty-third  Congress,  determined  to  make  a  united  effort  for  the 
admission  of  both  Colorado  and  New  Mexico  into  the  Union.  They  were  both 
men  of  great  social  and  political  influence  in  Washington,  particularly  Mr.  Chaf- 
fee, who  was  not  only  considerably  older  than  Mr.  Elkins,  but  was  also  then  a 
much  wealthier  man,  with  a  wider  and  more  influential  political  acquaintance. 
They  were  both  republicans,  and  determined  to  make  the  admission  of  the  two 
territories  a  party  measure,  the  reason  being  that  the  republicans  were  in  a 
decided  majority  in  the  Senate  and  the  House,  and  they  knew  it  would  require 
party  pressure  to  induce  many  Eastern  members  and  senators  to  vote  for  the 
admission  of  any  new  states.  They  were  certain  that,  could  it  be  made  a  caucus 
measure,  there  were  republicans  enough,  and  to  spare,  in  both  branches  to  give 
the  territories  statehood. 

"Whether  the  republicans  did  make  their  admission  a  caucus  measure  I  never 
learned  with  positiveness,  but  it  was  understood  at  the  time  the  bills  were  intro- 
duced that  the  republicans  of  both  Houses  would,  with  practical  unanimity,  sup- 
port the  measure. 

"The  bills  were  introduced  into  the  House  at  the  same  time,  and  were  re- 
ferred to  the  committee  on  territories.  They  were  both  reported  back  to  the 
House  with  favorable  recommendations  at  the  same  time,  and  the  House  passed 
both  bills  at  the  same  time,  and  with  practically  the  same  vote. 

"After  their  passage  by  the  House  both  went  over  to  the  Senate  at  the  same 
time,  and  were  referred  to  the  committee  on  territories. 

"This  all  occurred  at  the  first  session  of  the  Forty-third  Congress,  in  the 
early  part  of  the  year  1874,  and  though  that  session  held  well  into  the  summer 
of  that  year,  the  bills  were  allowed  to  slumber  in  the  committee  without  action. 
Not  that  the  friends  of  the  measure  in  the  .Senate  didn't  urge  action,  but  a  ma- 
jority of  the  committee  were  in  no  hurry  then,  as  they  have  never  been  since,  to 
accelerate  the  admission  of  new  states  into  the  sisterhood. 

"That  was  the  situation  when  T  was  elected  delegate  in  the  summer  of  1874. 
The  second  session  of  the  Forty-third  Congress  would  convene  in  December, 
1874,  and  since  the  session  must  end  on  the  4th  of  March.  1875,  and  all  measures 
uncompleted  at  that  time  must  totally  fail,  T  mndc  up  my  mind  to  go  to  Wash- 


424  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

ington  immediately  after  New  Year  of  1875,  to  add  whatever  influence  I  could 
bring  to  bear  in  behalf  of  the  measures. 

"When  I  reached  Washington  the  bills  were  yet  with  the  Senate  committee 
on  territories,  but  Messrs.  Chaffee  and  Elkins  succeeded  in  having  them  favorably 
reported  back  by  the  committee  shortly  afterward.  The  measures  went  to  the 
Senate  calendar,  there  to  remain  fixtures  until  that  body  could  be  moved  to  take 
action  upon  them. 

"I  was  assigned  by  Messrs.  Chaffee  and  Elkins  to  labor  with  democratic  sen- 
ators and  members — not  with  a  brass  band,  but  quietly,  for  I  was  to  convince 
them  as  well  as  I  could  that  Colorado  would  in  all  probability  cast  its  electoral 
vote  in  1876  for  the  democratic  nominees  for  President  and  Vice  President.  The 
republicans  had  practically  made  the  admission  of  these  two  states  a  party  meas- 
ure. The  democrats,  for  that  reason,  lined  themselves  up  almost  solidly  in  op- 
position, although  the  social  influences  of  Chaffee  and  Elkins  had  brought  a  few 
democrats  to  their  support. 

"On  the  other  hand,  I  had  just  been  elected  as  a  democrat  to  the  House  by  a 
good,  large  majority,  and  with  that  as  my  groundwork,  I  urged  upon  democrats 
that  Colorado  was  more  likely  to  vote  for  the  democratic  nominees  in  1876  than 
for  the  republican;  in  any  event,  the  chances  were  even,  and  justice  demanded 
that  the  two  territories  should  be  admitted. 

"I  had  several  interviews  with  Senator  Allen  G.  Thurman  of  Ohio  shortly 
after  I  reached  Washington.  One  of  them  was  at  his  home,  to  which  he  invited 
me,  that  we  might  be  undisturbed  during  the  interview. 

"I  found  Senator  Thurman  quite  disposed  to  be  friendly  to  the  clamoring 
territories,  and  after  this  latter  interview  I  knew  he  would  do  all  he  could  to 
have  them  admitted. 

"But  the  Senate  could  not  be  induced  to  act  at  all  until  about  two  weeks  be- 
fore the  close  of  the  session,  and  then  the  reason  for  the  tedious  delay  became 
apparent.  It  was  to  amend  the  bills  at  so  late  a  day  in  the  session  that,  in  all 
human  probability,  the  House  would  not  be  permitted  to  act  upon  them  at  all. 

"Those  were  the  days  of  the  filibuster,  and  Samuel  J.  Randall,  a  past  grand 
master  in  the  art  of  filibustering,  was  the  democratic  leader  in  the  House. 

"The  senators  who  were  opposed  to  new  states  expected  that  when  the  two 
bills  were  returned  to  the  House  with  the  Senate's  amendments  they  would,  as 
was  the  rule  in  such  cases,  be  referred  to  the  House  committee  on  territories, 
in  which  body  action  might  be  altogether  deferred;  or,  if  it  has  had,  and  the 
bills  were  reported  back  favorably,  then  they  would  have  to  go  to  the  calendar, 
where  they  were  likely  to  be  smothered  in  the  rush  of  measures  in  the  closing 
days  of  the  session ;  or,  should  they  come  to  the  front,  a  good,  strong  show  of 
filibustering  against  them  would  end  their  careers. 

"The  Senate  passed  both  bills,  but  before  doing  so  amended  them  in  fouf 
or  five  minor  particulars.  Not  one  of  the  amendments  was  important,  but  it 
was  necessary  to  amend  them  to  carry  out  the  plans  of  the  senatorial  cabal  that 
was  opposed  to  the  admission  of  new  states. 

"Upon  their  passage  by  the  Senate  the  friends  of  the  two  ambitious  terri- 
tories went  into  consultation.  They  knew  the  dangers  that  beset  them,  should 
the  regular  course  be  adopted — that  of  referring  them  to  the  House  committee 
on  territories — so  a  desperate  remedy  was  resorted  to  as  the  alternative.     The 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  425 

friends  agreed  that,  instead  of  referring  them  to  the  committee,  they  would 
have  them  laid,  in  parliamentary  language,  'upon  the  speaker's  table.'  The  en- 
emies of  statehood  were  quite  wilhng  that  they  should  be  given  that  chute,  for  it 
would  require  a  two-thirds  vote  of  the  House  to  take  them  from  the  table  to 
ratify  the  Senate  amendments  and  pass  the  bills  as  then  amended.  But  on  send- 
ing them  to  the  speaker's  table  the  shoals  and  quicksands  of  the  committee,  and 
the  deadly  perils  of  a  filibuster  in  the  very  last  days  of  the  session,  were  all 
avoided. 

"The  work  now  before  the  friends  of  statehood  was  to  make  certain  of  the 
necessary  two-thirds  vote  whenever  the  bills  should  be  called  up.  My  real  labor 
commenced  then.  A  certain  number  of  democratic  congressmen  had  to  be  won 
over,  and  I  made  myself  quite  busy.  I'm  afraid  some  of  the  democrats  felt  that 
I  was  something  of  a  nuisance,  but  I  persevered,  and  bottled  my  pride,  deter- 
mined that,  if  failure  occurred,  it  should  not  be  traced  to  want  of  effort  upon 
my  part. 

"Of  course,  Messrs.  Chaffee  and  Elkins  kept  their  republican  friends  right  in 
line,  but  they  did  not  have  the  republicans  sohdly,  nor  did  the  republicans  have 
the  House  by  the  necessary  two-thirds  vote. 

"About  a  week  before  the  close  of  the  session,  however,  we  were  able  to 
count  the  necessary  two-thirds,  and  the  friends  of  the  measure  were  ready  for 
action. 

"But  right  then  there  occurred  an  unlooked-for  and  very  disquieting  event. 
It  put  the  plans  of  statehood  up  in  the  air  very  badly,  and  it  lost  statehood  to 
New  Mexico  and  took  some  of  the  votes  from  Colorado  it  would  otherwise  have 
had. 

"What  was  called  a  'force  bill'  had  passed  the  Senate  and  was  before  the 
House.  Sam  Randall  was  leading  the  democrats  in  a  filibustering  struggle  to 
defeat  it.     The  feeling  upon  both  sides  was  bitter  in  the  extreme. 

"Fiery  speeches  had  been  made;  the  Southern  democrats  drew  the  line  of 
personal  friendships  along  the  debate.  They  believed  they  were  fighting  to 
preserve  their  states  and  homes  from  negro  domination,  and  those  familiar 
with  the  feeling  of  the  South,  where  carpet-bag  rule  and  negro  domination  were 
in  the  balance,  can  judge  of  the  bitterness  of  that  feeling. 

"There  was  a  young  republican  congressman  in  the  House  from  Michigan. 
He  was  then  unknown  to  fame,  except  that  a  rumor  from  the  wilds  of  Michigan 
set  him  down  as  a  Columbian  orator  of  prodigious  carrying  power.  His  name 
was  Julius  Caesar  Burroughs. 

"Mr.  Burroughs  made  a  speech  on  the  force  bill.  He  grilled  the  Southerners 
from  head  to  foot,  and  tortured  them  in  the  fires  of  his  oratory. 

"It  was  a  bitter,  exasperating  speech,  and  the  Southerners  listened  with  gleam- 
ing eyes  and  gritting  teeth.  Burroughs  closed  with  a  flood  of  invective  that 
brought  republicans  and  democrats  to  their  feet,  and  as  he  sat  down  the  repub- 
lican side  and  the  galleries  burst  out  with  hand-clapping  and  applause. 

"Mr.  Elkins  came  into  the  chamber  about  five  minutes  before  Mr.  Burroughs 
closed  his  speech.  He  entered  it  through  a  door  very  close  to  the  desk  from 
which  Mr.  Burroughs  was  speaking.  He  was  immediately  attracted  by  the  or- 
ator, and  stood  as  if  spellbound,  listening  to  him.  He  was  manifestly  carried 
away  by  the  fervor  and  swelling  voice  and  earnest  manner  of  Burroughs,  and 


426  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

when  Burroughs  closed  he  rushed  up  to  him,  and  was  the  very  first  to  shake 
him  by  the  hand  and  congratulate  him  upon  the  mastery  of  his  effort.  Scores 
of  other  members  gathered  about  Burroughs'  seat  and  shook  his  hand,  but  Elkins 
was  the  very  first. 

"Fatal  enthusiasm !  The  fervor  of  Columbian  oratory  would  not  move  the 
experienced  and  self-poised  Elkins  today  to  so  foolish  an  act — foolish,  I  mean, 
having  in  mind  the  admission  of  a  state  or  any  other  matter  of  half  the  import- 
ance. 

"The  democrats — particularly  the  Southern  ones,  those  who  had  been  won 
over  to  Colorado  and  New  Mexico  statehood — witnessed  Elkins'  rush  for  Bur- 
roughs and  his  congratulations  with  set  teeth  and  ominous  mutterings.  That 
evening  it  was  known  that  a  number  of  them  who  had  been  counted  friends  of 
statehood  would  vote  against  New  Mexico,  at  least,  and  Colorado  might  possibly 
be  included  in  their  wrath. 

"We  all  set  about  fixing  up  the  dislodged  fences,  but  how  well  the  work  was 
done  could  not  be  told  until  the  votes  were  actually  recorded.  I  had  been  a 
witness  of  it  all — had  seen  Mr.  Elkins  when  he  entered  the  chamber,  saw  him 
stand  as  if  rooted  to  the  floor,  saw  him  rush  up  the  very  first  to  congratulate 
Burroughs,  and  felt  intuitively  that  the  delegate  from  Ne'w  Mexico  had  com- 
mitted a  fatal  blunder.     I  was  not  mistaken. 

"I  will  never  forget  the  event  of  that  final  vote  on  the  bills  for  the  admission 
of  Colorado  and  New  Mexico.  It  was  2  o'clock  in  the  morning  of  the  last  day 
of  the  session — March  4th.  James  G.  Blaine  was  speaker  of  the  House.  He 
was  not  in  the  chair  in  the  early  part  of  the  night,  nor  until  after  midnight.  He 
had  been  an  honored  guest  at  some  important  function.  He  entered  the  chamber 
at  between  12  and  i  o'clock,  clothed  in  full  evening  dress,  just  as  he  had  left  the 
fashionable  dinner  function. 

"It  then  became  a  mere  question  as  to  when  the  votes  might  be  taken.  Some 
matters  of  perhaps  greater  importance  even  than  statehood  had  to  be  gotten  out 
of  the  way. 

"At  length  Speaker  Blaine  was  ready  for  the  test.  He  was  the  friend  of 
statehood,  and  he  was  to  detennine  the  most  propitious  moment  for  the  eflfort. 
He  gave  the  signal  to  the  member  who  was  to  make  the  necessary  motion,  and 
he  arose  in  response  to  the  call. 

"  'Mr.  Speaker,'  he  said,  and  Blaine  recognized  him. 

"It  was  understood  that  the  test  should  come  on  Colorado  first. 

"  T  move,'  said  the  recognized  member,  in  a  loud,  clear  voice,  'that  the  bill 
for  the  admission  of  Colorado,  with  the  amendments  of  the  Senate,  be  taken 
from  the  speaker's  table,  that  the  amendments  of  the  Senate  be  concurred  in, 
and  that  the  bill  as  amended  do  pass.' 

,  "Immediately  there  was  a  loud  demand  by  the  democrats  for  the  ayes  and 
noes,  and  the  speaker,  ruling  that  the  demand  was  seconded  by  a  sufficient  num- 
ber, ordered  the  clerk  to  proceed  with  the  calling  of  the  roll. 

"Would  Colorado  receive  the  requisite  two-thirds  vote?  That  question,  and 
the  uncertainty  of  the  answer,  caused  several  hearts  in  that  great  chamber  almost 
to  cease  beating.  The  whole  House  was  still  as  the  roll  call  proceeded,  for  in- 
terest in  the  matter  had  grown  to  be  intense — the  friends  and  opponents  of 
statehood  hoped  for  and  expected  the  victory. 


HISTORY  OF  COLOR.\DO  427 

"It  was  not  until  after  the  roll  call  of  nearly  three  hundred  and  fifty  members 
had  been  completed  that  those  who  followed  the  count  knew  that  Colorado  had 
won  the  day,  or,  rather,  the  night. 

"As  was  usually  the  case  on  roll  calls,  a  number  had  not  voted  when  their 
names  were  called,  and  after  the  call  had  been  completed,  those,  each  in  his  turn, 
stood  by  his  seat  to  be  recognized  by  the  speaker,  and  when  his  name  was  called 
by  the  clerk  he  announced  his  vote  and  had  it  recorded.  It  was  only  then,  after 
a  proceeding  that  required  more  than  thirty-five  minutes,  that  the  friends  of 
Colorado  statehood  knew  that  its  future  was  assured.  It  then  but  required  the 
signature  of  the  President,  the  adoption  of  a  state  constitution  and  a  final  procla- 
mation by  the  President,  when  Colorado  would  be  an  equal  with  the  rest  of  the 
states  in  the  Union,  to  work  out  its  own  destiny  under  the  aegis  of  the  Consti- 
tution— a  Constitution  that  knows  no  favorites,  and  that  protects  and  defends 
its  children  all  alike. 

"But  what  of  New   Mexico? 

"Immediately  on  the  announcement  of  the  Colorado  vote  by  Speaker  Blaine 
— it  was  the  necessary  two-thirds,  with  five  or  six  to  spare — the  member  who 
had  moved  in  the  Colorado  bill  made  the  same  motion  as  to  the  New  Mexico 
measure.  A  roll  call  was  demanded  and  ordered,  and  the  roll  was  called.  As  it 
was  being  proceeded  with  it  was  noted  that  now  and  then  a  democrat  who  had 
voted  for  Colorado  voted  against  New  Mexico.  Would  there  be  enough  to 
change  the  Colorado  outcome  ?  There  was !  Those  who  followed  the  call  knew 
that  enough  such  votes  had  been  cast  to  defeat  New  Mexico,  and  even  before 
those  not  voting  and  who  asked  tD  have  their  votes  recorded  had  been  accom- 
modated, it  was  known  that  New  Mexico  was  not  yet  to  become  a  state. 

"It  failed  to  obtain  the  necessary  two-thirds  by  less  than  Colorado  had  re- 
ceived above  it." 

Governor  Routt  came  to  Colorado  as  a  peace  maker.  This  appointment  had 
healed  the  breach  between  General  Grant  and  Colorado's  republican  leaders,  and 
after  being  sworn  in  by  Judge  Hallett  on  March  30,  1875,  he  began  the  work  of 
reconciling  the  factions  of  his  party  in  the  territory. 

To  win  it  was  evident  that  there  must  be  unanimity  in  the  republican  party, 
for  at  the  last  election  for  the  Territorial  Legislature,  September  14,  1875,  the 
democrats  had  elected  nine  members  of  the  Senate,  the  republicans  four;  and  of 
the  House  ten  were  democrats  and  sixteen  were  republicans.  The  delegates  to 
the  constitutional  convention,  twenty-four  republicans  and  fifteen  democrats, 
were  elected  October  25th,  and  began  their  labors  in  Denver  December  20th.  The 
constitution  framed  by  this  body  of  men  was  ratified  July  i,  1876.  The  vote 
was:  For  the  constitution,  15,443;  against  the  constitution.  4,062. 

On  Augtist  1st  President  Grant  issued  his  proclamation  declaring  Colorado 
a  state  of  the  Union. 

FIRST  ST.\TE   EI-ECTION 

When  the  State  of  Colorado  held  its  first  party  conventions  there  was  really 
no  clear-cut  test  vote  at  hand  by  which  to  gauge  the  political  complexion  of  the 
entire  commonwealth.  During  the  war  and  in  the  few  years  after  the  war  the 
legislative  elections  had  been  controlled  to  some  extent  by  "North"  or  "South" 


428  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

sentiments,  but  to  a  large  extent  by  purely  local  and  territorial  issues.  The 
question  of  statehood,  for  and  against,  had  divided  the  territory  into  factions  in 
which  democrats  and  republicans  forgot  old  party  fealties  in  the  bitterness  of  their 
present  contest. 

So  it  was  decided  to  have  a  test  vote  and  both  parties  named  their  strongest 
candidates.  The  fight  for  the  Supreme  Court  judgeships  was  a  peculiar  and 
interesting  one.  Judge  Wells  had  just  formed  a  partnership  at  Leadville,  which 
meant  a  fortune  to  him  yearly.  But  he  was  the  strongest  candidate  the  repub- 
licans could  name,  so  he  was  finally,  and  much  against  his  will,  nominated  with 
the  understanding  that  he  would  resign  immediately  after  the  election.  The 
republican  ticket  was  elected,  and  Judge  Wells  assisted  in  the  organization  of  the 
Supreme  Court.  In  deciding  on  terms  Judge  Wells,  much  to  his  chagrin,  drew 
the  long  term.     He  was,  however,  permitted  to  resign. 

Judge  Wilbur  F.  Stone,  who  had  been  named  by  the  democratic  conven- 
tion to  oppose  Judge  Wells  in  the  first  election,  was  then  named  as  joint 
candidate  by  the  leading  members  of  the  state  bar.  He  was  of  course  elected 
and  served  out  the  long  term  which  Judge  Wells  had  so  unfortunately,  for  the 
republicans,  drawn. 

JOHN    L.   ROUTT   WINS  GOVERNORSHIP 

There  was  a  spirited  contest  for  the  nomination  for  governor  in  the  repub- 
lican convention  held  at  Pueblo  August  23,  1876,  and  of  which  Alvin  Marsh, 
of  Gilpin,  was  permanent  chairman.  John  L.  Routt,  who  secured  the  honor, 
was  opposed  by  George  W.  Chilcott,  Samuel  H.  Elbert  and  Lafayette  Head. 
The  latter  was  nominated  for  lieutenant  governor,  and  Mr.  Elbert  was  named 
with  Henry  C.  Thatcher  of  Pueblo  and,  as  stated  above,  Ebenezer  T.  Wells, 
of  Arapahoe,  for  justices  of  the  Supreme  Court.  James  B.  Belford,  one  of 
the  most  celebrated  orators  of  the  state,  was  named  for  representative  in 
Congress. 

On  the  democratic  side,  at  a  convention  held  in  Manitou  on  August  29th, 
Judge  Harley  B.  Morse,  of  Gilpin,  presiding,  Thomas  M.  Patterson  of  Arapahoe 
was  nominated  for  Congress.  Gen.  Bela  M.  Hughes  was  named  for  governor 
by  acclamation.  Wilbur  F.  Stone  of  Pueblo,  E.  Wakely  of  San  Juan  and  George 
W.  Miller  of  Arapahoe  were  nominated  for  the  supreme  bench.  This  election 
was  held  October  3,  1876. 

THE    BELFORD-PATTERSON    CONGRESSIONAL    FIGHT 

The  entire  republican  ticket  was  elected,  thus  assuring  two  republican  United 
States  senators.  But  in  the  election  for  Congress  James  B.  Belford  received 
a  majority  of  the  vote  both  for  what  was  called  the  short  and  for  the  full 
term.  Thomas  M.  Patterson  conceded  Belford's  election  for  the  short  term, 
but  on  November  7,  1876,  ran  alone  and  unopposed  for  the  full  term  beginning 
March  4,  1877.  General  Buckner,  of  Kentucky,  in  reviewing  the  case  when 
the  contest  came  before  the  House  said  that  the  only  question  before  the  House 
was  whether  or  not  the  certificate  of  the  Governor  of  Colorado,  showing  upon 
its  face  that  the  election  was  held  on  a  day  unauthorized  by  law,  entitled  the 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  429 

holder  of  such  a  credential  to  a  prima  facie  right  to  a  seat.  He  held  that  the 
governor  might  have  avoided  all  this  difficulty  by  merely  stating  that  Mr. 
Belford  had  been  duly  elected  according  to  the  laws  of  Colorado,  for,  "I  under- 
take to  say,  and  no  one  will  doubt  that  if  such  had  been  the  form  of  the  certi- 
ficate, Mr.  Belford  would,  unquestionably,  have  had  the  prima  facie  right  to 
a  seat  here.  But  the  governor  does  not  give  such  a  certificate.  He  undertakes 
not  merely  to  give  his  conclusions  of  law  upon  the  facts,  but  he  states  a  fact, 
which,  according  to  my  construction  of  the  law,  proves  that  the  election  was 
invalid;  that  there  was  no  authority  o£  law  for  holding  the  election  on  the  day 
upon  which  he  says  Belford  was  elected.  This  brings  us  to  the  only  question 
really  before  the  House;  and  this  question  is  not  to  be  decided  upon  what  the 
Constitutional  Convention  did  upon  its  view  of  the  law,  but  it  is  for  each 
member  of  the  House  upon  an  examination  of  the  authority  under  which  the 
Convention  acted,  to  determine  the  question  for  himself.  The  rights  of  Mr. 
Patterson  to  a  seat  here  are  not  involved  in  this  discussion.  The  question 
whether  the  Governor  or  the  State  authorities  issued  the  proclamation  required 
by  law,  is  not  before  the  House.  Nor  is  there  before  the  House  the  question 
whether  Mr.  Patterson  or  Mr.  Belford  received  the  largest  vote  at  the  election 
in  October  or  November,  or  what  proportion  of  votes  they  received,  or  whether 
any  particular  county  did  or  did  not  vote  at  the  November  election." 

The  only  law,  Mr.  Buckner  concludes,  under  which  Colorado  could  vote 
was  the  law  of  Congress  of  1872,  and  the  amendatory  act  of  1875,  which  fixes 
the  date  for  the  election  of  all  representatives  to  Congress  for  the  first  Tuesday 
after  the  first  Monday  in  November. 

Mr.  Patterson  was  seated  for  the  full  term. 

CH.AFFEE   AND   TELLER  GO   TO    SENATE 

On  January  7,  1877,  Colorado  had  its  first  senatorial  election.  There  had 
been  nmch  wrangling  and  wire-pulling  by  sectional  leaders,  Pueblo  and  El  Paso 
both  coming  with  candidates,  George  M.  Chilcott  and  W.  S.  Jackson,  to  oppose 
Jerome  B.  Chafifee  and  Henry  M.  Teller.  Almost  at  the  outset,  however,  the 
feeling  that  Jerome  B.  Chaffee  should  be  chosen  permeated  all  minds,  and  on 
the  night  of  January  9th  he  was  named  by  the  republican  caucus.  Finally  on 
the  14th  the  southern  part  of  the  state  turned  to  Henry  M.  Teller,  and  one 
of  the  most  constructive  minds  ever  sent  to  the  United  States  Senate  was  thus 
honored  with  the  election.  The  senators  were  sworn  in  December  4,  1877.  In 
the  drawing  Mr.  Teller  secured  the  short  term,  which  expired  March  3,  1878, 
and  Mr.  Chaffee  that  which  cxj^ircd  in  March  1880.  On  December  9,  1878,  Mr. 
Teller  was  reelected  for  the  full  term  ending  in  1883.  The  democrats  at  the 
latter  election  voted  for  Thomas  Macon  of  Fremont.  At  the  first  senatorial 
election  they  voted  for  Thomas  Macon  and  William  A.  IT.  Loveland  of  Jefferson. 

The  recognition  of  his  state  was  but  the  beginning  of  the  honors  that  came 
unbidden  to  Senator  Teller  throughout  his  career. 

In  1882  when  he  had  been  in  the  Senate  but  a  single  term  he  was  made 
Secretary  of  the  Interior  by  President  Arthur,  a  position  which  he  filled  with 
such  conspicuous  success  that  the  nation  was  placing  him  among  its  presidential 
possibilities.     But  Colorado  with  its  small  electoral  vote  was  not  destined  to 


430  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

be  a  "mother  of  presidents",  though  it  had  in  its  borders  many  statesmen  who 
in  larger  and  politically  more  doubtful  communities  could  have  aspired  to  the 
honor. 

In  practically  all  his  remaining  campaigns  for  the  United  States  Senate 
his  position  was  never  that  of  the  wrangling  fighting  politician.  The  friends  who 
managed  his  campaigns,  both  republicans  and  democrats,  fought  for  the  man 
who  so  to  speak  had  put  Colorado  "on  the  map"  nationally.  Yet  there  were  but 
two  campaigns  in  which  the  opposition  to  Henry  M.  Teller  showed  its  teeth. 
In  1885  it  was  Senator  Chafifee  who  led  the  hosts  against  the  reelection  of 
N.  P.  Hill,  another  of  Colorado's  great  men.  This  was  really  Chaffee's  fight, 
with  Henry  M.  Teller,  Colorado's  most  noted  figure,  lending  to  his  faction  the 
influence  and  power  Chaffee  needed  to  win  out. 

The  last  contest  was  with  Senator  Wolcott,  who  was  defeated  rather  by  the 
defections  in  his  own  party  than  by  the  strange  combination  of  circumstances 
which  brought  about  the  reelection  of  Senator  Teller. 

His  return  to  Colorado  from  the  republican  national  convention  out  of 
which  he  had  led  his  "silver"  friends,  was  made  the  occasion  of  one  of  the  most 
notable  ovations  ever  given  any  man  in  public  life  in  the  state.  Nothing  so 
endeared  him  to  his  people  as  the  firm  stand  he  had  taken  in  the  cause  of  his 
constituency.  The  sacrifice  was  really  a  great  one.  Henry  M.  Teller  was  in  line 
for  whatever  he  aspired  to  from  the  hands  of  a  republican  President.  A  cab- 
inet portfolio  or  the  greatest  of  the  country's  foreign  missions  was  in  his  grasp. 

At  this  time  there  was  but  little  hope  for  democratic  success.  Nor  was 
Teller  ready  to  become  a  democrat.  He  called  himself  a  Silver  republican, 
and  under  this  name  led  his  faction  into  the  Bryan  fold.  To  republican  eyes 
in  that  first  silver  campaign  this  w'as  plainly  an  effort  to  split  the  old  party.  So 
that  it  is  clear  that  this  great  man  was  burning  the  bridges  behind  him.  He  had, 
however,  the  courage  of  his  convictions  even  though  his  stand  for  his  state  led 
to  the  destruction  of  all  hopes  he  may  have  had  for  further  national  distinction 
from  his  old  party. 

The  work  of  Henry  M.  Teller  was  always  constructive.  To  a  great  extent 
the  Public  Lands  policy  of  the  Government  was  made  helpful  to  the  West  as  far 
as  this  was  possible  for  him  in  Senate  committees  and  as  Secretary  of  the  Interior. 

On  all  the  work  of  the  judiciary  committees  of  the  Senate  during  his  terms 
of  office  he  has  left  the  impress  of  his  clarifying  and  practical  intellect. 

Senator  Jerome  B.  Chaffee  was  another  of  Colorado's  great  men,  although 
hardly  to  be  classed  in  intellectuality  or  statecraft  with  either  Senator  Teller 
or  Senator  Wolcott.  To  no  one  man  in  Colorado  does  the  honor  of  achieving 
statehood  belong,  yet  if  this  honor  could  be  divided  the  larger  share  would  go 
to  Jerome  B.  Chaffee.  He  became  the  republican  leader  of  Colorado  when  he 
was  chosen  territorial  delegate  to  Congress,  although  he  was  already  a  power 
when  chosen  speaker  of  the  Territorial  Assembly  in  1863.  Nor  was  his  influence 
confined  to  Colorado.    In  the  party  councils  he  was  even  then  a  growing  power. 

Within  the  state  the  Hill  faction  was  really  never  reconciled  to  his  leader- 
ship, but  when  all  the  causes  for  this  quarrel  are  simmered  down,  it  becomes  like 
nearly  ever\'  internal  party  wrangle,  merely  a  fight  for  patronage — a  fight  in  which 
leaders  are  estranged  despite  themselves. 

The  illness  of  Senator  Chaffee  put  him  out  of  the  political  running  for  a  time. 


HISTORY  OF  COLOR/\DO  431 

but  his  remarkable  recovery,  followed  by  the  Teller-Hill  contest,  in  which  he 
managed  the  Teller  campaign,  demonstrated  that  his  influence  in  his  party  was 
still  to  be  figured  with. 

The  first  presidential  electors  chosen  by  the  Legislature  were  Herman  Beck- 
urts,  Otto  Mears  and  William  L.  Hadley. 

In  1878,  just  on  the  eve  of  the  biennial  campaign,  the  News,  which  had 
been  the  property  of  William  N.  Byers  was  sold  to  W.  A.  H.  Loveland,  a  dem- 
ocrat, and  thus  became  a  factor  in  the  coming  gubernatorial  election  for  the 
new  proprietor  of  the  News  was  made  the  nominee  for  governor  at  the  Pueblo 
convention  on  July  17th,  the  day  after  his  newspaper  purchase. 

Thomas  M.  Patterson  was  again  nominated  for  Congress. 

In  the  republican  party  there  was  every  evidence  of  dissension.  The  northern 
part  of  the  state  had  gathered  in  all  of  the  plums  and  the  south  felt  that  it 
would  go  even  to  the  absurd  extreme  of  trying  to  create  a  new  state  unless  there 
was  a  complete  change  in  the  apportionment  of  honors.  The  movement,  while 
the  occasion  of  considerable  joshing,  ended,  however,  in  the  selection  of  Fred- 
erick W.  Pitkin,  of  Ouray,  for  the  gubernatorial  nomination,  and  a  large  rep- 
resentation from  the  southern  part  of  the  state  on  the  ticket.  James  B.  Belford 
again  ran  for  Congress. 

On  August  14th  the  third  party,  known  as  "the  Greenbackers",  nominated 
a  ticket  headed  by  Dr.  R.  G.  Buckingham,  of  Arapahoe,  for  governor.  The 
entire  republican  ticket  was  elected. 

N.    p.    HILL  ENTERS  THE  FIELD 

In  1879  the  Legislature  selected  the  successor  to  Jerome  B.  Chaffee.  His 
reelection  would  have  been  a  foregone  conclusion,  but  a  serious  illness,  which 
it  was  believed  would  end  fatally,  compelled  him  to  decline  the  honor.  This 
left  the  party  without  a  head,  for  Senator  Chafifee  had  been  its  leader  and  guid- 
ing spirit  for  much  over  a  decade.  Prof.  Nathaniel  P.  Hill,  who  was  then 
manager  of  the  Boston  &  Colorado  Smelting  Company,  with  Senator  Chaffee's 
consent  and  support,  became  an  avowed  candidate  for  the  United  States  senator- 
ship  and  party  leadership  in  the  state.  The  candidates  opposing  Mr.  Hill  were 
Thomas  M.  Bowen,  of  Rio  Grande,  John  L.  Routt,  H.  A.  W.  Tabor,  William  A. 
Hamill,  of  Clear  Creek,  W.  S.  Jackson,  of  Fl  Paso,  John  Evans,  Henry  C. 
Thatcher,  of  Pueblo,  and  George  M.  Chilcott.  The  result  was  in  doubt  at  the 
outset  only,  for  Professor  Hill  was  nominated  on  the  fourth  ballot.  The  dem- 
ocrats voted  for  W.  A.  H.  Loveland. 

In  1880  the  political  contest  was  again  three-cornered,  the  greenbackers 
naming  Rev.  A.  J.  Chittendon,  of  Boulder,  as  their  candidate  for  governor,  while 
the  republicans  renominated  Governor  Pitkin  by  acclamation,  and  the  dem- 
ocrats named  John  S.  Hough,  of  Hinsdale,  as  their  standard  bearer.  For 
Congress  James  B.  Belford  was  again  named  by  the  republicans,  opposed  by 
Robert  S.  Morrison,  of  Clear  Creek,  a  democrat.  This  was  the  period  of  torch 
light  processions,  and  in  one  of  these  the  transparencies  were  lettered  to  arouse 
the  anti-Chinese  prejudices  of  the  community.  The  "Morey  letter",  an  unskil- 
ful   and    infamous    forgery,   helped    to   arouse   the   anger   of    the    voters.      This 


432  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

resulted,  on  October  31,   1880,  in  what  are  known  as  the  anti-Chinese  riots. 
These  are  fully  covered  in  another  chapter  of  this  history. 

PITKIN    CHOSEN    GOVERNOR 

The  efifect  of  the  riots  on  the  election  is  not  apparent.  The  republicans, 
who  had  continuously  controlled  the  state,  again  won  by  the  old-time  substantial 
majorities.  The  election  of  James  A.  Garfield  to  the  presidency  was  followed 
by  the  first  determined  effort  to  secure  representation  for  Colorado  in  the  cabinet. 
For  this  honor  former  Governor  Routt  was  urged  by  Senators  Teller  and  Hill, 
and  former  Senator  Chaffee,  by  Congressman  Belford  and  by  General  Grant, 
who  personally  urged  the  appointment.  While  this  first  effort  failed,  the  honor 
came  to  the  state  rather  unexpectedly  in  1882,  when  President  Arthur  recon- 
structed the  cabinet  and  named  Senator  Teller  Secretary  of  the  Interior.  When 
his  resignation  reached  Governor  Pitkin  he  lost  no  time  in  appointing  George 
M.  Chilcott  of  Pueblo  to  fill  the  vacancy,  thus  ending  the  long  and  bitter  contro- 
versy between  republicans  of  the  northern  and  southern  sections  of  the  state. 

The  republican  party  of  the  state,  continuously  victorious,  now  began  to 
weaken  under  the  stress  of  a  bitter  factional  fight,  with  Senator  N.  P.  Hill  and 
Henry  R.  Wolcott  on  one  side  and  ex-Senator  Chaffee  and  Henry  AI.  Teller  on 
the  other.  In  the  campaign  of  1882  the  Chaffee  wing  was  strong  enough  to 
defeat  Henry  R.  Wolcott  for  the  gubernatorial  nomination,  and  named  E.  L. 
Campbell,  of  Lake  County,  as  its  standard  bearer,  James  B.  Belford  again 
receiving  the  congressional  nomination.  The  democrats  nominated  James  B. 
Grant,  head  of  the  Grant  Smelting  Company,  and  one  of  the  most  popular  men 
in  the  state.  The  two  republican  papers  of  Denver,  the  Tribune  and  Senator 
Hill's  paper,  the  Republican,  bolted  their  party  nominee. 

The  greenback-labor  party,  with  George  W.  Woy  as  its  gubernatorial  can- 
didate, made  inroads  on  both  of  the  older  parties.  James  B.  Grant  while  elected 
by  a  heavy  majority  failed  to  carry  the  remainder  of  his  ticket  to  victory. 

BOWEN    AND  TABOR    GO   TO    SENATE 

The  senatorship  was  before  the  fourth  General  Assembly,  which  •  convened 
January  9,  1883,  and  the  campaign  just  ended  left  the  factions  apparently  in 
irreconcilable  conflict.  Former  Governor  Pitkin,  H.  A.  W.  Tabor,  Thomas  M. 
Bowen  and  George  M.  Chilcott  managed  to  split  up  the  vote  of  the  Assembly 
so  that  the  reelection  of  Senator  Hill  became  impossible.  On  January  26th, 
on  the  ninety-second  ballot,  Thomas  M.  Bowen  was  chosen  as  the  successor  of 
Senator  Hill  and  Horace  A.  W.  Tabor  was  named  for  the  unexpired  term  of 
Secretary  Teller.  It  was  a  Chaffee  victory,  and  was  followed  by  one  other  in 
1884,  his  last  appearance  as  republican  leader.  The  convention  of  that  year  was 
inclined  to  make  peace  between  factions  and  the  nomination  of  Benjamin  H. 
Eaton  of  Weld  County  for  governor  was  a  popular  one.  George  G.  Symes,  of 
Denver,  in  a  hot  fight  defeated  James  B.  Belford  for  the  congressional  nomina- 
tion. The  democrats  nominated  Alva  Adams,  of  Pueblo,  for  governor,  and 
Charles  S.  Thomas,  of  Lake  County,  for  Congress.  The  greenbackers  were 
still  in  the  field,  and  again  with  George  W.  Woy. 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  433 

While  the  republicans  were  victorious,  Blaine  carrying  the  state  by  8,650, 
the  remainder  of  the  ticket  won  in  some  instances  by  less  than  half  this  figure. 

But  it  had  been  altogether  a  fight  for  the  next  senatorship  with  Jerome  B. 
Chaflfee  in  the  field  for  the  return  of  Secretary  Teller,  and  the  friends  of  former 
Senator  Hill  massing  to  defeat  him.  When  on  January  20th  the  first  ballot 
was  taken  Teller  had  35  votes,  Hill  17,  with  the  remainder  scattering,  the  dem- 
ocrats casting  22  votes  for  Dennis  Sullivan.  Hill's  declination  was  followed 
by  the  reelection  of  Mr.  Teller. 

In  1886  the  leadership  of  the  republican  party  had  fallen  upon  Edward  O. 
Wolcott,  who  was  even  then  preparing  to  succeed  Senator  Bowen.  The  party 
nominated  William  H.  Meyer,  of  Costilla,  for  governor,  and  George  G.  Symes 
for  Congress.  The  democrats  renominated  Alva  Adams  of  Pueblo  for  governor, 
recognizing  in  him  one  of  the  best  campaigners  in  the  party.  For  Congress  it 
nominated  Rev.  Myron  W.  Reed,  of  Denver.  While  there  were  no  apparent 
factional  differences  in  the  republican  party,  the  election  ended  in  a  victory 
for  Alva  Adams,  his  friends  in  the  southern  part  of  the  state,  without  regard 
to  party  affiliations,  voting  for  him. 

In  1888  the  democrats  named  their  party  leader,  Thomas  M.  Patterson, 
for  governor  and  the  republicans  nominated  John  A.  Cooper,  also  of  Denver. 
Hosea  Townsend,  of  Custer  County,  was  named  for  Congress.  The  democrats 
opposed  him  with  Thomas  Macon,  of  Fremont.  The  election  hinged  largely 
upon  the  senatorial  succession  to  Thomas  M.  Bowen.  The  republican  victory 
was  decisive.  In  the  republican  legislative  caucus  Edward  O.  Wolcott  received 
45  votes,  Bowen  15,  and  Tabor  i.  Mr.  Wolcott  was  elected  on  January  16, 
1889.  The  democrats  cast  their  eleven  votes  for  Charles  S.  Thomas.  Thus  began 
a  senatorial  career  that  surpassed  in  brilliancy,  if  not  in  greatness,  that  of 
Senator  Henry  M.  Teller. 

It  may  be  well  to  interrupt  the  narrative  of  political  events  with  a  brief 
resume  of  his  campaigns. 

Senator  Wolcott  maintained  undisputed  leadership  in  his  party  until  1902, 
and  in  the  trying  days  of  1896  when  only  a  remnant  clung  to  him,  the  famous 
appeal  issued  from  his  home  at  Wolhurst  was  the  evidence  he  gave  to  his  state 
of  his  deep  love  for  and  of  his  unquestioning  adherence  to  the  party  which  had 
honored  him  in  the  past.  "What  we  need  in  Colorado  is  less  hysterics  and  more 
common  sense.  We  are  one  of  forty-six  states  in  the  Union,  each  free  and  sover- 
eign. Within  our  borders  live  about  one  one  hundred  and  fiftieth  of  the  people 
of  the  United  States.  We  live  in  a  Republic  where  the  majority  rules.  The  vast 
majority  of  the  people  of  the  United  States  are  honest  and  of  high  average 
intelligence,  and  devoted  to  the  perpetuity  of  free  institutions.  Our  great 
desire  is  to  induce  a  majority  of  the  people  of  the  United  States  to  believe  as 
we  believe.  The  way  to  the  accomplishment  of  this  result  is  not  by  vituperation 
and  abuse." 

Senator  Wolcott  presided  over  the  republican  state  convention  at  Colorado 
Springs  in  i8g6.  In  his  address  he  confessed  to  a  prior  promise  to  join  any 
great  party  that  declared  for  free  silver — a  promise  his  intense  love  for  his  party 
would  never  have  permitted  him  to  keep.  But  he  explained  it  by  saying  that  "I 
did  not  dream  that  they  were  going  to  join  hands  with  populists  and  give  us  the 
anarchistic  platform,  nor  did  I  ever  dream  that  the  change  would   make  me 


434  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

stand  on  the  same  platform  with  Governor  Waite  and  General  Coxey.  When 
I  really  came  to  face  the  possibility  of  leaving  the  dear  old  party,  I  wouldn't 
play — that's  all.  I  walked  up  to  the  trough,  but  I  couldn't  drink."  In  that 
bitter  contest  Senator  Teller  was  opposing  him  and  Bryan  supporters  were  break- 
ing up  republican  meetings.  In  the  midst  of  interruptions  at  the  big  Coliseum 
meeting,  one  of  few  he  addressed  that  year,  he  shouted  to  the  Bryan  men  who 
were  raising  a  row,  "T  want  to  tell  you  you've  got  the  right  town  and  number, 
but  the  wrong  street.  Your  meeting  places  are  in  the  saloons  on  Sixteenth  Street. 
Go  back  and  tell  them  that  this  is  a  place  of  meeting  of  decent  people,  who 
respect  individual  opinion." 

But  with  all  this  bitterness  the  great  party  leader  was  able  to  say  in  one  of 
his  speeches  of  that  trying  time:  "I  hold  in  my  hand  typewritten  copies,  and  they 
are  not  five  per  cent,  of  what  I  could  have  got  from  the  files  of  that  paper,  of 
the  most  filthy  and  dirty  and  outrageous  and  lying  attacks  that  were  ever  made 
upon  my  colleague  (Senator  Teller)  during  the  different  years  he  has  been  in 
public  life.  I  won't  soil  my  tongue  by  reading  them.  They  include  the  direct 
charge  that  since  my  colleague  has  been  in  public  life  fighting  the  battle  for  silver 
in  Washington  he  has  been  an  enemy  of  silver  and  would  defeat  it  if  he  could. 
They  charge  him  with  personal  dishonor  and  personal  misconduct,  and  personal 
dishonesty,  when  there  never  was  a  man  of  purer  life  connected  with  public 
aiifairs." 

This  was  the  man  in  whose  nature  it  was  always  to  be  magnanimous. 

Thomas  F.  Dawson  in  his  excellent  two  volume  biography  of  Senator  Wol- 
cott  thus  accurately  characterizes  him,  "His  intellectual  processes  were  swift, 
independent  and  accurate;  his  mental  vision  broad  and  keen — penetrating,  com- 
prehensive.    He  always  thought  and  acted  on  a  large  scale." 

In  the  campaign  of  1902  Mr.  Wolcott  made  the  mistake  of  heeding  the  cry 
of  a  few  of  his  party  to  keep  out  of  the  Peabody  fight  and  to  allow  it  to  be 
fought  out  not  complicated  by  the  senatorship.  The  men  who  opposed  him  had 
control  of  the  party  machinery.  J.  B.  Fairley,  chairman  of  the  state  republican 
committee,  together  with  Phillip  B.  Stewart,  a  growing  power  in  the  party, 
opposed  him.  At  the  big  Coliseum  meeting  November  i8th,  which  the  opposing 
faction  tried  to  call  off,  Wolcott  spoke  to  an  audience  that  packed  every  nook 
and  comer  of  the  hall. 

The  factional  differences  in  the  republican  party  had  in  1888  been  deepened 
by  local  party  fights.  Thus  in  Denver  there  was  what  was  called  the  "Gang" 
and  what  was  termed  "Gang  Smashers."  With  state  and  Federal  patronage 
in  their  control,  the  republican  leaders  had  aroused  much  opposition  from  the 
unrecognized  element. 

ROUTT   CHOSEN   GOVERNOR 

In  1890  this  contest  ended  in  two  Denver  conventions,  which  fought  like 
Kilkenny  cats  for  recognition  in  the  state  convention  held  at  the  Coliseum 
September  i8th.  John  L.  Routt  was  named  for  governor,  and  Hosea  Town- 
send  was  renominated  for  Congress.  The  democrats  named  Caldwell  Yeaman, 
of  Las  Animas,  for  governor,  and  T.  J-  O'Donnell,  of  Denver,  for  Congress. 
The  prohibitionists,  who  had  also  nominated  a  ticket  in   1888,  again  appeared 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  435 

with  a  ticket  headed  by  John  A.  Ellett,  of  Boulder.  There  was  in  this  election 
the  first  evidence  of  actual  independent  voting  on  the  part  of  the  people,  a  drifting 
away  from  party  dictation.  Thus  James  N.  Carlile  of  Pueblo  was  elected  treas- 
urer on  a  pledge  to  turn  into  the  state  treasury  all  interest  on  public  funds.  The 
democrats  also  elected  Joseph  H.  Maupin,  attorney  general,  and  Dr.  N.  B.  Coy, 
superintendent  of  public  instruction.  In  1891  the  reelection  of  Senator  Teller 
was  without  opposition  in  his  own  party,  the  democrats  voting  for  Judge  Caldwell 
Yeaman. 

And  here  may  be  said  to  end  the  first  of  the  epochs  of  state  government.  The 
year  1891  was  still  one  of  great  prosperity.  The  population  had  by  the  census 
of  1890  been  placed  at  410,000;  the  mines  were  producing  increasing  quantities 
of  the  precious  metals,  and  silver  mining  was  still  immensely  remunerative, 
although  its  price  was  beginning  to  decline.  Denver  was  in  the  midst  of  a 
notable  building  era.  Its  financial  institutions  had  increased  in  number  and 
apparently  in  strength. 

The  Denver  Steel  Company,  capitalized  at  $5,000,000,  was  organized  by 
men  of  great  wealth  and  influence.  The  Overland  Cotton  mills,  whose  buildings 
had  cost  over  $300,000,  began  operating.  The  Denver  Paper  mills  were  in  full 
blast  in  August,  1891.  The  Hitchcock  Woolen  mills  had  its  spindles  going  at 
this  time. 

REPUBLICAN    FACTIONS    IN    RIOT 

On  January  13,  1891,  Governor  John  L.  Routt  was  inaugurated.  The  factional 
fight  in  the  republican  party  was  now  switched  from  primaries  and  conventions 
into  the  legislative  halls.  It  was  still  a  contest  between  what  they  termed  the 
"gang"  and  the  "gang  smashers."  The  respective  leaders  in  the  House  were  H.  H. 
Eddy,  of  Routt  County  and  James  H.  Brown,  of  Denver,  with  the  latter  control- 
ling the  situation,  although  the  former  had  been  able  to  elect  J.  W.  Hanna,  of 
La  Plata,  speaker.  The  first  clash  came  over  the  appointment  of  committees. 
This  ended  in  actual  riots  on  the  floor  of  the  House,  the  Brown  faction  finally 
deposing  Hanna  and  electing  Jesse  White,  of  Custer,  speaker.  For  days  both 
factions  met,  presided  over  by  their  respective  speakers.  In  the  meantime  the 
only  joint  harmonious  act  was  the  caucus  nomination  of  Henry  M.  Teller  for  the 
United  States  senatorship.  Governor  Routt  finally  submitted  the  matter  to  the 
Supreme  Court,  which  declared  White  legally  elected  speaker. 

So  bitter  was  the  feeling  that  one  of  the  indirect  consequences  of  this  struggle 
was  the  fatal  wounding  of  Police  Inspector  Charles  A.  Hawley  by  Harley  McCoy, 
a  "reform"  deputy,  and  the  shooting  of  officer  J.  C.  Norris  by  one  of  McCoy's 
aides.  Fortunately,  although  three  companies  of  militia  were  placed  under  arms, 
the  governor  did  not  call  upon  them  for  actual  service  during  the  rioting. 

One  of  the  acts  passed  by  this  General  Assembly  had  a  far-reaching  eflfect. 
This  was  the  creation  of  Boards  of  Fire  and  Police  Commissioners  for  the  City  of 
Denver,  thus  transferring  a  vast  political  power  from  the  mayor  to  the  governor, 
who  had  the  appointing  of  these  newly-created  officials.  It  further  provided 
"that  the  governor  shall  at  all  times  have  power  and  authority  to  revoke  the 
appointment  of  any  member  of  said  board  for  good  and  sufficient  causes,  to  be 
specifically  stated  in  such   revocation." 


436  HISTORY  OF  COLOR.\DO 

THE  LONG  SILVER  FIGHT 

The  state  campaign  of  1892  was  an  integral  part  of  both  the  silver  and 
populist  movements,  which  had  just  begun  their  long-looked- for  swing  into 
national  prominence.  Colorado's  leaders  had  for  years- urged  a  governmental 
policy  of  the  "free  and  unlimited  coinage  of  silver."  That  this  doctrine  was  so 
generally  accepted  was  to  a  great  extent  the  result  of  its  continued  advocacy 
by  the  ablest  spokesmen  in  the  Senate,  Henry  M.  Teller  and  Edward  O.  Wolcott, 
and  by  the  active  campaign  which  began  with  the  tirst  national  silver  convention 
held  in  Denver  in  January,  1885,  and  out  of  which  grew  the  National  BimetalHc 
Association.  In  this  all  of  the  Colorado  advocates  were  active,  and  it  had  also 
the  enthusiastic  support  of  Senator  John  P.  Jones,  of  Nevada,  ]\Iartin  Maginnis, 
of  Montana,  Morris  L.  Gage,  of  Kansas,  Governor  F.  A.  Tuttle,  of  Arizona,  and 
John  W.  Donelson,  of  Wyoming. 

Through  the  eflorts  largely  of  state  newspapers,  all  of  which  advocated  the 
cause,  the  movement  gained  further  strength  and  the  Colorado  Silver  Alliance 
soon  had  its  branches  in  all  parts  of  the  state.  The  second  national  silver  con- 
vention, held  in  St.  Louis  in  November,  1889,  made  the  question  a  vital  national 
issue.  To  this  Colorado  had  sent  forty-three  representative  men,  covering  every 
branch  silver  party  organization  in  the  state.  It  became  evident  to  the  entire 
nation  that  the  silver  question  was  growing  in  strength  and  was  even  at  that 
time  strong  enough  to  smash  party  lines  if  that  were  found  necessary. 

The  third  national  silver  convention  was  held  in  Washington  from  May 
26  to  May  28,  1892.  To  this  Colorado,  which  then  had  220  silver  clubs,  sent 
Henry  M.  Teller,  Thomas  M.  Patterson,  B.  Clark  Wheeler,  G.  G.  Symes,  Mrs. 
J.  M.  Luthe,  Ed.  F.  Brown  and  George  G.  Merrick,  the  latter  a  prolific  and 
able  writer  on  the  subject. 

It  was  George  G.  Merrick,  together  with  Harley  B.  Morse,  who  on  January 
3,  1891,  called  at  the  Philadelphia  mint  and  demanded  that  a  silver  brick  weigh- 
ing 514.8  ounces  be  coined  for  them.  This  as  anticipated  was  promptly  refused. 
It  was  hoped  that  the  entire  question  could  then  be  taken  to  the  Supreme  Court, 
but  there  jurisdiction  was  denied. 

The  national  people's  party,  organized  in  Cincinnati,  May  19,  1891,  was  the 
first  to  advocate  and  to  actually  espouse  the  cause  of  silver.  The  people's  party 
had  its  beginnings  in  the  days  of  the  greenbackers,  and  most  of  its  principles, 
even  that  involving  the  free  and  unlimited  coinage  of  silver,  were  advocated 
by  the  convention  which  in  1876  had  nominated  Peter  Cooper  for  President. 
There  were  spasmodic  "People's"  movements  in  all  sections  of  the  country.  In 
1890  the  people's  party  of  Colorado  nominated  a  state  ticket  under  the  title 
"Independent."  The  Farmers'  Alliance  of  the  Northwest,  the  Agricultural 
Wheel  of  the  Southwest,  the  Laborers'  Union  of  the  South,  the  Knights  of  Labor, 
had  formulated  their  political  demands  at  a  conference  in  St.  Louis  in  December, 
1889,  and  on  February  22,  1892,  they  came  before  the  public  with  these  demands, 
clarified  and  strengthened  by  two  years  of  careful  consideration.  When  this 
convention,  inviting  all  voters  to  its  ranks,  met  in  Omaha  on  July  2,  1892,  it  came 
forth  a  full-fledged  "People's"  party,  endorsing  silver,  and  nominating  J.  B. 
Weaver  of  Iowa  for  President. 

Thus  in  1892  the  two  old  party  organizations  entered  the  Colorado  field  with 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  437 

fear  and  trepidation.  The  spirit  of  unrest  was  over  all.  The  moneyed  interests 
in  the  east  were  evidently  turning  against  silver,  but  the  labor  and  independent 
element  was  strong  enough,  it  was  believed,  to  swing  the  new  party  to  victory 
within  or  without  the. old  ranks. 

The  other  national  conventions  had  acted, — the  one  openly  unfavorable  and 
the  other  diplomatically  evasive  on  the  question. 

The  issue  had  now  disrupted  the  old  organizations  in  both  parties. 
Thoinas  M.  Patterson,  who  owned  the  Rocky  Mountain  News,  bolted  the  dem- 
ocratic  party  and   advocated   the  election    of    Weaver,  although    at    the   outset 
strongly  favoring  a  democratic  state  ticket. 

On  July  28,  1892,  the  State  Silver  League  and  the  people's  party  state  conven- 
tion were  both  in  session  in  Denver.  The  former  made  overtures  for  joint  action 
on  nominations,  which  were  promptly  rejected.  The  people's  party  then  en- 
dorsed the  Omaha  platform  and  nominated  a  ticket  headed  by  Davis  H.  Waite, 
of  Pitkin  County,  for  governor.  On  July  29th  the  silver  league  endorsed  the 
ticket,  although  many  democrats,  including  T.  M.  Patterson,  left  the  hall, 
refusing  to  sacrifice  the  democratic  state  organization.  Toward  the  end  of  the 
campaign,  when  the  disruption  was  complete,  Patterson  supported  Waite  as  well 
as  Weaver. 

On  September  8th  the  republican  state  convention  met  at  Pueblo  and  both 
Senators  Teller  and  Wolcott  advocated  adherence  to  the  party  and  a  fight  within 
its  ranks  on  the  silver  question.  This  policy  won  the  day,  and  Joseph  C.  Helm, 
of  Denver,  was  named  for  the  gubernatorial  sacrifice. 

The  democratic  state  convention,  with  its  organization  a  mere  spectre,  met 
in  Pueblo  September  12th.  Charles  S.  Thomas,  T.  J.  O'Donnell  and  Thomas 
M.  Patterson  were  still  ardently  hoping  that  there  could  be  a  state  democratic 
ticket  with  a  Weaver  head.  On  the  other  hand,  A.  B.  McKinley,  Piatt  Rogers, 
Caldwell  Yeaman,  Cleveland  democrats,  were  irreconcilable  on  the  compromise, 
and  finally  bolted  and  nominated  a  ticket  headed  by  Joseph  H.  Maupin  of 
Fremont.  Later  the  Thomas  and  Patterson  factions  split  over  the  manner  of 
the  Weaver  endorsement,  and  Thomas  and  his  followers  left  the  convention 
hall.  On  September  26th  the  democratic  state  central  committee,  after  learning 
that  the  secretary  of  state  had  certified  to  the  electoral  ticket  of  the  Cleveland 
democrats,  endorsed  the  entire  people's  party  ticket.  The  prohibitionists  also 
had  a  ticket  in  the  field  headed  by  John  Hipp,  of  Denver. 

Weaver  carried  the  state  by  14,964.  Waite  was  elected  governor  by  a  plu- 
rality of  4,537;  Lafe  Pence  and  John  C.  Bell,  people's  party  candidates,  were 
elected  to  Congress  by  2,395  ^"^  12,005  plurality  respectively.  The  Legislature 
.stood:  House,  republicans,  33;  democrat-populists,  32;  Senate,  republicans,  15; 
populists,  13;  democrats,  7. 

•  The  administration  of  Governor  Waite  was  turbulent,  to  say  the  least.  Nor 
was  he  entirely  responsible  for  the  strife  and  the  contentions  of  this  period,  for 
it  was  the  era  of  the  panic,  the  storm  clouds  of  which  had  been  gathering  for  some 
years.  On  June  26,  1893,  the  mints  of  India  were  closed  to  the  coinage  of  silver. 
Within  a  week  silver  fell  from  83  cents  to  62  cents  an  ounce.  This  was  followed 
by  the  shutting  down  of  the  silver  mines  and  smelters  and  with  an  immense 
army  of  men  out  of  employment  the  result  was  inevitable.  The  wildest  reports 
of  prospective  repudiation,  all   utterly  unfuutidcd,   were  spread   throtn;hnut   the 


438  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

east.  Expressions  uttered  publicly  and  separated  from  contexts  were  used 
to  confirm  these  reports.  Thus  the  utterance  of  Governor  Waite  that  "it  is 
infinitely  better  that  blood  should  flow  to  our  horses'  bridles,  rather  than  our 
liberties  should  be  destroyed,"  was  construed  to  imply  revolution.  That  it  was 
indiscreet  is  evident,  but  in  its  purport  it  had  no  meaning  of  the  kind  implied 
in  the  east. 

The  heavy  withdrawals  of  eastern  capital  followed,  and  on  July  17th  the 
panic  was  brought  home  to  all  by  the  shutting  down  of  the  three  Denver  savings 
banks — the  People's,  the  Colorado  and  the  Rocky  Mountain  Dime  and  Dollar 
Savings  banks.  On  July  i8th  the  Union  National,  the  Commercial  National  and 
the  National  Bank  of  Commerce  announced  temporary  suspension. 

This  was  followed  by  the  closing  of  three  private  banks  in  Denver,  the 
German  National,  the  People's  National,  the  State  National;  the  Union  Bank 
of  Greeley,  the  J.  B.  Wheeler  Banking  Company  at  Aspen,  the  Bank  of  Loveland, 
savings  banks  at  Pueblo,  Salida  and  New  Castle.  In  Denver  alone  twelve  banks 
closed  in  three  days.  Business  was  at  a  standstill.  Many  business  firms  were 
forced  to  suspend. 

The  First  National,  the  Colorado  National,  the  American  National,  the  Denver 
National  and  the  City  National  weathered  the  storm. 

Heavy  loans,  inability  to  force  collections,  the  sweeping  away  of  realty  values 
and  equities  and  the  drain  of  withdrawals  for  weeks  prior  to  the  suspension, 
were  the  main  causes  for  the  failures. 

The  encouraging  promise  of  help  from  Comptroller  James  H.  Eckels,  the  fact 
that  five  banks  had  stood  the  awful  strain  without  flinching,  the  statements  of 
bank  examiners  of  early  adjustments,  all  helped  to  improve  the  situation. 

At  the  November  election  the  populists  divided  the  offices  with  the  republi- 
cans, showing  still  further  gains,  however,  over  the  gubernatorial  year. 

J  LABOR    WAR   OF    1894 

But  the  law  empowering  the  governor  to  appoint  the  Denver  Fire  and  Police 
Board  now  brought  the  municipal  and  state  powers  into  serious  conflict.  Late 
in  1893  the  governor  had  determined  to  remove  Commissioners  Jackson  Orr  and 
D.  T-  Martin,  his  own  appointees.  They  on  their  part  asserted  that  the  governor 
had  been  balked  by  them  in  his  efi^ort  to  build  up  a  populist  machine  in  the  fire 
and  police  departments  of  Denver.  The  governor  on  the  other  hand  asserted 
that  Orr  and  Martin  were  deputizing  policemen  to  protect  gambling  places.  On 
March  7,  1894,  the  governor  tried  the  officials  and  found  them  guilty,  appoint- 
ing Dennis  Mullins  and  Samuel  D.  Barnes  to  fill  the  positions.  The  ousted  com- 
missioners claimed  there  was  no  "cause  for  removal"  and  began  changing  the 
City  Hall  of  Denver  into  an  armed  fortress.  Judge  Graham,  of  the  district 
court,  enjoined  the  governor  from  forcibly  removing  the  officials,  claiming  that 
he  could  not  call  out  the  militia  unless  called  upon  by  regularly  constituted  au- 
thorities. Maintaining  that  the  commissioners  were  in  insurrection,  Governor 
Waite  ordered  the  national  guard  under  arms  by  noon  of  March  15th.  That 
afternoon  a  crowd  of  thousands  gathered  about  the  City  Hall.  When  the  troops 
arrived  at  Lawrence  and  Fourteenth  streets  they  were  placed  in  position  for  as- 
sault.   One  company  with  battery  was  stationed  at  the  rear  end  of  the  old  Cham- 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  439 

ber  of  Commerce  building,  later  the  Davis  Drug  Company  building.  At  this 
point  they  could  see  the  muzzles  of  300  Winchester  rifles  guarding  the  doors 
and  windows  of  the  City  Hall.  In  the  meantime  Federal  troops  under  command 
of  Brigadier  General  McCook  arrived  and  went  into  camp  near  the  depot.  The 
governor  declined  the  proffered  aid,  but  at  eight  o'clock  ordered  the  national 
guard  to  the  armory,  where  it  was  to  remain  under  arms. 

In  the  meantime  the  attorneys  had  been  busied  with  a  compromise,  and  the 
matter  was  finally  put  up  to  the  Supreme  Court  for  decision,  the  governor,  how- 
ever, asserting  that  under  no  circumstances  would  he  obey  any  court  order 
denying  his  right  to  call  out  the  national  guard.  On  April  15th,  a  month  after 
his  display  of  force,  the  Supreme  Court  issued  a  writ  of  ouster  and  the  new 
Waite  appointees  were  sworn  in. 

The  labor  war  of  1894  was  the  final  trouble  of  this  stormy  administration. 
This  is  fully  covered  in  another  chapter  of  this  history. 

In  1894  Governor  Waite  determined  to  go  to  the  polls  for  vindication.  His 
administration  had  been  assailed  from  inception  to  finish,  even  by  the  leaders  of 
his  own  party.  Thus  Thomas  M.  Patterson  and  the  News  fought  his  renomina- 
tion,  but  later  supported  the  ticket. 

"The  paramount  issue  in  Colorado  is  the  suppression  of  anarchy,  the  restora- 
tion and  the  maintenance  of  law  and  order."'  Tfiis  was  the  keynote  of  the  repub- 
lican platform  of  1894.  Its  nominee  for  governor  was  Albert  W.  Mclntire,  of 
Conejos  County.  The  "silver  wing"  and  the  "white  wing"  or  Cleveland  demo- 
crats, smoothed  out  their  differences  and  nominated  Charles  S.  Thomas  for  gov- 
ernor. The  state  gave  Mclntire  a  plurality  of  19,604,  and  his  entire  ticket  was 
elected.  John  Shafroth,  republican,  was  sent  to  Congress  by  a  plurality  of 
13,487.  The  Legislature  stood:  Senate — republicans,  15;  populists,  17;  demo- 
crats, 3 ;  House — republicans,  43 ;  populists  and  democrats,  22.  The  first  women 
to  sit  in  the  Legislature  were  Mrs.  Clara  Cressingham  and  Mrs.  Frances  S.  Klock, 
of  Denver,  and  Mrs.  Carrie  C.  Holly,  of  Pueblo,  all  republicans. 

In  the  spring  of  1895  Colorado  began  its  preparations  for  the  national  cam- 
paign of  1896,  in  which  the  opening  gun  was  fired  by  Joseph  C.  Sibley  and 
Richard  Bland.  The  former  spoke  on  April  i6th  to  5,000  people  gathered  on 
the  capitol  grounds.  In  May,  Richard  Bland  was  given  ovations  all  over  the 
state. 

Former  Governor  Alva  Adams,  Congressman  John  F.  Shafroth  and  E.  B. 
Light  of  Denver  were  delegates  to  a  conference  called  by  Governor  Rickards  of 
Montana  and  held  May  15th  in  Salt  Lake  City  for  the  purpose  of  inaugurating  a 
campaign  of  education  on  the  silver  question.  The  "Bimetallist,"  a  weekly  issued 
at  Chicago,  was  .the  first   fruit  of  this  conference. 

The  first  national  silver  convention  was  held  in  Memphis  June  ilth  and  12th, 
and  to  this  former  Governor  Alva  Adams  went  as  delegate  from  the  Salt  Lake 
conference.  A.  W.  Rucker,  of  Colorado,  was  on  the  committee  appointed  at 
Memphis  to  call  a  second  convention.  The  Colorado  leaders  made  it  clear  that 
in  convention  or  at  the  polls  they  would  not  vote  for  any  candidate  who  was 
not  an  advocate  of  the  free  coinage  of  silver.  The  first  republican  to  make  this 
pledge  was  John  F.  Shafroth.  Many  western  republicans  followed  with  like 
pledges. 


MO  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

On  August  17,  1895,  the  democrats  of  Colorado  in  mass  convention  declared 
unequivocally  for  the  free  and  unlimited  coinage  of  silver  at  a  ratio  of  16  to  i. 

On  April  15,  1896,  the  democrats  of  Colorado  sent  the  following  delegates  to 
the  democratic  national  convention  to  be  held  Jiuie  7th,  in  Chicago:  At  large, 
Charles  S.  Thomas,  T.  J.  O'Donnell,  Denver;  Bo  Sweeney,  Las  Animas;  First 
district,  Robert  W.  Speer,  E.  F.  McCarthy;  Second  district,  E.  H.  Seldomridge, 
S.  I.  Hallett. 

The  republican  delegation  was  chosen  with  the  understanding  that  it  would 
not  be  pledged  to  abide  by  a  decision  which  would  pronounce  for  a  single  gold 
standard.  Senator  Wolcott  wisely  declined  to  go  on  the  delegation.  Senator 
Teller  in  a  telegram  asserted  that  "I  cannot  go  to  the  national  convention  unless 
the  state  convention  is  in  accord  with  my  ideas  in  declaring  that  in  the  coming 
campaign  the  silver  question  is  the  paramount  issue." 

The  convention  not  alone  elected  Teller  to  head  its  delegation  but  endorsed 
his  every  act  in  connection  with  the  silver  issue.  The  delegation  was:  At  large, 
Henry  M.  Teller,  Gilpin ;  Frank  C.  Goudy,  Arapahoe ;  Dr.  John  W.  Rockaf ellow, 
Gunnison;  James  M.  Downing,  Pitkin;  First  district,  A.  M.  Stevenson,  John  F. 
Vivian ;  Second  district,  J.  J.  Hart,  Charles  H.  Brickenstein. 

The  populist  convention  held  in  Denver  July  2d,  declared  for  a  union  of  all 
silver  forces,  endorsed  the  actioif  of  Senator  Teller,  and  declared  the  silver  ques- 
tion to  be  the  issue  of  the  day.  Waite  and  his  followers  withdrew  and  adopted 
a  complete  populist  platform.  The  delegation  to  the  St.  Louis  convention  was 
led  by  Thomas  M.  Patterson,  Myron  W.  Reed,  Horace  G.  Clark  and  Samuel  D. 
Nicholson. 

When  the  national  silver  party  held  its  state  convention  on  June  25th,  it  elected 
a  delegation  of  lOO,  headed  by  I.  N.  Stevens,  Dennis  Sheedy,  H.  A.  W.  Tabor 
and  J.  H.  Brown,  to  represent  it  at  St.  Louis  July  22d. 

At  the  St.  Louis  republican  convention  Senator  Teller  carried  out  his  pledge 
and  walked  out  of  the  convention.  The  entire  delegation  of  Colorado  and  Idaho 
and  portions  of  those  of  Nevada,  Utah  and  Montana  left  the  hall  with  him. 
Senator  Wolcott  returned  to  the  state  and  reorganized  the  republican  party, 
which  was  now  but  a  remnant. 

In  the  state  campaign  which  followed  the  democrat,  populist,  silver  republican 
and  national  silver  parties  all  entered  the  field  against  the  regular  republicans. 
Even  the  "Midd!e-of-the-Road"  populists  held  a  state  convention  and  nominated 
Davis  H.  Waite  for  governor  and  John  McAndrew  for  attorney  general,  passing 
up  all  other  nominations. 

While  all  but  the  McKinley  republicans  had  the  four  Bryan  presidential  elect- 
ors, E.  T.  Wells,  republican,  A.  T.  Gunnell,  democrat,  T.  M.  Patterson,  populist, 
J.  W.  Thatcher,  democrat,  they  failed  to  fuse  on  state  tickets.  After  many  con- 
ferences the  democrats  and  silver  republicans  named  Alva  Adams,  democrat,  for 
governor,  Simon  Guggenheim,  republican,  for  lieutenant  governor,  Charles  H.  S. 
Whipple,  democrat  for  secretary  of  state,  George  H.  Kephart,  of  Durango,  for 
treasurer,  John  W.  Lowell,  of  Routt,  for  auditor,  Bryan  L.  Carr,  of  Pueblo,  for 
attorney  general,  Grace  Espey  Patton,  of  Fort  Collins,  state  superintendent  of 
public  instruction. 

The  populists  and  national  silver  party  named  Morton  S.  Bailey  of  Fremont, 
for  governor;  B.   Clark  Wheeler,  of  Aspen,   for  lieutenant   governor;   William 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  441 

Scott  Lee,  of  Denver,  for  secretary  of  state;  George  Seaver,  of  Pueblo,  for 
auditor;  Horace  G.  Clark,  of  Weld,  for  treasurer;  L.  S.  Cornell,  of  Denver,  for 
superintendent  of  public  instruction. 

On  the  McKinley  republican  ticket  George  W.  Allen,  of  Denver,  was  named 
for  governor;  Hosea  Townsend,  of  Custer,  for  lieutenant  governor;  Edwin 
Price,  of  Mesa,  for  secretary  of  state;  James  H.  Barlow,  of  El  Paso,  for  treas- 
urer; George  S.  Adams,  of  Weld,  for  auditor;  Alexander  Gillett,  of  Gunnison, 
for  attorney  general;  Mrs.  lone  T.  Hanna,  of  Denver,  for  superintendent  of 
public  instruction. 

Shafroth  and  Bell  had  only  the  McKinley  republican  opposition,  and  were 
returned  by  the  following  votes:  Shafroth,  61,928;  McClelland,  3,282;  Bell, 
69,175;  Hoffmire,  12,590. 

Alva  Adams  polled  86,881  votes;  Bailey,  71,808;  George  W.  Allen,  23,845; 
Waite,  3,421. 

The  Legislature  was  composed  as  follows :  Senate,  democrats,  5 ;  silver  re- 
publicans, 8 ;  republicans,  6 ;  populists,  1 1 ;  national  silver  party,  5 ;  House,  demo- 
crats, 20;  silver  republicans,  2;  republicans,  10;  populists,  23;  national  silver 
party,  7;  single  taxer,  i;  socialist,  i ;  non-partisan,  i.  Mrs.  Olive  C.  Butler,  re- 
publican, Mrs.  Evangeline  Heartz,  populist,  and  Mrs.  Martha  A.  B.  Conine,  non- 
partisan, were  the  women  in  the  House. 

The  election  of  Senator  Teller  was,  of  course,  a  foregone  conclusion.  Out 
of  a  total  membership  of  ninety-eight  he  received  ninety-two  votes. 

In  the  fall  Senator  Teller  refused  to  sanction  a  union  of  his  silver  republican 
faction  with  the  McKinley  republicans.  In  fact  the  separation  was  now  so  com- 
plete that  it  was  but  a  brief  period  until  the  so-called  irreconcilable  silver  repub- 
licans, including  Teller  and  Shafroth,  were  classed  as  democrats,  and  a  great 
host  of  the  national  silver  party  men  had  gone  back  to  the  republican  party. 

In  the  election  of  1898  this  became  apparent  early  in  the  campaign.  In  this 
campaign  there  were  four  active  parties,  all  factions  of  the  two  older  organi- 
zations. Archie  M.  Stevenson  was  chairman  of  the  "Teller"  silver  republican 
party.  D.  A.  Mills  was  at  the  head  of  the  "Silver"  populists,  or  "People's"  party, 
with  the  Waite  element  practically  eliminated.  Milton  Smith  was  chairman  of 
the  democratic  state  committee.  These  had  fused  their  forces  by  naming  a 
ticket  headed  by  Charles  S.  Thomas  for  governor.  The  republican  factions  were 
known  as  the  "Guggenheim"  and  "Wolcott"  republicans.  These,  while  differing 
somewhat  in  their  attitudes  on  the  silver  question,  were  making  a  joint  fight  for 
Henry  Wolcott. 

The  entire  silver  "fusion"  ticket  was  elected,  the  plurality  for  Thomas  being 
42,921.  Shafroth  and  Bell  were  again  returned  to  Congress.  Among  those  who 
came  into  office  in  January,  1899,  was  Mrs.  Helen  M.  Grenfell,  whose  record 
as  state  superintendent  of  public  instruction  gave  her  a  national  reputation. 

The  Legislature,  both  Senate  and  House,  was  overwhelmingly  fusion,  and 
W.  G.  Smith  of  Jefferson,  a  "silver"  rciniblican,  was  elected  speaker  by  a  vote 
of  fifty-six  to  six. 

With  the  republicans  strongly  entrenched  in  Washington,  there  started  a 
gradual  disintegration  of  the  fusion  elements,  the  people's  party  quietly  merging 
into  democracy,  although  it  held  to  its  name  and  its  organization  for  other  cam- 


442  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

paigns.  But  the  silver  republicans  could  not  be  held  in  line.  In  the  local  election 
of  1899  ^  democratic  victory  was  won  in  Arapahoe  County,  and  in  most  of  the 
other  counties  of  the  state,  but  in  Pueblo  the  republicans  scored  a  sweeping  vic- 
tory. Boulder,  Delta,  Sedgwick  and  Fremont  were  among  the  republican  counties, 
with  mixed  results  in  many  of  the  strongest  "silver  democratic"  counties. 

But  with  the  certainty  that  Bryan  would  again  be  the  nominee  of  the  party 
on  the  silver  platform  in  1900,  the  democratic  leaders  felt  sanguine  of  results  in 
that  campaign.  Their  nominee  for  governor  was  James  B.  Orman,  of  Pueblo, 
and  he  was  also  the  nominee  of  the  Bryan,  the  Teller  silver  republican,  the  silver 
republican,  and  the  people's  parties.  In  Aiapahoe  County  the  democratic  fac- 
tions had  split,  Thomas  Maloney  securing  the  right  to  use  the  name  for  his 
local  ticket,  the  Bryan  faction  nominating  a  "Bryan"  ticket  to  oppose  it.  Thomas 
M.  Patterson  was  leading  the  fight  on  Maloney. 

The  republicans  nominated  Frank  C.  Goudy. 

The  election  in  Denver  was  exceptionally  partisan  and  bitter,  a  riot  resulting 
in  the  murder  of  two  deputies.  However,  the  result  was  that  the  so-called 
"Bryan"  ticket  in  Denver  won  out  by  substantial  majorities.  The  Legislature  was 
overwhelmingly  fusion,  thus  assuring  the  return  of  a  "fusion"  nominee  to  suc- 
ceed Edward  O.  Wolcott  in  the  United  States  Senate. 

When  the  Legislature  convened  the  people's  party  representation,  led  by 
Senator  Edward  T.  Taylor,  of  Garfield,  entered  the  democratic  caucus  as  demo- 
crats, and  Col.  B.  F.  Montgomery,  of  Teller,  a  democrat,  was  chosen  speaker. 

The  two  avowed  candidates  for  the  United  States  Senate  were  the  retiring 
governor,  Charles  S.  Thomas,  and  Thomas  M.  Patterson,  with  the  representa- 
tives apparently  pretty  evenly  divided.  The  struggle  was  not  long  but  acrimo- 
nious. When  the  two  leaders  finally  on  Monday,  January  14,  1901,  mustered  their 
forces  at  their  respective  headquarters,  Patterson  was  found  to  have  fifty-two 
pledged  to  him.  As  forty-six  was  a  majority  of  the  fusion  caucus,  this  assured 
his  nomination  and  election.  Governor  Thomas  at  once  withdrew  from  the 
contest.  In  the  caucus  balloting  Thomas  M.  Patterson  had  74  votes;  Charles  J. 
Hughes,  7;  James  H.  Blood,  5;  John  F.  Shafroth,  i. 

On  the  final  joint  ballot  Patterson  received  91  votes ;  Wolcott,  9. 

In  the  campaign  of  1902  the  two  old  parties  were  again  aligned  against  each 
other  with  the  silver  question  subordinated  by  local  and  other  state  issues.  Even 
the  candidacy  of  Senator  Teller  to  succeed  himself  and  the  presence  of  Mr. 
Bryan  in  the  campaign  failed  to  bring  out  the  old-time  "silver"  enthusiasm  of 
the  previous  campaigns. 

The  republicans  nominated  James  H.  Peabody,  of  Fremont.  The  people's 
party,  a  mere  remnant  now  of  its  old  self,  had  nominated  Frank  W.  Owens  for 
governor.  The  democrats  named  a  strong  candidate  in  T^dge  Edward  C.  Stim- 
son,  of  El  Paso  County.  For  congressman-at-large,  Alva  Adams  ran  against 
Franklin  E.  Brooks.  Congressman  Shafroth  was  pitted  against  Robert  W. 
Bonynge. 

While  the  democrats  based  their  campaign  upon  the  "silver"  issue,  the  repub- 
licans, openly  backed  by  the  leading  public  utilities  companies,  made  the  records  of 
the  past  two  General  Assemblies  the  point  of  attack.  While  the  election  was  a  close 
one,  the  republicans  returned  to  power,  Peabody  defeating  Stimson.     Franklin 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  443 

E.  Brooks  was  elected  to  Congress  by  a  small  majority.  Shafroth  on  the  face  of 
the  returns  had  defeated  Bonynge.  The  latter  was  finally  seated,  Shafroth  volun- 
tarily giving  up  the  office  as  he  believed  he  had  not  been  elected. 

The  Legislature,  however,  was  in  doubt,  the  republicans  believing  that  they 
could  prove  fraud  in  the  election  of  the  Denver  members  to  the  House,  and 
would  be  able  to  change  a  joint  democratic  majority  into  one  decisively  repub- 
lican. With  this  program  openly  announced,  the  candidacies  were  declared.  Ed- 
ward O.  Wolcott,  still  a  power  in  his  party,  opened  headquarters.  He  was  fol- 
lowed by  Frank  C.  Goudy,  a  republican  candidate  for  governor  in  what  was 
known  as  the  "Sacrificial"  year.  In  the  Legislature  Philip  B.  Stewart  led  the 
anti-Wolcott  faction.  On  January  8th,  after  six  hours  of  balloting  for  temporary 
clerk,  the  House  was  finally  organized  by  a  combination  of  anti-Wolcott  repub- 
licans and  democrats.  James  B.  Sanford,  anti-Wolcott  republican,  was  elected 
speaker,  and  John  F.  Vivian,  manager  of  the  Goudy  campaign,  chief  clerk.  The 
republican  vote  in  the  House  stood:  Wolcott,  17;  anti-Wolcott,  17.  The  Senate, 
organized  by  democrats,  was  marking  time  and  planning  to  secure  the  reelection 
of  Senator  Teller. 

On  Monday,  January  iQtli,  the  House  republicans,  acting  together,  began 
the  work  of  unseating  the  Arapahoe  County  democrats.  The  democratic  major- 
ity in  the  Senate  retaliated  by  deciding  several  of  its  contests  adversely  to  repub- 
licans. Eight  republican  senators,  led  by  Lieutenant  Governor  Haggott,  then 
bolted  and  organized  a  Senate  by  admitting  eight  republican  contestants,  appeal- 
ing to  the  governor  to  recognize  it  as  a  legal  body.  This  he  wisely  refused  to  do. 
For  the  time  being  both  sides  rested  on  their  arms,  and  awaited  the  result  of 
the  first  ballot  for  United  States  Senator.  This  resulted,  on  Tuesday,  January 
20th,  as  follows:  Teller,  50;  Wolcott,  18;  Goudy,  13;  Howbert,  6;  Dixon,  3. 

On  Saturday,  January  24th,  Henry  M.  Teller  was  elected,  receiving  fifty-one 
votes,  the  joint  session  having  refused  to  adjourn  until  its  democratic  absentees, 
who  were  blocking  the  democratic  program,  appeared  and  voted. 

It  is  interesting  to  quote  from  both  sides  of  the  controversy.  Senator  Wol- 
cott, in  his  address  to  the  public,  said : 

"On  Wednesday  evening  at  eight  o'clock  the  General  Assembly  consisted  of 
fifty-one  republicans  and  forty-nine  democrats.  At  that  hour  the  Senate  by  a 
motion  put  by  its  chief  clerk  unseated  without  argument  or  hearing  of  evidence 
two  republican  inembers  lawfully  holding  their  seats.  The  lieutenant  governor, 
the  presiding  officer  of  the  Senate,  acting  with  courage  and  patriotism,  refused 
to  put  this  revolutionary  motion,  and  assured  by  his  associates  in  the  state  gov- 
ernment of  their  approval  and  support,  .•nought  to  protect  the  legally  elected 
senators  from  this  action,  and  by  steps  justifiable,  and,  if  properly  supported, 
legal,  presided  over  the  organization  of  a  republican  Senate  composed  of  nine- 
teen members — the  support  of  which  the  lieutenant  governor  was  assured — fell 
away  from  him.  There  was  still  left  the  House,  which  if  it  promptly  recognized 
the  republican  Senate  might  with  it  constitute  a  valid  and  legal  General  Assem- 
bly.    This  recognition  was  sought  for  in  vain." 

Mr.  Wolcott  then  declares  the  election  of  Mr.  Teller  valid,  hut  "tinctured  with 
fraud." 

In  the  statement  issued  by  the  democrats  each  step  in  the  controversy  is  taken 
up  and  explained.    The  Senate  confirmed  the  appointment,  thus  putting  the  seal 


444  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

of  its  approval  upon  the  manner  of  his  election,  which  on  both  sides  left  much 
to  criticize  and  condemn. 

THE    PEABODY-ADAMS    CONTEST 

The  administration  of  James  H.  Peabody  proved  one  of  the  most  turbulent 
in  the  history  of  the  state.  The  labor  troubles  in  the  Cripple  Creek  district  of 
this  period  are  fully  covered  in  the  chapter  on  Labor  History,  and  need  not  be 
gone  into  in  this  purely  political  narrative. 

In  1904  both  parties  were  sanguine  of  success,  for  the  silver  issue,  in  Colo- 
rado at  least,  was  completely  subordinated  by  the  state  labor  issue.  Furthermore, 
the  nomination  of  Alton  B.  Parker  had  been  a  concession  by  the  friends  of  Mr. 
Bryan  to  make  a  campaign  on  other  issues  and  to  bring  back  the  element  which 
had  left  the  party  during  the  campaigns  of  1890  and  1900.  On  the  republican 
side,  it  was  felt  that  Roosevelt's  candidacy  was  likely  to  sweep  the  entire  state 
ticket  into  office,  despite  the  labor  defection. 

The  democratic  party  nominated  Alva  Adams,  who  had  twice  served  it  bril- 
liantly in  the  office  of  governor.  The  republican  party  of  course  sought  foi 
vindication  of  its  labor  policy,  and  renominated  James  H.  Peabody.  The  other 
party  gubernatorial  nominations  were  only  of  minor  importance.  On  the  face 
of  the  returns  Alva  Adams  was  elected  governor  by  a  plurality  of  over  twelve 
thousand. 

The  powers  that  had  so  strenuously  backed  the  candidacy  of  James  H.  Pea- 
body, basing  action  upon  a  few  undoubted  frauds  in  Arapahoe  County,  deter- 
mined to  oust  the  new  governor  by  legislative  authority.  With  the  Supreme 
Court  meting  out  punishment  for  these  wrongs,  the  republican  Assembly  began 
its  investigations  immediately  after  assembling. 

The  testimony  taken  in  this  case  fills  thirteen  printed  volumes.  The  best  legal 
talent  of  both  parties  was  engaged  to  examine  witnesses  and  to  argue  the  con- 
flicting law  points.  It  is  but  just  to  say  that  both  sides,  the  one  in  Arapahoe,  the 
other  in  Huerfano  County,  had  been  guilty  of  violation  of  election  laws.  Yet 
it  is  perhaps  a  topic  which  is  still  too  close  in  its  perspective  to  permit  of  the 
drastic  handling  which   future   historians  will  give   it. 

On  March  17,  1905,  the  vote  unseating  Alva  Adams  and  declaring  James  H. 
Peabody  legally  elected  governor  was  passed  as  a  compromise,  Peabody  having 
agreed  to  serve  but  one  day  and  to  relinquish  the  governship  to  Jesse  F.  Mc- 
Donald, lieutenant  governor.  This  program  was  carried  out.  Alva  Adams  had 
been  inaugurated  governor  on  January  lOth,  holding  office  until  five  o'clock, 
March  i6th. 

In  the  campaign  of  1906  it  was  but  just  that  the  democrats  should  renomi- 
nate Alva  Adams,  whose  sole  purpose  was  to  secure  vindication  from  the  people 
of  the  state.  The  republicans  nominated  Dr.  Henry  A.  Buchtel,  chancellor  of 
Denver  University  for  governor.  Judge  Ben  B.  Lindsey,  however,  upset  the 
democratic  hopes  of  success  by  deciding  to  run  as  an  independent  candidate. 
He  was  judge  of  the  juvenile  court,  and  had  a  wide  popularity.  When  the 
democratic  convention  declined  to  nominate  him  he  decided  to  make  the  race  on 
a  ticket  of  his  own. 

In  this  campaign  also  the  two  democratic  factions  in  Denver,  the  one  led  by 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  445 

Robert  W.  Speer,  mayor,  the  other  by  Thomas  AI.  Patterson,  owner  of  the 
News,  fought  out  some  of  their  grievances  at  the  polls. 

The  result  of  this  three-cornered  fight  was  the  election  of  Chancellor  Buchtel. 

The  senatorial  candidacy  of  Simon  Guggenheim,  vice  president  of  the  Amer- 
ican Smelting  &  Refining  Company,  to  succeed  Thomas  M.  Patterson,  was  not 
strongly  in  evidence  during  the  campaign,  but  with  a  republican  majority  in  the 
General  Assembly,  and  a  preelection  agreement  between  leaders,  it  became  a 
foregone  conclusion.  He  was  not  opposed  within  his  own  party  in  the  legisla- 
tive balloting  in  January,  1907,  and  took  his  seat  in  the  United  States  Senate 
on  March  4th  of  that  year.  , 

In  1908  the  democratic  national  convention  was  held  in  Denver,  and  nomi- 
nated William  Jennings  Bryan  for  president,  thus  giving  to  Colorado  democracy 
assurance  of  victory  in  its  state  campaign.  John  F.  Shafroth,  who  had  served 
his  district  repeatedly  in  Congress,  was  named  for  governor,  the  republicans 
nominating  Jesse  F.  McDonald.  The  entire  state  ticket,  headed  by  Shafroth, 
was  elected,  and  the  General  Assembly  was  overwhelmingly  democratic. 

C.   J.    HUGHES,    JR.,    GOES   TO    SENATE 

In  January,  1909,  when  the  democratic  General  Assembly  convened  it  elected 
Charles  J.  Hughes,  Jr.,  to  the  United  States  Senate. 

Senator  Charles  J.  Hughes  for  the  brief  time  he  occupied  a  seat  in  the  Senate 
was  establishing  a  national  reputation  for  constructive  statesmanship.  With  the 
great  record  he  had  made  in  the  west,  there  was  every  reason  to  believe  that  his 
national  career  would  but  for  his  untimely  death  have  rivaled  that  of  Henry  M. 
Teller. 

In  1910  John  B.  Stephen,  a  popular  mining  man,  and  who  in  the  state  Senate 
had  shown  marked  ability,  was  nominated  for  governor  by  the  republicans  to 
oppose  John  F.  Shafroth,  who  was  one  of  the  greatest  vote  getters  in  the  demo- 
cratic party.  It  was  moreover  a  democratic  year  throughout  the  nation,  that 
party  making  heavy  congressional  gains.  The  result  in  Colorado  was  a  victory 
for  democracy,  Shafroth  winning  out  by  over  twelve  thousand  plurality.  Two  of 
the  republican  candidates,  Benjamin  Griffith,  for  attorney  general,  and  Helen  M. 
Wixson,  for  superintendent  of  public  instruction,  were  elected.  The  democrats 
also  kept  control  of  the  General  Assembly. 

In  January,  191 1,  the  factions  of  the  democratic  party  began  a  bitter  fight 
for  the  speakership,  with  the  Patterson  candidate,  A.  C.  Skinner,  of  Montrose, 
opposing  George  Mcl.achlin,  the  Speer  candidate,  the  latter  scoring  a  victory. 
On  January  12th  news  came  of  the  death  of  Senator  Charles  J.  Flughes,  Jr.,  and 
with  the  Legislature  in  session  this  necessitated  immediate  action.  Four  demo- 
cratic leaders  announced  candidacies,  and  opened  headquarters.  These  were, 
Robert  W.  Speer,  Alva  Adams,  Charles  S.  Thomas  and  T.  J.  O'Donnell.  In 
the  early  balloting  Speer  had  26  votes,  Adams  20,  O'Donnell  3,  Thomas  5. 
Charles  B.  Ward  was  also  honored  with  five  of  the  democratic  votes,  the  rest 
scattering.  The  republicans  voted  for  Joel  F.  Vaile,  F.  C.  Goudy,  C.  C.  Daw- 
son and  E.  O.  Roof.  This  deadlock  continued  until  the  end  of  the  ninety-day 
session.    On  the  final  night  an  effort  to  elect  Thomas  McCue,  leader  of  the  Speer 


446  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

forces,  failed.  Thus  the  vacancy  continued  until  the  next  regular  session  of 
the  Legislature  in  1913. 

In  the  campaign  of  1912  the  senatorial  fight  loomed  large  for  there  were  now 
two  seats  to  fill,  one  for  the  unexpired  term  of  the  late  Senator  Hughes  and  the 
other  for  the  full  term  to  succeed  Senator  Guggenheim.  It  was,  moreover,  the 
first  election  at  which  senators  were  to  be  chosen  by  popular  vote.  On  the  demo- 
cratic side  the  primaries  had  swept  aside  all  candidacies  save  that  of  Charles  S. 
Thomas,  for  the  short  term,  and  John  F.  Shafroth,  for  the  long  term. 

On  the  republican  side  the  cause  was  hopeless,  with  the  party  split  nationally 
and  in  the  state,  for  the  "progressives"  headed  by  Theodore  Roosevelt  were 
determined  to  test  their  strength  along  the  entire  line. 

The  result  was  the  election  of  the  democratic  ticket  in  Colorado,  including  its 
congressional  delegation  and  a  sweeping  majority  for  its  General  Assembly. 
Elias  M.  Ammons  was  the  democratic  victor  for  governor,  and  opposed  to  him 
were  Edward  P.  Costigan,  progressive,  and  Clifford  C.  Parks,  republican. 

At  this  election  the  state-wide  prohibition  movement,  which  won  out  in  1914, 
was  defeated. 

The  campaign  of  1914  began  with  the  democratic  party  divided  as  to  the  ad- 
visability of  nominating  Thomas  M.  Patterson  for  governor.  The  convention, 
which  now  merely  suggests  candidates,  put  the  matter  up  to  the  primaries.  At 
these  Patterson  was  made  the  choice  of  the  state  democracy  for  governor.  It  is 
doubtful  if  he  realized  the  strength  of  the  many  elements  opposed  to  him  and 
which  his  fights  of  several  decades  had  engendered.  The  labor  element,  too,  en- 
tered into  this  contest,  for  the  republicans  nominated  George  A.  Carlson,  who  as 
district  attorney  had  been  fearless  in  his  prosecution  of  militant  strikers.  With- 
out the  candidacy  of  Roosevelt  to  aid  them  the  progressives,  still  active,  could 
make  no  great  impression  at  the  election.  The  result  of  the  election  was  the 
defeat  of  Thomas  M.  Patterson  by  an  overwhelming  vote. 

Charles  S.  Thomas  was  elected  to  the  Senate  bv  a  small  majority.  James  H. 
Teller,  democrat,  was  elected  to  the  Supreme  Bench ;  Mary  C.  C.  Bradford,  demo- 
crat, was  reelected  to  the  position  of  superintendent  of  public  instruction;  Al- 
lison Stocker,  republican,  was  elected  state  treasurer;  Harry  E.  Mulnix,  repub- 
■  lican,  was  elected  auditor ;  Fred  Farrar,  democrat,  was  elected  attorney  general. 
It  was  the  first  election  in  which  the  voters  came  in  such  numbers  to  the  polls 
with  a  determination  to  vote  for  their  own  and  not  for  party  candidates.  Never 
in  the  history  of  the  state  had  there  been  quite  so  even  a  division  of  the  offices. 

In  1916,  with  Woodrow  Wilson  again  the  democratic  standard  bearer,  the 
party  felt  sanguine  of  wiping  out  its  previous  defeat.  The  republicans,  with  the 
progressives  practically  all  back  in  the  fold,  and  Charles  Evans  Hughes  as  the 
presidential  candidate,  started  their  campaign  with  all  the  old-time  vigor.  Gov- 
ernor Carlson  was  the  candidate  for  reelection,  and  opposed  to  him  was  Judge 
Julius  C.  Gunter,  who  had  been  on  the  Supreme  Bench  of  the  state,  and  who  had 
a  splendid  following  all  over  the  state,  but  particularly  in  the  southern  tier  of 
counties.  There  were  complete  tickets  in  the  field  by  democrats,  republicans  and 
socialists,  and  partial  tickets  by  progressives,  prohibitionists,  liberals,  citizens, 
independents  and  people's  party.  It  was  estimated  that  the  candidates  running 
for  office  in  the  state  numbered  twelve  hundred.     There  were  seventy-eight  can- 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  447 

didates  for  nineteen  county  and  legislative  offices  in  Denver;  and  this  proportion 
held  throughout  the  state.  The  election  was  an  overwhelming  democratic  victory, 
only  one  of  the  republican  Supreme  Court  judges,  Judge  George  W.  Allen,  win- 
ning out. 

CHANGING  THE  ELECTION  LAWS 

Colorado  has  kept  pace  with  the  most  advanced  states  in  the  country  in  the 
perfecting  of  its  election  machinery.  It  had  no  greater  obstacles  than  were  en- 
countered in  many  if  not  most  other  sections  of  the  country.  It  was  long  the 
prey  of  party  gangs,  no  better  and  no  worse  than  those  of  other  states,  and 
went  at  its  work  of  purification  in  a  commendable  and  thoroughgoing  manner. 
Woman  suffrage  had  no  ameliorating  effect  on  the  gang  methods  of  the  earlier 
years  following  the  granting  of  the  right  to  vote.  But  with  knowledge  of  their 
power  and  a  growing  appreciation  of  the  need  of  "house-cleaning"  methods  the 
woman  voter  became  a  tremendous  power  for  good.  The  adoption  of  the  pri- 
mary law  in  1910,  and  which  became  effective  with  the  election  of  November, 
1912,  practically  eliminated  the  old  convention  method.  Efforts  at  the  introduc- 
tion of  primary  laws  had  been  made  in  previous  periods,  one  as  early  as  1883, 
but  these  were  largely  the  work  of  party  men  who  saw  to  it  that  the  sting  was 
removed  before  the  change  became  effective. 

But  the  primary  law,  applying  to  county  and  city  as  well  as  state  elections, 
passed  in  1910,  was  drastic  and  with  changes  made  by  successive  General  As- 
semblies, particularly  in  the  protective  improvements  relating  to  registration,  has 
worked  out  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  people  generally.  This  primary  law  permits 
of  party  "assemblies,"  at  which  platforms  are  at  least  outlined,  and  one  or  more 
candidates  endorsed  for  the  various  state  offices.  Delegates  to  national  conven- 
tions and  presidential  electors  are,  however,  still  named  by  party  assemblies.  All 
primary  elections  are  held  four  weeks  prior  to  the  general  election.  Nominations 
by  petition  are  permitted,  and  all  names  of  state  primary  candidates  are  officially 
filed  with  the  secretary  of  state,  who  certifies  them  to  the  various  county  clerks. 
Nor  is  the  primary  law  confined  to  the  selection  of  candidates  for  state,  county 
or  city  offices.  It  provides  for  the  election  of  party  organizations — of  commit- 
teemen and  committeewomen.  A  political  party  under  this  act  is  one  which 
polled  at  least  10  per  cent  of  the  total  vote  for  its  candidate  for  governor  at  the 
preceding  general  election. 

The  actual  platform  is  adopted  by  the  candidates  for  state  offices,  including 
those  running  for  the  General  Assembly,  the  state  chairman  and  state  senators, 
four  weeks  after  the  party  assembly. 

Expense  accounts  must  be  filed  within  ten  days  after  the  primary.  In  19 17 
the  General  Assembly  safeguarded  both  registration  and  the  election  by  providing 
for  the  most  stringent  supervision  of  both,  even  to  the  extent  of  appointing  dis- 
tinctive election  and  "vote  counting"  or  "canvassing"  judges  for  every  jjrecinct. 

The  so-called  "headless"  ballot  was  adopted  by  initiative  petition  on  Novem- 
ber 5.  1912,  and  was  effective  January  23,  1913.  The  vote  on  this  question  was: 
For,  43,350;  against,  39,504.  Under  this  act  "no  emblem,  device  or  political  party 
organization  designation  shall  be  used  on  the  official  ballot  at  any  election,  by 
which  a  voter  may  vote  for  more  than  one  candidate  by  placing  a  single  crossmark 


448  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

on  the  ballot  or  by  writing  therein  any  political  party  or  organization  name  or 
other  name  or  political  designation." 

The  first  prohibition  of  a  party  emblem  was  enacted  May  3,  1899,  but  this 
permitted  the  writing  in  of  the  party  name  if  a  straight  ticket  was  to  be  voted  by 
the  elector.  Under  the  present  law  a  cross  against  each  name  voted  for  desig- 
nates the  choice  of  the  elector. 

The  "Recall,"  an  amendment  to  the  state  constitution,  was  adopted  Novem- 
ber 5,  191 2,  by  a  vote  of  53,620  for  and  39,514  against,  and  was  effective  Janu- 
ary 23,  1913.  This  provides  that  "Every  elective  public  officer  of  the  State  of 
Colorado  may  be  recalled  from  office  at  any  time  by  the  electors  entitled  to  vote 
for  a  successor  of  such  incumbent  through  the  procedure  and  in  the  manner 
herein  provided." 

A  petition  signed  by  25  per  cent  of  the  votes  as  cast  at  prior  election  for 
the  office  in  question  shall  be  sufficient  for  an  election  under  the  "Recall"  amend- 
ment. 

There  was  for  many  years  a  diffidence  on  the  part  of  many  women  to  the  ex- 
ercise of  their  voting  privilege.  But  in  191 3  a  law  was  passed  stating  that' "it 
shall  only  be  necessary  for  a  female  voter  to  state  that  she  is  21  years  of  age 
or  older  in  answer  to  all  questions  concerning  her  age." 


CHAPTER  XXII 
COLORADO  COAL  PRODUCTION 

COAL   IN    THE    UNITED    STATES FIRST    COAL    MINING    IN    COLORADO PROGRESS    AND 

DEVELOPMENT     FROM     YEAR    TO     YEAR MINES     IN     1888 OWNERS TABLE     OF 

MINES  IN    I916 OPERATORS AVERAGE  NUMBER  OF   MEN   EMPLOYED CAPACITY 

OF    MINE  PER  DAY    IN   TONS — STATE   COAL   PRODUCTION    FROM    1864   UNTIL    1917 

IN    SHORT    TONS VALUE    OF    OUTPUT    FOR    EACH     YEAR EMPLOYES MACHINE 

MINING AVERAGE     PRICE     PER     TON     AT     MINE FATALITIES PRODUCTION     OF 

LEADING  COUNTIES  FROM    1887  UNTIL   I917 COLORADO  COAL  FIELDS ^THE  COKE 

INDUSTRY COKE    ESTABLISHMENTS PRODUCTION — VALUE 

So  far  as  known,  the  first  mention  of  coal  beds  in  the  United  States  is  made 
in  the  journal  of  Father  Hennepin,  a  French  missionary,  who,  in  1679,  recorded 
the  site  of  a  "cole"  mine  on  the  Illinois  River,  near  the  present  City  of  Ottawa, 
Illinois.  The  first  actual  mining  of  coal  was  in  the  Richmond  Basin,  Virginia, 
about  seventy  years  after  Father  Hennepin's  discovery,  but  the  first  records  of 
production  from  the  Virginia  mines  were  for  the  year  1822,  according  to  one 
authority,  when  54,000  tons  were  mined. 

The  coal  areas  of  the  United  States  are  divided,  for  sake  of  convenience,  into 
two  great  divisions — anthracite  and  bituminous.  The  areas  in  which  anthra- 
cite are  produced  are  confined  almost  exclusively  to  the  eastern  part  of  Pennsyl- 
vania. In  addition  there  are  two  small  areas  in  the  Rocky  Mountain  region,  in 
Gunnison  County,  Colorado,  and  Santa  Fe  County,  New  Mexico.  The  bitumi- 
nous and  lignite  fields  are  well  scattered  over  the  whole  country. 

Coal  was  first  mined  in  northern  Colorado  in  the  year  1864,  in  Jefferson  and 
Boulder  counties.  This  mining  was  carried  out  in  a  superficial  manner  by  the 
settlers  and  the  coal,  obtained  from  the  outcroppings,  was  used  only  for  domes- 
tic purposes,  little  or  no  marketing  occurring.  In  1872  coal  was  mined  in  Weld 
County  for  the  first  time  and  in  the  following  year  Las  Animas  and  Fremont 
counties  became  known  as  coal  producers.  The  two  latter  counties,  one  of  which 
is  now  the  greatest  coal-producing  county  of  the  state,  produced  12,187  short 
tons  together  in  the  year  1873.  Not  until  1876  did  Colorado  produce  as  much  as 
100,000  tons,  but  from  this  time  until  the  present  the  annual  production  has 
grown  steadily,  until  now  the  .state  ranks  seventh  in  the  countrv  as  a  coal- 
producer. 

Coal  in  southern  Colorado  was  discovered  in  the  fall  of  i860,  near  Canon 
City,  by  the  settlers  then  building  the  town  and  flocking  there  from  the  gold 
(•'Rffings  to  winter.  Everyone  who  sought  his  horses  or  oxen  in  the  grazing 
lands  of  the  foothills  on  the  south  side  of  the  Arkansas  River,  or  himted  ante- 

449 

Vol.  I 2  9 


450  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

lope,  discovered  in  the  deep  gulches  an  exposure  of  coal,  cut  by  the  ages  of 
water-erosion.  This  coal  was  first  used  by  Anson  Rudd,  one  of  the  first  settlers 
of  Canon  City,  a  blacksmith  and  gunsmith,  who  erected  the  first  workshop  in  the 
winter  of  1860-6 1.  He  used  this  coal  in  his  forge  in  place  of  charcoal.  No  one 
sought  to  acquire  title  to  this  coal,  as  there  was  no  commercial  market  for  it. 
When  the  settlers  began  to  use  it  for  fuel,  everybody  dug  for  himself  and  took 
away  as  much  as  he  could  use.  This  condition  existed  until  the  building  of  the 
Denver  &  Rio  Grande  Railroad  from  Pueblo  to  the  coal  mines.  It  was  found 
by  test  that  it  was  a  fine  locomotive  coal  and  the  first  of  this  type  in  Colorado, 
as  the  northern  coal  fields  were  all  lignitic  and  little  better  than  wood  for  furnace 
purposes. 

In  the  decade  from  i860  to  1870  much  coal  was  mined  for  domestic  pur- 
poses in  Golden,  Denver,  Boulder,  Blackhawk  and  Central  City,  the  principal 
supply  coming  from  the  mines  near  Golden  and  on  Ralston  Creek,  ten  miles  north. 
The  Marshall  coal  bank  first  assumed  importance  in  1865,  although  previous  to 
that  time  the  ranchmen  in  the  neighborhood  had  hauled  away  small  quantities 
of  the  coal.  The, completion,  in  the  summer  of  1870,  of  the  Denver  Pacific  Rail- 
road from  Cheyenne  to  Denver,  the  Kansas  Pacific,  and  the  Colorado  Central 
from  Denver  to  Golden,  created  a  large  demand  upon  the  mines  of  Jefferson 
and  Boulder  counties.  The  completion  of  the  Boulder  Valley  Railroad  from 
Brighton  to  Boulder  in  1873  opened  to  the  market  the  mines  of  Boulder  and 
Weld  counties. 

By  1883  mining  in  Colorado  was  yet  in  its  first  stages,  except  in  the  im- 
mediate neighborhood  of  Golden ;  no  depth  had  yet  been  obtained,  only  surface 
outcroppings  having  been  worked.  North  of  the  divide  and  east  of  the  moun- 
tains, whence  Denver  drew  its  principal  coal  supply,  coal  was  found  in  Jefiferson, 
Boulder  and  Weld  counties,  in  which  region  some  twenty  mines  were  being 
worked.  The  leading  mines  of  this  number  were  the  Marshall,  Fox,  Welch, 
Boulder.  Valley,  Northrop,  Stewart,  Superior,  Mitchell,  Garfield,  Briggs  and  the 
Star.  The  coal  here  secured  was  a  free-burning  lignite  of  jet  black,  high  luster 
and  destitute  of  any  fibrous  or  woody  structure.  Second  to  the  mines  of  South 
Colorado  the  mines  of  North  Colorado  were  the  greatest  producers.  The  middle 
division  included  the  counties  of  Park,  Fremont  and  El  Paso.  In  El  Paso  County, 
in  1883,  the  only  mines  worked  to  any  extent  were  those  owned  by  the  Denver 
&  New  Orleans  Railroad  at  Franceville.  The  product  of  these  mines  had 
only  become  available  since  the  completion  of  the  above  named  railroad  in  1882. 
In  Park  County  the  coal  mines  were  at  Como  and  were  owned  by  the  Denver, 
South  Park  &  Pacific  Railroad  Company.  The  principal  mines  in  Fremont 
County  were  the  Oak  Creek,  Nos.  i  and  2,  dnd  the  Coal  Creek,  owned  and  worked 
principally  by  the  Denver  &  Rio  Grande  Railroad  Company  and  the  Atchison, 
Topeka  &  Santa  Fe  road.  The  coal  from  these  mines  ranked  first  in  the  state 
for  domestic  purposes  and  was  largely  used  in  Denver,  while  Canon  City  and 
Pueblo  also  derived  their  supply  from  here.  The  southern  division  of  mines 
included  the  counties  of  Las  Animas,  Huerfano.  La  Plata  and  Dolores  and 
ranked  first  in  Colorado  as  a  producer.  The  mines  in  Las  Animas,  Huerfano 
and  Fremont  counties  were  mainly  owned  and  operated  by  the  Colorado  Coal  & 
Iron  Company,  a  corporation  closely  allied  to  the  Denver  &  Rio  Grande  Railroad 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  451 

Company.    At  this  time  the  coal  veins  in  La  Plata  County  were  the  largest  in 
the  state,  varying  from  twelve  to  ninety  feet  in  thickness. 

By  the  end  of  the  year  1884  the  known  and  partially  developed  coal  fields  of 
Colorado  covered  an  area  of  about  fifteen  hundred  square  miles.  The  only 
anthracite  coal  then  known,  as  now,  to  occur  in  the  state  was  in  Gunnison  County, 
on  Slate  Creek,  near  Crested  Butte,  west  of  Irwin  and  on  Anthracite  Creek,  a 
tributary  of  tlie  north  fork  of  the  Gunnison  River.  The  anthracite  Mesa  mine 
in  Gunnison  County  was  opened  in  1882  and  the  Cow  Creek  mine,  near  Ouray 
and  on  the  branch  of  the  Uncompahgre  River,  was  opened  in  1883,  but  little 
coal  was  extracted.  The  principal  mines  of  Colorado  at  this  time  were  owned 
and  operated  by  the  various  railway  companies  of  the  state.  Those  operating 
on  the  largest  scale  and  the  corporate  name  under  which  they  transacted  their 
mining  operations  were  as  follows: 

Denver  &  Rio  Grande  R.  R. — Colorado  Coal  &  Iron  Company. 

Union  Pacific  R.  R. — Union  Coal  Company. 

Burlington  &  Missouri  R.  R. — Colorado  Fuel  Company. 

Atchison,  Topeka  &  Santa  Fe  R.  R. — Caiion  City  and  Trinidad  Coal  and 
Coking  companies. 

Denver  &  New  Orleans  R.  R. — New  Orleans  Coal  Mining  Company. 

Denver,  Utah  &  Pacific  R.  R. — Alitchell  Coal  Mining  Company. 

The  largest  of  these  companies  at  this  time  was  the  Colorado  Coal  &  Iron 
Company,  with  headquarters  at  South  Pueblo,  and  in  control  of  mines  in  Fre- 
mont, Las  Animas,  Huerfano  and  Gunnison  counties,  also  owning  practically  all 
the  coking  veins  in  the  state.  The  Union  Coal  Company  owned  mines  mainly  in 
northern  Colorado.  The  Colorado  Fuel  Company  had  no  productive  mines,  but 
consumed  the  greater  part  of  the  product  of  the  Cameron  and  Walsen  mines 
belonging  to  the  Colorado  Coal  &  Iron  Company.  The  Atchison,  Topeka  &  Santa 
Fe  controlled  the  Trinidad  mines  in  Las  Animas  County  and  the  Canon  mines  in 
Fremont  County.  The  Denver  &  New  Orleans  owned  mines  at  Franceville  in 
El  Paso  County.  The  Denver,  Utah  &  Pacific  operated  the  Mitchell  mine  in 
Weld  County. 

During  the  year  1885  one  new  coal  field  only  was  opened  in  Colorado;  this 
was  the  Cimarron,  or  Cutler,  field.     No  new  mines  were  started. 

The  greater  development  of  the  Colorado  coal  fields  began  in  the  year  1886. 
The  mines  in  the  southeastern  part  of  the  state  were  greatly  increased,  in  order 
to  accommodate  the  demand  from  western  Kansas  and  Nebraska.  The  greatest 
amount  of  new  work,  however,  was  done  in  the  Glenwood  field,  west  of  Pitkin 
and  the  Continental  Divide.  Large  discoveries  of  coking  coal  were  made  in 
Gunnison  County,  on  Ohio  Creek,  also  of  anthracite  southwest  of  Hahns  Peak 
in  Routt  County.  Work  upon  the  coal  beds  in  Routt,  Garfield  and  Pitkin  counties 
was  hastened,  owing,  in  great  measure,  to  the  railroad  activities  in  that  direction. 

The  year  1S87  was  another  period  of  great  activity,  featured  by  the  develop- 
ment of  the  Glenwood  field  and  the  opening  of  mines  in  the  Yampa  field  in  Routt 
County.  Railway  connection  was  made  during  the  latter  part  of  the  year  bv 
the  Denver  &  Rio  Grande  and  the  Colorado  Midland.  In  Fremont  County  two 
large  new  mines  were  opened  in  the  interest  of  tlie  Atchison,  Topeka  &  Santa- 
Fe,  and  in  Las  .Animns  County,  near  Trinidad,  the  Denver  Fuel  Company  and 


452  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

the  Denver,  Texas  &  Fort  Worth  Railroad  Company  opened  new  mines.    Coking 
also  prospered  in  the  state  during  this  year. 

Eighteen  hundred  and  eighty -eight  was  a  year  of  increased  production,  par- 
ticularly in  the  Glenwood  field,  also  the  growing  demand  for  fuel  taxed  the  Trini- 
dad field  to  the  utmost.  Boulder  County  ranked  third  in  productiveness  among 
the  Colorado  civil  divisions.  While  the  coal  field  here  was  inferior  to  those  in 
the  southern  and  western  sections,  the  proximity  to  Denver  and  ample  railway 
facilities  caused  a  great  demand  for  the  product.  The  Douglas  mine  in  Douglas 
County,  opened  in  1886,  produced  ver>'  little  this  year  and  was  not  considered  a 
success.  Huerfano  County  was  actively  developed  during  1888.  The  completion 
of  the  Missouri  Pacific  and  the  Chicago,  Rock  Island  &  Pacific  railways  to 
Pueblo  and  Denver  and  the  consequent  opening  of  large  and  prosperous  markets 
in  Kansas  and  Nebraska  brought  about  the  purchase  and  development  of  many 
mines  in  this  county  hitherto  considered  valueless.  The  largest  new  product 
came  from  the  Colorado  Fuel  Company,  which  bought  and  opened  the  Rouse 
mine.  At  Loma,  three  miles  from  Walsenburg,  the  South  Colorado  Coal  Com- 
pany opened  new  mines. 

In  Las  Animas  there  was  an  increase  of  40  per  cent  in  production.  This 
was  entirely  due  to  new  mines.  The  Chicosa  mine  was  opened  by  the  Trinidad 
Fuel  Company  on  Chicosa  Creek,  twelve  miles  north  of  Trinidad,  with  the  pur- 
pose of  supplying  the  Texas  markets.  The  Sopris,  largest  of  the  new  mines, 
was  owned  by  the  Denver  Fuel  Company.  The  Valley  mine  was  opened  in  this 
year  by  the  Raton  Coal  and  Coking  Company,  also  the  Gray  Creek  mine  by  the 
Colorado  Coal  &  Iron  Company.  Garfield  County  was  the  scene  of  great 
coal  industrial  activity  in  1888  and  all  the  mines  along  the  Roaring  Fork  of  Grand 
River  were  operated  by  the  Grand  River  Coal  and  Coking  Company  of  Glen- 
wood Springs. 

The  mines  of  Colorado  in  1888,  their  location,  ownership  and  character  of 
product,  are  shown  by  the  following  list,  as  compiled  by  the  U.  S.  Geological 
Survey : 

Name  of  Mine         Location,  Owner  and  Character  of  Coal 
El  Moro — Las  Animas  County ;  Colorado  Coal  &  Iron  Co. ;  Bituminous. 
Starkville— Las  Animas  County ;  Trinidad  Coal  &  Coking  Co. ;  Bituminous. 
Chicosa — Las  Animas  County ;  Trinidad  Fuel  Co. ;  Bituminous. 
Mine  A,  Sopris — Las  Animas  County ;  Denver  Fuel  Co. ;  Bituminous. 
Valley — Las  Animas  County ;  Raton  Coal  &  Coke  Co. ;  Bituminous. 
Gray  Creek — Las  Animas  County ;  Colorado  Coal  &  Iron  Co. ;  Bituminous. 
Fort  Lewis— La  Plata  County;  U.  S.  Army;  Bituminous. 
Rockvale  No.  i — Fremont  County ;  Canon  City  Coal  Co. ;  Semi-bituminous. 
Rockvale  No.  4 — Fremont  County ;  Canon  City  Coal  Co. ;  Semi-bituminous. 
Rockvale  No.  5 — Fremont  County;  Cafion  City  Coal  Co.;  Semi-bituminous. 
Rockvale  No.  7 — Fremont  County ;  Canon  City  Coal  Co. ;  Semi-bituminous. 
Coal  Creek  No.  i — Fremont  County;  Colorado  CoalS:  Iron  Co.;  Semi-bitumi- 
nous. 
Coal  Creek  No.  2— Fremont  County;  Colorado  Coal  &  Iron  Co.;  Semi-bitumi- 
nous. 
Oak  Creek — Fremont  County:  Mellor  Brothers;  Semi-bituminous. 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  453 

Name  of  Mine         Location,  Owner  and  Character  of  Coal 
Alkali  Gap — Fremont  County;  Moore  Brothers;  Semi-bituminous. 
^Marshall  Xo.  3 — Boulder  County;  Marshall  Con.  Coal-Mining  Co.;  Lignite. 
Marshall  No.  5 — Boulder  County ;  Marshall  Con.  Coal-Mining  Co. ;  Lignite. 
Fox — Boulder  County;  Fox  &  Patterson;  Lignite. 
Standard — Boulder  County ;  Standard  Coal  Company ;  Lignite. 
Star — Boulder  County;  Star  Coal  Company;  Lignite. 
McGregor — Boulder  County ;   McGregor  Coal   Company ;   Lignite. 
Cleveland — Boulder  County ;  Cleveland  Coal  Company  ;  Lignite. 
Garfield — Boulder  County ;  Garfield  Coal  Company ;  Lignite. 
Baker — Boulder  County ;  Baker  Coal  Company ;   Lignite. 
Davidson — Boulder  County ;  Edwards  &  Lewis  Company  ;  Lignite. 
Cannon — Boulder   County;   Cannon   Coal   Company;   Lignite. 
Stewart — Boulder  County;  Goodredge  &  Marfel;  Lignite. 
Jackson — Boulder  County ;  Jackson  Coal  Company ;   Lignite. 
Simpson — Boulder  County ;  Simpson  Coal  Company ;  Lignite. 
Louisville — Boulder  County;   Loch  &  Company;   Lignite. 
Como  No.  1 — Park  County ;  Union  Coal  Company ;  Semi-bituminous. 
Como  No.  5 — Park  County ;  Union  Coal  Company ;  Semi-bituminous. 
Mesa — Mesa  County;  Book  Clififs  Coal  Company;  Bituminous. 
Grand  View — Dolores  County ;  Grand  View  Mining  &  Smelting  Co. ;  Bituminous. 
Anthracite  No.  i — Gunnison  County;  Colorado  Fuel  Company;  Anthracite. 
Crested  Butte — Gunnison  County;  Colorado  Coal  &  Iron  Co.;  Bituminous. 
Baldwin — Gunnison  County;  Union  Coal  Company;  Semi-bituminous. 
Mitchell — Weld   County;   Colorado  Fuel   Company;   Lignite. 
Brown — Weld  County ;  M.   Brown  ;  Lignite. 

Walsen — Huerfano  County ;  Colorado  Coal  &  Iron  Co. ;  Semi-bituminous. 
Cameron — Huerfano  County ;  Colorado  Coal  &  Iron  Co. ;  Senii-bituininous. 
Robinson — Huerfano  County ;  Colorado  Coal  &  Iron  Co. ;  Semi-bituminous. 
Rouse — Huerfano  County ;   Colorado   Fuel   Company ;   Bituminous. 
Indian   Creek — Huerfano  County;  John  F.   Moore;   Semi-bituminous. 
Loma  No.  i — Huerfano  County ;  South  Colorado  Coal  Co. ;  Semi-bituminous. 
Loma  No.  2 — Huerfano  County;  .'^outh  Colorado  Coal  Co.;  Semi-bituminous. 
Loma  No.  3 — Huerfano  County ;  South  Colorado  Coal  Co. ;  Semi-bituminous. 
Franceville — El  Paso  County ;  Denver,  Texas  &  Fort  Worth  Coal  Co. ;  Lignite. 
McFerran — El  Paso  County ;  West.  Coal  &  Mining  Co. ;  Lignite. 
San  Juan — La  Plata  County;  San  Juan  Coal  Mining  Co.;  Bituminous. 
Porter^La  Plata  County ;  Porter  Coal  Company ;  Bituminous. 
City  Coal — La  Plata  County;  Robert  Carter;  Bituminous. 
Champion — La  Plata  County ;  Champion  ;  Bituminous. 
Black  Diamond — La  Plata  County ;  P..  Whitehead ;  Bituminous. 
White  Ash — Jefferson  County ;  Golden   Fuel   Company ;   Lignite. 
Scranton — .Arapahoe  County;  Denver  R.  R.  Land  &  Coal  Co.:  Lignite. 
McKissic — Weld  County ;  John  McKissic ;  Lignite. 
Pearl  Ash — Douglas  County;  W.  T.  Wells;  Lignite. 

Marion — Garfield  County;  Grand  River  Coal  &  Coking  Co.;  Bituminuus. 
Sunshine — Garfield  County ;  Grand  River  Coal  &  Coking  Co. ;  Semi-bituminous. 
New  Castle — Garfield  County ;  Grand  River  Coal  &•  Coking  Co. ;  Bituminous. 


454  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

Name  of  Mine         Location,  Owner  and  Character  of  Coal 
Spring  Gulch — Pitkin  County ;  Grand  River  Coal  &  Coking  Co. ;  Bituminous. 
Thompson — Pitkin  County;  Colorado  Coal  &  Iron  Co.;  Bituminous. 

In  1891  Las  Animas  County  ranked  first  in  Colorado  as  a  coal  producer,  fol- 
lowed in  order  by  Fremont,  Boulder  and  Huerfano  counties.  The  coal-producing 
counties  of  the  state  were  at  this  time  generally  spoken  of  as  being  in  four  divi- 
sions, the  north,  central,  south  and  west.  In  the  first  of  these  classifications  were 
the  counties  of  Arapahoe,  Boulder,  Jefferson,  Larimer,  Routt  and  Weld;  in  the 
second  were  the  counties  of  Douglas,  El  Paso,  Fremont  and  Park;  in  the  third 
were  Dolores,  Huerfano,  La  Plata  and  Las  Animas;  and  in  the  fourth  occurred 
Delta,  Garfield,  Gunnison,  Mesa,  Montezuma,  Pitkin,  Rio  Blanco  and  San 
Miguel. 

Notwithstanding  the  shock  which  many  of  the  industrial  concerns  of  Colo- 
rado sustained  by  reason  of  legislation  adverse  to  the  silver  interests  in  1893,  in 
addition  to  the  widespread  business  depression,  the  coal  mining  industry  not 
only  held  its  own,  in  amount  of  coal  produced,  but  far  surpassed  any  previous 
year.  In  this  year  Colorado  stood  sixth  in  the  list  of  coal-producing  states,  hav- 
ing superseded  Iowa  in  1892.  On  account  of  the  closing  down  of  many  silver 
smelters  in  the  west,  a  very  important  market  for  Colorado  coal  was  thereby 
shut  off  and  the  operators  were  compelled  to  seek  other  markets.  Texas  was 
already  a  consumer  of  considerable  importance,  but  not  being  satisfied  with  this 
alone,  the  Colorado  product  had  been  shipped  by  operators  as  far  as  Shreveport, 
Louisiana,  coming  into  competition  with  Alabama  coal  as  already  was  the  case 
with  Indian  Territory  coal  in  Texas. 

In  1896  Colorado  occupied  tenth  place  in  the  states  producing  coal.  In  this 
year  occurred  one  of  the  worst  accidents  in  the  history  of  Colorado  coal  mining. 
On  February  iSth  a  terrible  explosion  and  fire  occurred  at  the  Vulcan  mine, 
near  New  Castle,  in  Garfield  County,  in  which  fifty  lives  were  lost.  The  force 
of  the  explosion  was  such  that  the  buildings  and  trestle  at  the  mouth  of  the  slope 
were  completely  wrecked,  a  hole  one  hundred  feet  square  carved  out  of  the  hill- 
side at  the  mouth  of  the  incline,  while  timbers  two  feet  square  were  blown  into 
the  ground  and  river  four  hundred  feet  away.  One  miner  was  on  his  way  down 
the  slope  when  the  explosion  occurred  and  his  mangled  remains  were  found 
several  hundred  feet  distant.  There  were  140  men  employed  in  and  about  the  mine 
at  the  time,  and  the  mine  itself  had  just  recently  been  pronounced  in  good  condi- 
tion by  the  state  coal  inspector.  Investigation  was  made  and  the  cause  determined 
to  be  a  high-lighted  fuse  which  ignited  gas  in  one  of  the  new  rooms,  while  the  men 
were  blasting  down  coal.  Another  theory  was  that  the  explosion  was  caused  by 
a  small  shot  put  in  to  open  a  chute  which  had  become  clogged.  This  mine  was 
operated  at  the  time  by  the  Colorado  Fuel  &  Iron  Company. 

In  1900,  with  an  increased  production  of  468,140  short  tons  over  1899,  Colo- 
rado attained  a  production  exceeding  five  million  short  tons  for  the  first  time  in 
her  history.  This  increase  placed  Colorado  well  ahead  of  the  coal  producing 
states  west  of  the  Mississippi  and  also  advanced  the  state  from  ninth  to  eighth 
place  in  the  national  list.  In  1901  Colorado  ranked  seventh.  The  development  of 
the  iron  industry  brought  about  a  relative  increase  in  coal  production,  particu- 
larly in  the  vicinity  of  Colorado  Springs. 

In  1903  Colorado  ranked  eighth  among  the  states.  Labor  troubles  were  rife 
in  this  year  and  the  state,  with  Alabama,  bore  half  of  the  total  labor  disturbances 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  455 

of  the  entire  country.  The  same  troubles  were  in  evidence  in  1904  and  the  total 
time  lost  was  greater,  although  not  so  many  men  were  on  strike. 

Colorado's  production  in  1905  exceeded  any  previous  record  in  the  history 
of  the  state.  More  than  half  of  the  increase  was  due  to  the  growing  iron  indus- 
try. In  1906  the  Yampa  field  first  began  to  attract  attention.  This  field  was 
located  in   the  Yanipa   Valley,  below   Steamboat   Springs. 

The  main  features  of  the  coal  mining  industry  in  Colorado  during  the  year 
1907  were  a  general  growth  in  prosperity  and  unusual  activity  in  new  mining 
improvements,  such  as  ventilation,  and  the  installation  of  fans  and  airshafts. 

In  1908,  for  the  second  time  in  fifteen  years,  the  coal  production  of  Colorado 
showed  a  decrease.  Trade  depression  and  the  stringency  in  the  money  market 
contributed  to  a  great  extent  to  the  situation.  The  financial  depression  was  most 
severely  felt  in  the  early  part  of  the  year,  and  resulted  in  the  shutting  down  of 
many  fuel-consuming  industries  in  Colorado  and  adjoining  states.  The  plants 
of  many  metalliferous  mines  either  closed  down  entirely  or  materially  reduced 
their  output,  and  this  decline  in  production  in  turn  curtailed  freight  traffic  and 
consequently  lessened  the  demand  of  the  railroads  for  fuel.  In  addition  to  this, 
the  winter  of  1907-08  was  very  mild  and  as  a  result  many  of  the  mines  suspended, 
some  not  resuming  business  until  the  autumn  of  1908.  Little  development  work 
was  done  in  1908,  except  the  continuation  of  the  construction  of  the  Denver, 
Northwestern  &  Pacific  Railroad,  "Th«  Moffat  Road,"  from  Denver  into  Routt 
County.  The  completion  of  this  railroad  in  1909  gave  opportunity  for  the  devel- 
opment of  the  coal  resources  in  the  northwestern  part  of  the  state  and  had  the 
effect  of  increasing  the  prestige  of  Routt  County.  The  undeveloped  fields  at  this 
time  attracting  most  attention  were  the  North  Park,  Yampa  and  the  other  fields 
tributary  to  the  White  River.  The  known  area  of  the  coal  fields  of  the  state 
was  considerably  extended  by  investigations  in  the  lower  White  River  Valley. 
An  area  of  250  or  300  square  miles  hitherto  described  in  geological  reports  as 
occupied  wholly  by  the  tertiary  strata,  which  was  therefore  supposed  to  contain 
the  valuable  coal  beds  buried  beyond  available  depth,  was  found  to  be  almost  en- 
tirely composed  of  the  outcrop  of  the  Mesa  Verde  or  coal-bearing  formation. 

An  unusually  mild  winter  in  1910-11,  a  prolonged  drought  in  the  agricultural 
states  of  the  great  plains  region,  a  decreased  consumption  of  locomotive  fuel,  and 
the  resumption  of  mining  in  the  coal  states  of  the  Mississippi  Valley,  all  con- 
tributed to  a  marked  reaction  from  the  fat  year  of  1910  and,  as  in  the  other 
Rocky  Mountain  states,  the  coal  product  in  Colorado  fell  off  sharply.  Only 
four  counties  showed  increased  production — Boulder,  Weld,  Delta  and  Routt. 
The  first  two  constitute  the  Denver  sub-bituminous  region,  in  which  many  of  the 
miners  were  on  strike  in  T910.    Industrial  peace,  however,  was  restored  in  igii. 

The  production  in  1973  was  the  smallest  since  1905.  This  was  due  entirely 
to  the  inauguration  of  a  strike,  called  on  September  i6th  and  put  into  effect  a 
week  later,  which  reduced  the  output  in  the  southern  part  of  the  .state  for  the 
rest  of  the  year  to  about  40  per  cent  normal.  As  had  been  the  case  in  numerous 
other  instances  of  labor  disaffection,  the  trouble  in  Colorado  arose  from  a  demand 
for  the  recognition  of  the  union  and  resulted  in  a  contest  which  for  bitterness, 
violence  and  bloodshed,  was  unparalleled,  necessitating  first  the  state  militia  and 
finally  the  presence  of  Federal  troops  to  restore  and  maintain  order.  An  ex- 
tended description  of  this  strike  is  presented  in  another  chapter  of  this  work. 


456  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

The  production  in  1914  was  the  smallest  since  1904,  due  to  the  continuance 
of  the  strike  until  December  14th.  Eight  mines  were  idle  throughout  the  year, 
mines  which  had  employed  a  total  of  1,165  rnen.  The  operation  of  fifty-three 
other  mines  was  seriously  attected  by  the  troubles.  Routt  County  showed  an 
increase,  due  to  the  completion  of  the  Denver  &  Salt  Lake  Railroad  in  1913  as 
far  west  as  Craig  and  well  into  the  center  of  the  Routt  field,  thus  furnishing  an 
outlet  to  Denver  for  much  of  the  coal. 

The  years  1915  and  1916  were  periods  of  steady  growth  in  production.  The 
year  191 7,  a  time  of  such  potent  interest  to  every  American,  was  also  a  year  of 
growth  in  the  coal  industry,  although  many  situations  arose  which  taxed  the 
ingenuity  of  the  mining  operators.  The  demand  for  coal  from  the  United  States 
and  from  the  allied  nations  has  grown  to  such  an  extent  that  every  coal-producing 
state  in  the  union  is  compelled  to  work  under  heavy  pressure.  This  burden,  with 
the  demand  for  larger  outputs  of  various  industries,  with  a  scarcity  of  labor  owing 
to  the  loss  of  men  through  enlistment,  with  a  serious  car  shortage  interfering 
with  steady  production,  with  increasing  costs  and  wages,  has  placed  the  coal  in- 
dustry in  a  critical  state  and  only  by  the  combined  eii'orts  of  operator  and  miner, 
working  in  harmony,  has  the  industry  been  maintained  upon  an  even  higher  level 
than  in  previous  years. 

Coal  was  produced  in  eighteen  counties  in  191 7,  Las  Animas  County  heading 
the  list  and  followed  by  Huerfano,  Boulder,  Fremont  and  Routt.  The  demand 
for  coal  is  growing  rapidly  every  day  and  relatively  the  industry  of  coal  mining 
will  develop.  The  year  1917  brought  forth  a  production  of  over  twelve  million 
short  tons  of  coal  from  Colorado,  a  higher  figure  than  in  any  other  year  of  the 
state's  history.  The  war,  of  course,  has  been  the  stimulating  factor  in  this  prog- 
ress, but  it  is  reasonable  to  suppose  that  after  the  struggle  has  ceased  the  indus- 
trial development  of  Colorado  and  her  coal  mining  activities  will  continue  to 
grow. 

The  following  table  of  mines  in  the  state  is  taken  from  the  Fourth  Annual 
Report  of  the  State  Inspector  of  Coal  Mines,  for  the  year  1916: 

BOULDER  COUNTY 

Average  Number     Capacity  of  Mine 
Name  of  Mine     Company  Name  Men  Employed       per  Day  in  Tons 

Simpson — Rocky  Mountain  Fuel  Co 126  1,000 

Standard — Rocky  Mountain  Fuel  Co 71  700 

Vulcan — Rocky  Mountain  Fuel  Co 47  350 

]\Iitchell — Rocky  Mountain  Fuel  Co 71  45° 

Rex  No.  I — Rocky  Mountain  Fuel  Co 48  350 

Hecla — Rocky  Mountain  Fuel  Co 19  300 

Gorham — Rocky  Mountain  Fuel  Co 152  800 

Industrial — Rocky  Mountain  Fuel  Co 81  750 

Monarch  No.  i — National  Fuel  Co 25  80 

Monarch  No.  2 — National  Fuel  Co 120  700 

Fox — Fox  Coal  Mining  Co 56  500 

Matchless— Great  Matchless   Fuel  Co 79  500 

Centennial— Big  Four  Coal  &  Coke  Co 68  400 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  457 

Average  Number     Capacity  of  Mine 
Name  of  Mine     Company  Name  Men  Employed      per  Day  in  Tons 

Sunny  side — Big  Six  Coal  Co 31  250 

Nonpareil — Brooks  Fuel  Co 18  150 

Black  Diamond — Mitchell  &  Graham   8  50 

Gorham  No.  2 — Morgan  &  Williams 6  35 

Big  Lake— Big  Lake  Coal  Co 10 

Mile  High — New  Mile  High  Coal  Co 6 

Lewis — J.  T.  Lewis  3  15 

Electric — Crown  Coal  Co 14 

Strathmore — Strathmore  Mine  Co 6  30 

Red  Ash — Red  Ash  Coal  Co 4  100 

DELTA  COUNTY 

King — Juanita  Coal  &  Coke  Co 60  600 

Farmers — Paonia   Coal   Co 5  40 

Red   Mountain — Hall   &  Motto    3  30 

Green  \'alley — Rinehart  &  Patton    2  14 

Winton — C.  O.  Billstrom   2  10 

States — States  Coal  Co i  40 

Black  Diamond — Farmers  Progressive  Coal  Co.  ...     3 

Bennett — Hotchkiss   Fuel  &   Supply   Co i  20 

Converse — Frank   Converse    2  15 

Coalby — Gus  Billstrom   2 

Rollins — Dugger  Coal  Co 2  50 

Leroux  Creek — J.   R.   Degraffenried    i 

Independent — E.  J.  Weld   i 

Fairview — William   Proutt    i 

EL  PASO  COUNTY 

Pike's  Peak — Pike's  Peak  Fuel  Co 160  1,000 

Patterson — Pike's  Peak  Fuel   Co 34 

El  Paso — El  Paso  County  Land  &  Fuel  Co 76  600 

Rapson  No.  2 — Rapson  Coal  Mining  Co 40  300 

Danville — Tudor   Coal   Co 13  100 

Williamsville — Thomas   Coal   Co 11  50 

Franceville — Dan.  E.  Davis   2  10 

FREMONT  COUNTY 

Rockvale — Colorado   Fuel  &   Iron   Co 367  1,000 

Coal  Creek — Colorado  Fuel  &  Iron  Co 217  800 

Fremont — Colorado  Fuel  &  Iron  Co 129  800 

Nonac — Colorado  Fuel  &  Iron  Co 18  200 

Chandler — Victor- American  Fuel  Co 156  1,000 

Radiant — Victor-American   Fuel  Co 68  ^oo 


458  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

Average  Number     Capacity  of  Mine 
Name  of  Mine     Company  Name  Men  Employed      per  Day  in  Tons 

Royal  Gorge — Gibson  Lumber  &  Fuel  Co 50  150 

Emerald — Williamsburg  Slope  Coal  Co 51  75 

Brookside — Brookside  Coal  Mining  Co 10  JOO 

Willie — Petry  Coal  Co 7  40 

Double  Dick — McLean  &  Gilbert    7  15 

Orecchio  No.   i — Orecchio  &  Rocchio   3  20 

Wolf  Park — Wolf  Park  Leasing  Co 41  30 

Williamsburg  Slope — Donnelly   Coal  Co 7  25 

Smith  Tanner — -E.  R.  Harris 3  5 

GARFIELD  COUNTY 

Midland — Rocky  Mountain  Fuel  Co 56  350 

Vulcan — Garfield  Mine  Leasing  Co 48  350 

Carbonera — Gilson  Asphaltum  Co 7  60 

South  Caiion — South  Caiion  Coal  Co 61  400 

Harvey  Gap — Harvey  Gap  Coal  Co 4  15 

GUNNISON    COUNTY 

Somerset — Utah  Fuel  Co 203  1,800 

Crested  Butte — Colorado  Fuel  &  Iron  Co 141  600 

Floresta — Colorado  Fuel  &  Iron  Co 87  600 

Alpine — Rocky  Mountain  Fuel  Co 46  500 

Porter — Littell  Coal  &  Mining  Co 38  150 

Horace — Pueblo  Fuel  &  Mining  Co 34  200 

Bulkley — Crested  Butte  Coal  Co 21  200 

Smith — Crested  Butte  Anthracite  Mining  Co 25  250 

Baldwin-Star — Baldwin  Fuel  Co 5  300 

Great  Western — Joseph  David 2  10 

HUERFANO   COUNTY 

Walsen — Colorado  Fuel  &  Iron  Co 298  1,200 

Robinson — Colorado  Fuel  &  Iron  Co 271  800 

Rouse — Colorado  Fuel  &  Iron  Co 269  1,200 

Cameron — Colorado  Fuel  &  Iron  Co 169  800 

Ideal — Colorado  Fuel  &  Iron  Co 171  600 

Lester — Colorado  Fuel  &  Iron  Co 179  500 

Pictou — Colorado  Fuel  &  Iron  Co 107  600 

Oakdale — Oakdale  Coal  Co 214  1,000 

Mutual — Mutual  Coal  Co 67  600 

Ravenwood — Victor-American    Fuel    Co 117  600 

Pryor — ^Union  Coal  &  Coke  Co 58  500 

Reliance — Alliance  Coal  Co 88  500 

Toltec — Aztec  Coal  Mining  Co 99  400 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  459 

Average  Number     Capacity  of  Mine 
Name  of  Mine     Company  Name  Men  Employed      per  Day  in  Tons 

Big  Four — Big  Four  Coal  &  Coke  Co 97  600 

Sunnyside — Sunnyside  Coal  Mining  Co 53  500 

Rugby — Rugby  Fuel  Co 54  250 

Turner — Turner  Coal  Co 54  500 

Caddell — Black  Caiion  Fuel  Co 45  200 

Vesta — Vesta  Coal  Mining  Co 21  2CX) 

Tioga — Tioga   Coal  Co 48  300 

Maitland — McNalley  &  Co 30  70 

Breen — Breen  Coal  Mining  Co 25  150 

Loma — Loma   Fuel   Co 14  200 

Larimore — Monument  Valley  Coal  Co 40  200 

Solar — Walsenburg  Coal  Mining  Co 116  600 

Gordon — Gordon  Coal   Co 34  500 

Pinon — Rocky  Mountain  Fuel  Co •  •  •    13  150 

Black  Canon — New  Maitland  Coal  Co 18  90 

Ojo — Ojo  Cafion  Coal  Co 2 

JACKSON  COUNTY 

Coalmont — Northern  Colorado  Coal  Co 29  500 

Moore — North  Park  Coal  Co 13  2(X) 

JEFFERSON  COUNTY 

Leyden  No.  2 — Leyden  Coal  Co 163  2,000 

Justrite — Thomas  Shepherd  i  7 

LA  PLATA   COUNTY 

Perin's  Peak — Calumet  Fuel  Co 63  350 

Hesperus — Porter  Fuel  Co 43  300 

San  Juan — Carbon  Coal  &  Coke  Co 33  450 

O.  K.— O.  K.  Coal  Co 6  60 

Sunshine — Sunshine  Coal  Co 5  lO 

Morning  Star — Bandino  &  Co 2  lO 

LAS  ANIMAS  COUNTY 

Primero — Colorado  Fuel  &  Iron  Co 492  2,000 

Frederick — Colorado  Fuel  &  Iron  Co 384  1,800 

Sopris— Colorado  Fuel  &  Iron  Co 371  1.500 

Morley — Colorado  Fuel  &  Iron  Co 346  1,000 

Berwind— Colorado  Fuel  &  Iron  Co 327  800 

Tabasco — Colorado  Fuel  &  Iron  Co 223  1,000 

Starkville — Colorado  Fuel  &  Iron  Co 254  1,200 

Delagua — Victor- American  Fuel  Co 450  2,500 


460  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

Average  Number     Capacity  of  Mine 
Name  of  Mine     Company  Name  Men  Employed      per  Day  in  Tons 

Hastings — Victor-American  Fuel  Co 167  1,200 

Bowen — Victor-American   Fuel    Co 88  1,000 

Gray  Creek — Victor- American  Fuel  Co 76  500 

Cokedale — Carbon  Coal  &  Coke  Co 149  1,000 

Piedmont — Rocky  Mountain  Fuel  Co 173  800 

Forbes  No.  9 — Chicosa  Fuel  Co 123  800 

Forbes  No.  6 — Chicosa  Fuel  Co 17  800 

Toller — Cedar  Hill  Coal  &  Coke  Co 134  800 

Greenville — Cedar  Hill  Coal  &  Coke  Co 46  300 

Black  Diamond — Cedar  Hill  Coal  &  Coke  Co 25  150 

Brodhead  No.  9 — -Temple  Fuel  Co i  iS  450 

Kenneth — Temple  Fuel  Co 30  150 

Royal — Royal   Fuel  Co 98  500 

Ludlow — Huerfano  Coal  Co. 90  600 

Primrose — Primrose  Coal   Co 50  250 

Jeffryes — Jeffryes  Fuel  Co 46  200 

Rapson  No.  i — Rapson  Coal  Mining  Co 55  400 

Jewel — Ideal  Fuel   Co 30  150 

Wootten-Turner — Wootten  Land  &  Fuel  Co 13  150 

Prospect — Prospect  Coal  Co 7  25 

Baldy — Baldy  Coal  Co 3 

Keystone   No.   2 — Bartolo   Parivecchio    2  6 

McLaughlin — James  E.  McLaughlin    3  12 

Hines — Hines  Coal  Co 3  8 

Fisher's  Peak — Fisher's  Peak  Coal  Co 2  20 

Keystone  No.  i — Trinidad  Coal  Co 3  15 

Baldy  Mountain — Trinidad  Coal  Co 3  25 

Three  Pines — Black  Diamond  Niggerhead  C.  M.  Co.     8  35 

Superior — Brown  &  Bartolomeo 2  2 

MESA   COUNTY 

Cameo — Grand  Junction  Mining  &  Fuel  Co 71  800 

Book  Cliff— Book  Clilif  R.  R.  Co 14  100 

Garfield — Garfield  Coal  Mining  Co 15  150 

Palisade — Palisade  Coal  &  Supply  Co 15  100 

Grandview — Grandview   Coal    Co 10  30 

P.  V. — M.  Sixbey    3 

Fidel — Anthony  Fidel    2  50 

Stokes— W.  D.  Stokes 4  50 

Anchor  No.  2 — Anchor  Coal  Co 2 

Anchor  No.    i — Anchor   Coal   Co 2 

Thomas — C.  F.  Thomas  2 

Farmers — Farmers  Mutual  Coal  Co 2                 ,  20 

Riverside — Riverside   Coal  Co 2 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  461 

Average  Number  Capacity  of  Mine 

Name  of  Mine     Company  Name  Men  Employed  per  Day  in  Tons 

Lynch — Valley  Commercial  Co 2  7 

Black  Diamond — Black  Diamond  Coal  Co i 

Winger — A.  C.  Richmond i  10 

MOFFAT  COUNTV 

Collom — Joseph  Collom    i 

MONTEZUMA   COUNTY 

Spencer — W.  H.  French 3  12 

Mancos — Mancos  Fuel  Co 2  40 

Todd— G.   S.  Todd    2  8 

Mitchell  Springs — J.  F.  Mowry  i                                  ij^ 

MONTROSE   COUNTY 

Missouri — Gus  Winkler   .1 i 

Knauss — William  J.  Oberding    i 

Cloverdale — Marcus  Peterson   i  3 

Specht — George  T.  Specht  i  10 

PITKIN  COUNTY 

Spring  Gulch — Colorado  Fuel  &  Iron  Co 66 

Placita — Rapini  Bros 9  50 

RIO  BLANCO  COUNTY 

Black  Diamond — Reynolds  &  Babcock    3  30 

Lion  Canon — T.  E.  Linderman   2 

Fairfield— F.  W.  Fairfield   2  4 

Sulphur — R.  H.  Crawford  2  6 

Pollard — J.  D.  Moog i  3 

ROUTT   COUNTY 

Moffat  No.  I — Moffat  Coal  Co 42  2,000 

Moffat  No.  2 — Moffat  Coal  Co 195  2,000 

Harris — Colorado  &  Utah  Coal  Co 167  l.Soo 

Pinnacle — Victor-American   Fuel  Co 145  1,000 

Yanipa  Valley  No.  i — Yampa  Valley  Coal  Co.  ...  40  500 

Yampa  Valley,  Nos.  1-2 — Yanipa  Valley  Coal  Co.  .  27  500 

Bear  River — Bear  River  Coal  Co 50  400 

McGregor — McNeil  Coal  Co 57  350 


462  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

Average  Number     Capacity  of  Mine 
Name  of  Mine     Company  Name  Men  Employed      per  Day  in  Tons 

Hayden — Hayden  Bros.  Coal  Corp 6i  500 

Wolf  Creek — International  Fuel  Co 26  250 

Federal — Federal  Coal  Mining  Co 48 

Curtis  Routt — Curtis  Coal  Co 19  100 

Grayland — Indian  Creek  Coal  Co 11 

Jones — D.  W.  Jones i 

Routt  Pinnacle — Routt  Pinnacle  Coal  Co i 

Electric — Routt  Electric  Coal  Co 24 

Twenty  Mile — Thomas  Chargo i  10 

Diamond — Tony  Tordoroff    2  10 

Golden  Oak — Northwestern  Coal  &  Coke  Co 11 

Allen — Allen   Coal  Co 2  25 

Hitchen — Comer   &   Riley    2 

WELD   COUNTY 

Puritan — National  Fuel  Co 98  1,200 

Parkdale — National    Fuel    Co 16 

Baum — Consolidated  Coal  &  Coke  Co 57  1,000 

Russell — W.  E.  Russell  Coal  Co 51  350 

Evans — Evans    Fuel    Co 51  550 

Frederick — Frederick  Fuel  Co 58  750 

Firestone — Louisville  Coal  &  Land  Co 41  250 

Shamrock — Shamrock  Coal   Co 21  400 

Grant — Carbon  Fuel  &  Iron  Co 20  350 

Ideal — LTnited  Collieries  Co 13  140 

Eureka — United  Collieries  Co 9  lOO 

White  Ash — W.  C.  Bedlien   3  20 

Peerless — Peerless   Coal  Co 2 

State — State  Coal  Co 5  9 

New   Washington — David    Brimble    i  lO 

Farmers — Wagner  &  Austin   4 

STATE   COAL   PRODUCT    FROM    1864   UNTIL    I917 

Year        Location  of  Mines  Short  Tons 

1864  Jefferson  and  Boulder  Counties 500 

1865  Jefferson  and  Boulder  Counties 1,200 

1866  Jefferson  and  Boulder  Counties 6,400 

1867  Jefferson  and  Boulder  Counties 17,000 

1868  Jefferson  and  Boulder  Counties 10,500 

1869  Jefferson  and  Boulder  Counties 8,000 

1870  Jefferson  and  Boulder  Counties 13,500 

1871  Jefferson  and  Boulder  Counties 15,860 

1872  Jefferson,  Boulder  and  Weld  Counties 68,540 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 


46a 


Year 

873 
874 

875 
876 
877 

878 

879 
880 

881 
882 
883 
884 
885 
886 
887 


Location  of  Mines  Short  Tons 

Jefferson,  Boulder,  Weld,  Las  Animas  and  Fremont  Counties  .  .  69,977 

Same  as  1873   77>Z1~ 

Same  as  1873    98,838 

Same  as  1873   11 7,666 

All  Coal-Producing  Counties  160,000 

Northern,  Central  and  Southern  Divisions 200,630 

Northern,  Central  and  Southern  Divisions 322,732 


889 
890 
891 
892 

893 
894 

895 
896 
897 
898 
899 
900 
901 
902 

903 

904 

905 
906 
907 
908 
909 
910 
911 
912 

913 

914 

915 
916 
917 


Coa! 
Coa 
Coa 
Coa 
Coa! 
Coa 
Coa 
Coa 
Coa 
Coa 
Coa! 
Coa 
Coa 
Coa 
Coa 
Coa 
Coa 
Coa 
Coa 
Coa 
Coa 
Coa 
Coa 
Coa 
Coa 
Coa 
Coa' 
Coa 
Coa 
Coa 
Coa 
Coa 
Coa 
Coa 
Coa 
Coa 
Coa 
Coa 


-Producing  Counties   437,500 

Producing  Counties  706,744 

Producing  Counties   1,061,479 

-Producing  Counties   1,229,593 

Producing  Counties   1,130,024 

Producing  Counties   1,356,062 

-Producing  Counties   1,368,338 

-Producing  Counties  i  ,795,735 

Producing  Counties   2,185,477 

-Producing  Counties   2,597,181 

Producing  Counties   3,077,003 

-Producing   Counties    3,512,632 

-Producing  Counties  3,510,830 

-Producing  Counties   4,102,389 

-Producing  Counties   2,831,409 

-Producing  Counties   3,082,982 

-Producing  Counties   3,112,400 

-Producing  Counties   3.36i,703 

Producing  Counties   4,076,347 

Producing  Counties   4,776,224 

Producing  Counties   5,244,364 

Producing  Counties    5,700,015 

-Producing  Counties  7,401 ,343 

-Producing  Counties  7,423,602 

-Producing  Counties   6,658,355 

-Producing  Counties    8,826,429 

-Producing  Counties  10,1 1 1,218 

-Producing  Counties   10,790,236 

Producing  Counties   9.634.973 

Producing  Counties    10,716,936 

-Producing  Counties   1 1-973.736 

-Producing  Counties   10,157,383 

-Producing  Counties   10,977,824 

-Producing  Counties   9,232,510 

-Producing  Counties   8,170,559 

-Producing  Counties   8,624,980 

-Producing  Counties    10,522,185 

-Producing  Counties   12,433,129 


464 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

MISCELLANEOUS  STATISTICS 


Year 
882 
883 
884 
885 
886 
887 


889  

890  

891  

892  

893  

894  

895  

896  

897  

898  

899  

900  

901  

902  

903  

904  

905  

906  

907  

908  

909  

910  

911  

912  

913  

914  

915  

916  

917  30,000,000 


Tons  Mined 

Aver.  Price 

Value  of 

Number  of 

by  each 

per  Ton  at  Fatal- 

Output 

Employes 

Machines 

Machine 

Mine 

ities 

2,388,328 

1,781 

$2.25 

2,766,584 

2.25 

2,542,554 

1,750 

2.25 

66 

3.051,589 

2,200 

2.25 

9 

3.215,594 

2.35 

6 

3,941,817 

5,000 

2.20 

10 

4,808,049 

5,375 

2.20 

29 

3,993,768 

1-54 

23 

4,344,196 

5,827 

1.40 

16 

4,800,000 

6,000 

20 

284,646 

1-37 

30 

5,685,112 

5,747 

1.62 

34 

5,104,602 

7,202 

1.24 

46 

3,516,340 

6,507 

1.24 

19 

3,675,185 

6,125 

1.20 

23 

3,606,642 

6,704 

34 

318,172 

1. 16 

68 

3,947,186 

5,852 

n 

352.400 

1. 17 

35 

4,686,081 

6,440 

43 

225,646 

I-I5 

24 

5,363,667 

7,166 

63 

527.115 

1. 12 

42 

5,858,036 

7.459 

90 

756,025 

1. 12 

29 

6,441,891 

8,870 

62 

319,678 

113 

55 

8,397,812 

8.956 

98 

857.279 

1-13 

IZ 

9.150,943 

9.229 

157 

1,270,221 

1.23 

40 

8,751,821 

8,123 

125 

945.965 

I-3I 

89 

10,810,978 

11,020 

121 

1,247,687 

1.22 

59 

12,735,616 

11,368 

141 

1,337,006 

1.26 

88 

15,079,449 

14,223 

175 

1,689,517 

1.40 

99 

13,586,988 

14.523 

211 

1 ,668,602 

1.41 

61 

14,296,012 

11,472 

253 

1,929,545 

1-33 

95 

17,026,9(34 

15,864 

256 

1,905.781 

1.42 

14,747,764 

14,316 

242 

1. 975.41 1 

1-45 

91 

16,345.336 

13,000 

304 

2,552,168 

1.49 

95 

14,035,336 

11,990 

300 

2,311.493 

1-52 

108 

13,601,718 

10,098 

306 

2,502,558 

1.66 

75 

13,599,264 

12,372 

299 

2,628,300 

1.58 

63 

16,930,564 

44 

13.570 


2.45 


PRODUCTION,  IN  SHORT  TONS,  OF  LE.ADING  COUNTIES 


Year  Las  Animas 

1887  506,540 

1888 706,455 

1889  993.534 


Huerfano 

Boulder 

Fremont 

131,810 

297.338 

417.326 

159,610 

315.155 

438.789 

333.717 

323,096 

274,029 

Routt 


1,491 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  465 

Year  Las  Animas       Huerfano  Boulder 

i8yo  1,154,668  427,832  425-704 

1891  1,219,224  494.466  498,494 

1892  1,171,069  541.733  545,563 

1893  1,587,338  521,205  663,220 

1894  1,153,863  408,045  419,734 

1895  1,253.149  386,696  377,395 

1896  1,261,555  353,338  448,706 

1897  1,427,526  367,894  477,790 

1898  1.211,340  1,075,881  451,539 

1899  2,125,143     632,577     540,475 

1900  2,123,411     854,944     574,334 

1901  2,476,138     918,609     482,975 

1902  3,245,271    1,189.313     806,371 

1903  3,213.743    1,319.666     803,924 

1904  2,808,953    1 .187,905     736,824 

1905  4,297,599    1,426,640     839,804 

1906  4,768,882    1,803,791    1.022,096 

1907  4,885,105    1,797,790    1,296,729 

1908  4,190,801    1,644,068    1,067,948 

1909  4.592,964    1,915.910    1,332,322 

1910  5,548,085    2,387,090     802,769 

1911  4,458,753    1,786,645     954.752 

1912  4,708,698    1,899.538    1,054,925 

1913  3,739,357    1,705,240     902,918 

1914  2,693,288    1,724.265    1,000,590 

191 5  2,853,847    1,682,335     946,888 

1916  4,154,334    1,811,585    1,061,250 

1917  3-352,037    1.840.136     840,000 

PRODUCTION,  IN    SHORT   TONS,  OF  LEADING   COUNTIES 

(Continued) 

Year  El  Paso      Gunnison       La  Plata         Weld  Delta         Garfield 

1887  47,517         243,122  22,880  39,281  30,000 

1888  44,114        258,374  33fi^5  28,054  115,000 

i88y  54,212         252.442  34.971  28,628  1,357         239.292 

1890  25,617        229,212  43,193  46,417  775         183.884 

i8t)i  34,364        261,350  72.471  22.554  191.994 

1892  23,041         225,260  81.500  2.205  200        277,794 

1893  19.415        258,539        104.992  35.355  2.580        2r2,9i8 

1894  30,268        200.325  53.57'  42,818  3.697  75.663 

1895  51,840        239.182        106.09c;  27.934  4.514        274.271 

1896  12.544        260,596         104.661  4..^oo  5.000         165.797 

T897  12,500         297.417  76.788  8,310  5.765         182.S84 

1,898  14.942  323,321  100.650  24,085  5.052  222..|8o 

1899  27,668   319.434   116,500   47.573    6.100   134.354 

1000  94-334    432.555    123.524    80.015     5,417    141.159 

Tol.  I— 30 


Fremont 

Routt 

397-418 

705 

545.789 

538,887 

330 

536,787 

816 

245,616 

2,710 

315-344 

2,767 

294,822 

1,832 

304,589 

945 

426,533 

1-339 

620,609 

1,211 

619-413 

1,375 

536,313 

1,558 

695-999 

3-180 

633-858 

2,775 

256,200 

5-568 

512,002 

3,643 

666,034 

5.297 

772,949 

5,690 

669,274 

13,005 

611,980 

92,439 

722,142 

258,452 

661,240 

317,791 

738.833 

448,261 

535.778 

334,961 

169,271 

666,384 

473-284 

852,315 

592,091 

919,895 

661,188 

834,841 

Gunnison 

La  Plata 

Weld 

Delta 

Garfield 

397,043 

144,892 

33,374 

5,844 

173,707 

364,874 

155.029 

73,681 

9,350 

207.262 

436,604 

143,637 

94,492 

13,029 

176,354 

494.545 

146,080 

118,862 

21,683 

198,545 

513,317 

168,669 

101,812 

9,497 

172,563 

583,175 

173,720 

95,420 

6,812 

193.063 

588,859 

184,018 

136,074 

22,087 

220,040 

503,140 

166,090 

343,414 

37,689 

220,099 

598,463 

139,858 

327,545 

55,031 

257,796 

640,982 

147,755 

322,896 

63,590 

189,755 

575,648 

96,749 

520,396 

71,399 

165,908 

557.685 

132,487 

491,037 

75,043 

185,452 

472,753 

140,055 

409.131 

86,464 

158,662 

402,043 

132.317 

475.734 

86,861 

112,842 

439.403 

117,502 

432,501 

69,053 

139,393 

511.755 

1 1 1 ,406 

461,274 

76,986 

132,540 

466  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

Year       El  Paso 

1901  175,979 

1902  218,549 

1903  207,797 

1904  248,013 

1905  188,775 

1906  210,793 

1907  269,795 

1908  317,763 

1909  312,233 

1910  336,780 

1911  332,155 

1912  334,904 

1913  326,899 

1914  280,577 

1915  299,883 

1916  313,184 

1917  

COLORADO   COAL   FIELDS 

The  following  account  of  the  Colorado  coal  fields  is  taken  from  ''The  Rocky 
Mountain  Coal  Fields,"  by  L.  S.  Storrs,  and  published  in  1902  by  the  V.  S.  Geo- 
logical Survey : 

"As  already  stated,  the  coal-bearing  rocks  of  Colorado  are  confined  to  the 
Upper  Cretaceous,  and  with  but  few  exceptions  to  the  Laramie  formation.  Areas 
of  coal-bearing  formations  are  found  along  both  the  eastern  and  western  flanks 
of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  with  two  smaller  fields  in  the  park  region  immediately 
back  of  the  Front  Range,  between  that  and  the  main  range.  For  convenience  the 
fields  have  been  divided  into  three  groups,  the  eastern,  park,  and  western,  the 
fields  of  each  group  being  separated  by  areas  of  great  elevation  and  erosion.  The 
fields  of  the  eastern  group  are  the  Raton,  Canyon  City,  and  South  Platte ;  those 
of  the  park  region,  Middle  Park  and  Como ;  those  of  the  western  group,  the 
Yampa,  Grand  River,  and  La  Plata,  with  several  small  areas  separated  from  the 
main  fields  by  erosion. 

"The  coal  fields  of  Colorado  contain  every  variety  of  coal  from  the  typical 
lignite  to  the  equally  typical  anthracite.  The  area  of  the  latter,  however,  is  very 
limited,  probably  not  exceeding  eight  square  miles. 

"The  fields  of  the  eastern  group  are  the  more  accessible  to  the  principal 
markets,  the  product  of  the  western  group  being  subject  to  the  higher  freight 
rates  incident  to  the  haul  over  the  main  range  in  reaching  the  large  markets  of 
eastern  Colorado  and  the  prairie  states. 

"The  fields  of  this  state  have  been  more  thoroughly  explored  than  those  of 
any  of  the  other  states  of  the  Rocky  Mountain  region,  owing  to  the  aggressive 
policy  of  the  Colorado  Fuel  and  Iron  Company.  This  exploration  has  demon- 
strated the  superiority  of  the  Colorado  coal  fields  over  those  of  the  other  states 
in  the  Rocky  Mountain  region  as  to  the  size  of  the  fields,  their  available  tonnage, 
and  the  character  of  the  coal  itself. 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  467 

RATON  FIELD 

"This  tield  takes  its  name  from  the  Raton  Mountains,  which  are  included 
within  its  limits.  Part  of  the  field  is  situated  in  Colorado  and  part  in  New 
Mexico,  but  only  that  portion  which  is  in  Colorado  is  here  considered. 

"The  tield  is  bounded  on  the  south  by  the  Colorado-New  Mexico  line,  and  ex- 
tends eastward  along  this  line  from  the  base  of  the  Front  Range  to  the  plains. 
The  range  forms  the  western  edge  of  the  field,  and  the  coal-bearing  measures 
extend  northward  along  its  base  a  distance  of  45  miles,  reaching  out  into  the 
plains  an  average  of  32  miles  throughout  its  length.  The  southern  portion  of 
the  field  is  drained  by  the  Purgatory  River  and  its  branches;  the  Huerfano  River 
drains  the  northern  end.  These  streams  are  located  very  near  the  southern  and 
northern  ends  of  the  field,  respectively. 

"As  yet  the  productive  area  of  the  field  is  limited  to  the  eastern  edge,  that 
being  the  most  readily  accessible.  For  freight-tariff  purposes  it  is  divided  into 
two  districts:  The  southern  or  Trinidad  district  is  located  near  the  southeast 
corner  of  the  field  and  includes  the  mines  of  Las  Animas  County ;  the  northern 
or  Walsenburg  district  includes  the  mines  of  Huerfano  County.  Besides  these 
districts  there  is  a  very  important  area,  at  present  non-producing,  which  consti- 
tutes by  far  the  largest  portion  of  the  field.  A  part  of  this  area  will  become  pro- 
ductive upon  the  completion  of  a  railroad  line  that  is  now  being  constructed  along 
the  Purgatory  River  westward  from  Trinidad. 

"Immediately  below  the  lowest  coal  is  a  bed  of  massive  sandstone  90  to  120 
feet  thick.  This  is  the  uppermost  member  of  the  Trinidad  formation,  and  is 
very  persistent  throughout  the  entire  area.  The  thickness  of  the  Laramie  in  this 
field  varies  from  3,000  feet,  as  exposed  immediately  under  the  basalt  flow  of  the 
Raton  Mountains,  to  4,500  feet  on  the  Cuchara  River.  The  Laramie  strata  are 
divided  into  two  groups,  upper  and  lower,  each  of  which  contains  throughout  the 
entire  extent  of  the  field,  at  least  one  coal  bed  of  workable  thickness.  The  indi- 
vidual seams,  however,  vary  greatly  in  character,  and  a  seam  which  is  productive 
at  one  point  may  be  worthless  a  short  distance  away.  The  two  groups  are  sepa- 
rated by  a  barren  zone  of  about  700  feet. 

"The  main  structural  features  of  the  field  were  determined  by  the  post- 
Cretaceous  revolution,  at  which  time  the  Sangre  de  Cristo  and  Wet  Mountain 
ranges  were  elevated.  By  this  disturbance  the  strata  along  the  western  border 
were  tilted  up  along  the  eastern  base  of  the  Sangre  de  Cristo  Range,  while  on  the 
opposite  side  of  the  field  a  broad  anticline  was  produced.  A  second  epoch  of 
disturbance  coincided  with  the  period  of  eruptive  activity.  As  the  result  of 
these  movements  the  strata  along  the  western  border  are  tilted  from  25°  to  85° 
to  the  east  and  those  along  the  eastern  border  from  3°  to  17°  toward  the  west, 
while  in  a  broad  belt  extending  north  and  south  through  the  middle  of  the  field 
they  are  nearly  horizontal.  The  fault  displacements  produced  by  these  dis- 
turbances are  in  places  very  numerous  and  in  many  cases  of  some  magnitude,  the 
largest  ranging  from  70  to  80  feet.  These  faults,  however,  appear  to  have  no 
connection  with  the  eruptive  bodies,  as  in  many  cases  mining  operations  have 
been  extended  through  an  intrusive  dike  without  change  of  level. 

"There  are  numerous  masses  of  eruptive  rocks  within  the  limits  of  the  field, 
all  of  which  have  played  an  important  part  in  the  alteration  of  the  various  coal 


468  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

beds.  The  most  noticeable  of  these  are  the  Spanish  Peaks  and  the  attendant 
series  of  dikes  situated  at  about  the  center  of  the  western  border.  Silver  Moun- 
tain, in  the  northwest  corner,  and  the  great  overflow  of  the  Raton  Mountains 
along  the  southern  border.  The  attendant  dikes  and  interbedded  sheets  have  cut 
through  the  productive  measures,  and  in  several  instances  the  sheets  have  entirely 
destroyed  the  coal  or  altered  it  into  a  hard  columnar  coke  which  has  no  market- 
able value. 

"In  this  field,  more  than  in  any  other  in  the  state,  there  is  a  noticeable  lack 
of  uniformity  in  the  thickness  of  the  individual  coal  beds.  The  most  persistent 
is  the  lowest,  which  is  also  the  only  one  that  can  be  identified  in  diliferent  parts  of 
the  field  with  any  degree  of  certainty.  Extensive  exploration  of  the  field,  both 
on  the  surface  and  by  diamond  drill  has  developed  the  presence  of  about  40  coal 
beds  in  the  entire  section.  Of  these,  five  are  usually  of  a  workable  thickness, 
two  or  three  in  the  lower  measures  and  two  in  the  upper. 

'"The  beds  worked  in  the  Trinidad  district  are  confined  to  the  lower  series, 
although  in  the  northern  part  of  the  district  the  upper  group  contains  two  work- 
able seams.  In  the  southern  part  of  the  district  the  producing  mines  have  from 
4  to  8  feet  of  coal.  The  beds  here  have  a  slight  inclination,  which  gradually  in- 
creases towards  the  north,  becoming  as  high  as  15^  in  places  near  the  northern 
end  of  the  district. 

"In  the  southern  portion  of  the  Walsenburg  district  three  beds  are  worked, 
their  total  thickness  being  about  16  feet.  Numerous  dikes  have  been  encountered, 
in  mining  operations  in  this  portion  of  the  district,  entailing  considerable  expense 
in  the  'dead  work'  necessary  to  drive  entries  through  them.  This  is  offset  to  a 
great  extent  by  the  superiority  of  the  product  from  that  portion  of  the  bed  af- 
fected by  the  intrusion.  These  mines  encounter  water  at  a  distance  of  about 
1. 000  feet  from  the  outcrop.  The  mines  in  the  northern  portion  of  the  district 
are  operated  upon  four  beds,  the  total  thickness  of  which  is  about  9  feet.  These 
mines,  being  operated  below  the  level  of  the  Cuchara  River  are  in  'wet  ground.' 
The  strata  in  this  district  ha\e  an  inclination  of  3°  to  8°  toward  the  southwest. 

"Aside  from  this  eastern  edge,  the  measures  have  been  thoroughly  explored 
at  only  two  other  points,  both  in  Las  Animas  County,  on  the  drainage  of  the 
Purgatory  River.  The  first  embraces  the  highly  inclined  measures  of  the  lower 
series  along  the  western  border,  where  two  beds  of  excellent  coking  coal  have 
been  opened  up  at  intervals  from  the  state  line  north  to  the  center  of  this  side 
of  the  field.  The  second  district  lies  about  12  miles  east  of  the  first,  where  two 
workable  beds  of  the  upper  series  outcrop  within  a  short  distance  of  the  Pur- 
gatory River.  These  seams  have  only  very  slight  inclination.  The  beds  of  the 
lower  series  have  not  been  tested  at  this  point,  but  they  will  doubtless  be  found 
to  contain  a  workable  thickness  of  coal,  which  can  be  reached  by  shafts  from  600 
to  1,000  feet  deep. 

"The  coal  of  the  northern  district  is  entirely  of  the  semi-coking  variety  known 
as  'domestic'  though  the  finer  sizes  make  an  excellent  steam  coal,  which  is  largely 
used  in  the  accessible  territory.  There  is  a  limited  quantity  of  this  kind  of  coal 
in  the  southern  district,  but  the  bulk  of  the  product  is  true  coking  coal.  The  tran- 
sition from  one  variety  to  the  other  is  very  gradual,  and  hence  there  is  an  area 
through  the  center  of  the  field  which  produces  a  coal  that  cokes  too  strongly  for 
domestic  purposes,   yet   does   not   produce  a    desirable   metallurgic   coke   in    the 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  469 

ordinary  beehive  oven.  The  coal  of  the  upper  series  of  beds  is  better  adapted 
for  coke  making  than  that  of  the  lower  scries,  and  with  proper  manipulation  a 
most  excellent  nietallurgic  fuel  can  be  produced. 

"A  large  portion  of  the  domestic  coal  and  a  little  of  the  steam  coal  reaches 
the  markets  of  Kansas  and  Nebraska,  the  rest  being  consumed  in  Colorado.  The 
principal  consumers  of  the  coke  and  a  portion  of  the  steam  coal  are  the  large 
lead  and  iron  smelters  of  Pueblo  and  Denver. 

"The  extreme  southern  end  of  the  field  is  crossed  by  the  main  line  of  the 
Atchison,  Topeka  and  Santa  Fe  Railroad,  which  carries  the  product  to  the 
markets  of  southern  Kansas.  The  lines  of  the  Denver  and  Rio  Grande  and  the 
Colorado  -Southern  roads  from  Pueblo,  to  Trinidad  are  located  on  the  plains  a 
few  miles  east  of  the  various  mines,  which  are  reached  by  branches  from  these 
roads;  the  line  of  the  Denver  and  Rio  Grande  to  Alamosa  and  southwestern  Col- 
orado passes  westward  through  Walsenburg  along  the  northern  end  of  the  field. 

CANON  CITY  FIELD 

"The  field  is  located  in  Fremont  County  near  the  town  of  Canon,  and  is  42 
miles  north  of  the  Raton  field.  Its  western  boundary-  is  formed  by  the  northern 
end  of  the  Wet  Mountain  Range,  from  which  it  extends  eastward  to  the  plains; 
the  valley  of  the  Arkansas  River  marks  the  northern  limit,  and  that  of  the  New- 
land  Creek  the  southern.  The  field  comprises  an  isolated  area  of  54  square 
miles  of  Laramie  measures,  with  an  average  thickness  of  900  feet;  two-thirds  of 
the  area  contains  coal  beds  of  workable  thickness. 

"Along  the  western  margin  of  the  field  the  strata  are  steeply  upturned  against 
the  flanks  of  the  mountains,  but  rapidly  flatten  out,  so  that  in  the  body  of  the 
field  they  are  nearly  horizontal,  with  a  slight  westward  dip  as  the  eastern  edge  is 
reached.  Faulting  is  very  rare  and  there  are  no  dikes  or  other  evidences  of  erup- 
tive bodies  within  the  area. 

"Fxtensive  prospecting  with  the  diamond  drill  has  demonstrated  the  presence 
of  as  many  as  16  coal  beds  4  feet  thick  and  upward,  the  lower  beds  being 
the  moll  persistent,  and  ranging  from  4  to  5  feet  in  thickness.  There  are  known 
to  be  two  other  beds  which  have  a  workable  thickness  at  various  points. 

"The  coal  produced  in  this  field  possesses  excellent  qualities  for  domestic 
purposes  and  is  known  throughout  the  plains  region  as  the  type  of  that  class  of 
fuel.  In  burning  it  does  not  coke,  but  produces  a  bright  flame  and  leaves  but  a 
small  amount  of  very  light  ash.  When  ground  to  a  fine  powder  and  ignited  in  a 
crucible  it  forms  a  slightly  coherent  mass.  The  fine  coal  and  the  culm  make 
excellent  steam  fuel,  the  demand  for  these  sizes  being  fully  equal  to  the  supply  from 
the  mines.  In  general  the  coal  of  this  field  may  be  considered  as  the  transition 
type  between  the  lignitic  coals  of  the  South  Platte  field  and  the  more  highly  al- 
tered coals  of  the  Raton  field. 

"The  product  of  this  field  is  used  mainly  for  domestic  purposes,  being  shipped 
to  the  markets  as  far  east  as  the  Missouri  River. 

"The  main  line  of  the  Denver  and  Rio  Grande  Railway  passes  through  Canon, 
branches  being  Iniilt  to  the  mines.  The  Santa  Fe  also  has  branch  lines  reaching 
the  field. 


470  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

SOUTH    PLATTE   FIELD 

"This  field  consists  of  a  continuous  strip  of  coal-bearing  rocks,  beginning  a 
few  miles  north  of  Colorado  Springs  and  extending  thence  nearly  to  the  north 
line  of  the  state.  The  western  limit  is  detined  by  the  upturned  strata  in  the  foot- 
hills of  the  Front  Range,  along  which  the  field  extends  for  a  distance  of  140 
miles.  The  width  of  the  field  averages  about  40  miles.  The  limits  thus  defined 
are  those  given  by  Air.  Hills  in  the  articles  before  mentioned  (R.  C.  Hills,  geolo- 
gist of  the  Colorado  Fuel  and  Iron  Company),  and  the  area  outlined  is  a  con- 
servative estimate  of  the  extent  of  the  Laramie  formation  containing  coal  seams 
of  economic  value.  The  great  area  east  of  this  line  in  northeastern  Colorado 
contains,  with  local  exceptions,  only  coal  of  an  inferior  grade. 

'"The  productive  portion  of  the  field,  which  comprises  about  one-sixteenth  of 
the  total  area,  is  divided  into  six  districts.  The  most  southern  is  located  im- 
mediately north  of  Colorado  Springs  and  includes  that  portion  of  the  Palmer 
Lake  divide  which  is  drained  by  the  tributaries  of  the  Arkansas  River.  North 
of  this  there  are  no  mines  operated  for  a  distance  of  54  miles.  The  mining 
districts  northwest  of  Denver,  at  Boulder,  Marshall,  Erie,  Lafayette  and  Louis- 
ville, form  the  northern  group.  The  non-producing  eastern  half  of  the  field  and 
a  wide  strip  through  the  center  have  not  been  divided  into  districts,  and  may  be 
considered  at  present  as  inaccessible  on  account  of  the  depth  of  the  beds  from 
the  surface,  lack  of  railroad  transportation,  or  the  inferiority  of  the  coal  to  that 
elsewhere  produced. 

"The  coal-bearing  rocks  are  assigned  to  the  Laramie,  their  total  thickness 
ranging  from  i.ooo  to  1,200  feet.  The  workable  coal  beds  are  included  within 
the  lower  half  of  the  measures. 

"The  strata  along  the  western  edge  of  the  South  Platte  field  are  steeply  up- 
turned along  the  base  of  the  range,  but  rapidly  flatten  out  toward  the  east.  There 
are,  however,  gentle  undulations  through  the  body  of  the  field,  their  axes  extend- 
ing parallel  with  the  axis  of  the  range.  The  inclination  of  the  beds  along  this 
western  border  depends  upon  the  extent  to  which  the  strata  have  been  removed 
by  erosion  and  ranges  in  the  northern  district  from  nearly  horizontal  to  over- 
turned strata,  with  a  general  easterly  dip.  The  strata  at  the  southern  end  of  the 
field  have  a  northward  dip  of  about  9°.  Faulting  is  generally  confined  to  the 
northern  district,  in  which  there  are  numerous  displacements,  often  of  such 
magnitude  as  to  prevent  the  extension  of  mine  workings.  The  occurrence  of 
eruptive  rocks  is  limited  to  the  small  flow  near  Golden,  on  the  western  edge, 
and  a  small  patch  at  Castle  Rock,  near  the  center  of  the  field. 

"So  far  as  known,  there  are  from  one  to  four  coal  beds  in  the  field,  from  two 
to  four  being  formed  in  the  southern  district  and  in  the  southern  part  of  the 
northern  district,  and  one  in  the  rest  of  this  district.  These  beds  vary  from  3 
to  16  feet  in  thickness,  the  greatest  development  being  in  the  center  of  the  field. 

"The  character  of  the  coal  is  essentially  lignitic,  with  local  variations,  though 
quite  removed  in  structure  from  true  lignite,  since  it  mines  in  blocks  which  show 
the  even  fracture  of  "block"  coal.  It  has  a  black  color  and  a  brilliant  luster.  It 
slacks  rapidly  upon  exposure  to  the  air  and  is  therefore  not  adapted  for  storage 
or  long  transportation.  The  best  grade  of  fuel  is  produced  from  that  portion 
of  the  field  in  which  the  strata  have  been  subjected  to  movement.     This  is  the 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  471 

western  edge  of  the  northern  district,  where  the  strata  are  steeply  upturned. 
The  poorest  coal  is  produced  in  the  southern  district.  The  coal  found  in  the 
upper  half  of  the  measures  contains  too  many  impurities  to  enter  into  competi- 
tion with  that  from  the  lower  half. 

"On  account  of  the  excessive  moisture  content  of  these  coals  their  use  is 
entirely  confined  to  the  markets  in  the  immediate  vicinity,  where  they  have  a 
large  consumption  for  domestic  and  steam  purposes,  the  low  cost  as  compared 
with  the  coals  of  higher  calorific  value  from  the  more  remote  fields  of  the  state 
being  greatly  in  their  favor. 

"The  proximity  of  the  northern  district  to  Denver,  which  is  the  most  im- 
portant market  of  the  state,  has  induced  the  development  of  a  large  number  of 
mines  along  the  western  border  of  this  district,  where  the  coal  can  be  reached 
either  from  the  outcrop  or  by  short  shafts.  The  great  thickness  of  the  overlying 
beds  in  the  Denver  Basin  has  thus  far  prevented  the  operation  of  any  mines  in 
the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  city. 

"The  mines  of  the  southern  district  are  reached  by  branches  of  the  Colorado 
Southern  and  Chicago,  Rock  Island  &  Pacific  railroads,  those  of  the  northern  by 
the  Colorado  Southern,  Union  Pacific  and  Burlington  systems. 

COMO  FIELD 

"Located  in  Park  County,  in  the  most  southern  of  the  interrange  series  of 
parks,  is  a  strip  of  Laramie  strata,  21  miles  long  and  from  3  to  5  miles  wide, 
which  comprises  one  of  the  most  valuable  fields  of  the  state. 

"Only  one-half  of  this  area  can  be  considered  available  on  account  of  the  in- 
trusion of  an  eruptive  mass  which  limits  the  workable  area  on  the  south.  The 
northern  end  is  badly  faulted,  which  makes  the  cost  of  production  excessive. 
The  inclination  of  the  beds  along  the  western  outcrop  ranges  from  30°  to  50° 
through  the  workable  area.  The  eastern  border  is  obscured  by  the  overlying  post- 
Laramie  beds. 

"The  coal  bed  as  developed  in  No.  5  opening  contains  from  5  to  8  feet  of  coal 
in  the  lower  bench  and  2  feet  in  the  upper,  separated  by  from  8  inches  to  3  feet 
of  shale.  A  mile  south  of  this  opening  there  is  a  bed  containing  4J4  feet  of  coal. 
Whether  or  not  these  openings  are  on  the  same  bed  has  never  been  determined. 
The  coal  cokes  strongly  and  mades  an  excellent  locomotive  fuel. 

NORTH    PARK    FIELD 

"This  field  comprises  nearly  the  entire  area  of  the  most  northern  of  the  inter- 
range parks  of  the  state,  extending  from  its  northern  end  as  far  south  as  the 
divide  separating  the  drainage  of  this  park  from  that  of  Middle  Park.  The 
measures  through  the  center  of  the  area  are  covered  by  post-I.aramie  beds  of 
considerable  thickness.  The  beds  outcropping  on  the  northern  edge  of  the  park 
have  a  slight  dip  to  the  south  for  a  short  distance,  when  they  gradually  assume 
a  northern  dip,  owing  to  the  presence  of  an  anticlinal  fold,  the  beds  on  each  side 
of  which  have  an  inclination  of  about  15°. 

"There  are  in  this  field  apparently  three  workable  beds,  all  remarkably  free 
from  shaly  impurities  and  of  considerable  size.  The  largest  is  from  21  to  32 
feet  thick,  another  is  15  feet,  and  the  third  is  from  4  to  5  feet. 


472  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

"The  character  of  the  coal  is  essentially  the  same  as  that  of  coals  in  the 
South  Platte  held,  namely,  lignitic,  but  not  true  lignite. 

"This  is  the  least  developed  field  in  the  state,  the  only  openings  being  for  the 
supply  of  the  ranches  in  the  immediate  vicinity.  The  region  is  so  remote  from 
markets,  and  the  probability  of  railroad  extension  into  the  district  so  slight,  that 
there  is  no  immediate  prospect  of  its  development. 

YAMPA    FIELD 

"This  field  lies  altogether  on  the  drainage  of  the  Yampa  River.  For  the 
sake  of  convenience,  however,  a  portion  of  the  Rawlins  field  of  Wyoming,  lying 
within  Colorado,  on  the  drainage  of  the  Little  Snake  River,  is  included  in  this 
description.  Indeed,  it  is  quite  probable  that  the  two  fields  are  continuous  under 
the  great  thickness  of  post-Laramie  beds  which  occupy  the  high  ground  between 
the  two  exposures.  This  field  is  situated  but  a  few  miles  north  of  the  Grand 
River  field,  the  two  being  separated  by  a  small  eroded  anticlinal  valley  from  the 
sides  of  which  the  strata  of  the  two  fields  dip  in  opposite  directions,  doubtless 
at  one  time  having  been  connected.  There  is  a  small  area  of  coal-bearing  meas- 
ures on  the  top  of  the  Flat  Top  Mountains,  a  short  distance  west  of  the  main 
field,  containing  about  80  square  miles  of  coal  measures,  with  an  average  thick- 
ness of  not  more  than  100  feet,  in  which  four  coal  beds,  from  4  to  5  feet  in 
thickness,  have  been  discovered.     This  area  is  at  present  practically  inaccessible. 

"There  has  been  very  little  development  done  in  the  main  field — by  no  means 
enough  to  determine  with  accuracy  the  number  of  coal  beds  or  the  character  of 
the  coals,  except  at  a  few  localities.  There  are  no  mines  operated  other  than 
the  small  banks  which  supply  the  ranches.  The  field  has  no  railroad  connection 
to  render  the  coals  accessible  to  markets. 

"Both  the  Laramie  and  the  post-Laramie  formations  are  coal  bearing  in  this 
field,  and  the  same  uncertainty  exists  here  as  in  the  Grand  River  field  in  deter- 
mining the  exact  limit  between  the  generally  shaly  Montana  formation  below  and 
the  sandstones  of  the  Laramie.  The  total  thickness  of  the  Laramie  cannot,  how- 
ever, be  far  frorli  2,000  feet. 

"The  disturbances  determining  the  structure  of  the  field  were  those  associated 
with  the  principal  orographic  movements  and  those  connected  with  the  later 
period  of  eruptive  activity.  The  former  resulted  in  the  production  of  two  folds, 
one  along  the  southern  border,  extending  east  and  west,  the  measures  adjacent  to 
which  are  inclined  from  45°  to  50°  to  the  north,  and  the  second  fold  on  the 
northeastern  border,  parallel  with  the  a.xis  of  the  Park  Range.  The  measures  at 
this  point  dip  from  10°  to  15°  to  the  southwest.  The  eflfect  of  the  eruptions  is 
confined  to  local  dislocation  and  upturning.  The  area  thus  aft'ected  is  limited, 
with  the  exception  of  an  intrusive  sheet  on  Elk  Head  Creek,  to  the  portion 
along  the  northern  border  of  the  state. 

"The  coal  beds  of  the  Yampa  field  have  been  exposed  at  a  number  of  points 
along  its  northern  border,  but  there  has  not  been  enough  work  done  to  determine 
with  accuracy  the  number  of  beds  contained  in  the  field.  A  bed  73^2  feet  in 
thickness  has  been  exposed  on  Elk  Head  Creek,  and  a  few  miles  farther  down 
that  stream  are  two  small  beds  of  anthracite.  This  character  is  doubtless  very 
local,  depending  upon  the  presence  of  a  sheet  of  eruptive  rock.     About  8  miles 


HISTORY  OF  COr.ORADO  473 

southeast  two  beds  have  been  exposed,  one  of  anthracite,  from  7  to  10  feet  thick, 
and  160  feet  above  it  a  seam  of  semi-coking  coal  5  feet  in  thickness.  The  degree 
of  alteration  depends  upon  the  nearness  of  an  intrusive  sheet,  which  at  one 
point  approaches  the  upper  bed,  producing  anthracite,  and  leaving  the  lower  bed 
semi-coking.  Along  the  Yampa  River  the  coal  is  exposed  at  three  places.  Near- 
est the  head  of  the  river  the  exposure  shows  a  bed  17  feet  in  thickness.  On  Oak 
Creek,  at  the  eastern  extremity  of  the  field,  there  are  four  workable  beds  exposed, 
the  lowest  being  10  feet  thick. 

"Prospecting  on  the  Little  Snake  River  has  developed  a  bed  11  feet  thick, 
above  which  is  another,  not  always  of  workable  thickness.  The  coal  in  these 
beds  very  closely  resembles  the  celebrated  Rock  .Spring  coal,  which  is  an  excel- 
lent domestic  fuel.  There  are  several  small  beds  higher  up  in  the  measures  (one 
containing  anthracite),  none  of  which  are  of  workable  thickness  at  the  points 
exposed. 

"The  post-I.aramie  strata  contain  several  beds  of  lignitic  coal,  which  wi)l  not 
be  developed  until  the  coals  of  the  underlying  measures  are  exhausted,  although 
at  present  there  are  several  small  banks  operated  on  the  beds  of  these  measures. 
One  bed  worked  near  the  town  of  Craig  is  4  feet  in  thickness,  and  another,  near 
Hayden.  is  a  little  thicker. 

GRAND   RIVER    FIELD 

"This  is  prospectively  the  most  valuable  field  of  the  state,  both  because  of  its 
extent  and  because  of  the  varied  character  of  the  coals  which  it  contains.  It 
forms  the  eastern  extension  of  the  Green  River  Basin,  while  the  Wasatch  field 
of  Utah  forms  the  western  extension.  It  extends  from  the  state  line  eastward 
to  the  base  of  Mount  Wheatstone,  near  Crested  Butte,  a  distance  of  150  miles, 
and  from  the  drainage  of  the  Yampa  River  on  the  north  to  the  Gunnison  River 
on  the  south,  a  distance  of  over  100  miles. 

"The  productive  area  has  been  divided  into  a  number  of  separate  districts, 
viz :  Crested  Butte,  Baldwin,  and  Ruby,  in  the  southeastern  portion ;  Coal  Basin 
and  Jerome  Park,  innnediately  north  and  separating  the  former  from  the  Grand 
River  district.  These  arc  the  only  portions  of  the  field  now  reached  by  railroads, 
and  only  a  small  portion  of  the  accessible  areas  of  these  districts  has  been  devel- 
oped. At  the  northeastern  edge  of  the  §e!d  there  is  a  still  larger  area,  at  present 
non-productive,  which  contains  extensive  reserves  of  coal. 

"The  thickness  of  the  coal-bearing  Laramie  varies  from  2,000  feet  along  the 
southwestern  border  to  3,500  feet  near  the  mines  of  Coal  Ridge,  on  Cjrand 
River.  The  exact  limiting  beds  are  very  hard  to  define  at  all  points,  and  the 
change  from  the  predominantly  shaly  beds  of  the  Montana  to  the  sandstones 
which  comprise  the  greater  part  of  the  Laramie  is  so  gradual  that  an  arbitrary 
dividing  line  has  been  established  at  the  massive  sandstone  immediately  under 
the  lowest  of  the  coal  beds.  The  determination  of  the  summit  of  the  Laramie  is 
equally  difficult. 

"As  elsewhere  in  the  Rocky  Mountain  region,  the  structure  of  the  field  has 
been  produced  by  two  agencies,  first,  the  mountain-forming  movement,  and  sec- 
ond, the  post-Cretaceous  eruptive  activity.  Most  of  the  eruptions  occurred  in 
the  southern  h;\lf  of  the  field. 


474  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

"The  number  of  coal  beds  in  this  field  varies  considerably  in  the  different 
localities.  In  the  eastern,  southern,  northern  and  southwestern  areas  from  two 
to  four  beds  of  workable  size  are  known,  while  through  the  central  tract  and 
along  the  northwestern  border  there  are  from  5  to  7  beds,  containing  a  total  of 
from  22  to  106  feet  of  clean  coal. 

"The  character  of  the  coal  invariably  depends  on  the  presence  or  absence 
of  intrusive  eruptive  rocks  and  on  their  relation  to  the  several  coal  seams.  The 
coal  along  the  northern  border  of  the  field  is  nearly  all  semi-bituminous,  while 
that  in  the  southern  half  varies  from  semi-bituminous  to  anthracite.  The  gradu- 
ation is  well  shown  on  Slate  River,  where  the  mines  at  Crested  Butte  are  located 
upon  a  zone  of  coking  coal  less  than  one  mile  in  width  which  grades  on  one  side 
into  semi-coking  and  on  the  other  into  anthracite.  The  coke  made  from  the 
coals  of  the  Coal  Basin  district  is  superior  to  any  produced  in  the  Rocky  Moun- 
tain region,  being  remarkably  similar  to  the  Connellsville  (Pa.)  product,  both  in 
chemical  composition  and  in  physical  structure. 

"The  various  parts  of  this  field  which  are  at  present  productive  are  reached 
by  branches  of  the  Denver  and  Rio  Grande  and  Colorado  Southern  railroads. 
These  roads  carry  the  product  to  the  markets  of  the  eastern  portion  of  the  state 
or  deliver  it  to  the  other  roads  that  convey  it  to  the  markets  as  fer  west  as  San 
Francisco. 

LA  PLATA  FIELD 

"This,  the  southernmost  of  the  fields  on  the  western  slope  of  the  Rocky 
Mountains,  is  located  in  the  southwestern  part  of  the  state  and  extends  thence 
into  New  Mexico  and  Utah.  Hence  the  state  lines  form  portions  of  both  the 
southern  and  western  boundaries  of  the  Colorado  field.  The  other  boundaries 
are  well  defined,  topographically,  by  a  line  cf  high  bluffs  resulting  from  the  ero- 
sion of  the  underlying  soft  marine  beds. 

"The  extent  of  the  field  along  the  southern  state  line  is  85  miles,  north  of 
which  it  extends  about  15  miles,  giving  a  superficial  area  of  1,250  square  miles  in 
which  the  coal-bearing  strata  are  either  exposed  and  accessible  or  covered  by 
later  deposits.  The  drainage  channels,  consisting  of  the  San  Juan,  Piedra,  Los 
Pinos,  Florida,  Animas,  La  Plata  and  Mancos  rivers,  have  cut  deep  canyons 
across  the  field  and  deeply  notched  the  northern  margin. 

"There  are  two  productive  districts,  the  Durango  and  the  La  Plata.  The  first 
is  located  near  the  town  of  that  name,  and  its  product  is  entirely  coking  coal. 
The  La  Plata  adjoins  it  on  the  west.  There  are  several  non-producing  districts 
which  will  doubtless  be  developed  as  this  part  of  the  state  becomes  more  thickly 
settled. 

"There  are  in  this  basin  two  distinct  coal-bearing  horizons,  both  of  which  are 
probably  in  rocks  of  Montana  age.  In  the  upper  series  massive,  light-colored 
sandstones  predominate,  while  the  lower  series  consists  of  thin-bedded  sandstones 
with  numerous  bands  of  shale. 

"The  inclination  of  the  strata  along  the  northern  border  of  the  basin  varied 
from  nearly  horizontal  at  each  end  to  36°  on  the  Animas  River  near  the  center 
of  the  northern  margin.  This  high  angle  is  confined  to  the  upper  series.  The 
lower  has  not  been  aflFected  to  so  great  an  extent  by  the  flexure  caused  by  the 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  475 

upheaval  of  the  La  Plata  Mountains,  which  are  adjacent  to  this  part  of  the  field 
on  the  north.  There  are  no  bodies  of  eruptive  rocks  of  any  magnitude  within 
the  area,  though  the  great  La  Plata  Mountain  eruption  doubtless  had  a  decided 
effect  upon  the  character  of  the  coal  along  the  northern  border. 

"The  upper  series  contains  a  great  aggregate  thickness  of  coal  at  all  points 
along  its  outcrop.  The  individual  seams,  however,  vary  to  a  marked  extent.  At 
one  point  in  the  Durango  district  there  is  a  total  of  80  feet  of  coal  in  100  feet 
of  strata.  This  marks  the  thinnest  point  of  the  intervening  beds  of  clay  and 
shale  which  a  few  miles  to  the  east  have  separated  the  coal  into  four  distinct 
beds.  The  lowest  is  four  feet  thick  and  is  separated  by  100  feet  of  barren  strata 
from  a  bed  15  feet  thick;  this  in  turn  is  separated  by  50  feet  from  a  bed  20 
feet  thick,  which  is  80  feet  from  the  top  seam,  containing  5  feet  of  coal.  The 
seams  of  the  lower  series  are  generally  small,  the  thickest  reaching  a  total  of  but 
5  feet  of  coal. 

"The  coal  at  the  two  extremities  of  the  field  is  of  the  semi-coking  or  domestic 
variety,  while  that  of  the  central  portion  of  the  northern  border  possesses  pro- 
nounced coking  qualities.  A  few  bee-hive  evens  are  in  operation  near  Durango, 
the  coal  used  being  obtained  from  the  lower  measures,  since  none  of  that  from 
the  upper  measures  produces  a  coke.  The  southern  and  central  portions  of  this 
field  have  not  been  examined  sufificiently  to  give  any  detailed  idea  as  to  the  char- 
acter of  the  individual  seams  or  of  the  structural  features  of  that  portion  of 
the  area. 

"The  market  for  the  product  from  this  field  is  very  limited,  being  confined 
almost  entirely  to  the  mining  towns  of  the  La  Plata  Mountains  and  the  smelter 
at  Durango. 

"The  Denver  and  Rio  Grande  and  the  Rio  Grande  Southern  roads  are  as  yet 
the  only  railroads  constructed  to  this  part  of  the  state,  though  as  all  of  the  can- 
yons form  practicable  routes  it  is  thought  that  one  or  more  of  the  trunk  lines 
are  contemplating  westward  extension  by  the  way  of  Durango. 

TONGUE  MESA  FIELD 

-"This  includes  a  long,  narrow,  isolated  strip  of  Laramie  measures  occupying 
the  ridge  between  the  Cimarron  and  Uncompahgre  rivers. 

"The  strata,  which  are  not  steeply  inclined,  contain  two  beds  of  workable 
thickness.  The  lower  is  from  15  to  20  feet  thick,  the  upper,  400  feet  above,  is 
5  feet  thick  and  contains  a  better  grade  of  coal.  The  coal  is  dry,  closely  resem- 
bling the  lignitic  coals  of  the  eastern  slope.  As  there  is  no  railroad  connection 
the  production  is  limited  entirely  to  the  supply  of  local  demands.  The  greater 
part  of  the  output  is  consumed  in  the  town  of  Montrose,  on  the  line  of  the  Den- 
ver and  Rio  Grande  Railroad,  about  10  miles  northeast  of  the  field. 

COAL  IN  THE  DAKOTA  FORMATION 

"At  a  number  of  places  through  the  western  part  of  the  state,  south  of  the 
Grand  River  drainage,  coal  beds  are  exposed  at  the  base  of  the  Dakota  forma- 
tion. 

"As  a  rule  these  seams  are  so  thin  and  the  coal  is  of  such  inferior  quality  that 


476  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

they  are  not  of  economic  value.  There  are,  however,  places  at  which  they  attain 
a  thickness  of  20  inches  to  3  feet,  and  owing  to  the  distance  from  the  railroads 
these  areas  are  of  value  for  local  supply,  and  several  small  mines  are  in  opera- 
tion. The  character  of  the  coal  depends  entirely  upon  the  proximity  of  some  body 
of  eruptive  rock,  the  alteration  at  two  points  having  produced  anthracite.  The 
beds  at  these  points  are  so  badly  faulted,  however,  as  to  render  the  coal  of  no 
value.  The  utilization,  in  a  large  way,  of  the  coals  from  these  areas  will  not 
take  place  until  the  coals  of  the  other  fields  of  the  state  are  nearly  exhausted." 

THE  COKE  INDUSTRY 

The  industry  of  coke-making  may  be  said  to  have  begun  in  the  State  of  Col- 
orado in  the  year  1879.  In  this  year  coke  works  were  established  at  El  Moro, 
Las  Animas  Comity,  by  the  Colorado  Coal  and  Iron  Company.  By  1883  there 
were  250  ovens  in  the  state.  This  location  was  six  miles  south  of  El  Moro  and 
near  the  New  Mexican  boundary  line.  In  1883  Colorado  was  the  only  locality 
outside  of  the  Appalachian  Basin  in  which  coking  attained  any  importance  as  an 
industry.  The  product  of  this  state  was  exceeded  only  by  that  of  Pennsylvania, 
West  Virginia,  Alabama  and  Tennessee.  The  iron  and  steel  industry  was  the 
principal  factor  in  creating  the  demand  for  coke,  also  the  smelting  of  the  ores 
of  precious  metals  and  the  high  cost  of  this  fuel  when  transported  from  the  east. 

The  principal  coking  operations  are  now  carried  on  in  the  vicinity  of  Trini- 
dad, in  the  northern  end  of  the  Raton  Alountain  region.  Considerable  quanti- 
ties of  Colorado  coke  are  produced  at  plants  forming  parts  of  establishments 
which  include  coal  mining,  iron  and  steel  manufacturing,  smelting  and  refining 
of  precious  and  semi-precious  metals.  All  the  coke  ovens  in  the  state  are  of  the 
beehive  type. 

The  following  statistics,  from  the  year  1880,  which  are  taken  from  the  annual 
reports  of  the  U.  S.  Geological  Survey,  will  exhibit  the  growth  of  the  coke  in- 
dustry in  Colorado ; 

Year  Establishments 

1880  I 

1881  2 

1882  5 

1883  7 

1884  8 

1885  7 

1886  7 

1887  7 

1888  7 

1889  9 

1890  8 

1891  7 

1892  9 

1893  8 

1894  8 

1895   9 


Coal  Used 

Coal  Produced 

Ovens 

Tons 

Tons 

Value 

200 

51,891 

25.568 

$145,226 

267 

87,508 

48,587 

267,156 

3-14 

180,549 

102,105 

476,655 

352 

224,089 

133,997 

584.578 

409 

181,968 

115,719 

409.930 

434 

208,069 

131,960 

512,162 

483 

228,060 

142,797 

569,120 

532 

267,487 

170,698 

682,778 

602 

274,212 

179,682 

716,305 

834 

299.731 

187,638 

643.479 

916 

407,023 

245,756 

959,246 

948 

452.749 

277,074 

896,984 

1. 128 

572,904 

365,920 

1,201,429 

1. 1 54 

628,935 

362,986 

1.137,488 

1. 154 

542.429 

317,196 

903.970 

1. 169 

580,584 

340,357 

940,987 

HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 


477 


Coal  Used     Coal  Produced 


Year  Establishments     Ovens 

1896   II  1,275 

1897    12  1,273 

1898   12  1,253 

1899   12  1,243 

1900   13  1,488 

1901    15  2,060 

1902    17  3.414 

1903   18  3-959 

1904   17  3,923 

1905   17  3.925 

1906  17  4,103 

1907   18  4,683 

1908   18  4,705 

1909   18  4,700 

1910   18  3,611 

191 1    16  3,606 

1912   15  3.588 

1913 IS  3.588 

1914   14  3,573 

1915   3,573 

1916 

1917   1.990 


Tons 

639.238 

616,592 

803,686 

898,207 

997,861 

1,148,901 

1,695.188 

1,776,974 

1.376.354 
2,368,365 
2,566,196 
2,388,911 
1,546,044 
1,984,985 
2,069,266 
1.810,335 
i.473,"2 

1.349.743 
1,048,251 
1,026,019 


Tons 
363.760 
342,653 
474,808 

530,424 

618,755 

671,303 

1.003,393 

1,053,840 

789,060 

1.378,824 

1,455,905 

1.421,579 

982,291 

1,251,805 
1,346,211 
1,177.023 
972,941 
879,461 
666,083 
670,938 

987.977 


Value 
1,046,306 

999,216 
1 ,230,428 

1.333.769 
1.746.732 
1,626,279 

2.754-341 
3,089,783 

2,590,251 
4.157.517 
4,504,748 
4.747.436 
3,238,888 

4.135.931 
4.273.579 
3,880,710 

3.043,994 
2,815,134 
2,203,031 
2,242,453 


Prior  to  1912  the  statistics  for  Utah  are  included  with  those  of  Colorado. 


CHAPTER  XXIII 
AGRICULTURE  IN  COLORADO 

FIRST     AGRICULTURISTS BEGINNING     OF     IMPROVED     CULTIVATION AGRICULTURAL 

DISTRICTS — THE     SAN      LUIS     VALLEY NORTHWESTERN      COLORADO — MOUNTAIN 

PARK  DISTRICTS EASTERN  COLORADO PINTO  BEANS — COLORADO   LAND  AND  SET- 
TLEMENT  PRODUCTION     OF      I917 COUNTY     AGENTS FRUIT     GROV/ING CROP 

STATISTICS 

FIRST  AGRICULTURISTS 

It  is  reasonable  to  suppose  that  the  first  agriculturists  upon  Colorado's  soil 
were  the  Cliff  Dwellers,  those  mysterious  and  interesting  people  who  lived  in  the 
southwestern  corner  of  the  state.  However,  they  were  not  skillful  farmers  and 
their  crops  consisted  merely  of  a  small  and  hard  variety  of  Indian  corn,  which 
became  sparser  every  year.  In  fact,  the  total  failure  of  this  source  of  food 
supply  is  advanced  by  some  writers  as  the  reason  for  their  disappearance  from 
the  Mesa  Verde  district.  Strange  and  cumbersome  farming  implements  have 
been  found  in  the  ruins  of  the  cliffs,  together  with  stone  affairs  for  grinding  the 
corn  into  coarse  meal,  also  burned  cobs  and  kernels  have  been  discovered  in  the 
vicinity. 

The  modern  plains  Indian,  as  known  by  the  first  white  men  in  Colorado,  de- 
pended very  little  upon  grain  for  subsistence.  The  hordes  of  buffalo  which 
ranged  over  the  plains  supplied  him  with  unlimited  quantities  of  meat,  which 
rendered  unnecessary  the  labor  of  tilling  the  soil. 

In  1840  a  colony  of  nearly  fifty  families  of  Mexicans  from  Santa  Fe  and 
other  pueblos  of  that  vicinity  made  settlements  on  the  Costilla,  the  Culebra  and 
the  Conejos,  tributary  streams  of  the  Rio  Grande,  in  the  southern  end  of  the 
San  Luis  Park,  where  the  settlements  have  prospered  until  this  day. 

The  fur-trading  period  brought  with  it  the  first  improved  attempts  at  farm- 
ing. In  the  late  '20s  and  early  '30s  small  crops  of  grain  were  raised  at  the  various 
trading  posts  on  Colorado  soil  and  in  the  years  from  1840  until  1855  the  Mex- 
ican settlers  along  the  Arkansas  River  further  developed  their  tillable  land  by 
means  of  irrigation. 

The  first  actual  settlers  to  cultivate  the  soil  within  the  present  boundaries  of 
Colorado  were  a-  party  whose  names  were  Fisher,  Sloan,  Spaulding,  Kinkaid, 
and  Simpson.  These  men  raised  a  crop  of  corn  on  the  site  of  Pueblo  in  1842. 
In  March,  1843,  '"  the  valley  of  the  Hardscrabble,  thirty  miles  from  Puetlo, 
another  crop  was  raised  by  George  S.  Simpson. 

Charles  Autobees,  a  French  half-breed,  cultivated  a  farm  at  the  mouth  of 

478 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  479 

the  Huerfano  River  about  this  time  and  "Zan"  (Alexander)  HickHn  of  Mis- 
souri, who  married  a  half-breed  daughter  of  William  Bent,  settled  on  Green- 
horn Creek  and  there,  with  peon  labor,  planted  a  large  field  with  grain  and 
vegetables.  Francis  Parkman,  who  was  at  the  site  of  the  "Pueblo"  in  1846, 
mentions  the  "great  fields  of  corn"  near  the  post,  upon  the  Arkansas  bottoms. 
These  attempts  to  raise  successful  crops  were  for  the  purpose  merely  to  supply 
the  local  needs  of  the  settlements.  Consequently,  when  the  pioneers  of  1859 
came  to  Colorado,  about  the  only  farming  district  was  along  that  portion  of  the 
Rio  Grande  lying  within  the  present  borders  of  the  state. 

The  pioneers  of  1858  and  1859  gave  little  thought  to  agriculture.  This  had 
not  been  their  purpose  in  coming  across  the  plains  to  Colorado.  Gold ! — that  was 
the  all-compelling  force  which  encouraged  them  and  induced  them  to  endure 
countless  hardships  and  dangers,  but  there  were  many  who  came  who  faced  the 
necessity  of  earning  a  living  while  they  dug  for  the  gold.  This  "many"  rapidly 
became  a  majority  and  the  land  along  the  rivers  and  streams  began  to  claim  the 
attention  of  those  in  this  predicament.  Vegetables  were  raised  almost  exclusively 
in  1859,  principally  on  the  Arkansas  River,  at  the  mouth  of  Fountain  River-,  and 
on  Clear  Creek.  Below  Golden,  on  the  last  named  stream,  David  K.  Wall  laid 
out  a  hot  bed  for  experimental  gardening  and  raised  fully  two  acres  of  vegetables, 
irrigating  his  ground  by  a  small  ditch  from  Clear  Creek.  In  i860  Wall  planted 
seven  acres  and  sold  his  vegetables  as  far  away  as  Denver.  In  1859,  also,  the 
first  irrigation  ditch  of  importance  was  built  in  the  Cache  a  la  Poudre  \^alley,  in 
Larimer  County.     Wall's  success  led  other  settlers  to  follow  his  example. 

BEGINNING  OF  IMPROVED   CULTIVATION 

Agriculture  now  had  come  into  its  own  and,  although  the  Civil  War  and  the 
Indian  troubles  seriously  retarded  the  development  of  farming  the  path  had  been 
broken  for  greater  and  more  scientific  progress.  In  i860  and  1861,  just  prior 
to  the  outbreak  of  the  Rebellion,  a  great  increase  in  cultivated  acreage  was  made 
in  Colorado,  even  in  the  face  of  the  fact  that  many  people  believed  the  land 
wholly  unfit  for  successful  agriculture.  A  writer  of  the  time,  describing  the 
agricultural  prospects  in  Colorado,  stated : 

"Agriculture  in  Colorado  is  an  entirely  diflferent  pursuit  from  what  it  is  in 
the  Eastern  States,  and  the  farmer  who  comes  to  the  state  and  enters  upon  the 
cultivation  of  the  soil  in  the  style  he  has  been  accustomed  to,  will  find  that  failure 
is  more  likely  to  result  from  his  labors  than  success.  He  has  so  much  to  unlearn. 
It  is  better  to  abandon  all  notions  and  begin  anew.  Dependent  upon  irrigation 
for  the  growth  of  his  crops,  he  must  study  the  methods  and  meet  the  requirements 
of  the  climate.  With  a  fixed  purpose  in  his  mind  to  overcome  all  the  obstacles 
that  will  daily  present  themselves  to  him,  it  will  not  be  long  before  the  new  order 
of  things  will  be  familiar  to  him.  Once  understanding  the  method,  he  may  rely 
upon  Nature  for  the  rest." 

Irrigation  was  a  subject  just  beginning  to  be  learned.  Without  knowledge 
of  it,  the  Colorado  settler  would  never  have  been  successful  in  cultivating  the 
soil  of  the  state.  Samuel  Bowles,  in  his  volume  "Across  the  Continent,"  s'peaks 
of  the  nature  of  this  territorv  as  follows: 

"The  burden  laid  upon  all  agriculture,  the  absolute  want  of  all  horticulture, 


480  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

as  yet  in  all  this  country,  are  among  its  serious  drawbacks.  The  winds,  the  sun, 
the  porous  yet  unfriable  soil,  the  long  seasons  of  no  or  inadequate  rain,  leave 
all  vegetation  gray  and  scanty,  except  it  is  in  direct  communication  with  the 
water  courses.  Trees  will  not  live  in  the  house  yards,  house  owners  can  have 
no  turf,  no  flowers,  no  fruits,  no  vegetables— the  space  around  the  dwellings  in 
the  towns  is  a  bare  sand  relieved  only  by  infrequent  mosses  and  weeds.  The 
grass  is  gray  upon'  the  plains ;  cottonwood  and  sappy  pine  are  almost  alone  the 
trees  of  the  mountain  region ;  no  hardwood  is  to  be  found  anywhere ;  and  but 
for  the  occasional  oases  by  the  streams,  and  the  rich  flowers  that  will  spring  up 
on  the  high  mountain  morasses,  the  country  would  seem  to  the  traveler  nearly 
barren  of  vegetable  life." 

This  article  was  written  in  1865  and  undoubtedly  drew  an  unfair  picture  of 
Colorado  soil.  Many  other  journals  and  newspapers  belittled  the  prospects  of 
this  western  country  at  that  time,  but  others  staunchly  maintained  that,  with 
proper  methods  and  care,  excellent  crops  could  be  raised.  The  Rocky  Mountain 
News,  in  1873,  in  refuting  some  of  the  derogatory  remarks  made  by  an  eastern 
paper,  stated:  "There  has  been  enough  of  success  at  farming  in  Colorado  to 
prove  the  contrary;  not  only  that  farming  can  be  successfully  carried  on  here, 
but  that  it  can  be  followed  with  a  larger  and  more  certain  annual  profit  tha'n  in 
any  other  part  of  the  United  States." 

After  the  close  of  the  Civil  War  in  1865  the  population  of  Colorado  increased 
60  per  cent  before  1870.  Agriculture  underwent  a  corresponding  increase.  The 
greater  part  of  the  soil  cultivation  during  this  period  was  confined  to  the  upper 
section  of  the  Arkansas  River  Valley,  to  small  spaces  in  the  San  Luis  Valley, 
and  to  certain  districts  near  the  foothills  on  the  South  Platte  and  its  tributaries. 

In  1870  the  railroads  first  came  to  Denver  and  with  them  came  the  colonists, 
bodies  of  men  organized  for  settlement  purposes.  Agriculture  and  its  kindred 
pursuits  were  strengthened  greatly  by  these  newcomers  and  the  land  in  the 
vicinity  of  their  settlements  soon  began  to  flower. 

AGRICULTURAL  DISTRICTS 

Colorado  contains  about  66,500,000  acres  of  land,  20,000,000  acres  of  which 
are  included  in  the  plains  of  the  eastern  part  of  the  state.  The  western  slope, 
the  Rio  Grande  and  San  Juan  valleys  and  the  various  parks  are,  in  addition  to 
the  plains,  excellent  lands  for  the  production  of  crops — cereals  and  fruit.  The 
soil  of  Colorado  may  be  said  to  be  deceiving;  at  least,  in  the  earlier  days  this 
w'as  true.  This  soil  is  of  granitic  origin,  has  an  abundance  of  potash,  phosphoric 
acid  and  organic  matter,  elements  which  go  to  make  up  the  ideal  ground  for 
cultivation.  However,  the  general  absence  of  quantities  of  water  rendered  this 
soil  bleak  and  bare  in  appearance,  although  the  necessary  qualities  were  yet  there, 
waiting  to  be  developed  by  the  addition  of  sufiicient  moisture.  The  soil  of  Colo- 
rado is  also  of  many  kinds,  due  to  the  different  rock  formations  from  which  it 
is  derived.  It  ranges  from  the  sandy  to  the  heavy  loam,  the  latter  known  to 
the  pioneers  as  "adobe."  Each  of  these  soils  requires  a  diff^erent  treatment  or 
process  of  cultivation  in  order  to  make  it  valuable.  Colorado  has  a  wonderful 
system  of  natural  drainage  and  irrigation,  but  notwithstanding  this  has  had  to 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  481 

be  supplemented  by  extensive  irrigation,  a  subject  treated  fully  in  another  chap- 
ter of  this  work. 

Generally  speaking,  all  the  land  lying  at  6,000  feet  altitude  or  above  requires 
irrigation,  while  that  below  the  6,000  foot  level  may  be  tilled  without  artificial 
irrigation.  The  land  upon  the  eastern  slope  of  the  state,  including  the  acres 
first  drawing  the  attention  of  the  colonists,  along  the  Arkansas  and  South  Platte 
rivers,  comes  within  the  class  of  ground  at  the  6,000  foot  level  requiring  irriga- 
tion. Similar  land  is  also  to  be  found  upon  the  western  slope,  near  the  Grand, 
Gunnison  and  Umcompahgre,  also  in  the  southwestern  part  of  the  state  in  the 
valleys  of  the  Rio  las  Animas  and  the  Rio  San  Juan.  From  Caiion  City  to  Pueblo 
the  Arkansas  River  irrigates  a  very  rich  farming  area  along  its  course;  the 
Fountain  River,  which  joins  the  Arkansas  at  Pueblo,  also  supplies  water  to  ex- 
tensive farms  along  its  shores.  This  vicinity  is  largely  devoted  to  the  cultivation 
of  vegetables,  while  Rocky  Ford,  in  the  Arkansas  Valley,  has  become  nationally 
famous  as  a  producing  ground  for  melons.  The  sugar-beet  industry  has  also 
become  an  important  one  in  the  Arkansas  Valley,  in  fact,  at  this  time,  ranking 
first  among  the  products. 

Northern  Colorado,  east  of  the  range,  is  in  the  drainage  basin  of  the  South 
Platte  River,  also  the  Cache  la  Poudre.  This  triangular  district  has  been  ap- 
propriately named  the  richest  agricultural  region  of  Colorado.  Irrigation  has 
been  introduced  extensively  into  this  area  and  has  added  incalculable  value  to 
lands  already  rich  in  productivity. 

During  the  year  1917  every  district  in  the  Poudre  Valley,  which  includes  the 
counties  of  Larimer  and  Weld,  centering  around  the  cities  of  Fort  Collins,  Gree- 
ley, Loveland,  Berthoud,  Windsor,  Eaton  and  Evans,  has  enjoyed  unequaled  pros- 
perity. In  Weld  County  alone  farmers  received  over  twenty  million  dollars  for 
the  irrigated  and  dry  land  crops.  Sugar  beets,  potatoes,  pinto  beans,  wheat,  al- 
falfa and  seed  beans  are  the  main  agricultural  products  of  this  county. 

The  farmers  of  the  St.  Vrain  Valley,  north,  east,  south  and  west  of  the 
City  of  Longmont,  easily  had  the  best  season  of  history  in  191 7.  Sugar  beets 
was  the  principal  money-maker  during  the  year,  followed  closely  by  wheat. 
Alfalfa,  beans,  potatoes  and  peas  were  also  extensively  raised. 

The  Valley  of  the  South  Platte,  about  two  hundred  and  twenty-five  miles  in 
length,  extends  from  the  Platte  Canon,  southwest  of  Denver,  to  the  northeastern 
corner  of  the  state  and  in  width  is  from  three  to  six  miles.  In  the  vicinity  of 
Denver  vegetables  are  raised  principally,  due  to  the  large  market  in  the  city  for 
this  produce.  In  other  parts  of  this  fertile  valley  cereals,  fruits,  sugar  beets  and 
hay  are  raised  with  equal  facility. 

The  western  slope  of  Colorado  is  the  great  fruit-producing  section  of  the 
state.  The  principal  fruit  is  the  apple,  while  great  quantities  of  peaches,  melons, 
potatoes,  all  kinds  of  grain  and  various  vegetables  are  also  raised  here. 

Northern  Colorado  is  essentially  the  home  of  the  potato.  Potatoes  are,  of 
course,  raised  in  all  parts  of  the  state,  but  the  district  of  which  Greeley  is  the 
market  center  has  become  noted  for  the  cultivation  of  tubers.  As  many  as 
800  bushels  of  potatoes  have  been  raised  upon  an  acre  of  Colorado  soil,  with- 
out artificial  fertilization,  and  a  yield  of  400  bushels  per  acre  is  not  at  all  un- 
common. 

Vol    1     -81 


482  HISTORV  OF  COLORADO 

THE    SAN    LUIS    VALLEY 

The  principal  district  over  the  5,000  foot  elevation  where  agriculture  is  car- 
ried on  extensively  is  the  San  Luis  \'alley,  between  the  Sangre  de  Cristo  Range 
and  the  Continental  Divide.  Here  the  elevation  averages  about  seven  thousand 
live  hundred  feet  and  the  plain  itself,  one  hundred  by  forty  miles  in  dimensions, 
includes  over  two  million  five  hundred  thousand  acres  of  tillable  ground.  Owing 
to  conditions,  however,  this  land  is  almost  wholly  dependent  upon  irrigation, 
which  is  supplied  by  the  waters  of  the  Rio  Grande  River  and  smaller  streams 
of  the  southern  part  of  the  state.  Small  grains  and  nearly  every  kind  of 
vegetable  are  produced  in  this  remarkable  section.  Something  of  the  condition 
of  the  San  Luis  Valley  during  the  year  1917  is  to  be  shown  by  the  following' 
excerpts  from  the  description  by  a  recent  writer : 

"It  was  a  long  year  of  hard  work  and  worry  for  all  hands.  Urged  by  the 
Govennnent  to  increase  production,  stockmen  and  farmers  bent  all  their  energies 
to  obey  orders.  Seed  and  feed  were  scarce  and  labor  could  not  be  had  at  critical 
times.  An  acre  of  potatoes  cost  the  farmer  this  year  $100  as  against  $30  and 
$40  in  normal  times.  An  acre  of  peas  that  formerly  cost  $6  or  $7  cost  this  year 
from  $12  to  $15.  High  prices  during  the  year  have  resulted  in  large  selling.  In 
wheat  production  the  valley  shows  a  marked  increase  over  former  years.  It  is 
estimated  that  900,000  bushels  were  raised.  Much  of  this  was  of  the  Marquis 
variety.  Oats  and  barley  yielded  well  also.  This  class  of  grain  is  all  fed  to 
valley  stock  now  instead  of  being  shipped  as  in  former  years.  Field-peas  made 
an  average  yield  this  year.  They  are  mostly  fed  by  turning  sheep  into  the  fields 
where  they  were  grown  and  later  hogs  are  turned  in  to  clean  up  any  grain  that 
the  sheep  have  lost.  In  the  southern  part  of  the  valley  many  peas  are  cut,  threshed 
and  shipped  to  Chicago  buyers.  They  make  a  first  class  soldier's  ration  and 
last  year  the  British  Government  bought  large  quantities.  Alfalfa  is  grown  with 
good  profit  in  all  parts  of  the  valley.  Two  and  sometimes  three  cuttings  are 
made,  averaging  two  and  a  half  tons  for  the  first  cutting  and  one  and  a  half 
tons  on  the  second  cutting,  which  sold  this  year  at  $20  in  the  stack.  All  alfalfa 
is  fed  at  home,  but  large  quantities  of  native  baled  hay  are  shipped  from  the  low- 
lands in  all  parts  of  the  valley  to  Colorado  Springs  and  Denver  markets. 

"The  potato  crop  of  the  valley  last  summer  was  the  largest  ever  known.  In 
Rio  Grande  County,  where  the  crop  has  been  featured  for  many  years,  there 
were  485  growers,  with  a  total  of  11,028  acres  planted  and  a  production  of  3,605 
carloads  valued  at  $4,000,000.  Conejos,  Costilla  and  Alamosa  counties  also 
produced  large  quantities  of  potatoes,  but  unfortunately  an  acute  car  shortage 
prevented  loading  and  probably  a  fourth  or  more  of  the  crop  was  lost  by  frost 
and  overheating  in  crowded  cellars." 

Northeast  of  the  San  Luis  Valley  lies  the  Wet  Mountain  Valley,  between 
the  Wet  Mountain  Range  and  the  Sangre  de  Cristo.  having  a  length  of  about 
thirty  miles  and  a  width  of  seven  miles.  This  section  is  drained  by  the  Grape 
Creek,  a  tributary  of  the  Arkansas  River.  Notwithstanding  the  fact  that  stock 
raising  is  the  principal  industry  of  this  valley,  superior  crops  of  potatoes,  alfalfa 
and  timothy  hay.  wheat,  rye,  barley,  oats  and  the  sturdier  kinds  of  vegetables 
are  produced  here. 

Agriculture  also  flourishes  in  the  Arkansas  Valley  which  lies  in  ChafTee  and 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  483 

Park  counties,  in  the  Plateau  Valley  lying  in  Mesa  and  Delta  counties  and  in  the 
Gunnison  Valley  after  the  emergence  of  that  river  from  Lost  Canon.  The  Valley 
of  the  Eagle  River  for  a  distance  of  forty  miles  from  the  confluence  with  the 
Grand,  although  narrow,  is  a  valuable  producing  ground  for  wheat,  rye,  oats, 
barley,  vegetables  and  forage  crops.  The  valleys  of  the  Roaring  Fork  and  Crystal 
rivers  constitute  another  agricultural  section,  with  an  elevation  of  from  six.  thou- 
sand five  hundred  to  eight  thousand  feet.  The  product  of  this  district  is  similar 
to  that  of  the  Eagle  River  Valley.  In  the  Montezuma  Valley,  in  Montezuma 
County,  which  is  drained  by  tributaries  of  the  San  Juan  River,  agriculture  is 
growing  rapidly.  Irrigation  is  being  developed  extensively  in  this  valley,  for 
the  production  of  various  crops,  the  principal  one  of  which  is  alfalfa.  In  La 
Plata  County,  adjoining  Montezuma,  are  the  valleys  of  the  Las  Animas,  Los 
Pinos  and  other  tributaries  of  the  San  Juan.  This  section  is  rich  in  agricultural 
possibilities  and  is  being  developed  with  Durango  City  as  the  market  center. 

NORTHWESTERN    COLORADO 

Northwestern  Colorado  is  one  of  the  sections  which  will,  in  time,  be  one  of 
the  greatest  agricultural  districts  of  the  state.  This  district  is  made  up  properly 
of  the  counties  of  Routt,  Moffat,  Rio  Blanco,  Grand  and  Jackson,  a  "veritable 
empire  of  resources  and  wealth."  Stock  raising  has  been  the  chief  industry  of 
the  northwestern  part  of  the  state,  but  agricultural  improvements  have  steadily 
increased  the  crop  production  of  these  counties.  One  writer  describes  the  ter- 
ritory in  the  following  words : 

"The  crop  value  of  northwestern  Colorado  soil  can  scarcely  be  estimated.  It 
will  never  'wear  out.'  How  deep  it  is  no  one  knows.  For  ages  the  disintegration 
of  the  mountains  poured  unchecked  tons  of  sediment  into  the  valleys,  building 
up  a  silt  and  rich  loam  strongly  impregnated  with  iron  oxides,  nitrates,  phosphates 
and  potash,  elements  which  contribute  to  the  record  crops  of  the  section. 

"Hay  is  the  staple  crop  of  the  country.  Native  grass,  timothy,  alfalfa  and 
clover  are  grown  extensively,  yielding  from  three  to  ten  tons  per  acre.  Oats, 
wheat,  rye  and  barley  are  also  grown  extensively,  all  far  surpassing  the  yields 
of  the  Eastern  States.  Potatoes  and  other  vegetables  give  abundant  yields  and 
are  of  superior  quality.  Small  fruits  are  becoming  of  extreme  importance.  Steam- 
boat Springs  strawberries  having  established  a  name  throughout  the  country. 

"Hundreds  of  new  settlers  have  come  into  the  country  during  the  past  year 
(1917)  and  there  is  room  for  thousands  more.  There  are  still  thousands  of 
acres  of  Government  and  state  land  open  to  entry,  as  fertile  and  productive  a« 
any  in  the  world." 

Northwestern  Colorado  land  is  drained  by  the  White  and  Yampa  rivers  and 
their  tributaries.  This  facility  of  irrigation,  together  with  the  present  railroad 
advantages  and  others  to  come,  insures  a  future  of  prosi)crity  for  this  part  of 
the  state. 

MOUNT.MN    r.NRK.S 

The  North  Park,  east  of  Routt  CouiUy,  with  an  elevation  of  S.CXX3  feet  and 
bounded  by  the  Continental  Divide  and  Medicine  Bow  Range  and  constituting 
Jackson   County,  is  a   mnimtain   valley  sixty  miles  long  and   thirty   miles   wide. 


484  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

Cattle  raising  is  the  chief  occupation  of  the  farmers  herein,  but  as  the  streams 
carry  bountiful  supplies  of  water  for  irrigation,  crops  of  hay,  field-peas,  oats, 
sugar  beets  and  other  products  are  annually  raised  here. 

Crossing  the  Divide  at  the  Nork  Park,  one  comes  to  Middle  Park,  a  mountain 
valley  of  greater  size  than  North  Park.  However,  owing  to  the  topography  of 
the  land  here  less  crops  are  produced,  the  ground  being  used  chiefly  for  grazing. 

The  high  mountain  parks  of  Colorado,  though,  are  becoming  more  valuable 
as  they  are  being  intelligently  developed.  It  has  not  been  so  many  years  since 
these  lands  were  recognized  only  for  their  grazing  uses,  but  now  this  same  land 
is  being  developed  either  by  dry-farming  methods  or  by  irrigating  systems.  This 
change  has  been  accomplished  by  the  knowledge,  recently  gained,  that  these 
parks  are  ideal  for  the  production  of  potatoes,  cabbage,  small  grains  and  hay. 
Such  products  from  these  mountain  parks  not  only  top  the  open  market,  but 
have  been  found  by  numerous  experiments  to  be  ideal  seed,  when  taken  to  the 
lower  parts  of  the  state  and  to  other  states.  It  is  along  these  lines  that  the  parks 
should,  and  no  doubt  will,  be  pushed. 

EASTERN   COLORADO 

The  eastern  part  of  Colorado  gives  us  an  example  of  the  great  movement  to 
reclaim  the  land  of  Colorado.  Here  is  a  vast  extent  of  valuable  ground  which, 
until  a  few  years  ago,  was  considered  fit  only  for  grazing  purposes.  Through 
the  many  years  until  the  close  of  the  year  1911  eastern  Colorado  was  considered 
a  failure,  but  in  1912  new  methods  were  introduced  in  planting  and  cultivating 
the  farm  area  and  a  good  crop  was  obtained.  The  extensive  cultivation  of  non- 
irrigated  land  in  this  district  was  begun  in  1893,  but  the  season  was  one  of 
drought  and  the  succeeding  months  of  1894  were  likewise  failures,  consequently 
the  belief  became  general  that  cultivation  of  non-irrigated  land  in  eastern  Colo- 
rado was  impossible.  Many  of  the  farmers  moved  away  and  for  years  the 
land  was  used  only  for  grazing.  In  1912  methods  of  strictly  scientific  farming 
were  evolved  by  agricultural  experts  and  the  farmers  were  encouraged  to  try 
again.  As  a  reward,  those  who  had  remained  on  their  farms  through  the  hard 
years  became  prosperous  and  happy  agriculturists,  having  learned  the  methods 
of  cultivating  their  hitherto  arid  land.  The  annual  report  of  the  Department  of 
Agriculture  for  the  year  1905  states : 

'"The  bitter  lessons  of  the  'rain-belt'  failure  lasted  for  years,  but  its  sears  at 
length  healed.  Another  wave  of  settlement  is  sweeping  over  the  plains,  includ- 
ing eastern  Colorado.  Other  settlers  are  buying  the  abandoned  farms.  This 
latest  attempt  is  not  a  repetition  of  the  first.  New  methods  are  being  tried.  Much 
has  been  learned  in  the  past  twenty  years.  Practically  every  settler  who  re- 
mained in  the  semi-arid  belt  has  been  an  experimenter  in  developing  a  kind  of 
agriculture  suited  to  the  local  conditions.  The  United  States  Department  of  Agri- 
culture has  searched  the  world  for  drought-resistant  crops,  and  it  and  the  State 
Experiment  Stations  have  conducted  extended  experiments  to  determine  their 
value  in  the  semi-arid  sections  of  America,  including  Colorado.  Independent 
investigators  have  been  working  many  years  to  adapt  old  varieties  to  semi-arid 
conditions." 

In  order  to  provide  some  sort  of  assistance  to  the  new  farmer  upon  Colorado 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  485 

soil,  the  Department  of  Agriculture  established  two  demonstration  farms  in  the 
eastern  part  of  the  state.  One  is  adjacent  to  Akron  and  the  other  near  Eads. 
These  farms  were  started  for  the  distinct  purpose  of  determining  the  proper 
kinds  of  crops  to  grow  upon  the  land,  and  principally  the  kind  of  crops  avail- 
able to  the  farmer  who  used  no  irrigating  system  of  any  kind.  Dry  farming  is 
the  main  subject  of  interest  to  the  eastern  Colorado  agriculturist  at  this  time  and 
every  year  new  ideas  are  put  into  effect  and  the  general  crops^in  quantity  and 
quality — are  thereby  greatly  benefited. 

PINTO  BEANS 

One  of  the  crops  of  Colorado  which  has  made  rapid  strides  during  the  last 
few  years  is  the  bean.  Ten  years  ago  the  production  of  dn,'  beans  in  the  state 
was  so  small  that  Colorado  was  not  given  a  place  in  the  Government  reports  in 
the  statistics  of  bean  production.  Five  years  ago  the  value  of  the  dry  bean  crop 
of  the  state  was  perhaps  less  than  $100,000.  Yet  in  1916  the  value  of  beans 
grown  in  the  state  reached  approximately  $1,700,000  and  in  1917  it  stands  at 
about  $6,500,000.  Colorado  now  has  a  place  in  the  Government  reports  as  a 
great  bean-producing  state,  and  the  principal  buyers  of  beans  throughout  the 
country  have  established  connections  in  the  state.  This  rapid  development  in 
bean  production  has  been  due  to  the  introduction  of  the  Mexican  pinto  bean 
and  to  the  war  demand  for  beans,  which  has  brought  the  pinto  into  favor  where 
it  was  formerly  unknown.  This  bean  is  well  adapted  to  the  soil  and  climate  of 
Colorado,  especially  in  the  eastern  or  non-irrigated  section.  In  some  parts  of 
eastern  Colorado  it  was  well  established  and  was  high  in  favor  so  far  as  pro- 
duction was  concerned  before  the  beginning  of  the  war.  But  there  was  only  a 
limited  market  and  prices  were  so  low  as  to  make  its  production  unprofitable.  A 
partial  failure  of  the  navy  bean  crop  in  1916,  together  with  the  heavy  war  de- 
mand, gave  the  pinto  bean  a  chance  before  the  large  bean  buyers,  including 
agents  of  the  United  States  Government.  The  result  is  that  the  pinto  bean  is 
now  selling  at  a  price  but  little  below  that  commanded  by  the  navy  variety  and 
the  production  is  steadily  approaching  a  point  equal  to  that  of  the  latter. 

COLORADO  LAND 

Colorado  is  making  a  stupendous  effort  to  encourage  settlement  upon  the  un- 
cultivated lands  of  the  state,  which  comprises  over  two-thirds  of  the  whole  area. 
Of  the  land  values  in  Colorado  and  the  possibilities  of  settlement  many  facts 
are  given  by  Edward  D.  Foster,  commissioner  of  immigration,  (Rocky  Mountain 
News,  January  i,  1918) : 

"Forty  years  ago  the  assessed  valuation  of  the  entire  state  of  Colorado,  rep- 
resenting one-third  of  the  actual  value,  was  $44,130,000,  indicating  an  actual 
valuation  for  the  state  of  $132,300,000.  In  forty  years'  time,  as  shown  by  the 
abstract  of  assessment  for  the  state  in  191 7,  its  total  valuation  has  grown  to  more 
than  $1,300,000,000,  or  approximately  ten  times  its  valuation  forty  years  ago. 
Assessment  figures,  moreover,  are  conservative  beyond  question  and  represent 
the  lowest  possible  estimate  of  value. 

"But  the  marvelous  advance  which  the  last  forty  years  have  seen  is  as  nothing 


486  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

compared  to  the  increase  which  the  next  two  decades  may  bring  if  the  settle- 
ment and  development  of  Colorado  are  pushed  scientifically  and  energetically. 
Today  we  boast  of  our  vast  areas  of  irrigated  land  and  consider  Colorado  one 
of  the  leaders  among  the  irrigated  states  of  the  West,  yet  only  3,000,000  acres, 
or  less  than  5  per  cent  of  the  total  area  of  the  state,  is  being  cultivated  under 
irrigation  today.  Only  7,000,000  acres  at  the  most  is  under  cultivation  at  all, 
and  that  figure  includes  all  lands  devoted  to  hay  as  well  as  those  devoted  to  the 
crops  demanding  a  higher  degree  of  cultivation.  In  fact,  it  is  probable  that  ex- 
cluding lands  which  lie  idle  one  year  or  another  in  the  process  of  crop  rotation, 
there  is  not  at  any  one  time  more  than  5,000,000  acres  actually  under  cultivation 
within  the  state. 

"With  a  total  assessed  valuation  of  more  than  $1,300,000,000,  Colorado  is 
farming  but  little  more  than  one-third  of  the  territory  within  her  boundaries 
which  is  capable  of  cultivation.  Conservative  estimates  made  within  the  last 
few  weeks  show  that  there  is  now  at  least  6,000,000  acres  of  privately  owned  land 
suitable  for  cultivation,  which  is  used  for  no  purpose  other  than  grazing  and  that 
there  are  2,000,000  acres  of  government  land  subject  to  homestead,  and  an  equal 
amount  of  state  land  subject  to  purchase,  making  a  total  of  10,000,000  acres 
capable  of  intensive  cultivation,  but  now  used  only  as  pasture  or  open  range. 

"Taking  $40  per  acre  as  an  extremely  low  estimate  of  the  possible  average 
crop  production  of  all  land  now  open  for  settlement,  it  is  apparent  that  the  land 
still  going  practically  to  waste  in  the  state  is  capable  of  producing  annually  no 
less  than  $400,000,000  in  crops,  or  an  amount  approximately  one-third  as  great 
as  the  total  assessed  valuation  of  the  state  for  1916. 

"But  production  is  not  the  only  direction  in  which  the  settlement  of  unoccu- 
pied lands  adds  to  the  wealth  of  the  state.  The  land  itself  will  increase  in  value 
from  its  present  average  of  about  $15  per  acre  to  an  average  of  anywhere  from 
$50  to  $150  per  acre,  adding  hundreds  of  millions  of  dollars  more  to  the  total 
of  taxable  property  within  the  state.  Moreover,  a  comparison  of  the  records  for 
1916  shows  that  with  approximately  23,000,000  acres  of  land  devoted  to  agricul- 
ture (of  which  17,000,000  is  classed  as  grazing  land  and  is  not  highly  improved), 
the  total  valuation  for  improvements  and  livestock  was  approximately  $206,000,- 
000,  or  nearly  $10  per  acre.  At  the  same  ratio  the  10,000,000  acres  of  land  now 
not  devoted  to  agriculture,  but  capable  of  cultivation,  would  add  another  $100,- 
000,000  to  the  total  valuation  of  the  state. 

"The  establishment  of  cities  and  towns  fellows  inevitably  in  the  wake  of  agri- 
cultural development.  Elevators,  flour  mills,  creameries,  condenseries,  sugar 
factories,  canning  plants — these  and  hundreds  of  other  industries  come  naturally 
and  necessarily  to  communities  that  are  producing  the  raw  material  and  add 
hundreds  of  millions  to  the  total  of  the  state's  wealth. 

"The  possibilities  which  reveal  themselves  as  one  studies  the  future  of  Colo- 
rado are  enough  to  stagger  belief,  but  they  are  no  greater  than  that  which  has 
already  been  accomplished  in  the  forty  j-ears  in  which  Colorado  has  grown  from 
nothing  to  a  wealth  of  over  $1,000,000,000. 

"Two  problems — settlement  and  transportation — present  the  only  means  by 
which  the  vast  possibilities  of  the  state  may  be  realized,  and  in  reality  the  two 
problems  are  but  one,  for  transportation  facilities  will  follow  as  the  settlement  of 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  487 

« 
the  state  progresses  and  freight  tonnage  is  produced  from  the  lands  which  now 
produce  notliing. 

"Irrigation,  which  now  admittedly  can  be  developed  but  little  ^iiore  in  the 
thickly  populated  valleys  of  the  state,  offers  tremendous  opportunities  in  the 
northwestern,  southwestern  and  eastern  sections.  In  Mofifat  and  Rio  ISlanco 
counties,  in  northwestern  Colorado,  there  are  still  large  volumes  of  water  which 
may  be  diverted  for  direct  irrigation  and  which  wait  only  on  settlement  to  be- 
come realities.  The  same  condition  exists  in  Montezuma  County  and  neighboring 
vicinities  of  the  southwest,  but  there,  as  in  the  northwest,  the  transportation  prob- 
lem is  an  element  of  vital  importance.  Liberal  colonization  work  will  result  in 
the  settlement  of  the  lands  to  such  an  extent  that  railroads  will  be  tempted  to 
spread  their  tentacles  into  all  parts  of  the  district  regardless  of  cost  of  construc- 
tion and  operation.  In  eastern  Colorado  the  problem  possibly  can  be  solved 
only  by  the  development  of  reservoir  storage  to  an  even  greater  degree  than  it 
has  attained  at  the  present  time,  but  even  without  irrigation  the  lands  of  eastern 
Colorado,  fanned  under  modern  and  scientific  methods  and  with  a  knowledge 
of  the  needs  of  that  variety  of  agriculture,  are  paying  well  today  in  comparison 
with  their  cost  and  the  cost  of  farming.  They  are  capable  of  more  intensive  cul- 
tivation and  of  subdivision  into  smaller  tracts,  but  these  things  are  matters  which 
must  and  will  work  out  slowly  and  surely  as  the  settlers  learn  by  experience. 

"The  progress  of  immigration  is  well  demonstrated  by  the  fact  that  within 
the  past  year  settlers  have  filed  on  more  than  4,000,000  acres  of  government  lands 
within  the  state,  and  have  purchased  more  than  131,500  acres  of  state  lands. 
Year  by  year  the  possibilities  of  Colorado's  soil  and  Colorado's  unexcelled  climate 
are  becoming  known  in  less  favored  parts  of  the  United  States  and  the  intelli- 
gent, progressive  young  men  of  the  East  and  Middle  West,  searching  for  cheaper 
lands  where  their  own  efforts  may  count  for  more,  are  turning  by  hundreds  to 
Colorado.  Land  which  but  ten  years  ago  was  considered  of  no  possible  use  save 
for  grazing,  is  coining  under  the  plow  and  being  made  to  produce  and  to  add 
millions  to  the  nation's  storehouse  of  wealth." 

PRODUCTION    OF    I917 

The  total  output  of  Colorado  farms  and  orchards  in  191 7  was  the  largest  on 
record.  The  area  cultivated  within  the  state  was  immeasurably  larger  than  in 
any  previous  year.  The  total  value  of  farm  products,  exclusive  of  livestock, 
])oultry  and  dairying,  was  $145,562,450,  an  increase  of  more  than  59  per  cent 
over  any  previous  year.  The  national  agitation  for  increased  production  has 
been  the  stimulus  for  this  remarkable  growth,  a  strong  desire  to  do  everything 
possible  to  win  the  war  against  the  Germanic  empire.  No  state  has  shown  a 
greater  percentage  of  increase  in  the  area  cultivated.  The  total  area  given  over 
to  crops  of  various  kinds  in  1917  was  about  five  million  acres,  an  increase  of  13 
per  cent  over  any  previous  year. 

This  record  was  made  despite  the  fact  that  conditions  were  not  favorable  for 
the  maximum  agricultural  production.  In  some  sections  the  rainfall  was  un- 
usually light  after  June  5th  and  crops  grown  without  irrigation  were  below  the 
average. 

Tlay  is  Colorado's  principal  croj).  both  in  acreage  cultivated  and  total   value. 


488  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

In  1917  about  1,420,000  acres  of  land  were  devoted  to  this  crop.  This  includes 
970,000  acres  of  what  is  known  as  tame  or  cultivated  hay,  including  alfalfa,  timo- 
thy, alsike,  sweet  clover  and  millet,  and  about  450,000  acres  of  wild  hay,  including 
salt  or  prairie  grass,  bluestem  and  a  large  variety  of  natural  grasses.  The  total 
yield  of  hay  in  1917  is  estimated  at  2,691,000  tons,  being  the  largest  in  the  history 
of  the  state.  At  current  prices  it  is  worth  to  growers  about  $42,517,800.  This 
crop  was  worth  more  than  the  wheat  and  corn  crops  combined,  the  latter  two 
ranking  next. 

The  state's  wheat  crop  in  1917  amounted  to  approximately.  13,536,000  bushels, 
which  is  the  largest  ever  produced,  with  the  exception  of  191 5,  when  the  pro- 
duction was  estimated  at  13,770,000  bushels.  The  Department  of  Agriculture 
found  the  average  price  of  wheat  in  Colorado  to  the  farmers  to  be  $1.87  per 
bushel  on  November  i,  1917. 

The  acreage  cultivated  to  corn  in  191 7  was  the  largest  ever  devoted  to  that 
crop  in  Colorado.  The  Department  of  Agriculture  placed  the  area  for  grain  other 
than  wheat  in  the  state  last  year  at  532,000  acres,  which  yielded  10,600,000 
bushels. 

COUNTY    AGENTS 

In  the  spring  of  1912  the  board  of  directors  of  the  Logan  County  High 
School  conceived  the  idea  of  a  teacher  of  agriculture  in  their  school.  After  de- 
tails had  been  perfected  and  arrangements  made,  on  October  ist  of  the  same 
year,  D.  C.  Bascom  was  made  county  agent  under  a  cooperative  agreement  be- 
tween the  Bureau  of  Plant  Industr)',  U.  S.  Department  of  Agriculture,  the  com- 
missioners of  Logan  County,  the  board  of  directors  of  the  county  high  school 
and  the  State  Agricultural  College.  Other  counties  rapidly  followed  the  precedent 
established  by  Logan  County.  Saguache,  Rio  Grande,  Conejos  and  Costilla  in 
the  San  Luis  Valley  organized  in  December  and  El  Paso  County  shortly  before. 
In  the  meantime,  D.  W.  Frear  had  been  employed  by  the  Bureau  of  Plant  In- 
dustry and  the  State  Agricultural  College  to  act  as  "state  leader,"  with  head- 
quarters at  the  college.  The  Nineteenth  General  Assembly  passed  a  bill  granting 
to  the  commissioners  of  each  county  in  the  state  the  right  to  employ  county  agri- 
culturists and  to  levy  funds  for  such  work  and,  further,  to  make  special  investi- 
gations whenever  any  agricultural  industry  of  the  country  was  threatened  by 
disease  or  insect  pest.  This  bill  was  signed  by  the  governor  April  13,  191 3. 
Pueblo  County  was  the  next  to  organize,  then  came  Prowers,  Mesa,  Boulder, 
Morgan,  La  Plata,  Montezuma,  Adams,  Kit  Carson,  Lincoln,  Las  Animas,  Gar- 
field, Fremont,  Douglas,  Huerfano,  Weld,  Delta,  Arapahoe,  Jefferson,  Montrose, 
Moffat,  Routt,  Larimer  and  Sedgwick. 

FRUIT  GROWING 

The  science  of  fruit  growing  in  its  most  successful  phases  is  nowhere  better  ex- 
emplified than  in  Colorado.  This  division  of  agriculture  has  increased  amazingly 
since  the  territorial  days,  the  greatest  progress  having  been  made  during  the 
last  quarter  century.  William  E.  Pabor,  in  the  publication  "Colorado  as  an  Agri- 
cultural State,"  1883,  stated: 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  489 

"Fruit  growing  is  in  its  infancy  in  Colorado,  but  it  promises  to  be  an  industry 
of  some  importance.  When  it  is  known  how  they  can  be  grown  there  will  be  no 
trouble  to  raise  fruits  of  all  kinds.  It  is  with  the  horticulturists  of  the  state  as 
it  is  with  the  child  learning  to  walk.  Steps  are  feeble  and  uncertain  at  first 
*  *  *  Ten  years  ago  a  fruit  grower  in  Boulder  County,  in  the  month  of  April, 
looked  over  what  was  then  an  extensive  orchard  for  Colorado,  and  saw  over 
three  hundred  peach  trees,  besides  apple,  pear,  plum  and  cherry  trees,  destroyed, 
so  far  as  that  year  was  concerned,  by  the  cold,  severe  winds  that  swept  down  the 
valley  as  late  as  the  22d  of  the  month.  He  saw,  in  addition,  the  canes  of  his 
raspberries,  and  blackberries,  and  the  vines  of  his  grapes  killed  to  the  ground. 
Surely  such  a  sight  would  be  enough  to  discourage  the  most  ardent  fruit  grower. 
Mene,  mene,  tekel,  upharsin  seemed  written  of  the  country,  so  far  as  fruit  was 
concerned.  But  this  courageous  man  did  not  say  so.  *  *  *  Returning  to  his 
sitting-room,  Joseph  Wolff,  of  Boulder,  wrote  as  follows:  'Notwithstanding  the 
disastrous  results  of  last  winter  and  this  spring  on  the  various  kinds  of  trees  and 
vines,  there  is  no  need  for  anyone  to  be  discouraged.  Fruit  culture  is  a  system 
of  experimenting,  and  must  for  many  years  be  largely  in  that  condition,  until 
experience  shall  determine  what  varieties  to  plant,  the  soil  required,  the  proper 
tillage,  the  effect  of  irrigation,  mulching,  fertilizers  and  other  equally  important 
matters.  *  *  *  ]\fy  Q^y^  opinion  is  that  Colorado  will  yet  rival  any  of  the 
Middle  States  in  the  production  of  fruit,  and  for  one  I  propose  to  keep  on  trying 
until  I  succeed ;  not  in  getting  a  few  bushels  of  little,  knotty,  sickly  trash,  but 
an  abundance  of  large  and  luscious  fruits  of  all  the  hardier  varieties.     *     *     *' 

"The  same  year,  at  a  Farmers'  club,  held  in  Denver,  one  of  the  speakers 
said :  T  have  twenty-five  varieties  of  apples,  ten  of  pears,  five  of  cherries,  and 
ten  of  plums.  There  were  a  few  killed  last  winter,  the  season  being  the  hardest 
on  trees  I  have  ever  known  in  this  country.  But  I  think  that  apples  will  yet  be 
as  sure  a  crop  with  us  as  wheat.  Cherries  will  do  as  well,  provided  the  right 
variety  is  chosen,  which  should  be  none  of  the  kind  called  sweet.' " 

How  well  these  men — Mr.  Wolff  and  the  Denver  speaker — prophesied  is 
shown  by  the  rich  and  bountiful  crops  now  raised  in  Colorado. 

The  pioneers,  as  a  rule,  thought  little  of  the  possibility  of  fruit  raising. 
Other  crops  they  considered  difficult  enough,  but  fruit  was  regarded  with  fiank 
distrust.  However,  there  were  a  few  who  thought  differently.  As  early  as 
May  2,  i860,  an  item  appeared  in  a  Denve"-  newspaper,  recording  the  fact  that 
a  small  parcel  of  fruit  trees  w^s  unloaded  from  the  express  coach  and  con- 
signed to  .S.  Howe. 

After  the  Civil  War  the  tree  fruits  began  to  appear  in  the  open  markets.  Prior 
to  this  time  the  fruits  which  could  be  called  "home  grown"  consisted  of  various 
kinds  of  berries.  Writers  on  this  subject  have  always  mentioned  Jesse  Frazier, 
a  pioneer  of  1859,  as  one  of  the  most  prosperous  of  the  early  fruit  and  vegetable 
growers.  His  ranch  was  located  on  the  Arkansas  River  about  eight  miles  below 
Canon  City  and  was  the  site  of  one  of  the  most  valuable  and  largest  orchards 
in  the  state. 

Until  1890  nearly  all  the  fruit  raised  in  the  state  was  grown  in  that  part  of 
Colorado  near  the  base  of  the  eastern  mountains.  The  western  slope  was  yet 
an  undeveloped  field.  However,  about  the  date  mentioned,  the  great  possibilities 
of  the  western  slope  were  recognized  and  the  horticulturists  began  to  turn  their 


490  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

attention  in  that  direction.  The  result  has  been,  as  famiharly  known,  the  devel- 
opment of  a  fruit  growing  section  unsurpassed  in  the  country.  Apples  are  the 
staple  and  principal  product  of  this  section  and  every  year  are  produced  in 
large  and  increasing  quantities.  The  cultivation  and  marketing  of  these  fruits 
is  not  done  in  an  indifferent  manner,  but  by  a  regularly  organized  and  well 
equipped  system,  much  of  the  work  of  disposal  being  in  the  hands  of  associations. 


CHAPTER  XXIV 

DEVELOPMENT  OF  IRRIGATION 
By  John  E.  Field  (Civil  Engineer) 

FIRST    IRRIGATION FIVE    PERIODS    OF    CANAI.    CONSTRUCTION EARLIEST    CANALS — 

COMMUNITY     EFFORT CORPORATION     EFFORT PERIOD     OF     GREATEST     DEVELOP- 
MENT  THE    CAREY    ACT FAILURE    OF    STATE    MANAGEMENT FEDERAL    EFFORT 

UNDER   RECLAMATION   ACT — RESERVOIRS BEGINNING   OF    WATER    RIGHT    LAWS 

INCORPORATION    OF    CAPITOL    HYDRAULIC    COMPANY CITY   DITCH FIRST    LEGIS- 
LATION  LATER    IRRIGATION    LAWS IRRIGATION    KNOWN    TO    ANCIENT    PEOPLES 

RIPARIAN  RIGHTS INTERSTATE  RIGHTS TRANSFER   OF   WATER. 

Any  adequate  and  comprehensive  history'  of  irrigation  in  Colorado  would 
involve  a  work  comprising  many  years  of  study  and  investigation,  and  even  then 
could  not  adequately  be  handled  except  by  one  who  had  personally  seen  the 
growth  of  irrigation  from  as  early  as  1876,  the  time  when  the  state  was  ad- 
mitted to  the  Union,  until  the  present  time. 

FIRST   IRRIGATION 

It  is  difficult  to  establish  the  date  of  the  first  irrigation  in  Colorado.  The 
dates  of  priority  of  the  canals  in  the  state  in  nearly  all  of  the  districts  are  almost 
coincident  with  the  arrival  of  the  first  pioneer.  We  have,  however,  evidences 
of  canals  existing  prior  to  that  time,  evidences  of  the  existence  of  canals  said 
to  have  been  constructed  by  the  Indian  tribes  occupying  the  southerly  and  south- 
western portion  of  the  state,  also  evidence  of  canals  constructed  by  the  early 
Mexican  settlers  who  came  north  from  New  Mexico.  Zebulon  Pike,  in  the 
history  of  his  expedition,  however,  makes  no  mention  of  either  canals  or  settle- 
ment in  the  San  Luis  \';dley  or  along  the  Arkansas  We  may  assume,  there- 
fore, that  no  canals,  except  the  prehistoric  ones,  were  constructed  in  Colorado 
I)rior  to  1806. 

In  looking  over  the  list  of  priorities  in  various  sections  of  the  .state  and  if 
we  limit  this  history  to  the  growth  of  irrigation  under  modern  conditions,  that 
is  subsequent  to  the  arrival  of  the  gold  seeker  in  Colorado  in  1858,  we  find  a 
number  of  ditches  in  the  South  Platte  drainage  built  as  early  as  the  fail  of  1850, 
and  in  the  Arkansas  drainage  in  the  spring  of  1859,  or  only  one  year  after  the 
first  gold  seekers  reached  those  sections.  In  18(0  and  1861  a  great  many  ditches 
were  constructed,  while  by  iSjg  practically  all  of  tlie  available  water  for  direct 
irrigation  had  been  appropriated  on  both  drainages. 

491 


492  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

In  the  Second  Biennial  Report  of  the  State  Engineer  of  Colorado  for  1883 
and  1884  (page  23)  is  given  an  estimate  of  canal  construction  from  1864  to 
1884  inclusive.  This  shows  that  for  the  five  years,  1864  to  1868  inclusive,  there 
were  canals  constructed  of  a  capacity  of  700  cubic  feet  per  second  each  year. 
From  1869  to  1873  the  aggregate  yearly  capacity  of  canals  constructed  was  1,350 
cubic  feet  per  second.  From  1874  to  1878  it  was  1,380  cubic  feet  and  for  the 
six  years,  1879  to  1884,  the  average  of  canal  construction  aggregated  2,700  cubic 
feet  per  second  per  year.  The  canals  constructed  by  individual  effort  occupied 
the  period  1864  to  1870.  Cooperative  effort  was  dominant  1870  to  1878,  while 
the  large  development  from  1878  to  1884  was  due  principally  to  corporation 
effort. 

FIVE  PERIODS  OF    C-ANAL   CONSTRUCTION 

It  is  interesting  to  note  the  gradual  progress  of  canal  construction  from 
1858  to  the  present  time,  and  the  methods  of  development  may  be  divided  into 
five  periods. 

First,  there  was  the  individual  effort,  where  the  settler  establishing  his  home 
on  the  bank  of  a  stream  built  a  small  ditch  to  cover  his  meadow  land  and  to  in- 
crease the  production  of  the  native  grasses  which  he  found  in  the  natural 
meadows  along  the  streams.  Many  of  these  ditches  were  built  without  engin- 
eering advice,  but  the  water  was  merely  taken  from  the  stream  and  the  grade 
of  the  ditch  was  developed  to  confomi  to  the  topography  of  the  land,  and  the 
water  was  merely  turned  into  the  canal  as  constructed  and  followed  the  con- 
struction, the  builder  taking  this  very  natural  method  to  determine  the  grade. 
It  is  needless  to  say  that  these  grades  were  excessive  by  reason  of  their  usually 
very  small  capacity,  ignorance  regarding  washing  and  erosion  of  canal  banks, 
and  the  usually  heavy  fall  in  the  stream  itself.  The  early  canals  were  usually 
built  just  outside  of  the  foothills,  where  on  both  the  Arkansas  and  Platte  drain- 
ages the  fall  is  usually  about  twenty-five  feet  per  mile.  Contrary  to  general  be- 
lief, however,  engineers  were  employed,  and  we  find  that  many  of  the  older 
canals  on  Boulder  Creek  and  on  the  Big  Thompson  were  surveyed  by  Mr.  Hal 
Sayre,  at  that  time  a  mining  engineer  practicing  in  Gilpin  and  Clear  Creek  coun- 
ties. Mr.  Sayre  made  his  trips  from  the  mountains  to  the  valleys  on  ox  teams 
which  hauled  the  ore  down  and  hauled  back  hay  and  other  produce. 

EARLIEST   CANALS 

The  incentive  for  the  construction  of  the  canals  was  directly  due  to  the  large 
demand  for  hay  and  grain  in  the  mines  and  it  was  natural  that  the  hay  meadows 
and  grain  fields  would  be  developed  as  near  the  point  of  consumption  as  prac- 
ticable. We  find  on  the  South  Platte  drainage  the  earliest  canals,  according  to 
the  dates  of  decree  were  as  follows : 

The  lower  Boulder  ditch,  from  Boulder  Creek,  October  i,  1859. 

The  McBroom  ditch,  near  the  mouth  of  Bear  Creek,  November  i,  1859. 

The  Hayseed  ditch,  from  St.  Vrain  Creek,  January  i,  i860. 

The  Brantner  ditch  from  Platte  River  below  Denver,  April  r,  i860. 

The  Yeager  ditch,  from  the  Cache  la  Poudre,  June  i,  i860. 

The  Wadsworth  ditch,  from  Clear  Creek,  February  25,   i860. 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  493 

The  Platte  Water  Company  ditch,  commonly  called  the  City  ditch  and  be- 
longing to  the  City  of  Denver,  from  the  Platte  River,  November  28,  i860. 

The  Rough  and  Ready  Mill  ditch,  also  from  the  Platte  River  above  Denver, 
December  31,  i860. 

The  Berry  ditch,  from  the  upper  Platte  River  in  South  Park,  June  15,  1861. 

We  thus  see  that  within  four  years  of  the  first  arrival  of  Americans  on  the 
South  Platte,  from  nearly  all  of  the  tributary  streams  and  from  the  main  river 
itself  the  first  ditches  had  been  taken  out. 

On  the  Arkansas  River,  the  dates  of  priority  are : 

Flanagan  ditch,  from  Fountain  Creek,  April,  i860. 

Hardscrabble  ditch,  from  Hardscrabble  Creek  in  the  vicinity  of  Canon  City, 
May  I,  i860. 

The  Toof  ditch,  from  Fountain  Creek,  February  26,  i860. 

The  oldest  ditches  were  in  Districts  15  and  16. 

The  Hicklin  ditch  from  Greenhorn  Creek,  some  20  miles  south  of  Pueblo, 
in  the  spring  of  1859. 

The  Doyle  ditch,  from  the  Huerfano,  in  the  spring  of  1859. 

It  will  be  noted  that  all  of  these  earlier  ditches  were  taken  out  well  up  on 
the  stream.  In  Division  No.  i  that  portion  of  the  Platte  River  between  the 
mouth  of  the  Cache  la  Poudre  near  Greeley  and  the  Town  of  Fort  Morgan,  the 
earliest  ditch  was  the  Oakes  No.  i,  constructed  April  26,  1866,  while  in  Dis- 
trict 64,  still  farther  down  the  river,  the  South  Platte  Ditch  Company's  ditch 
was  not  constructed  until  May  i,  1872,  and  the  Keesee  ditch  in  District  67,  being 
on  the  lower  Arkansas  River,  was  not  constructed  until  March  13,  1871. 

It  is  fortunate  that  the  early  development  began  well  upon  the  streams,  for 
the  reason  that  with  the  constrtiction  of  ditches  the  return  seepage  flowing  back 
to  the  stream  has  augmented  the  flow  in  the  lower  river  and  has  developed  a 
permanent,  reliable,  and  almost  adequate  supply  for  the  later  ditches  lower  down 
on  the  streams.  It  is  unfortunate,  however,  that  the  building  of  larger  canals 
on  the  upper  stream  did  not  antedate  the  building  of  any  ditches  on  the  lower 
stream. 

COMMUNITY   EFFORT 

The  second  period  of  development  following  individual  effort  was  commu- 
nity effort,  where  several  neighbors  or  a  community  undertook  larger  works 
covering  more  land  and  extending  farther  from  the  stream.  Generally  speak- 
ing, the  first  comprehensive  and  successful  community  effort  was  made  by  the 
Union  Colony  in  the  vicinity  of  Greeley. 

However,  this  was  not  the  first  community  effort,  as  the  Denver  City  ditch, 
officially  known  as  the  Platte  Water  Company's  ditch,  was  constructed  by  public- 
spirited  citizens  of  the  City  of  Denver.  The  construction  of  this  ditch  was  for 
the  purpose  of  supplying  the  citizens  of  Denver  with  water  for  irrigating  their 
gardens,  lawns  and  trees,  also  to  develop  the  farming  industry  in  the  vicinity 
of  Denver,  so  that  the  city  might  receive  the  indirect  benefits  therefrom.  To 
us  of  this  day,  it  seems  remarkable  that  as  early  as  i860  there  were  men  in  the 
city  far-sighted  enough  to  anticipate  the  city's  needs,  to  appreciate  the  neces- 
sity of  building  up  a  community  around. the  City  of  Denver  and  the  necessity 


494  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

of  cooperation,  organization  and  a  uniting  of  forces  for  the  construction  of 
canals  of  such  magnitude  as  were  impossible  to  the  individual. 

Furthermore,  it  has  generally  been  credited  to  the  founders  of  the  Greeley 
Colony  that  they  were  the  first  to  appreciate  the  value  of  the  higher  lying  lands 
and  to  realize  the  fact  that'  they  were  the  better  and  more  productive  lands. 
However,  the  City  ditch,  as  constructed,  covered  the  upper  or  prairie  lands  and 
attained  a  distance  of  from  one  mile  (in  the  vicinity  of  Englewood)  from  the 
river  to  three  miles  from  the  river  at  its  crossing  at  Cherry  Creek.  While  a 
great  deal  of  the  land  of  the  City  ditch  has  since  become  town  property,  there 
still  are,  just  south  of  the  city  and  indeed  within  the  city  limits,  consideiable 
areas  of  excellent  fanning  and  gardening  land. 

Without  doubt  the  leaders  in  the  Greeley  Colony  had  visited  Denver  and  its 
vicinity  and  there  had  a  demonstration  that  the  upper  lands  were  the  better 
lands  and  that  it  was  practical  and  advisable  to  construct  canals  of  considerable 
capacity  covering  as  much  as  possible  the  higher  lying  lands.  It  has  been  said 
that  the  American  people  are  preeminently  pioneers,  inventors,  people  of  indi- 
viduality and  initiative.  The  same  may  be  said-  of  the  early  residents  of  the 
City  of  Denver,  but  it  remained  for  the  Greeley  colonists  to  perfect  and  to 
bring  to  their  highest  use  the  available  waters  and  the  better  lands.  Indeed,  the 
Greeley  Colony  can  be  said  to  have  been  the  leaven  in  irrigation  which  was  to 
leaven  the  whole  state  and  which  was  to  be  the  district  to  teach  the  best  and 
highest  use  of  this  great  natural  resource. 

CORPOR.^TION    EFFORT 

The  third  step  in  progress  can  be  designated  as  the  corporation  effort,  where 
outside  capital  was  brought  into  the  state  and  where  much  larger  works  than 
theretofore  attempted  were  undertaken. 

Prominent  among  the  corporations  constructing  irrigation  works  was  The 
Northern  Colorado  Irrigation  Company,  commonly  known  as  the  "English 
Company,"  which  constructed  the  Highline  ditch  from  the  Platte  River,  cover- 
ing land  to  the  south  and  east  of  the  City  of  Denver.  Under  this  system  there 
was  some  40,000  acres  of  land.  This  same  company  constructed  the  Evans 
ditch  north  of  Denver  some  40  miles,  the  Loveland  and  Greeley  Canal,  from 
the  Big  Thompson  River  in  the  vicinity  of  Loveland.  and  the  Larimer  and  Weld 
Canal,  from  the  Cache  la  Poudre  River. 

A  subsidiary  of  The  Travellers  Insurance  Company  was  induced  by  Mr.  T. 
C.  Henry  to  invest  large  amounts  of  money  in  Colorado.  It  constructed  two  of 
the  largest  canals  in  the  San  Luis  \'alley — the  Rio  Grande  Canal  and  the  Monte 
Vista  Canal.  These  canals  covered  1 10,000  and  22,000  acres  of  land  respec- 
tively, and  are  still  in  operation,  and,  even  in  the  light  of  our  present  knowledge, 
were  well  constructed  and  well  operated.  The  same  company  also  built  the 
Loutzenheiser  and  the  Montrose  canals  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Town  of  Montrose, 
covering  11,000  and  33,000  acres  respectively. 

On  the  Arkansas  River  practically  all  of  the  larger  canals  were  constructed 
by  corporations,  notably  the  Bessemer,  the  Fort  Lyon,  the  Bob  Creek,  the 
Otero  Canal,  the  Amity,  and  others.  Indeed,  on  the  Arkansas  River  the  con- 
ditions are  such  that  little  could  be  accomplished  through   individual  or   com- 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  495 

niunity  efforts  and  practically  all  of  the  canals  were  constructed  by  outside  cap- 
ital, and  even  such  as  were  constructed  by  individual  or  community  effort  were 
enlarged  and  perfected  under  the  corporation  plan. 

PERIOD    OK    GREATEST    DEVELOPMENT 

This  period  marks  the  greatest  development  of  the  irrigation  of  the  state, 
and  while  the  investors  were  often  unfortunate  and  while  it  is  probable  from 
the  standpoint  of  the  investor  he  was  some  twenty  years  ahead  of  his  time,  yet 
almost  without  exception  these  canals  have  been  a  success,  have  built  up  the 
community  and  have  been  of  vast  importance  in  the  general  development  of  the 
state,  and  those  corporations  financially  able  to  carry  the  burdens  until  the  lands 
were  settled  and  developed  and  communities  built  up,  have  made  good  on  their 
investments,  and,  at  any  rate,  the  state  owes  a  debt  of  gratitude  to  the  people 
and  to  the  corporations  which  invested  their  money.  To  no  individual  is  a 
greater  debt  owed  by  the  state  than  to  Mr.  T.  C.  Henry,  to  whose  efforts  was 
due  the  larger  part  of  the  development  during  this  period,  and,  while  he  per- 
sonally was  unfortunate  and  many  of  his  companies  were  unfortunate,  yet  the 
canals  and  reservoirs  which  he  built  stand  today  a  monument  to  him  and  to 
his  associates. 

THE   CAREY   ACT 

The  fourth  period  of  development,  but  one  which  is  not  generally  recognized 
and  which  has  not  been  of  great  importance  was  the  effort  at  development 
through  the  so-called  Carey  Act.  Senator  Carey,  of  Wyoming,  appreciating  the 
difficulties  encountered  under  corporate  effort  of  securing  early  settlement  and 
adequate  returns  to  the  investor,  sought  to  protect  him  by  providing  that  anyone 
tiling  upon  Government  land  under  a  Carey  Act  system  would  be  required  to 
contract  to  ])urchase  water  from  the  irrigation  system.  One  of  the  surprises 
and  one  of  the  unfortunate  things  in  the  construction  of  large  systems  was  the 
fact  that  those  holding  lands  under  the  canal  refused  to  pay  even  a  reasonable 
price  for  the  water,  with  the  result  that  interest,  overhead  charges,  maintenance 
and  operation  proved  too  great  a  burden  for  the  corporations  and  many  of 
them  went  into  the  hands  of  a  receiver  and  ultimately  passed  to  the  consumer 
with  very  considerable  losses  to  the  original  investors. 

There  is  in  the  State  of  Colorado,  to  date,  but  one  successful  Carey  Act 
project,  although  there  has  been  withdrawn  under  this  act  lands  for  some  twenty- 
three  projects.  Several  circumstances  militated  against  the  successful  and  more 
extensive  operation  under  this  act.  First,  was  the  difficulty  and  delay  in  ob- 
taining segregations  and  in  complying  with  the  Government  regulations.  Sec- 
ond, in  raising  adequate  funds  not  only  for  construction  but  for  that  indefinite 
period  between  the  construction  period  and  the  final  settlement  of  the  lands.  In 
this  period  of  development,  also,  it  might  well  be  said  that  the  development  was 
a  number  of  years  ahead  of  its  time  as  viewed  from  an  investor's  point  of  view. 
The  cost  of  construction  was  in  excess  of  the  then  market  value  of  water.  The 
ordinary  cost  of  construction  was  perhaps  $30  per  acre,  while  in  many  districts 
water  rnuld  Ik-  purchased  for  a  less  amount  than  this  in  already  flcvclopcd  com- 
munities. 


496  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

FAILURE  OF  STATE   MANAGEMENT 

Coincident  with  this  period  and  also  of  Uttle  consequence  was  the  effort  of 
the  State  of  Colorado  to  construct  canals  and  reservoirs.  During  the  period  from 
1890  to  1893  the  state  invested  a  considerable  part  of  its  income  fund  in  the 
construction  of  reservoirs.  Unfortunately  these  were  poorly  located  as  to  cost, 
as  to  water  supply  and  as  to  capacity.  Of  the  canal  construction  State  Canal 
No.  I  and  State  Canal  No.  2  were  undertaken.  The  use  of  convicts  on  these 
works  was  advocated  and  tried.  Here  again  the  location  was  not  good,  the 
water  supply  uncertain  and  a  general  scheme  of  development  inadequate.  The 
result  of  the  state's  efforts  was  that  practically  all  the  money  spent  was  with- 
out result.  It  has  been  claimed  that  politics  played  a  large  part  in  this  failure, 
and  to  some  extent  this  is  true,  but  the  failure  was  due  more  particularly  to 
inadequate  knowledge  of  the  water  supply  and  the  cost  of  construction. 

FEDERAL    EFFORT    UNDER    RECLAMATION    ACT 

The  fifth  period  can  be  designated  as  the  Federal  effort  to  construct  canals, 
under  the  Reclamation  Act.  The  Reclamation  Act  was  passed  in  1902.  Work 
was  almost  immediately  begun  upon  the  Montrose  project  and  investigations  were 
made  on  the  Rio  Grande  project,  the  White  River  project  and  others.  Here 
again  we  see  that  the  cost  of  construction  is  in  excess  of  the  value  of  the  water 
at  the  time  of  construction,  even  though  no  interest  charges  of  importance  are 
entered  as  a  charge  against  the  project.  Sixteen  years  have  elapsed  since  the  law 
was  passed  and  yet  the  amount  of  land  actually  irrigated  by  the  United  States 
in  the  State  of  Colorado  is  about  sixty  thousand  acres  or  two  per  cent  of  the  total 
irrigated.  In  each  of  these  periods  we  see  a  different  method  of  financing,  we 
see  larger  and  more  comprehensive  works,  greater  areas  to  be  irrigated  and  more 
systematic  effort  at  colonization,  and  while  on  each,  with  the  exception  of  the 
first  two,  these  eft'orts  were  often  disastrous  to  the  investor,  yet  from  the  stand- 
point of  the  indirect  benefits  each  and  every  one  has  been  a  success.  The  history 
has  not  been  materially  different  from  the  history  of  development  of  a  new 
country  along  other  lines. 

The  history  of  our  railroads  is  one  of,  first,  great  activity  in  construction,  one 
of  promotion,  next,  one  of  depression  and  receiverships,  loss  of  money  and  dis- 
credit, but  ultimately,  as  the  country  grew,  these  projects  have  been  a  success 
and  have  been  the  means  of  developing  the  country.  Similarly,  in  the  matter  of 
subsidies  and  public  aid,  as  we  look  upon  them  now  this  seems  to  have  been  a 
species  of  graft,  but  under  similar  conditions  and  circumstances  thinking  people 
of  today  would  offer  the  same  inducements  and  the  same  subsidies  to  have  the 
works  constructed,  and  the  people  of  today  should  have  no  criticism  and  no 
complaint  of  those  who,  even  in  the  expectation  and  in  the  belief  of  vast  profits, 
made  possible  the  more  rapid  settlement  and  development  of  the  natural  resources 
of  the  west. 

RESERVOIRS 

The  construction  of  reservoirs  in  the  state  began  as  early  as  1869,  and,  almost 
without  exception,  these  are  for  the  purpose  of  supplementing  the  direct  diver- 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  497 

sions  from  the  river,  that  is  to  supply  deficiencies  in  the  water  supply  during  the 
periods  of  small  flow,  in  the  rivers,  especially  in  the  months  of  July,  August  and 
September. 

There  are  also  in  the  South  Platte  drainage  about  five  hundred  reservoirs  with 
decrees  finally  entered  and  nearly  as  many  more  "conditional"  decrees,  the  decreed 
appropriations  in  the  South  Platte  drainage  aggregating  1,136,000  acre  feet,  or 
very  nearly  the  same  as  the  capacity  of  the  Pathfinder  reservoir  constructed  by 
the  United  States  Reclamation  Service  in  Wyoming. 

On  the  Arkansas  watershed  the  reservoirs  have  an  aggregate  capacity  of 
730,000  acre  feet. 

On  the  Rio  Grande  River  the  aggregate  capacity  of  the  reservoirs  is  about 
240,000  acre  feet. 

The  reservoirs  in  the  South  Platte  drainage  were  largely  built  before  1900, 
the  years  from  1880  to  1890  being  the  period  of  principal  construction. 

On  the  Arkansas  River  the  reservoir  construction  was  between  1895  ^"^  ^905  > 
while  on  the  Rio  Grande  the  principal  constructions  have  been  since  1905. 

BEGINNING    OF    WATER    RIGHT    LAWS 

A  history  of  irrigation  in  Colorado  is  incomplete  without  some  mention  of 
our  laws  and  customs,  and  of  the  litigation  concerning  water  and  water  rights. 
In  the  beginning  the  very  simple  idea  was  evolved  that  the  first  one  to  make 
beneficial  use  of  water  had  the  better  right,  and  this  simple  rule  is  the  funda- 
mental rule  and  the  foundation  of  our  irrigation  law.  Second  and  also  funda- 
mental is  that  to  protect  the  later  comer  against  the  earlier.  Therefore,  it  was 
early  provided  that  water  should  not  be  wasted  or  used  excessively.  Third,  there 
appears  in  the  fundamental  Colorado  practice  the  principle  that  one  may  do  any- 
thing which  does  not  detrimentally  aflfect  others.  With  these  three  simple  rules 
in  mind  almost  any  problem  which  may  be  presented  could  be  solved  were  it  not 
for  certain  court  decisions  which  have  rather  complicated  these  very  simple  rules. 

In  point  of  fact  the  Colorado  law  as  it  exists  today  is  largely  based  upon 
court  decisions,  there  not  being  a  great  many  regulations  or  rules  fixed  by  statute, 
and  often,  where  so  fixed  the  legislation  has  followed  a  court  decision  rather 
than  preceded  it.  Prior  to  the  organization  of  Colorado  into  a  territory  there 
was  at  least  one  act  recognizing  irrigation  on  the  part  of  the  Territory  of  Kan- 
sas, of  which  Colorado  was  then  a  part.  As  indicating  the  status  of  irrigation 
matters  at  that  time  and  as  showing  that  even  at  that  early  date  the  importance 
of  irrigation  was  appreciated  and  the  fundamental  theory  well  understood,  there 
is  given  below  in  full  the  act  creating  the  Capitol  Hydraulic  Company  which  con- 
structed the  Platte  Water  Company's  ditch,  now  known  as  the  City  ditch. 

« 

INCORPORATION  OF  CAPITOL  HYDRAULIC  COMPANY 

"an  act  to  incorporate  the  Capitol  Hydraulic  Company  of  Arapahoe  County. 

"Be  it  enacted  by  the  Governor  and  Legislative  Assembly  of  Kansas  Terri- 
tory: 

"Section  i.  That  A.  C.  Hunt,  Charles  H.  Gratiot,  John  A.  Clark,  Thomas 
Pollock,  Henry  Allen,  William  M.  Slaughter,  Richard  Sopris,  A.  P.  Vasquez, 

Vol.  I— «« 


498  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

A.  Sagendorf,  W.  N.  Byers,  H.  H.  Scoville,  Jr.,  J.  A.  McDonnell,  F.  Z.  Salomon, 
John  H.  Wing,  and  their  legal  associates,  are  hereby  created  and  declared  a  body 
corporate  and  politic,  under  the  name  and  style  of  the  'Capitol  Hydraulic  Com- 
pany,' and  by  that  name  and  style  may  sue  &nd  be  sued,  plead  and  defend  in  any 
court  of  this  territory,  may  have  perpetual  succession,  grant  and  receive  by  its 
corporate  name,  purchase  and  sell,  hire  and  lease  property,  real,  personal  and 
mixed,  in  all  lawful  ways ;  may  have  a  corporate  seal,  may  alter  the  same  at  pleas- 
ure, and  may  make  by-laws  for  the  regulation  of  its  business  not  inconsistent 
with  the  constitution  of  the  United  States  and  the  laws  of  this  territory. 

"Section  2.  Said  company  shall  have  the  power  and  exclusive  right  to  direct 
the  water  from  the  bed  of  the  South  Platte  River  at  any  point  they  may  select 
between  the  Platte  Canon  and  the  mouth  of  Cherry  Creek,  and  also  to  direct  the 
water  from  the  bed  of  Cherry  Creek  at  any  point  within  six  miles  of  its  mouth, 
and  to  conduct  the  water  from  both  said  streams  by  canal  or  ditch  across  the 
plains  or  intervening  lands  to  the  cities  of  Auraria,  Denver  and  Highland,  in  the 
County  of  Arapahoe,  Territory  of  Kansas,  and  have  the  exclusive  privilege  of 
using  and  controlling  the  same  for  mechanical,  agricultural,  mining  and  city  pur- 
poses. 

"Section  3.  The  capital  stock  of  said  company  shall  consist  of  five  hundred 
thousand  dollars,  but  it  may  commence  operations  when  one  hundred  thousand 
dollars  are  subscribed.  Its  liabilities  shall  at  no  time  exceed  fifty  thousand 
dollars. 

"Section  4.  The  officers  of  said  company  shall  consist  of  a  president,  vice 
president,  secretary  and  treasurer,  and  four  directors,  who  shall  be  elected  at 
the  annual  meeting  of  the  company,  to  be  held  on  the  last  Tuesday  in  Novem- 
ber, who  shall  constitute  a  board  of  directors,  and  a  majority  of  them  shall  con- 
stitute a  quorum  for  the  transaction  of  business. 

"Section  5.  This  act  shall  take  effect  and  be  in  force  from  and  after  its 
passage. 

"GUSTAVUS  A.  COLTON, 

"Speaker  of  House  of  Representatives. 
"W.  W.  Updegr.*.ff, 

"President  of  the  Council. 
"Approved  February  21,  i860. 
"S.  Medary,  Governor." 

» 

BUILDING   OF    CITY   DITCH 

Under  this  act  the  present  City  ditch  was  built  and  operated.  The  men 
named,  realizing  the  necessities  of  the  city  then  and  its  future  necessities  as  well, 
secured  the  enactment  of  this  law,  which  for  years  furnished  water  for  the  lawns, 
trees  and  gardens  of  the  city.  Residents  of  Denver,  even  as  late  as  1880,  remem- 
ber the  streams  of  water  which  flowed  down  both  sides  of  the  streets  leading  to 
the  river  and  that  trees  lined  the  sidewalk  casting  their  "grateful  shade"  on  the 
gravel.  The  boys  will  remember  how  their  bare  feet  burned  and  blistered  and 
how  the  shade  was  so  refreshing  and  remember  how  much  fun  it  was  to  wade 
in  these  artificial  brooks,  build  miniature  canals  and  lakes  and  erect  water  wheels 
therein. 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  499 

This  act,  properly  enforced,  should  give  to  the  city  all  the  water  it  needs  for 
mercantile,  agricultural,  mining  and  city  purposes,  for  without  doubt  the  inten- 
tion was  to  secure  a  grant  for  the  future  needs  of  the  city,  and  just  as  in  the 
case  of  the  City  of  Los  Angeles,  where  the  pueblo  of  Los  Angeles  had  a  similar 
grant,  the  city's  rights  would  be  confirmed  in  any  suit  at  law  properly  prosecuted. 

FIRST  LEGISLATION 

The  lirst  General  Assembly  of  the  territory  convened  in  1861  and  passed 
laws  concerning  irrigation.  The  owners  of  land  on  streams  were  entitled  to 
the  use  of  water.  Water  might  be  allotted  on  alternate  days.  Rights  of  way 
could  be  secured.  Local  customs  developed  during  territorial  period  and  the 
questions  then  arising  related  principally  to  the  use  of  water  and  the  rights  of 
different  appropriators,  both  as  to  quantity  and  as  to  time.  In  the  case,  how- 
ever, of  Yunker  vs.  Nichols  the  Supreme  Court  in  1872  took  up  the  question  of 
riparian  rights  as  against  appropriation.  Judges  Hallett,  Belford  and  Weils  sat 
in  the  case  when  appealed  to  the  Supreme  Court,  and  while  they  agreed  in  the 
findings  it  was  for  different  reasons,  Judge  Wells  contending  that  the  necessities 
of  an  arid  climate  were  such  as  to  change  the  riparian  doctrine  as  found  in  the 
English  common  law,  and  thus  laid  the  foundation  for  the  so-called  "Colorado 
system,"  claiming  that  the  right  of  appropriation  existed  before  any  statute  was 
enacted  and  would  still  survive  though  the  .statute  was  repealed.  While  the 
Yunker  vs.  Nichols  case  indirectly  abrogated  riparian  rights,  the  case  of  Coffin  vs. 
Left  Hand  Ditch  Company  dealt  with  the  matter  directly.  Colorado,  fortunately, 
thus  early  avoided  complications  and  ccnllicts  between  riparian  owners  and  ap- 
propriation users,  which  has  given  California  and  other  states  so  much  trouble. 
Other  states  followed  Colorado  in  this  and  now  in  nearly  all  of  the  states  the 
riparian  right  has  been  abrogated. 

As  previously  stated,  the  greater  part  of  the  flow  of  the  streams  was  appro- 
priated prior  to  1879. 

LATER    IRRIGATION    LAWS 

Controversies  generally  resulted  in  physical  encounters  and  often  bloodshed, 
and  it  is  jiroljable  that  to  trace  the  history  nf  irrigation  closely  would  necessitate 
the  study  of  the  records  of  the  criminal  court  rather  than  that  of  the  civil  court. 
At  any  rate,  the  difficulties  had  so  grown  that  Iiy  the  time  the  second  General 
Assembly  of  the  state  luet  in  1871J  an  effort  was  made  to  provide  a  means  for  ad- 
judicating the  rights  of  the  different  a])pronriators. 

Colorado  in  1879  and  again  in  1S81  passed  acts  ])roviding  for  the  adjudicating 
of  water  rights  intended  to  settle  ail  claims  then  existing  and  to  fix  relative  dates 
of  priority  and  the  amount  of  water  to  which  each  ditch  was  entitled.  The  ap- 
plication of  the  law  of  i88r  was  so  defective  that  litigation  in  liter  years  was 
incvitalilc.  The  courts  were  advised  .aliuost  solely  on  legal  points  to  the  neglect 
of  consideration  of  physical  conditions.  No  technically  trained  engineer  ap- 
peared as  the  friend  of  the  court  nor  was  the  state  reprcscnteil  llmugli  the  ^t:ll<• 
as  trustee  of  this  great  estate  for  future  canal  and  reservoir  builders  and  water 
users  should  have  seen  to  it  that  water  was  not  given  awav  except  as  fixed  by 


500  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

actual  beneficial  use  limited  by  the  necessities.  Three  parties  should  have  been 
brought  into  these  suits:  First,  the  claimant;  second,  the  adverse  claimant;  and 
third,  the  state. 

Considerable  other  legislation  was  enacted  in  1881,  as,  that  no  lands  should 
be  burdened  with  more  than  one  ditch;  shortest  route  must  be  taken;  owners 
must  permit  others  to  enlarge;  while  in  1879  the  law  provided  that  water  should 
be  prorated  among  the  consumers ;  provided  for  the  irrigation  of  meadows  where 
by  reason  of  diversions  of  water  above  the  meadows  had  been  injured  and  no 
longer  enjoyed  the  overflow. 

In  1889  the  law  took  up  the  matter  of  priority  of  right  to  seepage  and  spring 
waters,  thus  recognizing  the  fact  of  return  waters  to  streams.  In  1891  water  ap- 
propriated for  domestic  purposes  could  not  be  used  for  irrigation.  In  1889  also, 
a  commission  was  formed  for  the  codification  of  the  water  laws,  it  being  by  that 
time  apparent  that  our  laws  and  decisions  were  inadequate  to  our  needs. 

In  1879  reservoirs  were  recognized  and  the  right  to  use  the  natural  channel 
to  conduct  water  from  reservoirs  to  canals  was  provided. 

As  early  as  1872  the  owners  of  ditches  were  required  to  maintain  their  em- 
bankments and  tail  ditches  and  in  1876  the  owner  of  any  ditch  must  prevent  water 
from  running  to  waste. 

In  the  laws  of  1879  '^he  statute  provided  for  the  regulation  of  charges  for 
water  and  charges  for  carrying. 

The  first  state  engineer  was  appointed  in  1883,  while  in  1879  water  districts 
were  created  and  water  commissioners  were  provided  for  the  irrigation  districts. 

The  irrigation  district  law  was  enacted  in  1905  and  was  based  upon  the  so- 
called  "Wright  Law"  of  California,  and  it  is  under  this  law  and  subsequent 
amendments  that  our  irrigation  districts  now  operate. 

As  previously  stated,  the  state  undertook  construction  of  ditches  and  reser- 
voirs and  in  1889  made  appropriations  for  their  construction.  State  Canal  No.  i 
was  taken  from  the  Arkansas  River  in  the  vicinity  of  Caiion  City.  About  two 
hundred  and  fifty  thousand  dollars  was  spent  upon  this  work  and  it  was  never 
completed.  The  Mesa  County  ditch  was  to  take  water  from  the  Grand  River  in 
Mesa  County.  This  ditch  was  never  built  and  was  known  as  State  Canal  No.  2. 
State  Canal  No.  3  was  to  take  water  from  the  Gunnison  River  below  the  mouth 
of  the  Cimarron.    This  ditch  was  never  completed. 

Of  the  reservoirs  there  were  the  Coal  Creek,  the  Apishapa  Creek,  Hardscrab- 
ble  Creek,  Saguache  Creek,  Monument  Creek,  for  one  or  more  reservoirs  in 
Chaffee  County  taking  water  from  tributaries  of  the  Arkansas  River,  and  the 
Boss  Lake  reservoir  on  the  South  Arkansas.  Some  of  these  reser\'oirs  were 
constructed,  but  only  one  is  now  operated- — the  Monument  Creek  reservoir,  which 
was  turned  over  to  El  Paso  County  and  is  now  principally  used  for  the  cutting 
of  ice,  although  to  some  extent  it  is  used  for  irrigation.  Its  limited  capacity, 
however,  renders  it  unimportant. 

IRRIGATION    KNOWN    TO    -ANCIENT    PEOPLES 

Agriculture  by  irrigation  is  historically  as  old  as  agriculture  itself  and  its 
importance  now,  as  always,  is  greater  than  agriculture  without  irrigation.  As- 
syria, Babylonia,  Nineveh,  Eg}-pt,  Carthage,  Persia  and  Phoenicia  depended  al- 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  501 

ways  and  almost  entirely  on  irrigated  crops.  Italy,  France,  Sicily,  Algeria,  Spain, 
India,  China,  most  of  Latin  America,  Australia,  the  Hawaiian  Islands,  the  United 
States  and  Canada  west  of  the  looth  meridian,  all  practice  irrigation  wherever 
water  is  available  and  the  topographic  features  permit.  It  has  been  stated  by  no 
less  an  authority  than  Sir  William  Wilcocks  that  two-thirds  of  all  the  food  con- 
sumed by  civilized  man  is  produced  by  irrigation. 

It  is  therefore  apparent  that  irrigation  is  the  most  important  factor  in  the 
world  today,  and  it  is  proper  that  a  brief  resume  be  given  of  the  progress  of 
irrigation  in  any  history  of  Colorado. 

The  study  of  irrigation  in  semi-arid  and  arid  America  is  especially  interesting, 
as  in  the  brief  period  of  a  half  century  and  within  the  memory  of  men  now  living 
irrigation  has  developed  from  its  crudest  form  to  its  highest  known  perfection. 
In  this  brief  period  we  see  a  development  which  in  the  ancient  world  required 
centuries,  a  development  equal  to  all  of  the  development  since  the  beginning  of 
historv'  to  the  present  day,  and  one  familiar  with  the  growth  of  irrigation  in 
arid  America  can  study  ancient  irrigation  with  a  full  understanding  of  the  diffi- 
culties which  beset  the  ancients.  Speaking  of  Assyria  and  the  land  between  the 
Euphrates  and  Tigris,  Herodotus  wrote,  400  years  before  Christ:  "This  is 
of  all  the  land  with  which  we  are  acquainted  by  far  the  best  for  growing  com." 
Hamurabie,  700  years  before  the  time  of  Moses,  wrote:  "Any  one  failing  to 
keep  his  irrigating  dam  in  repair  and  through  his  neglect  and  laziness  a  break 
occurs  in  the  dam  and  his  neighbor's  lands  are  flooded  by  overflow  of  the  waters 
therefrom,  shall  compensate  the  owner  of  the  damaged  land  for  his  loss  of  corn 
and  other  property  occasioned  by  the  overflow."  In  the  Roman  law  we  find, 
for  example,  "it  is  not  acreage  but  the  use  to  which  water  is  put  that  measures 
the  right  to  water." 

RIPARIAN    RIGHTS 

In  "Mills'  Irrigation  Manual"  (page  2)  we  find  from  the  history  of  this 
subject,  dating  as  we  have  seen  from  the  earliest  period  of  irrigation  down  to 
the  period  when  extensive  preparations  were  made  for  mining  and  agriculture 
in  the  arid  and  semi-arid  west,  that  there  was  no  controversy  between  those 
claiming  as  riparian  proprietors  and  those  engaged  in  diverting  and  conducting 
water  to  non-riparian  lands.  It  seems  to  have  been  accepted  that  the  water  was 
the  property  of  the  public  and  when  the  necessities  of  the  people  rcfiuired  that 
it  should  be  conducted  from  the  stream  and  applied  to  the  soil  for  the  production 
of  crops,  the  right  to  do  so  was  unquestioned.  Only  in  the  common  law  of  humid 
England  do  we  find  riparian  rights  seriously  considered.  It  was  provided  as 
long  ago  as  286  A.  D.  that  "if  it  can  be  fully  proven  that  a  flow  of  water  through 
certain  places  is  according  to  ancient  custom  and  according  to  observation  it 
shows  usefulness  in  irrigating  certain  tracts  of  lands,  our  procurator  will  pro- 
vide that  no  innovation  against  the  old  form  and  the  established  custom  be 
permitted.  ♦  ♦  *  jf  the  supply  of  water  is  sufficient  the  right  may  be  granted 
to  many  in  the  same  place  for  the  same  day  and  the  same  hour.  *  *  *  From 
my  water  right  I  may  accommodate  my  neighbors  with  water.  On  the  other  hand, 
Proculus  holds  that  water  will  not  be  used  for  any  part  of  the  estate  other  than 
that  for  which  the  right  was  acquired.    The  opinion  of  Proculus  is  the  truer  one." 


502  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

Scarcely  a  question  has  arisen  in  Colorado  concerning  irrigation  during  the  last 
lifty  years  which  has  not  been  discussed  in  the  writings  of  the  ancients. 

INTERSTATE  RIGHTS 

111  an  article  of  the  brevity  of  this  it  is  inadvisable  to  attempt  to  give  in  any 
detail  the  conditions  or  history  of  the  interstate  suits.  It  is  not  out  of  place, 
however,  to  briefly  state  Colorado's  attitude  on  this  subject : 

"Colorado  believes  in  Home  Rule  and  local  self  government.  » 

"Professor  Farnham  of  the  College  of  Law  of  Yale  Lhiiversity  says  in  his 
great  work  on  'Water  Rights' :  'The  establishment  and  enforcement  of  laws  upon 
the  waters  within  the  limits  of  the  state  are  absolutely  necessary,  it  being  estab- 
lished that  the  title  to  the  waters  and  the  lands  covered  by  them  is  in  the  state. 
They  form  a  part  of  its  domains  and  its  laws  are  binding  thereon.' 

"Colorado  believes  in  the  economy  of  use  and  in  the  greatest  good  to  the 
greatest  number  and  that  these  are  elements  in  the  consideration  of  interstate 
rights. 

"Colorado  believes  that  each  state  has  certain  sovereign  and  inalienable 
rights.  When  natural  resources  are  essential  to  a  state's  development,  the  state 
has  the  right  to  the  use  of  such  resources  as  are  within  its  boundaries  in  much 
the  same  way  that  independent  governments  have  in  furthering  their  develop- 
ment. 

"Colorado,  as  one  of  the  sisterhood  of  states,  believes  that  an  equitable  divi- 
sion of  the  rights  between  the  states,  with  a  due  regard  to  the  necessities  of  each, 
should  control  in  determining  interstate  relations. 

"She  believes  in  the  interest  of  economy  in  the  use  of  water  and  that  in  the 
proper  conservation  of  this  natural  resource  the  use  of  water  high  up  on  the 
streams  is  necessary. 

"Colorado  believes  and  history  shows  that  a  diversion  of  water  from  one 
watershed  to  another  is  a  necessity  in  the  proper  utilization  of  the  water  supply. 
In  all  countries  where  irrigation  has  been  practiced,  we  find  transmountain  and 
transcontinental  diversions  as  old  as  written  history. 

"Colorado  believes  that,  although  ditches  may  have  been  built  in  other  states 
earlier  than  in  Colorado,  where  these  ditches  were  abandoned  or  ceased  to  be 
used  for  any  considerable  period,  the  dates  of  priority  of  such  ditches  should  be 
fixed  at  the  time  of  their  reconstruction  and  actual  use  and  not  of  date  of  their 
inception. 

"Colorado  believes  in  the  utilization  of  the  natural  resources  at  this  time  and 
not  in  their  being  held  for  a  similar  utilization  by  future  generations.  She  does 
not  believe  in  retarding  development  merely  because  in  the  past  some  frauds  may 
have  been  practiced  upon  the  Government  or  that  some  of  the  natural  resources 
have  been  wasted,  or  that  development  should  be  hindered  for  the  fear  that  these 
may  at  some  future  time  pass  into  the  hands  of  monopolistic  owners. 

"Colorado  has  been  accused  of  'assuming  to  be  bigger  than  the  whole  United 
States,'  and  of  being  'bigger  than  the  Government.'  No  such  assumption,  thought 
or  feeling  exists  in  the  State  of  Colorado.  The  people  do  believe,  however,  that 
ihe  state  has  the  same  rights  as  every  other  state  in  the  Union,  and  that  the  laws, 
as  made  by  Congress,  are  superior  to  departmental  rulings,  and  that  every  per- 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  503 

son,  corporation  or  state  believing  itself  to  be  injured  by  departmental  rulings 
and  decisions  should  have  the  opportunity  to  take  the  matter  into  court  for  final 
judicial  determination. 

"Colorado  believes  that  the  public  lands  and  natural  resources  belong  to  all 
of  the  people  of  the  United  States  but  not  to  the  Government  as  a  sovereign 
owner,  but  that  they  should  belong  to  the  Government  as  a  trustee  for  the  whole 
people,  which  trusteeship  will  continue  until  the  individuals  signify  their  desire, 
under  proper  regulation,  to  take  over  the  public  lands  and  natural  resources  and 
utilize  them.  We  believe  that  the  public  lands  and  natural  resources  belong  only 
to  such  people  who  are  willing  to  put  them  to  beneficial  use  and  do  not  belong 
to  such  people  as  elect  to  remain  in  the  east  and  are  not  willing  to  come  west 
and  claim  their  inheritance  and  aid  in  the  building  up  of  the  west  and  the  utili- 
zation of  the  opportunities  offered  them. 

"The  west  believes  that  the  United  States  Government  should  in  no  sense 
become  a  landlord,  nor  the  people  using  the  public  lands  and  natural  resources 
become  a  tenant.  The  people  of  the  west  believe  in  conservation — in  a  sane  and 
practical  conservation." 

Control  of  interstate  streams  has  been  suggested  by  some  of  the  Government 
men  as  a  solution  of  interstate  controversies.  At  this  time  the  relative  rights  on 
interstate  streams  has  not  been  judiciously  determined  and  there  is  nothing  that 
would  direct  the  decisions  and  actions  of  such  Government  water  official  except 
his  own  private  opinion,  prejudiced  or  academic  theory  of  what  was  proper.  A 
judicial  determination  of  the  rights  or  priorities  is  necessary  before  an  executive 
can  act  with  authority  and  after  such  determination  it  is  better  to  leave  the  mat- 
ter in  the  hands  of  the  local  officials  who  are  executing  the  local  laws,  regulations, 
decisions  and  adjudications.  It  is  unwise  to  create  a  dual  executive  control  of 
the  streams  and  to  move  the  control  of  local  matters  to  Washington  and  put  them 
in  the  hands  of  men  probably  from  humid  regions  and  where  knowledge  and  ex- 
perience is  limited  to  the  perusal  of  "Authorities"  on  the  subject. 

Speaking  of  authorities,  it  is  strange  but  nevertheless  true  that  many  writers 
on  irrigation  in  the  United  States  are  men  who  have  merely  a  theoretical  knowl- 
edge of  irrigation.  This  is  especially  true  of  writers  on  irrigation  law  and  too 
often  the  case  in  writings  on  engineering  and  other  related  subjects.  Unfor- 
tunately in  the  past  the  reliability  of  the  Government  publications  has  not  justi- 
fied the  high  place  accorded  them  by  the  general  public.  The  influence  for  good 
and  evil  of  the  Government  publications  is  so  great  and  the  confidence  with  which 
they  are  accepted  should  cause  the  heads  of  departments  to  be  very  careful  in 
accepting  and  in  publishing  what  their  subordinates  write,  or  in  accepting  reports 
too  often  influenced  by  "the  wish  being  father  to  the  thought,"  by  inexperience 
and  even  at  times  prejudice. 

The  general  public  should  recognize  also  that  the  Government  ofiicials  believe 
thoroughly  in  bureaucratic  control,  in  centralization  of  government,  and  their 
own  imprejudiced  view  |)oint.  It  should  also  recognize  that  they  arc  not  infallilile. 
that  they  desire  autocratic  power  and  to  enlarge  and  extend  their  control.  If 
any  one  Mieves  that  the  people  arc  incapable  of  local  self  goveriuncnt,  that  each 
man's  business  should  be  supervised  by  some  official,  that  indopondent  thought 
and  actions  are  undesirable,  that  initiative  is  dangerous  and  the  ac(|uiring  of  ex- 
perience unprofitable,  then  such  a  person  will  be  in  f;ivor  of  liurcni  control  of  all 


504  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

of  our  enterprises  and  in  a  widespread  and  beneficent  paternalism.  The  proposi- 
tion of  Government  control  is  based  on  lust  of  power  on  the  one  hand  and  is 
encouraged  by  a  lack  of  confidence  in  the  ability  and  integrity  of  one  man  in 
another,  who  is  his  neighbor.  "A  prophet  is  not  without  honor  except  in  his  own 
country,"  a  piece  of  goods  is  not  first  class  unless  it  is  imported,  nor  an  adviser 
held  in  much  regard  unless  he  too  is  "imported." 

The  aggression  of  the  executive  departments  is  merely  a  manifestation  of 
what  the  framers  of  our  laws  and  constitution  foresaw  and  attempted  to  guard 
against  by  creating  these  coordinate  branches  of  Government,  each  of  which 
would  act  as  a  check  upon  the  other  and  prevent  centraHzation  of  power  in  any 
one  branch.  The  weakness  of  our  present  legislative  branch  and  the  lack  of 
intimate  contact  of  the  judicial  branch  with  the  country  as  a  whole  has  permitted 
the  executive  departments  to  destroy  the  balance  of  power  and  to  become  the 
dominant  branch  of  the  Government  to  such  an  extent  that  it  now  has  the 
temerity  to  assume  to  interfere  with  the  sovereign  rights  of  the  states  and  to 
assume  to  direct  and  control  the  states'  internal  afifairs. 

The  controversies  which  have  arisen  with  the  Government  are,  in  the  opinion 
of  the  writer,  unnecessary  and  should  not  have  arisen.  Eliminate  the  question  of 
increasing  Federal  power  and  control  and  substitute  a  desire  for  cooperation 
and  a  sensible  solution  of  the  mooted  questions  and  there  remains  only  to  deter- 
mine whether  the  use  of  water  in  Colorado  will  or  does  materially  affect  users 
lower  on  the  interstate  streams.  On  the  Rio  Grande,  the  Colorado  and  the  North 
Platte  rivers,  I  believe  that  with  proper  economic  use  there  is  an  ample  supply 
in  each  of  these  rivers  for  the  irrigation  of  all  lands  susceptible  of  irrigation  at 
this  time,  or  which  it  will  probably  be  profitable  to  irrigate  during  the  present 
generation.  Each  of  these  streams  can  be  controlled  by  reservoirs :  The  North 
Platte  by  the  Pathfinder  Reservoir  with  over  a  milhon  acre  feet  capacity;  the 
Rio  Grande  by  the  Engle  Reservoir  and  the  already  constructed  and  proposed 
reservoirs  on  its  headwaters,  and  the  Colorado  River  by  the  proposed  reservoirs 
at  Krenmiling  in  Colorado,  on  the  Grand,  by  the  Browns  Park  and  others  on  the 
Green,  and  by  one  said  to  have  a  five  million  acre  feet  capacity  at  the  junction  of 
the  Grand  and  Green. 

The  only  controversy  to  my  mind  is  whether  users  in  Colorado  are  to  be  al- 
lowed to  develop  their  systems  now  or  whether  they  are  to  be  held  up  until  some 
future  time  when  this  opinion  is  actually  demonstrated  to  be  sound. 

The  constructors  of  projects  in  Colorado  are  so  sure  that  there  is  an  ample 
water  supply  for  all,  that  they  are  willing  to  go  ahead  at  this  time,  construct 
their  works  and  take  the  order  of  priority  to  which  their  construction  and  use 
will  entitle  them.  The  present  attitude  of  the  Government  shows  that  it  is  not 
willing  to  take  its  order  of  priority  as  determined  by  construction  and  use  or  that 
it  is  determined  to  curtail  private  enterprise  and  to  extend  unnecessarily  its  field 
of  operations. 

(From  the  Report  of  the  State  Engineer  of  Colorado  1913-1914.) 

TRANSFER  OF  WATER 

The  most  fruitful  source  of  litigation  in  recent  years  has  been  the  attempt  to 
transfer  water  from  one  canal  to  another.     This  has  been  permitted  in  Colorado 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  505 

under  our  law  and  decisions  and  has  subjected  Colorado  to  severe  criticism,  not 
only  with  people  outside  the  state  but  among  our  own  people.  These  critics  fail 
to  realize  the  benefits  to  the  state  from  the  transfer  of  water  from  one  canal  to 
another.  The  right  to  transfer  water  is  not  in  itself  wrong;  in  fact  the  benefits 
to  the  state  as  a  whole  are  great;  the  damage  is  to  the  individual.  The  decrees 
rendered  under  the  laws  of  1881  were  defective  in  that  while  it  fixed  the  rate 
of  flow  it  did  not  fix  the  total  amount  to  be  diverted,  that  is  the  length  of  time 
for  the  diversion.  In  other  words,  a  volume  was  attempted  to  be  described  and 
measured  by  only  two  dimensions.  It  is  as  reasonable  to  ask  the  price  of  lumber 
4x4  inches  without  giving  the  length  as  it  is  to  try  to  establish  the  value  of  a 
cubic  foot  of  water  per  second  without  stating  the  number  of  seconds  the  water 
is  to  run.  With  the  character  of  crops  raised  in  the  '60s  and  '70s,  especially  up 
to  the  introduction  of  alfalfa,  about  1878,  the  period  of  diversion  was  short  and 
large  volumes  were  required  for  the  irrigation  of  meadows  and  grains.  The 
greatest  demand  for  water  was  almost  coincident  with  the  greatest  supply.  With, 
however,  the  advent  of  alfalfa  and  subsequently  the  growing  of  late  maturing 
crops,  such  as  potatoes  and  beets,  the  irrigation  period  was  extended  from  not 
to  exceed  sixty  days  to  perhaps  180  days.  Thus,  the  total  volume  diverted  under 
a  decree  was  three  times  as  much  under  modern  agricultural  conditions  as  under 
the  early  agricultural  conditions.  The  courts  should  have  fixed  not  only  the 
date  of  priority  and  the  rate  of  flow,  but  should  have  fixed  the  total  for  each 
season,  expressed  either  in  terms  of  time  or  in  terms  of  volume,  such  as  the  acre 
foot.  Had  the  decrees  read  that  a  ditch  had  a  priority  of  i860  and  was  entitled 
to  a  flow  of  ten  cubic  feet  per  second  limited  to  three  acre  feet  per  acre  per  an- 
num, enlarged  use  and  excessive  use  would  have  been  eliminated. 

The  transfer  of  water  from  land  both  less  productive  and  requiring  more 
water  to  better  and  more  productive  land  requiring  less  water  per  acre,  is  ad- 
visable as  a  matter  of  public  policy  and  should  be  permitted,  nor  should  theo- 
retical, imaginary  or  small  damage  to  individuals  be  allowed  to  prevent  such 
transfer.  Studying  the  history  of  the  litigation  in  transfer  cases,  we  find  the 
courts  apparently  leaning  first  one  way  and  then  the  other,  and  the  litigants  argu- 
ing from  a  specific  case  to  a  general  proposition.  Whatever  criticism  of  either 
the  courts  or  of  our  laws,  the  general  result  has  been  of  great  benefit  to  the 
state  and  we  find  that  in  almost  every  decade  since  i860  Colorado  has  been  first 
or  second  in  development  and  increased  acreage  put  under  irrigation,  and  the 
conclusion  is  inevitable  that  our  laws,  customs  and  rulings  have  been  good,  are  as 
good  as  those  of  any  other  state,  and  probably  better  in  actual  practice  and  ap- 
plication. Under  other  laws  and  other  theories  such  as  have  been  adopted  by 
other  states  and  which  are  much  favored  by  "authorities,"  Colorado  might  have 
avoided  some  trouble  and  some  litigation;  she  might  also,  as  in  some  other  states, 
have  accomplished  less  in  consequence. 


CHAPTER  XXV 
FROM  RANGE  DAYS  TO  THE  THOROUGHBRED  ERA 

"hunting  out"  the  buffalo BUYING  UP  THE  BROKEN-DOWN  FREIGHTING  OXEN 

CONDITION   OF   CATTLE  INDUSTRY   IN    1866 — DISCOVERY   OF   GRAZING  VALUES 

TRAITS  OF  RANGE  CATTLE — -"MAVERICK"  LEGISLATION ROUNDING  UP  THE  CAT- 
tle thieves shipments  of  cattle range  conditions  in  1879 foreign- 
ers invest  heavily early  stock-raising  methods the  fight  on  fencing 

public  lands  commission  regulates  grazing  on  public  domain pass- 
ing of  the  last  great  herd — the  old  fence  lavl's the  breeding  of  horses 

— Larimer's    early    sheep    history — the    lamb    feeding    industry — the 

founding  ok  a  great  industry in  the  uncompahgre — in  the  roaring 

fork  valley the  coming  of  the  hereford the  national  live  stock 

show ^the  stock  yards  and  the  packing  industry on  the  white  river 

and  on  the  bear stock  raising  in  the  san  luis  valley — live  stock  sta- 
tistics— the  state  cattle  growers'  association 

"hunting    out"    THE    BUFFALO 

The  live  stock  industry  of  Colorado  began  with  the  migrations  along  the 
Santa  Fe  Trail  in  the  early  years  of  the  Nineteenth  Century,  for  few  caravans 
came  without  one  or  more  milch  cows,  and  many  had  oxen  for  freighting.  At 
Bent's  Fort,  when  it  was  the  celebrated  way  station,  the  first  herd  of  cattle  kept  for 
beef  and  milk,  fed  plentifully  and  bountifully  upon  the  native  buffalo  and  bunch 
grasses  of  the  country.    This  was  also  true  a  little  later  of  Lupton's  Fort. 

Such  was  the  beginning  of  the  encroachment  of  domesticated  live  stock  upon 
the  domain  of  the  buffalo  in  what  is  now  Colorado. 

Between  1826  and  1836,  according  to  General  Fremont,  the  buffalo  roamed 
from  Independence  to  the  "Fishing  Falls"  of  the  Columbia  River.  By  1836  they 
began  to  diminish,  and  by  1840  they  had  abandoned  all  the  waters  of  the  Pacific 
north  of  Lewis's  Forks.  Five  years  later,  according  to  Hollister,  the  "Buffalo 
wallow"  had  contracted  to  what  was  erroneously  called  "the  Great  .American 
Desert,"  for,  curiously  enough,  it  "sustained  nearly  as  manv  of  these  huge  quad- 
rupeds as  could  stand  upon  it." 

By  1867  the  buffalo  were  confined  largely  to  the  Smoky  Hill  and  Republican 
forks  of  the  Kaw,  rarely  straggling  on  either  to  the  Platte  or  Arkansias,  within 
two  hundred  miles  of  the  state  line  of  Missouri,  or  the  base  of  the  mountains. 
Hollister,  in  his  "History-  of  Mines,"  written  in  1867,  says:  "The  number  of 
robes  annually  traded  for  by  the  American,  Hudson's  Bay,  and  other  fur  com- 
panies, was    ninety  thousand,  and  this  tells  not  half  the  story  of  their  destruction. 

506 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  507 

It  will  be  seen  that  the  vast  herds  of  buffalo  had  passed  away  before  the  dis- 
covery of  gold  and  silver  in  the  Rocky  Mountains.  It  is  not  certain  that  they 
were  much  fewer  in  1866  than  in  1856." 

But  later  they  seemed  to  have  drifted  westward  again.  "In  a  little  more  than 
three  months,"  says  a  writer,  "in  the  fall  of  1874  over  50,000  buffalo  hides  were 
shipped  from  the  stations  on  the  Santa  Fe  road,  and  the  total  shipments  on  this 
and  the  Kansas  Pacific  aggregated  125,000.  During  the  winter  season  of  five 
months  about  two  million  pounds  of  buffalo  meat  were  shipped  to  all  parts  of  the 
country." 

BUYING  THE   HROKEN-DOWX    FREIGHTING   OXEN 

In  1867  the  raising  of  stock  had  not  yet  become  a  great  business  for  it  was 
cheaper,  at  least  in  the  Denver  district,  to  buy  and  to  make  beef  of  the  train 
oxen.  These  usually  arrived  at  Denver  in  June,  very  thin,  and  were  held  cheaply 
by  their  owners.  In  i866,  S,000  head  of  this  stock  was  bought  by  Iowa  farmers 
to  be  driven  home  and  fed  during  the  winter. 

Samuel  Hartsel,  one  of  the  most  prominent  of  Colorado's  cattlemen,  tells  of 
buying  in  i860  and  1861  the  broken-down  animals  that  were  brought  in,  for  $10 
and  $20,  then  fattening  them  and  selling  them  for  $90  to  $100  each.  In  1861 
Duke  Green  and  Ed  Shook  brought  in  a  bunch  of  good  Shorthorns  from  Oska- 
loosa,  Iowa,  and  Hartsel  bought  these  and  was  so  successful  that  he  determined 
to  go  back  and  bring  a  larger  herd  to  Colorado.  He  left  Denver  in  1S64  and  re- 
turned in  1866.  Of  this  journey  he  has  written  as  follows,  throwing  interesting 
sidelights  on  the  difficulties  of  bringing  herds  across  the  plains : 

"I  reached  Clay  County,  Missouri,  early  in  the  summer  of  1864  and  bought 
148  cows  and  two  bulls  from  Tom  Gordon,  a  well-known  Shorthorn  breeder  of 
those  days.  Gordon  was  the  grandfather  of  Gordon  Jones,  the  well-known  banker 
of  Denver. 

"I  crossed  the  Missouri  River  at  Fort  Leavenworth,  ferrying  my  cattle  across. 
At  Fort  Leavenworth  I  purchased  a  team  of  oxen — one  of  the  largest  and  finest 
pair  I  ever  saw.  I  paid  $200  for  them,  which  was  a  good  price  even  in  those 
days.  Then  I  started  west  intending  to  take  the  old  Santa  Fe  Trail  at  the  Ar- 
kansas River.  It  was  getting  along  into  the  fall  and  when  I  reached  Leroy, 
Kansas,  I  decided  to  winter  my  herd  there. 

"In  one  attack,  near  Cottonwood  Creek  on  the  Santa  Fe  Trail,  we  lost  two 
men  killed  and  in  another  attack,  west  of  Fort  Arberry,  five  were  killed.  The 
Indians  were  on  the  warpath  everywhere  and  we  were  in  constant  danger.  At 
Fort  -Arberry  one  of  my  best  bulls  gave  out  with  sore  feet.  I  made  an  arrange- 
ment with  the  quartermaster  at  the  fort  to  winter  the  bull  and  deliver  him  at 
Pueblo  the  next  year  with  the  first  ox-train  going  through,  and  agreed  to  pay 
him  $100  for  the  bull  when  he  was  delivered.  He  was  delivered  all  right  the 
next  summer.  That  bull  was  in  service  in  my  herd  until  he  was  eighteen  years 
old. 

"At  Spring  liottom,  a  i)lace  near  I'ciu's  Fort  on  llie  Arkansas,  I  decided  to 
leave  my  herd  for  the  winter.  There  was  plenty  of  feed  there  and  soldiers  enough 
in  the  vicinity  to  make  the  herd  safe.  I  was  anxious  about  things  at  home,  so 
after  fixing  my  herd   for  the  winter,   I   continued  on  to  South    Park,   where    I 


508  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

spent  the  winter.     Early  in  the  spring  I  returned  after  the  herd  and  got  them 
throtigh  into  the  South  Park  early  in  the  summer  without  any  further  trouble. 

"I  consider  that  I  had  the  best  herd  of  cattle  in  the  Rocky  Mountains.  They 
were  all  pure  bred  and  as  I  had  the  South  Park  to  myself  to  graze  them  there 
was  no  chance  for  them  to  become  mixed  with  any  other  cattle.  Two-thirds  of 
them  were  pure  white  and  most  of  the  balance  were  roans.  One  of  my  bulls  was 
pure  white  and  the  other  a  roan.  There  were  not  ten  head  of  red  cattle  in  the 
whole  herd." 

CONDITION    OF    CATTLE    INDUSTRY    IN    1866 

The  condition  of  the  cattle  industry  in  iS66  is  thus  outlined  by  Hollister: 
"Cattle  bred  on  the  plains  mature  younger  than  elsewhere.  Fall  calves  are 
not  checked  in  their  growth  by  the  winter  as  in  the  east,  and  they  commonly  be- 
come mothers  at  eighteen  months  of  age.  It  is  estimated  by  those  in  the  business 
that  there  are  one  hundred  thousand  head  of  horses  and  cattle  in  the  territory, 
and  there  are  large  flocks  of  sheep  in  the  southern  portion.  These  sheep  were 
never  shorn  until  1866,  and  but  few  were  then,  from  the  lightness  of  the  fleece, 
the  coarseness  of  the  wool,  and  the  distance  to  market.  The  Mexican  sheep  is 
small  and  hardy,  economical  in  its  use  of  wool,  wearing  merely  a  little  hempen 
stuff  on  its  back.  No  pains  were  ever  taken  in  breeding,  and  the  article  can 
barely  be  called  a  sheep,  either  in  quality  of  mutton  or  wool,  or  in  fecundity. 
The  first  cross  of  an  improved  breed  increases  the  size,  doubles  the  yield  of 
wool,  and  restores  prolific  power,  indicating  that  as  a  basis  for  extensive  sheep- 
breeding,  the  native  stock,  if  we  may  so  call  them,  cannot  be  excelled.  *  *  * 
The  first  cost  of  cows  is  high,  from  $60  to  $100,  but  their  keeping  amounts  to 
very   little." 

DISCOVERY  OF  GR-^ZING  V.-\LUES 

The  discovery  of  the  capabilities  of  this  area  for  grazing  purposes  is  said  to 
have  been  accidental.  Theodore  J.  McMinn,  of  St.  Louis,  in  the  Government 
investigation  in  1884  thus  related  it:  "Early  in  December,  1864,  a  Government 
trader  with  a  wagon  train  of  supplies  drawn  by  oxen  was  on  his  way  west  to 
Camp  Douglas,  in  the  Territory  of  Utah ;  but  on  being  overtaken  on  the  Laramie 
plains  by  an  tmusually  severe  snowstorm,  he  was  compelled  to  go  at  once  into 
winter  quarters.  He  turned  his  cattle  adrift,  expecting  of  course  that  they  would 
soon  perish  from  exposure  and  starvation.  But  they  remained  about  the  camp 
and  as  the  snow  was  blown  off  the  highlands,  the  dried  grass  afforded  them  an 
abundance  of  forage.  \\'hen  the  spring  opened  they  were  found  to  be  in  even 
better  condition  than  when  turned  out  to  die  four  months  previously." 

This  discovery,  says  the  Government  report,  led  to  the  purchase  of  stock 
cattle  in  Texas  to  be  matured  and  fattened  on  the  northern  ranges,  and  the  trade 
steadily  grew  to  enormous  proportions,  much  accelerated  by  the  building  of  rail- 
roads. The  number  of  cattle  driven  north  from  Texas  between  1866  and  1884 
was  5,201,132. 

TR.MTS    OF    R.^NGE    CATTLE 

Baron  W.  B.  von  Richthofen,  in  his  book  "Cattle  Raising  on  the  Plains," 
insists  that  the  range  cattle  acquired  many  of  the  characteristics  of  the  buffalo. 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  509 

"A  cow  will  often  defend  her  calf  when  it  is  caught  by  the  lasso;  they  move 
about  in  families,  grazing  and  herding  together,  and  the  attachment  of  a  cow 
to  her  calf  and  vice  versa  is  much  greater  than  that  of  the  domestic  animal. 
Here  and  there  one  can  watch  groups  of  families  in  which  the  offspring  of  three 
or  four  generations  have  never  been  separated.  The  mother  of  all  always  re- 
tains her  authority,  and  even  punishes  her  children  and  grandchildren,  though 
.they  may  be  much  larger  than  herself,  but  in  the  defense  of  families  the  female 
yields  precedence  to  the  male." 

The  old-timers  insist  that  the  sight  of  a  riderless  broncho  would  stampede 
a  herd  of  Texas  longhorns,  extremely  timid  animals.  They  were  accustomed  to 
the  sight  of  men  on  horseback,  regarding  the  combination  as  one  animal.  Sepa- 
rate them,  the  spell  was  broken  and  the  stampede  was  on. 

The  defeat  of  the  Indians  by  Col.  J.  M.  Chivington  in  1865  put  a  stop  to  the 
indiscriminate  stock  depredations  of  the  red  man.  After  this,  although  there 
were  spasmodic  attacks  until  1881,  the  cattlemen  began  getting  away  from  the 
settlements  and  taking  possession  of  the  entire  area  of  the  "Great  American 
Desert." 

"maverick"  legisl.\tion 

In  those  days  the  country  was  open  from  Montana  to  Texas  and  cattle  soon 
roamed  at  will.  When  a  blizzard  struck  them  the  herds  would  move  south,  com- 
ing back  again  in  the  spring.  It  was  not  unusual  to  find  cattle  belonging  in 
northern  Colorado  feeding  along  the  Arkansas  River  nearly  two  hundred  miles 
from  their  range.  One  of  the  results  of  this  open  country  was  the  reckless 
branding  of  mavericks,  but  this  soon  brought  about  legislation  which  for  some 
time  made  the  maverick  property  of  the  state,  giving  the  owner,  however,  ample 
time  to  enter  claims.  "Maverick"  legislation  was  long  an  annual  feature  for 
the  lawmakers  of  territory  and  state. 

It  was  not  long  before  there  was  a  "code  of  honor"  with  reference  to  these 
unbranded  calves,  for  the  work  of  the  range  soon  became  thoroughly  organized. 
Later,  in  the  period  of  the  big  roundups  from  April  to  June,  it  required  seven 
herders  for  every  5,000  head.  Between  July  and  September  the  herders  hunted 
for  lost  cattle,  and  were  aided  by  the  herders  of  other  companies  in  this  task. 
During  September  and  October,  when  cattle  were  rounded  up  for  market,  calves 
if  unbranded  were  invariably  given  the  brand  on  the  mother.  These  cattle  kings 
and  herders  soon  became  punctilious  on  this  point  of  honor. 

CATTLE    THIEVES 

The  cattle  thieves,  however,  were  not  so  particular. 

From  1861  to  1863  the  ranges,  particularly  the  Arkansas  Valley,  were  infested 
by  thoroughly  organized  gangs  of  cattle  thieves  who  stole  animals  in  what  are 
now  Fremont,  Pueblo,  Las  Animas  and  Huerfano  counties  and  took  them  via 
Trinidad  to  Texas,  where  they  sold  them.  The  most  notorious  of  these  gangs 
was  broken  up,  the  criminals  flying  the  country.  In  1867  and  1868  a  much  more 
formidable  combination,  under  one  William  Coe,  began  to  steal  entire  herds.  This 
gang  had  a  store,  ranch  and  corral  at  the  Dry  Cimarron,  and  a  station  just  above 
Boggsville.  Detectives  sent  after  them  were  killed,  and  in  1868  a  flock  of  3,000 
sheep  was  found  in  their  possession  at   .^dobc  Creek.     .After  they  had  been 


4 

510  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

rounded  up,  the  narrator  of  their  fate  writes :  "Shortly  after  this  Coe  was  taken 
from  the  jail  at  Pueblo  and  privately  hung  by  a  committee  of  soldiers — it  was 
believed  at  the  instigation  of  their  superior  officers."  Certain  it  is,  they  were  not 
court-martialed. 

Cattle  thieves  had  an  easier  time  of  it  up  in  Larimer  County.  At  Fort  Col- 
lins in  1865  Lieut.  Evvell  P.  Drake  tried  two  of  these,  found  them  guilty,  and  in 
his  sentence  states  that  as  "the  safety  of  the  community  requires  that  no  person, 
or  persons  should  be  tolerated  in  this  county  who  are  unable  to  discriminate  be- 
tween their  own  and  other  persons'  property,  it  is  therefore  ordered  that  *  *  * 
they  leave  this  country  never  to  return  either  as  residents  or  visitors." 

In  1881  they  were  brazen  enough  after  stealing  from  several  herds  in  Jef- 
ferson County  to  ship  the  lot  to  Kansas  City,  where  a  Colorado  inspector  seized 
them.     This  gang  served  time  in  Canon  City. 

Colorado  stockmen  learned  early  in  their  use  of  the  plains  that  the  results  of 
allowing  the  cattle  to  run  at  will  were  extremely  remunerative.  Colorado  grass, 
the  Gamma,  the  Bufifalo  and  the  Bunch,  started  about  the  first  of  May,  grew 
until  near  the  end  of  July,  then  dried  up  and  cured  as  it  stood  on  the  ground. 
It  retained  its  strength  and  stock  kept  fat  on  it  all  winter. 

But  the  big  storm  of  December,  1878.  led  most  of  them  to  take  steps  for  the 
better  protection  of  stock,  and  systematic  winter-feeding  during  and  after  storm 
periods  followed. 

CATTLE   SHIPMENTS 

The  shipment  of  cattle  on  a  large  scale  began  with  the  advent  of  the  railroad. 
In  1877  some  80,000  cattle  were  forwarded  by  rail,  and  some  88,000  in  1878  and 
in  the  ensuing  winter.  Of  the  eastern  cattle  exports  in  1878,  24,500  went  by 
way  of  the  Union  Pacific,  19,800  by  the  Atchison,  Topeka  &  Santa  Fe,  and  18,700 
by  the  Kansas  Pacific.  The  main  shipping  points  were  Julesburg,  Cheyenne, 
Grenada,  Las  Animas,  Pueblo,  Rocky  Ford,  Deer  Trail,  Hugo,  Denver  and 
Wallace. 

Frank  Fossett,  in  his  "Colorado,"  published  in   1879,  says: 

"The  cattle  men  of  Colorado  usually  started  in  the  business  by  securing  a 
quantity  of  Texas  cows — "long  horns"  as  they  were  called — and  a  suitable  num- 
ber of  bulls,  of  American  or  foreign  breeds.  Some  of  the  finest  bulls  in  the  world 
were  brought  to  Colorado.  Most  of  them  were  of  the  Durham,  Hereford,  Jersey, 
Canadian,  and  other  fine  species.  Their  average  value  ran  from  $100  to  $150, 
but  some  were  worth  several  times  those  figures.  Durham  bulls  were  generally 
brought  to  Colorado  in  preference  to  others,  but  later  the  white-faced  Herefords 
were  the  favorites,  and  were  introduced  extensively. 

"  'Roundups'  were  important  occasions  with  cattle  men.  and  usually  occupied 
their  time  from  late  in  April  to  July  or  August,  when  branding  time  began,  and 
continued  until  the  beef  shipments  of  autumn  and  early  winter.  The  cattle  often 
scattered  over  the  plains  into  adjoining  counties,  miles  away  from  their  start- 
ing place.  To  complete  the  'roundup'  the  ground  had  to  be  gone  over  two  or 
three  times,  although  most  of  the  stock  was  secured  the  first  trip.  There  was  a 
law,  as  well  as  rules  and  regulations,  for  the  guidance  of  stock  growers.  These 
districted  off  the  country  and  designated  the  points  of  assemblage. 

"On  or  near  the  25th  day  of  April,  when  the  time  came  for  the  'roundups'. 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  511 

the  stockmen  in  each  of  the  sixteen  districts  assembled  with  their  herders  at 
their  respective  places  of  rendezvous  and  began  to  drive  the  cattle  from  the 
creeks  and  branches  to  the  main  stream  or  river.  Gradually  the  scattered  herds 
were  gathered  together.  After  many  days  and  weeks  from  twenty  to  two  hun- 
dred thousand  head  were  massed  together  in  a  comparatively  small  space  of  ter- 
ritory. Then  came  the  separating  and  driving  away  of  the  stock  of  various 
owners,  each  of  whom  could  distinguish  his  property  by  the  brands  placed  thereon 
in  the  previous  season. 

"After  the  country  had  been  scoured  over  until  the  last  of  the  wanderers  had 
been  driven  in  and  assigned  to  their  owners,  the  latter  returned  to  their  respective 
stock  ranges,  when  the  work  of  branding  followed.  Every  cattleman  had  a  pecu- 
liar brand,  separate  and  distinct  from  that  of  his  neighbor,  in  order  that  he  could 
know  his  property  wherever  he  found  it.  By  the  time  fall  arrived  cattle  were 
fat  and  in  prime  order  for  market,  and  shipments  began  and  were  continued  until 
the  surplus  steers  were  disposed  of.  Large  numbers  of  yearling  steers  were  driven 
in  from  Texas,  and  kept  on  these  prairie  ranges  until  they  were  four  years  old. 
when  from  $40  to  $45  was  sometimes  received  for  them. 

"The  first  purely  blooded  live  stock  farm  in  Colorado  was  that  established 
by  Capt.  J.  S.  IVIaynard,  in  Weld  County,  in  1870,  w-ith  a  start  of  thirty-six 
thoroughbred  Shorthorns.  The  same  year,  Childs  and  Ring  brought  a  Short- 
horn herd  into  El  Paso  County.  Stock  and  animals  of  similar  character  had  ar- 
rived in  Saguache  County  in  1868,  and  in  Huerfano,  Park  and  Lake  in  1869. 
The  growth  of  the  cattle  interest  can  be  appreciated  from  the  fact  that  but  145,916 
were  assessed  for  taxation  in  1871,  while  483,278  was  the  number  in  1S78. 
Hartsel's  importations  preceded  all  of  these. 

R.\NGE  CONDITION.S  ix  1879 

"The  numbers  and  value  of  cattle  and  sheep  of  leading  stock  counties  for 
1879  arc  given  as  estimated  by  prominent  dealers  and  owners: 

Number  of  Number  of 

Name  of  County                      Cattle  Value  .Sheep  \'alue 

"Bent   125.000  $2,000,000  90,000  $190,000 

Weld 95,000  1,500,000  65,000  145,000 

Elbert 90,000  1,500,000  100,000  225,000 

Arai)ahoc     60,000  1,000,000  87,000  190,000 

l'"l    I'a.so    33.000  550,000  230,000  500,000 

I. as  .Animas    40,000  600,000  210,000  420,000 

Pueblo      36,000  600000  100,000  210,000 

Larimer     27,000  450,000  70,000  i6o,0OO 

Douglas      40,000  650,000  40,000  85,000 

Huerfano       24,000  380,000  180,000  360,000 

Saguache       25,000  400,000  25,000  55.000 

Conejos      10,000  1 50.000  120,000  230,000 

La  Plata     50,000  (po.ooo  30,000  65.000 

Other    Sections 200,000  3,100,000  570,000  1.385,000 

Total    855,000         $13,680,000         2,002,000  $4,220,000" 


512  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

In  1879  a  New  York  Commercial  Bulletin  correspondent  had  this  to  say  of 
range  conditions  in  Colorado:  "At  the  east  we  have  but  an  imperfect  conception 
of  its  value  and  rapid  growth.  But  the  simple  fact  that  the  exports  from  Colo- 
rado alone,  during  the  past  five  years  have  exceeded  in  value  the  shipments  of 
bullion,  and  the  further  fact  that  what  is  known  as  the  great  cattle-raising  belt  is 
estimated  today  to  contain  fifteen  million  head,  worth  upward  of  $300,000,000, 
are  calculated  to  expand  those  conceptions  materially.  Already  the  Iliffs,  the 
Bosters,  Dorsey,  Waddingham,  Craig,  Hall  Brothers  and  others  have  each  nearly 
as  many  cattle  as  existed  in  either  of  the  territories  a  year  ago,  and  together  have 
more  than  existed  in  New  Mexico,  Colorado  and  Nebraska  combined." 

FOREIGN  INVESTMENTS 

That  the  cattle  business  was  attracting  world-wide  attention  was  evident  in 
the  late  '70s  when  the  first  heavy  investments  were  made  in  the  industry.  In  a 
circular  issued  by  J.  Berger  Spencer  &  Co.,  of  London  and  Manchester,  August 
15,  1883,  the  firm  says  that  "the  formation  in  England  and  Scotland  of  large  com- 
panies for  the  purchase  of  ranches  in  Western  America  is  reported  steadily  on  the 
increase.  Reports  as  to  large  dividends  by  many  Scotch  companies  are  favorable, 
some  being  as  high  as  30  per  cent." 

This  was  the  cause  for  the  agitation  to  prevent  aliens  from  holding  title  to 
lands  in  the  United  States.  In  1883  English  companies  alone  owned  over  25,000,- 
000  acres  in  the  west.  Lord  Dunraven's  purchase  of  60,000  acres  in  Colorado  was 
of  this  period. 

In  1881  there  was  already  evidence  of  the  end  of  the  cattle  growing  business 
on  the  range.  A  writer  at  this  period  says :  "The  range  is  getting  crowded  about 
the  water  fronts,  and  sheep  men  are  driving  cattle  growers  back  from  their  old 
ranches  into  new  quarters,  north  and  east.  Along  the  base  of  the  mountains  agri- 
culture is  encroaching  rapidly  ufxin  the  former  domains  of  stockmen,  almost  to 
the  exclusion  of  the  latter,  who  are  moving  their  herds  to  a  distance." 

In  these  early  '80s  the  cattlemen  began  their  overtures  to  purchase  the  range 
from  the  Government  at  $1.25  an  acre.  It  was  a  long  and  hard  fight,  but  here  too 
the  settler  finally  won  out  and  the  land  was  left  to  him  to  homestead  or  buy  and 
to  populate. 

In  1870  Colorado  had  less  than  twenty  thousand  head  of  sheep.  In  1879  there 
were  something  like  two  million  or  more. 

The  wool  shipments  from  points  in  Colorado,  in  1878,  amounted  to  about  4,000- 
000  pounds,  of  which  about  one-half  came  from  New  Mexico,  via  wagon  trains 
to  the  southern  railway  termini.  These  shipments  embraced  1,250,000  pounds  at 
EI  Moro,  500,000  at  Alamosa  and  Fort  Garland,  600,000  at  Colorado  Springs, 
200,000  at  Fort  Collins,  200,000  at  Greeley  and  Cheyenne,  500,000  at  West  Las 
Animas,  100,000  at  Pueblo,  100,000  at  Canon,  100,000  at  Walsenburg,  and  450,000 
at  other  places. 

EARLY  STOCK-R.MSING   METHODS 

Prof.  J.  E.  Payne,  in  an  illuminating  bulletin  written  for  the  Colorado  State 
Agricultural  College,  thus  describes  the  early  stock-growing  methods : 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  513 

"Cautiously  at  first,  and  recklessly  afterwards,  men  went  into  the  cattle  busi- 
ness, until  in  the  '80s  the  tally  books  of  the  various  outfits  whose  cattle  ranged 
eastern  Colorado  summed  up  nearly  half  a  million  head.  The  most  of  these  cattle 
were  owned  by  large  outfits,  supporting  high-salaried  officers  and  employing  super- 
intendents and  foremen  to  do  the  real  work.  These  large  companies  took  posses- 
sion of  the  open  water  along  the  streams  and  soon  it  became  an  unwritten  law 
among  them  to  allow  each  ten  miles  of  open  water  and  the  valley  adjoining  it,  and 
from  the  stream  half  way  *o  the  nearest  open  water  on  another  stream  or  in  an- 
other locality.  It  was  the  custom  then  to  allow  the  cowboys  to  run  their  own  cat- 
tle with  those  of  the  company.  The  care  consisted  usually  in  rounding  up,  count- 
ing what  could  be  found,  branding  the  calves,  and  selecting  animals  to  be  sent  to 
market. 

"For  some  time  all  the  range  was  entirely  open  and  cattle  whose  owners  lived 
on  the  South  Platte  might  drift  to  the  Big  Sandy,  or  possibly  as  far  as  the  Arkansas 
River.  Under  this  system  it  was  impossible  to  improve  the  range  stock,  so  in  the 
'80s  the  large  companies  began  to  fence  large  pastures  and  use  pure  bred  bulls  of 
the  beef  breeds.  The  pasture  method  was  quite  economical  as  the  only  hands 
needed  were  enough  to  ride  the  fences  to  see  that  they  were  kept  in  repair  and 
do  a  little  extra  work  around  the  home  ranches. 

"Following  this  era  came  a  wave  of  settlement.  As  all  the  country  was 
fenced  as  cow  pastures,  the  people  had  to  settle  in  the  pasture  claimed  by  some- 
one. During  this  era  of  claim-taking  the  cowboys  of  the  difTerent  outfits,  after 
finding  it  impossible  to  bluff  the  settlers  out  of  the  country,  filed  in  many  cases 
on  the  land  containing  the  open  water  of  the  streams,  leaving  the  smooth  upland 
for  the  settlers  who  came  to  farm. 

"This  wave  of  settlement  came  just  after  the  hard  winter  of  1885-86  had 
destroyed  fully  one-half  of  the  cattle  on  the  plains  and  had  caused  many  owners 
of  cattle  to  be  discouraged  and  ready  to  quit  business. 

"The  reports  of  special  agents  of  the  general  land  office  made  in  1884  showed 
that  4,431,980  acres  of  the  public  lands  had  been  unlawfully  fenced  in  for  the 
raising  of  range  cattle.  In  February,  1885,  Congress  by  enactment  forbade  the 
unlawful  occupancy  of  the  public  lands  and  authorized  the  President  'to  take 
such  measures  as  may  be  necessary  in  order  to  remove  or  destroy  any  such  in- 
closurc  and  to  employ  civil  or  military  force  for  that  purpose.' 

"President  Cleveland  acted  promptly  on  the  suggestion  and  the  settler  scored 
a  victory. 

"All  this,  with  the  crowding  of  settlement  and  the  losses  from  the  storms  dur- 
ing 1885-86,  caused  the  majority  of  the  large  companies  to  go  out  of  business 
and  be  succeeded  by  men  with  smaller  herds. 

"Haste  of  these  men  in  getting  out  of  the  cattle  business  probably  helped  to 
make  the  period  of  low  prices  experienced  in  1889-93.  During  these  years  cat- 
tle wore  considered  very  poor  property;  yet  those  who  stayed  in  the  business 
found  themselves  on  the  top  wave  of  prosperity  a  few  years  later  when  ordinary 
calves  sold  for  $15  and  $20  per  head  at  five  months  old.  But  the  old  way  of 
raising  cattle  by  turning  them  loose  and  leaving  them  without  further  attention 
except  at  round-up  time,  had  passed. 

"The  winter  of  1902-03  was  the  hardest  since  1885-86.  Old-timers  say  that 
the  reason  the  losses  were  not  greater  then  was  that  the  cattle  were  kept  closer 


514  HISTORV  OF  COLORADO 

home  and  owners  were  able  to  get  their  cattle  in  and  teed  them.  Some  who  at- 
tempted to  winter  without  feed  lost  nearly  all  they  had.  Some  fed  so  much  that 
the  cost  of  the  feed  was  more  than  the  value  of  the  cattle.  The  owners  of  cattle 
are  now  compelled  by  public  sentiment  to  feed  so  as  to  keep  their  stock-  from 
starving  and  they  did  this  in  1902-03.  If  they  had  not  the  losses  would  ha\c 
been  75  per  cent  of  all  cattle  on  the  Plains  instead  of  probably  less  than  20  per 
cent  as  it  was. 

"The  settlers  came  to  the  country  to  farm  and  settled  so  thickly  that  they 
left  no  range  for  stock.  After  the  crop  failures  in  1903-04,  settlement  was  thinned 
so  much  in  many  communities  that  there  was  room  for  the  remaining  settlers  to 
pasture  as  many  cattle  as  they  wished.  From  that  time  settlers  began  to  gather 
herds  about  them  until  now  the  country  is  again  almost  as  much  overstocked  by 
the  small  herds  as  it  was  before  by  the  large  holdings." 

GOVERNMENT  REGUL.XTION  OF  GRAZING 

During  the  administration  of  President  Roosevelt  the  Public  Lands  Commis- 
sion, consisting  of  W.  A.  Richards,  F.  H.  Newell  and  Gifi'ord  Pinchot,  took  up 
the  question  of  grazing  rights.  This  investigation  was  the  result  largely  of  the 
frequent  collisions  between  sheepmen  and  cattlemen,  and  the  incursions  into  each 
others'  domain.  The  killing  of  thousands  of  sheep,  the  murder  of  innocent  herd- 
ers, the  equally  brutal  retaliatory  measures,  finally  brought  the  Government  to 
a  determination  to  solve  this  great  problem  of  the  west.  In  1903,  the  year  of 
the  investigation,  the  commission  in  its  report  states  that  "there  are  more  than 
300,000,000  acres  whose  chief  value  will  always  be  for  grazing." 

"At  present,"  the  commission  says,  "the  vacant  public  lands  ar>;  theoretically 
open  commons,  free  to  all  citizens.  This  general  lack  of  control  in  the  use  of 
public  grazing  lands  has  resulted  naturally  and  inevitably  in  overgrazing  and 
the  ruin  of  millions  of  acres  of  otherwise  valuable  grazing  territory.  Lands,  use- 
ful for  grazing  are  losing  their  only  capacity  for  productiveness  as  of  course  they 
must  when  no  legal  control  is  exercised." 

In  August,  1904,  the  commission  conferred  with  the  National  Live  Stock  As- 
sociation in  Denver.  This  meeting  was  attended  by  the  leaders  of  agriculture  and 
by  representative  stockmen  from  all  the  grazing  land  states  and  territories.  The 
commission  then  recommended  that  suitable  authority  be  g^ven  to  the  President 
to  set  aside  by  proclamation  certain  grazing  districts  or  reserves.  To  the  Secre- 
tary of  Agriculture  should  be  given  the  right  to  classify  and  appraise  the  grazing 
value  of  these  lands,  and  to  collect  moderate  fees  for  grazing  permits. 

With  some  modifications  this  policy  is  now  being  carried  out,  the  public 
lands  having  been  carefully  classified  and  valued  in  the  past  few  years. 

Under  the  Federal  grazing  laws  the  Colorado  area  of  national  forests  is  care- 
fully limited  as  to  number  of  cattle  or  sheep  to  be  grazed.  In  the  Arapahoe  For- 
est reserve,  which  comprises  636,899  acres,  the  number  of  cattle  and  horses  per- 
mitted to  graze  is  12,600,  and  of  sheep  106,500.  The  Rio  Grande  reserve,  which 
totals  1.137,067  acres,  permits  the  grazing  of  266,000  sheep  and  23,400  cattle  and 
horses.  The  White  River  reserve  leases  grazing  areas  for  40,000  cattle  and 
horses  and  220,000  sheep.    The  Government  grazing  areas  in  Colorado  permit  the 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  515 

grazing  of  aliout  400,000  cattle  and  horses  and  approximately  1,200,000  sheep 
and  goats. 

The  yearly  rates  for  grazing  cattle  is  54  cents,  for  horses,  67  cents,  for  sheep 
and  goats,  13J/  cents. 

The  Federal  Government  states  that  the  ranges  of  the  countrj'  are  now  sup- 
porting over  1,750,000  cattle  and  7,850,000  sheep,  exclusive  of  calves  and  lambs. 
It  is  estimated  that  in  the  next  decade  this  will  be  increased  by  10  per  cent. 

The  years  191 5  and  1916  witnessed  a  great  stride  forward  in  live  stock  breed- 
ing. In  1916  dairy  production  in  the  state  increased  37  per  cent,  and  that  meant 
the  shipping  in  of  a  large  number  of  dairy  cows  and  high-class  bulls.  The  grade 
dairy  cows  went  chiefly  to  the  Arkansas  Valley,  Carbondale  and  Rifle  districts. 

The  interest  in  beef  cattle  was  evidenced  by  the  sale  in  1916  at  the  Western 
Live  Stock  Show  of  a  Hereford  bull  for  $5,000.  A  Shorthorn  Imll  was  bought 
for  $6,600  in  December,  1916,  for  Steamboat  .Sj^rings. 

THE   P.ASSINt;   OF  THE   I..\ST   CRE.VT    HICKI) 

The  Prairie  Cattle  Company  was  the  last  of  the  big  range  cattle  raisers  to 
go  out  of  business.  This  was  in  1916  when  they  sold  out  their  vast  holdings  at 
the  highest  market  prices  of  the  year.  In  1886  this  company  had  three  ranges. 
the  first  extending  from  the  Arkansas  River  to  the  New  Mexico  state  line  and 
fifty  miles  in  width  from  La  Junta  east.  Their  other  divisions  were  in  Texas  and 
New  Mexico.  The  Colorado  range  alone  was  2,240,000  acres.  On  this  they 
had  53,982  cattle.  In  1882  this  company  branded  26,000  calves  on  its  three 
ranches. 

The  Prairie  Cattle  Company  was  a  foreign  cor])oration  (Scotch)  organized 
unders  the  laws  of  Great  Britain  in  1881,  and  all  its  general  managers  in  .\nier- 
ica.  with  the  exception  of  one,  have  been  either  Scotchmen  or  Englishmen. 

About  1880,  when  cattle  reached  a  higher  price  than  they  had  ever  attained 
since  the  war.  the  j^rice  that  the  Jones  brothers  were  offered  for  their  herd  by 
Underwood,  Clark  &  Co.,  of  Kansas  City,  representing  the  Prairie  Cattle  Com- 
pany, was  too  tempting.  No  one  knew  how  long  these  prices  would  continue.  A 
bird  in  the  hand  seemed  worth  more  than  two  in  the  bush,  and  so  Jones  P)rothers 
disposed  of  all  of  their  holdings  to  the  Prairie  Cattle  Company.  One  of  these 
brothers  was  named  Jim — Jim  Jones — and  thus  originated  the  J  J  brand. 

.•\t  the  time  of  this  jjurchase  in  that  portion  of  southern  Colorado  known  as 
the  J  J  range,  nearly  all  the  small  owners  of  cattle  offered  their  herds  at  the  same 
price  ])aid  for  the  Jones  herd,  and  thev  were  taken  by  the  same  syndicate,  .\bout 
the  same  time  the  Hall  brothers,  owning  the  Crosselle  ranch,  whose  cattle  ranged 
in  northern  New  Mexico,  and  the  tiien  ".Neutral  .^tri]),"  now  Oklahoma.  dis])0sed 
of  their  herd  to  the  same  conii)any.  immediately  afterwards  Mr.  Liltlefield  sold 
to  the  com])anv  his  range  with  the  cattle,  known  as  the  L  T  T  herd,  located  in 
the  nnrtbem  part  of  Texas  witii  headquarters  at  Tascosa.  known  at  on''  lime  as 
the  loug^iesl  town  in  Texas. 

The  Jones  brothers  were  among  the  first  to  give  consideration  lo  tiie  im- 
provement of  the  grade  of  cattle  then  in  Colorado.  They  imported  .Sliorliunii 
bulls  from  the  eastern  states,  and  their  herd  became  one  of  the  fniest  in  the 
west.      The   I  ialls.  at  the  Crosselle  ranch,  did   much   the  same,  hut   thev.  a  little 


516  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

later,  went  more  extensively  into  Herefords.  The  Prairie  Cattle  Company  sold 
this  ranch  some  years  ago  to  Mr.  G.  A.  Fowler  of  Colorado  Springs.  Mr.  Fow- 
ler has  continually  purchased  the  best  bulls  obtainable  in  the  east,  and  has  now 
brought  his  herd,  which  for  its  size  is  probably  the  best  bred  herd  in  the  States, 
to  a  high  state  of  perfection. 

The  Littlefield  LIT  herd  was  started  with  well  selected  southern  Texas 
cows,  but  the  improvement  of  that  herd  and  the  high  standard  it  subsequently 
reached  was  due  to  the  management  of  the  Prairie  Cattle  Company. 

The  J  J  herd  branded  at  one  time  about  ten  thousand  calves  a  year  on  the 
J  J  division;  the  Crosselle  division  branded  about  the  same  number,  and  the 
LIT  about  four  thousand  a  year.  These  three  herds  were  run  as  separate  and 
distinct  outfits  under  one  general  management.  The  'cattle  roamed  freely  with- 
out hindrance,  and  in  the  spring,  when  the  general  roundup  took  place,  the  J  J 
cattle  from  the  Arkansas  division  could  be  found  as  far  south  as  northern 
Texas.  The  bulk  of  them,  however,  were  north  of  the  Cimarron  River.  The 
Crosselles  went  as  far  south  as  the  Canadian. 

THE  OLD  FENCE  LAWS 

The  stock-raising  experiments  of  Horace  Greeley's  famous  Union  Colony 
make  interesting  and  somewhat  amusing  reading  in  these  "thoroughbred"  days. 
In  his  famous  book  on  "What  I  Know  of  Farming"  the  editor  of  the  New 
York  Tribune  had  epitomized  two  of  his  pet  horrors  into  the  phrase:  "No 
fences  and  no  rum."  Thus  when  the  "Greeley  Cooperative  Stock  and  Dairy  As- 
sociation" was  formed  in  1870  with  a  capital  of  $10,000,  N.  C.  Meeker,  in  his 
Tribune  letter,  said :  "We  are  to  engage  in  all  kinds  of  business  relating  to  stock, 
including  the  supplying  of  the  town  with  milk  and  beef.  As  a  start  seventy-five 
head  of  cows  and  yoimg  cattle  have  been  purchased  for  $1,100,  and  they  make 
a  respectable  show  when  stretched  out  across  the  prairie.  This  herd  is  to  be 
increased  as  we  find  good  bargains,  and  we  mean  to  cover  the  unoccupied  land 
in  every  direction  with  our  cattle."  This  is  exactly  what  happened.  The  hard 
winters  of  1871  and  1872  drove  the  herds  south,  the  capital  of  the  company  was 
small,  and  the  greater  part  of  the  herd  was  never  recovered.  Then  too,  hay  was 
high  in  this  period,  and  the  experiment  was  given  up,  the  stockholders  getting 
back  half  of  their  money. 

When  Mr.  Meeker  started  his  paper  the  "first  use  of  our  type"  was  an  appeal 
to  "fence  in  all  of  the  property  as  the  roaming  prairie  cattle  were  destroying 
whole  fields.  *  *  *  The  protection  of  our  strawberry  grounds,  containing  as 
much  as  a  quarter  million  plants  alone,  demand  our  organization"  (for  fencing 
purposes).  Horace  Greeley  arrived  in  Greeley  the  following  day,  and  quietly  ap- 
proved the  new  "fence"  program.  He  never  changed  his  mind  on  the  "rum"  part 
of  his  epigram. 

Before  Union  Colony  was  through  it  had  spent  $20,000  on  a  smooth  wire 
fence. 

But  the  cattle  still  roamed  and  did  enormous  damage.  In  1872-3  Greeley 
was  allowed  to  put  gates  across  the  public  roads  leading  into  the  town.  These 
were  kept  closed  during  seven  spring  and  summer  months  of  the  year.  In  1875 
the  Legislature  authorized  the  forming  of  fence  districts.    The  first  one  organized 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  517 

under  the  law  was  the  "Poudre  Valley  Fence  District."  But  the  fence  required 
approval  of  the  county  commissioners,  two  of  whom  were  stockmen. 

The  stockmen  saw  in  this  general  early  fencing  proposition  the  doom  of  the 
range,  although  they  resorted  to  it  later  on  a  huge  scale.  But  in  many  instances 
it  kept  them  from  getting  to  water  with  their  cattle. 

The  publication  of  a  private  Meeker  letter  to  Horace  Greeley,  in  which  the 
former  reported  the  tremendous  cattle  losses  in  the  hard  winter  of  1871-72  im- 
paired the  credit  of  the  stockmen  in  the  east  and  the  fight  between  this  colony 
and  the  cattlemen  was  on  in  earnest.  The  colonists  were  called  "Greeley  saints" 
who  had  "fenced  themselves  in"  from  "the  heathens."  The  cattlemen  argued 
that  farming  could  never  pay— "the  country  was  fit  only  for  grazing." 

The  colony  started  impounding  cattle  found  roaming  at  large.  This  worked 
for  a  while,  but  the  armed  guard  went  to  sleep  one  Sunday  and  the  stockmen 
drove  all  of  the  impounded  cattle  over  to  Evans. 

The  cooperative  fencing  plans  worked  well  for  a  while  but  with  the  invention 
of  barbed  wire,  put  up  at  one  quarter  the  previous  cost,  individual  fence  building 
began  and  the  community  plan  was  discontinued.  Orchard  and  Sterling  and  the 
English  company  which  built  the  Larimer  and  Weld  Canal,  all  put  up  these  co- 
operative fences. 

THE   BREEDING   OF   HORSES 

In  1880  the  breeding  of  a  better  class  of  horses  was  begun  in  Colorado.  It 
was  found  that  the  broncho  "with  sinews  of  steel  and  tireless  gallop"  was  fit  only 
for  rough  riding  and  herding.  He  was  at  his  best  worth  about  fifty  dollars, 
while  an  eastern  animal  commanded  double  that  amount.  It  was  not  long  before 
the  best  long  distance  racers  in  the  west  were  bred  on  Colorado  grasses. 

At  the  great  Lexington  race  meet  in  the  autumn  of  1909  the  standard  bred 
mare,  Catherine  Direct,  a  three-year-old  product  of  Colorado  soil,  climate  and 
grasses,  demonstrated  the  superior  quality  of  these  products  when  she  won  the 
Kentucky  Futurity  for  pacers  in  three-year-old  form  from  eighty-seven  entries. 
This  mare  was  bred  and  reared  on  the  farm  of  J.  M.  Herbert  near  Denver  and  was 
fed  upon  alfalfa  hay  and  pasture  to  the  exclusion  of  all  other  fodders  until  she 
was  put  into  training.  Daybreak,  a  Colorado  product,  the  same  year,  won  the 
$10,000  Lewis  &  Clark  stake  race  in  Portland.  The  record  since  then  is  long 
and  convincing. 

Larimer's  early  sheep  history 

From  1870  to  1878  the  sheep  industry  of  Larimer  County  grew  from  a  few 
small  herds  owned  by  J.  S.  Maynard,  E.  W.  Whitcomb,  William  N.  Bachelder 
and  Thomas  Weldon,  to  herds  totaling  75,000  head.  Most  of  these  were  in 
the  Big  Thompson  Valley,  at  Maynard  Flats,  Spring  Caiion  and  Bacheld2r  Creek. 
After  1878  the  narrowing  of  the  ranges  drove  many  out  of  the  business,  but 
some  took  their  herds  into  the  regions  of  the  cattle  barons.  The  result  was  the 
beginning  in  this  region  of  Colorado  of  the  war  between  sheep  and  cattlemen. 
In  1880  one  firm  alone  shipped  more  than  one  hundred  thousand  pounds  of  wool 
out  of  Larimer  County. 


518  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

William  N.  Bachelder,  writing  in  1900,  recalls  that  he  ran  for  the  constitu- 
tional convention  but  was  defeated  because  he  was  a  "sheep",  man.  It  was  Wil- 
liam N.  Bachelder  who  brought  to  Colorado  Henry  Dewey,  brother  of  Admiral 
George  Dewey,  as  his  associate  in  the  early  sheep-raising  business.  Henry  died 
of  tuberculosis  a  few  years  later. 

In  1870  about  forty  thousand  head  of  cattle  ranged  on  the  hills  above  the 
Laramie  River.  In  those  days  the  old-timers  say  that  ranchmen  "started  their 
herds  from  a  few  milch  cows  and  mavericks,  gradually  increasing  and  in  ten 
or  twelve  years  retiring  with  an  ample  competence."  In  the  valley  were  the 
cattle  ranches  of  Captain  Hance.  William  Mansfield.  Oscar  and  Kelley  Martin 
and  Bieler  and  Hutton's  horse  ranch. 

Isaac  Adair  was  the  first  permanent  white  settler  on  upj^er  Boxelder,  start- 
ing in  the  stock-raising  business  in  1875.  E.  W.  Whitcomb  and  Alma  Goodwin 
had  ranged  cattle  in  this  section  in  1868. 

The  Larimer  County  Stock  Growers'  Association  was  organized  August  20, 
1884.  Its  first  president  was  T.  A.  Gage,  with  S.  B.  Chaflfee  as  secretary.  Among 
the  prominent  stockmen  who  joined  the  organization  were  J.  L.  Bristol,  F.  L. 
Carter-Colton,  F.  ].  Spencer,  C.  E.  Roberts,  Fred  Christman  and  practically  all 
the  stockmen  who  were  using  the  range  in  the  mountains  of  Larimer  County.  It 
was  useful  in  the  supervision  of  branding  and  in  the  prosecution  of  cattle  thieves, 
but  as  the  range  stock  thinned  out  the  association  was  allowed  to  die  out.  Most 
of  the  flock  masters  had  in  a  few  years  moved  to  ^^^•oming  and  Montana. 

THE    LA  MI'.    I'lCEDIXC.    INDUSTRY 

The  bringing  in  of  lambs  every  fall  not  only  provided  an  outlet  for  the  alfalfa, 
but  also  introduced  feeding  methods  into  that  section,  and  was  instrumental  in 
teaching  Colorado  farmers  the  importance  of  feeding  their  forage  crops  at  home. 
In  the  beginning  the  farmers  did  not  realize  the  great  value  of  the  manure  from 
the  feed  lots,  but  with  the  coming  of  the  sugar  beet  industry  they  quickly  dis- 
covered that  the  manure-  was  as  valuable  as  any  profit  they  might  make  from 
their  feeding  operations.  When"  I.  W.  Bennett  and  his  brother  brought  that  first 
trainload  of  starved  lambs  into  the  northern  Colorado  alfalfa  fields  they  in- 
augurated a  new  era  of  prosperity  for  the  Colorado  farmers.  It  was  a  small 
beginning,  but  it  has  grown  to  enormous  proportions,  and  during  the  present 
vear  this  same  section  is  feeding  nearly,  if  not  quite,  double  the  highest  number 
reported  in  the  table  given  below. 

In  1889  E.  J.  and  I.  W.  Bennett,  who  many  years  before  had  been  inter- 
ested in  the  range  sheep  and  wool-growing  industry  and  also  feeding  sheep  in 
Nebraska  in  the  wintertime,  bought  in  southern  Colorado  about  twenty-four 
hundred  grade  Mexican  lambs  with  the  intention  of  shipping  them  to  their  feed- 
ing pens  in  Nebraska  and  fattening  them  for  the  spring  markets.  They  were 
caught  at  Walsenburg  in  a  severe  snowstorm,  which  blocked  the  railroad  so  that 
no  trains  coidd  be  moved. 

The  storm  began  at  Walsenburg  on  the  night  of  October  31st,  following  a 
verv  warm  and  perfectly  lovely  day,  continuing  for  several  days  and  with  such 
severity  as  to  cause  some  twenty-six  herders  and  stockmen  to  perish  in  southern 
Colorado  and  northern  New  Mexico  before  they  could  find  adequate  shelter.     A 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  519 

pruniineiu  stockman  of  Trinidad  by  the  name  of  Taylor  was  caught  out  in  this 
storm  and  lost  his  life,  together  with  several  of  his  cowlx)ys.  Here  for  two 
weeks  the  lambs  were  held  without  food,  except  such  as  was  afforded  by  a  few 
pinon  trees  cut  down  for  them  to  browse. 

As  a  last  resort  the  owners  decided  to  ship  the  lambs  to  Fort  Collins,  where 
alfalfa  could  be  obtained  at  a  reasonable  price,  and  there  attempt  to  fatten 
them  under  what  they  considered  at  the  time  as  adverse  circumstances. 

The  lambs  reached  Fort  Collins  about  the  middle  of  November  and  were 
I)kiced  upon  a  generous  ration  of  alfalfa.  They  recovered  rapidly  from  the 
effects  of  their  long  fast  and  rough  journey,  and  later  were  fed  corn  as  well  as 
hay.  The  lambs  were  shipped. to  Chicago  in  March  and  April,  i8yo,  and  sold  at 
prices  ranging  from  $5.05  to  $6.40  per  hundred  pounds,  leaving  the  feeders  a 
fine  profit. 

This  was  the  beginning  of  the  lamb-feeding  industry  in  Colorado,  an  industry 
that  put  the  farmers  on  their  feet  and  enabled  them  to  pay  off  their  debts,  im- 
])rove  their  farms  and  build  new  homes.  These  figures  show  the  number  of  lambs 
fed  in  the  county  for  the  first  thirteen  years: 

Winter  of   1889  2,500 

Winter  of  1890  3.500 

Winter  of  1891  6,000 

Winter  of   1892  30,000 

Winter  of    1893  40,000 

Winter  of   1894  60,000 

Winter  of   1895 80,000 

Winter  of   1896  > 128,000 

Winter  of  1897  193,000 

Winter  of  1898  250,000 

Winter  of  1899 300,000 

Winter  of   1900  350,000 

Winter  of   1901  400,000 

THE    FOUNDING   OF    .V    C.REAT    INDUSTRY 

In  1859  John  II.  Craig,  lack  Johnson  and  Charles  1  Ifilnies  settled  in  1  lapi)y 
Caiion,  abotu  ten  miles  north  of  Castle  Rock,  and  began  prospecting  for  gold, 
but  as  a  side  issue  started  the  cattle-grow'ing  industry.  In  November,  i860.  Judge 
P.  P.  W'ilcox,  of  Denver,  and  William  Li])lrap  started  a  cow  ranch  about  two 
miles  above  Frankstown.  But  between  the  coming  of  Craig  and  his  companions 
and  the  starting  of  the  Wilcox  cow  ranch  the  old  chroniclers  of  Douglas  County 
tell  of  the  arrival  of  a  hundred  or  more  followers,  most  of  whom  went  into  the 
cattle-raising  business  on  a  small  scale.  The  W'ilcox  herd.  Iiowever,  grew  to  be 
one  of  the  largest  in  the  territory,  and  was  finally  moved  over  to  P>ig  Sandy,  near 
River  P>end.  Many  of  the  small  herds,  too,  in  time,  grew  to  such  pro])ortions  that 
the  stock-raising  industry  of  Douglas  County  became  of  foremost  im])ortancc,  en- 
riching its  owners  without  niuch  effort  on  their  part,  for  feeding  was  as  free  as 
the  air.  The  sheep  industry  began  to  develop  early.  I'lUt  here,  as  all  over  Ihe 
I'tains,  the  era  of  settlenicnl  of  the  public  domain  cut  down  the  range  and  stock 
raising  was  soon  confined  to  smaller  areas. 


520  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

El  Paso  County,  like  Douglas  County,  profited  more  in  the  early  days  from 
its  range  than  from  its  mines.  It  was  in  this  section  that  General  Palmer  recorded 
the  vast  cattle-raising  possibilities.  In  1890  there  were  in  El  Paso  County  37,573 
head  of  cattle  and  58,831  sheep. 

The  stock-growing  industry  of  Pueblo  County  began  with  the  first  settlement. 
By  1873  ^^^  industry  had  grown  sufficiently  to  warrant  the  founding  by  Good- 
night, Cresswell  &  Co.,  prominent  stockmen,  of  the  Stockgrowers'  National  Bank. 
This  became  the  center  of  the  Texas  cattle  trade  in  Colorado,  distributions  being 
made  to  northern  and  Arkansas  Valley  points.  George  H.  Hobson,  who  came  to 
Colorado  from  Missouri  in  1869,  was  one  of  the  Pueblo  men  heavily  interested 
in  the  Texas  cattle  trade.  In  1888  there  were  50,000  cattle  in  the  county,  10,000 
horses  and  40,000  sheep. 

Huerfano  County's  cattle-raising  industry  began  with  the  first  settlement  by 
Charles  Autobees,  of  what  was  known  as  part  of  the  Las  Animas  Land  Grant, 
in  1849.  In  1858  William  Kroenig,  of  New  Mexico,  purchased  some  of  the 
holdings  of  Autobees  and  began  stock-raising  on  a  large  scale.  Joseph  B.  Doyle, 
William  Craig  and  Samuel  Watrous  followed,  until  the  business  grew  to  vast 
proportions.  Wealthy  stock  companies  held  the  range  for  a  long  time,  and 
were  finally  driven  out  of  business  by  the  smaller  holders,  who  greatly  improved 
the  herds  by  importing  blooded  stock. 

The  Colorado  Company,  in  1879,  practically  monopolized  the  cattle  industry 
in  the  Huerfano  Valley.  This  company  had  bought  the  famous  Craig  ranch  and 
gradually  absorbed  others  until  in  1881  it  had  30,000  head  of  cattle  on  its  range. 

In  1890  there  were  in  use  in  Jeflferson  County  132,060  acres  of  grazing  land, 
showing  the  growth  of  the  cattle  industry  even  in  this  "foothill"  region. 

In  1890  there  were  86,000  acres  of  grazing  lands  in  use  by  stockmen  in  Ar- 
chuleta County,  largely  in  the  Piedra  and  Weeminuche  parks.  The  assessment 
roll  for  that  year  placed  the  number  of  cattle  feeding  upon  these  lands  at  3,509; 
sheep,  17,840;  horses,  1,000.  ' 

It  was  in  Baca  County  at  the  Sylvanus  Johnson  ranch  on  Bear  Creek  that 
the  Angora  goat  industry  was  started  in  Colorado  with  2,000  head. 

The  grazing  lands  of  the  county  were  long  devoted  to  the  raising  of  Texas 
longhoms.  On  the  many  fine  stock  farms  near  Springfield  now  herds  of  better 
breeds  are  proving  exceedingly  profitable. 

John  W.  Prowers  brought  his  herd  of  a  hundred  cows  to  Bent  County  in  1861. 
L.  A.  Allen,  of  Missouri,  hearing  of  the  success  of  Prowers  in  the  stock-raising 
business,  induced  a  fellow-Missourian,  Solomon  Young,  of  Independence,  to  back 
him  with  700  head,  which  reached  Fort  Lyon  in  1863.  Lucien  B.  Maxwell's 
herds  were  later  transferred  from  the  Greenhorn  to  Bent  County.  William  Kroe- 
nig, who  had  settled  on  the  Las  Animas  grant,  and  his  fellow  stockmen  brought 
their  cattle  to  the  Arkansas  and  made  heavy  sales  to  settlers.  The  settlers  after 
1865  came  in  flocks  and  practically  all  went  into  the  stock-raising  business.  The 
range  cattle  trade  reached  its  height  in  the  early  '80s,  and  here  as  elsewhere  its 
decline  was  rapid. 

Among  the  earliest  ranchmen  in  Eagle  County  using  the  grazing  ranges  were 
Henry  Hermage,  Robert  Matthews  and  W.  E.  Frost,  who  began  cattle  raising 
on  Brush  Creek;  W.  W.  Livingston,  R.  M.  Sherwood,  C.  M.  White,  C.  B.  Stone, 
J.  L.  Howard,  on  the  Eagle;  F.  M.  Skiff,  Frank  Doll,  A.  F.  Grundel,  Casper 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  521 

Schimim,  on  Gypsum  Creek ;  W.  H.  Harris,  Robinson,  Thomas  O'Connell,  Luck- 
singer  Brothers,  H.  B.  Gillespie,  on  Roaring  Fork. 

In  1 89 1  the  wool  clip  of  Elbert  County  was  628,540  pounds  from  87,000 
sheep.  The  extent  of  the  grazing  industry  in  this  county,  which  is  now  but  a 
small  part  of  its  original  area,  was  in  1900  nearly  a  million  acres.  It  is  still, 
however,  one  of  the  most  profitable  cattle-growing  counties  in  the  state.  In 
1874  L.  F.  Roberts,  A.  J.  Redford  and  H.  C.  Hall,  together  with  Samuel  E. 
Wetzel  and  S.  P.  Williams,  had  herds  of  25,000  at  the  head  of  Beaver  Creek. 
About  1876  J.  W.  Bowles  and  W.  L.  Campbell  located  cattle  ranches  near  Yuma, 
in  what  is  now  Yuma  County.  J.  P.  Olive  went  into  the  cattle  business  near 
Wray  in  1877.  Thomas  H.  Ashton,  W.  Newell,  William  Lauver,  J.  R.  Porter 
and  C.  D.  Thompson  followed.  This,  however,  was  even  until  1881  a  danger 
section,  for  the  Cheyennes,  Arapahoes  and  Sioux  made  raids  on  cattle,  despite 
the  punishment  administered  at  Sand  Creek. 

The  beginning  of  the  cattle-raising  industry  in  Gunnison  County  dates  from 
the  establishment  of  a  "cow  camp"  in  1869  near  the  present  site  of  Gunnison. 
This  was  used  to  supply  the  Indians  at  the  Cochetopa  agency.  It  was  not  given 
up  until  1873,  when  the  Utes  were  transferred  to  the  Uncompahgre  reservation. 
Gradually  the  excellence  of  the  country  for  grazing  purposes  brought  a  great 
number  of  ranchmen  to  the  region  and  the  industry  has  been  on  the  whole  more 
profitable  than  the  nfining  of  Gunnison  County. 

When  John  W.  Ilifif,  of  Denver,  died  in  1878  the  Ilifl  cattle  holdings  were 
perhaps  the  largest  in  the  west.  It  was  said  that  he  could  travel  over  the  coun- 
try from  Julesburg  to  Greeley  and  always  eat  and  sleep  at  one  of  his  own  ranches. 
In  1 880  the  Iliff  executors  sold  $250,000  worth  of  beef  without  making  much 
of  an  inroad  upon  the  Iliff  herds. 

Finis  P.  Ernest  came  to  Colorado  in  1875  from  New  Mexico,  where  he  had 
in  four  years  gathered  a  herd  of  6,800  head.  He  bought  enough  water  front  at 
Deer  Trail  to  control  practically  1,500,000  acres.  In  1884  he  sold  $200,000  worth 
of  beef  and  declined  an  oflfer  of  $850,000  for  all  his  holdings. 

R.  G.  Webster  began  in  1872  with  a  small  herd  of  twenty-hve  head  near  Den- 
ver, and  in  1884  sold  out  his  interest  for  $135,000.  George  A.  Benkelman  began 
cattle  raising  on  the  Kiowa  east  of  Denver  with  a  hundred  head  in  1868.  In  1884 
he  owned  8,000  head.  Alfred  Butters  was  another  of  Denver's  early  cattlemen 
who  realized  a  fortune  in  live  stock. 

Dennis  Sheedy  of  Denver  was  another  speculator  of  those  early  days.  In 
1873  he  was  far-seeing  enough  to  bring  in  1,500  head  of  steers  at  panic  prices, 
and  sent  them  into  winter  quarters  near  Fort  Lyon,  on  the  Arkansas,  realizing 
a  fine  profit  when  they  were  sold  in  prime  condition. 

M.  J.  McMillan,  secretary  of  the  Bent  and  Prowers  Counties  Cattle  and  Horse 
Growers'  Association,  whose  association  was  first  formed  in  1870,  has  written  a 
history  of  his  organization.  From  these  records  it  is  learned  that  the  actual 
work  of  the  society  began  with  its  reorganization  in  February,  1874,  when  a  big 
meeting  was  held  at  Las  Animas. 

At  this  time  "mavericking"  and  cattle  stealing  was  indulged  in  to  a  very 
great  extent.  Some  of  the  largest  cattle  raisers  recommended  a  vigilance  com- 
mittee and  a  trial  by  cattlemen  and  the  penalty  for  stealing  cattle  was  to  be  death. 
Cattle  raisers  were  present  from  New  Afexico  and  from  the  Dry  Cimarron;  froir 


522  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

Las  Animas  County  and  from  Kansas.  After  holding  nightly  meetings  for  nearly 
a  week  it  was  decided  not  to  resort  to  extraordinary  measures  but  to  punish  of- 
fenders by  legal  means.  Large  rewards  were  offered  for  the  conviction  of  guilty 
jjarties  but  without  satisfactory  results.  At  the  meeting  in  February  an  organi- 
zation was  effected  and  the  following  named  persons  were  elected  officers :  John 
W.  Prowers,  president;  H.  S.  Holly,  vice  president;  James  C.  Jones,  vice  presi- 
dent ;  Mark  P.  Price,  treasurer ;  R.  M.  Moore,  secretary. 

Notwithstanding  the  efforts  of  the  association  to  prevent  it,  illegitimate  brand- 
ing of  calves  and  stealing  of  cattle  was  carried  on  and  it  was  not  until  the  spring 
of  1884  that  the  association  succeeded  in  convicting  anyone.  At  the  spring  term 
of  court  in  that  year  eight  persons  were  sent  to  Canon  City  for  stealing  cattle 
and  horses,  their  sentences  ranging  from  three  to  eight  years.  This  sweeping 
conviction  struck  terror  to  the  hearts  of  the  cattle  thieves  and  since  then  com- 
parative peace  reigns. 

With  the  windup  of  the  Prairie  Cattle  Company-  in  1917,  there  are  no  more 
big  herds  left  in  the  valley.  This  has  been  due  to  the  coming  in  of  settlers  who 
have  gradually  extended  their  fence  lines  farther  and  farther  away  from  the 
river  on  each  side,  reducing  the  amount  of  available  range  to  a  point  where  the 
running  of  big  herds  was  no  longer  practical. 

The  trail  no  longer  exists,  and  the  ranges  that  had  in  those  days  grazed  from 
200,000  to  400.000  cattle  are  today  being  occupied  by  the  stock  farmers  and 
herds  of  from  50  to  150  head,  and  even  smaller.  In  these  late  days  the  stock 
association  has  become  a  strictly  business  organization.  It  is  maintained  prin- 
cipally for  the  purpose  of  cooperating  with  other  associations  throughout  the 
state  in  protecting  the  cattle  industry  as  a  whole. 

IN  THE  UNCOMPAHGRE 

T.  W.  Monell  has  written  thus  briefly  the  history  of  the  "Cowmen  in  the 
L'ncompahgre" : 

"In  the  early  days  the  cattle  herds  were  run  in  the  mountains  in  the  sunmier 
time,  where  the  grass  was  more  abimdant  and  nutritious  than  along  the  rivers 
in  the  bottoms,  while  the  families  were  left  in  the  valleys.  During  those  early 
years  the  cattle  were  forced  to  rustle  for  themselves  during  the  winter  months, 
but  gradually,  as  safety  was  assured,  the  farmer  came  in  and  took  up  the  winter 
ranges  of  the  cowmen.  At  first  it  looked  like  a  hardship  to  the  cattle  owners,  but 
it  has  proven  the  greatest  indirect  blessing  the  live  stock  business  could  receive. 
It  did  not  take  the  cowman  long  to  discover  that  it  paid  him  to  purchase  hay 
from  the  farmers  and  feed  his  cattle  during  the  winter,  and  thus  there  was  cre- 
at.ed  a  demand  for  the  alfalfa  crop,  which  became  the  chief  cattle  feed. 

"The  coming  of  the  farmer  sounded  the  death  knell  of  the  ionghorn,'  which, 
up  to  that  time,  had  been  the  jjrincipal  class  of  cattle  run  in  the  mountain  ranges. 
The  stockman  soon  fotuid  that  it  did  not  pay  to  put  good  feed  into  the  long- 
legged,  long-horned  animals,  and  they  began  to  improve  their  herds.  Better  bulls 
were  in  demand,  and  the  place  of  the  Ionghorn  was  sjjeedily  taken  by  the  improved 
breeds  of  Shorthorns,  Herefords,  Red  Poll,  Polled  Angus  and  Galloways,  pro- 
ducing a  lieef  animal  at  one  year  of  age  which  equalled  or  excelled  the  Ionghorn 
at  four  years  of  age. 


TIISTORV  OF  COLORADO  523 

« 

"Inhabited  by  the  Ute  Indians  until  the  '80s,  the  valleys  of  the  Muddy  and 
Paradox,  tributary  streams,  were  first  located  and  settled  by  the  cowmen,  James 
P.  Galloway,  coming  from  Del  Norte,  and  Thomas  Kay,  from  Utah.  I'heiC  men, 
with  their  families,  opened  the  great  Paradox  Valley  in  West  Montrose  County. 
Coming  in  by  way  of  Sapinero,  the  Hartmans,  Creighton,  Savage  and  Collins  de- 
veloped the  Muddy  country.  The  cattle  they  took  out  from  this  .:ountry  and 
their  stories  of  the  possibilities  of  the  Uncompahgre  Valley  had  many  settleis 
ready  to  rush  in  before  the  Indians  moved  out.  O.  D.  Loutzenheiser,  one  of  the 
original  Packer  crowd,  began  dealing  with  the  soldiers  in  the  valley  and  estab- 
lished probably  the  first  herd  there  with  James  A.  Fenton  c~,nd  J.  W.  Smith 
close  to  him.  The  real  cow  business,  however,  was  outside  the  Indian  line,>. 
R.  H.  Blake,  the  Warners  and  J.  W.  Tripler  were  located  on  the  San  Miguel 
River  near  Naturita.  With  the  removal  of  the  Indians  and  the  opening  of  the 
valley  to  settlement  a  great  influx  of  all  classes  of  people  began. 

"True  to  their  instincts,  the  cowmen  became  the  real  developers,  growing  feed 
in  the  valleys  for  winter  use  and  grazing  their  cattle  during  the  summer  in  the 
mountains,  using  only  the  best  bred  bulls.  It  was  natural  that,  in  a  short  time, 
this  valley  should  have  a  national  reputation  for  the  quality  of  its  beef  cattle. 
The  winter  feeding  of  the  cattle  herds  so  enriched  the  soil  of  the  farms  that 
the  agricultural  production  exceeded  from  four  to  seven  times  the  average  of 
the  United  States. 

"It  was  soon  discovered  that  the  .soils  of  this  section  were  rich  in  mineral 
salts,  but  lacking  in  humus  and  nitrogen,  and  had  growing  on  them  the  essentials 
to  make  perfect  crops,  i.  e.,  alfalfa. 

"All  of  the  farmers  of  this  section  who  have  made  state  and  national  repu- 
tations for  the  production  of  wheat,  oats,  barley,  beets  and  potatoes  were  orig- 
inally— and  many  of  them  are  yet — in  the  cattle  business.  Some  of  the  most 
successful  bankers  and  business  men  of  the  county  started  in  the  cattle  business. 
A  few  years  ago  Al  A.  Neale,  of  Montrose,  brought  honor  and  credit  to  the  entire 
.State  of  Colorado  when  he  won  the  granfl  championship  at  the  International 
Live  Stock  Exposition  at  Chicago  two  years  in  succession  with  his  splendid 
.Shorthorn  calves,  and  the  fourth  time  he  exhibited  he  won  the  pur|)le  ribbon 
again." 

IN   THE    RO.\RIN"('.    FORK    V.M.LEY 

Among  the  lirst  to  engage  in  the  cattle  business  in  the  Roaring  I'ork  \'allcy 
was  John  C.  Fames,  of  New  York.  Me  came  into  the  \alley  with  a  herd  of  cat- 
tle purchased  near  Denver,  in  the  spring  of  18S0.  The  Roaring  Fork  and  its 
tributaries.  Crystal  RivL'r.  Frying  Pan.  Sopris  Creek  and  others,  provided  an 
ideal  grazing  country  for  cattle,  and  about  the  summer  of  i88j  (|uite  ;i  number 
of  settlers  came  in  and  went  into  the  cattle  business  in  a  small  way.  .\niong 
them  were  A.  B.  Foster,  M.  II.  McLaughlin,  M.  I,.  Shiiipie,  Horace  Cayiii.  S.  P. 
Sloss.  G.  W.  King,  C.  TI.  Harris.  Fred  Light  and  H.  I'.ourg.  Most  of  these 
pioneers  met  success  in  a  small  way  from  the  beginning,  and.  with  the  exce)ition 
of  a  few  of  iIhmii.  are  still  located  in  the  valley  and  arc  classed  amimg  the  suc- 
cessful men  in  the  cattle  business. 

About  the  summer  of  1883  Fd  I'anning  of  Carbondale  drove  in  a  buiuii  of 


524  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

cattle  from  the  Eastern  Slope  and  located  in  the  valley.  About  the  same  time 
J.  W.  Zimmerman,  James  T.  Dalton  and  H.  B.  Gillespie  started  in  the  business. 

During  the  summer  of  1885  or  '86  Reef  and  Nuckols  brought  in  the  first 
large  herd  of  cattle  to  this  section.  They  were  southern  steers  and  were  grazed 
upon  the  ranges  in  this  section,  and  used  to  supply  the  mining  camp  of  Aspen 
with  beef.  Later  this  firm  moved  their  cattle  north  of  the  Grand  River  and  were 
extensive  cattle  producers  for  a  number  of  years. 

Eugene  and  Lloyd  Grubb  acquired  a  ranch  on  the  Crystal  River  near  Car- 
bondale  in  1885.  Later  Lloyd  Grubb  secured  a  ranch  of  his  own  east  of  the  Roar- 
ing Fork,  which  he  sold  a  few  years  ago  at  a  good  price  and  moved  to  California, 
where  he  is  now  located.  Eugene  Grubb  still  continues  on  his  fine  ranch  at  the 
foot  of  Mt.  Sopris. 

THE   COMING   OF   THE    HEREFORD 

T.  L.  Miller  of  Beecher,  Illinois,  the  dominant  spirit  of  the  Breeders'  Live 
Stock  Association  (the  forerunner  of  the  American  Hereford  Cattle  Breeders' 
Association),  is  probably  the  man  entitled  to  the  credit  of  introducing  the  first 
Herefords  into  Colorado.  There  are  no  available  data  to  establish  the  exact  date 
when  the  first  Hereford  made  its  appearance  in  this  state,  but  it  was  probably 
about,  or  just  before,  the  year  1870.  Mr.  Miller  sold  three  Hereford  bulls  in  1873 
to  John  Zweek  of  Longmont,  Colorado.  In  1S74  he  shipped  more  Hereford  bulls 
to  Denver,  which  were  sold  to  Colorado  ranchmen.  Wherever  tried  the  Hereford 
blood  made  good  and  became  popular  from  the  very  first  on  the  Colorado  ranges. 

Perhaps  the  leading  herd  of  Herefords  in  the  state  in  1893  was  George  H. 
Adams'  herd  at  Crestone,  in  the  San  Luis  ^'alley.  He  operated  a  very  select 
registered  Hereford  herd  on  the  Baca  grant  of  very  high  quality,  in  addition  to 
a  large  grade  herd.  In  1898,  to  improve  and  increase  his  already  noted  herd,  he 
attended  the  memorable  sale  of  C.  S.  Cross  of  Sunny  Slope  Farm,  Emporia, 
Kansas,  where  144  head  of  imported  and  home-grown  registered  Herefords  sold 
for  an  average  of  $407  per  head.  Mr.  Adams  bought  twenty  head  of  the  best 
females  in  the  sale,  at  an  average  of  over  five  hundred  dollars  per  head.  In  the 
fall  of  the  same  year  he  was  one  of  the  sixteen  exhibitors  at  the  Omaha  Expo- 
sition, which  was  the  largest  and  best  display  of  its  kind  ever  seen  in  the  United 
States  up  to  that  time.  The  first  list  of  members  published  in  the  American 
Hereford  Record  was  in  Volume  5,  published  in  1886.  There  were  something 
less  than  three  hundred  and  fifty  members  in  all  the  United  States  and  Canada 
at  that  time.  Of  this  number  the  following  were  listed  from  Colorado :  Elliott  & 
Company,  Del  Norte ;  Ewart  &  Hart,  Estes  Park ;  A^  D.  Gifford,  Loveland ;  A.  D. 
Hudnall,  West  Las  Animas ;  W.  E.  James,  Estes  Park ;  J.  W.  Prowers,  Jr., 
West  Las  Animas ;  R.  M.  Moore,  West  Las  Animas ;  P.  J.  Pauly  &  Son,  Estes 
Park,  and  E.  R.  Sizer,  Wigwam — nine  members.  In  1900  this  number  had  in- 
creased to  twenty-six  members  from  Colorado.  The  last  list  contains  the  names 
of  ninety  members  who  have  registered  or  transferred  Herefords  since  January 
I,  1914. 

THE  NATIONAL  LIVE  STOCK  SHOW 

It  was  a  little  over  nineteen  years  ago  that  the  first  event  which  led  to  the 
final  building  of  what  is  now  known  as  "The  National  Western  Stock  Show" 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  525 

took  place.  In  the  fall  of  1898  some  of  the  stockmen  who  lived  around  Denver 
decided  that,  as  the  National  Live  Stock  Association  was  to  hold  its  second  an- 
nual meeting  in  Denver,  there  should  be  some  kind  of  an  exhibition  of  live  stock, 
and,  accordingly,  committees  were  appointed  and  plans  were  made  for  "The 
National  Exhibition  of  Range  Cattle,"  and  on  January  24,  25,  26  and  27,  1899, 
this  first  stock  show  was  pulled  off  at  the  Denver  Union  Stock  Yards.  The  show 
consisted  entirely  of  feeder  cattle  in  carloads,  and  some  thirty-five  loads  of  very 
good  cattle,  as  cattle  ran  in  those  days,  were  on  exhibition,  and  all  kinds  of  pre- 
miums were  contributed  by  Denver  merchants  and  others,  together  with  some 
special  silver  medals,  which  were  awarded  to  the  lucky  exhibitors. 

In  1905,  when  former  Governor  E.  M.  Amnions  became  the  president  of  the 
Colorado  Cattle  Growers'  Association,  he  made  a  strong  plea  for  the  establish- 
ment of  another  stock  show,  and  during  that  summer  and  fall  the  matter  was 
taken  up  by  officers  of  the  association,  committees  were  appointed,  the  hat  was 
passed  for  subscriptions,  and  in  January,  1906,  the  "Denver  Fat  Stock  and 
Feeder  Show"  was  held. 

Within  a  very  few  weeks  after  this  first  successful  show  several  meetings 
were  held,  and  it  was  decided  to  incorporate  the  Western  Stock  Show  Associa- 
tion, with  these  charter  members:  E.  M.  Ammons,  F.  W.  Boot,  Clyde  B.  Ste- 
vens, W.  L.  Carlyle,  Jose  P.  Adams,  Fred  P.  Johnson,  William  M.  Springer, 
Harry  Petrie,  L.  F.  Twitchell,  A.  J.  Campion,  John  H.  Fesler,  C.  E.  Stubbs,  J. 
F.  Vallery,  E.  Bosserman,  Gordon  Jones,  John  Grattan  and  I.  N.  Moberly. 

The  new  brick  barn  and  the  big  tent  were  used  to  hold  the  exhibits  of  indi- 
vidual and  breeding  animals,  and  the  carloads  were  placed  in  the  pens  in  the 
stock  yards,  as  before.  The  second  show  was  an  even  greater  success  than  the 
first,  and  upon  its  conclusion  immediate  steps  were  taken  to  make  the  third  show 
even  larger. 

For  the  third  show  the  stock  yards  company  erected  a  large  shed  for  stabling 
the  cattle  and  built  an  open  frame  stadium,  enclosing  a  large  amphitheater,  and 
over  this  was  placed  the  top  of  the  big  tent  in  which  the  second  show  had  been 
held. 

Strong  pressure  was  now  brought  to  bear  upon  the  stock  yards  interests  to 
construct  such  suitable  buildings  as  were  really  necessary  to  make  this  annual 
midwinter  exhibition  more  comfortable.  Negotiations  with  the  stock  yards 
company  resulted  in  an  agreement  that  if  the  show  association  would  agree  to 
put  up  a  guarantee  fund  to  warrant  the  continuance  of  the  show  for  at  least  ten 
years  the  company  would  erect  an  amphitheater  sufficient  for  the  requirements 
of  the  exposition.     This  was  promptly  agreed  to. 

The  fourth  annual  show  opened  in  the  new  building  in  January,  1909.  In 
addition  to  this  monster  amphitheater,  vvhicli  had  cost  the  stock  yards  company 
over  two  hundred  thousand  dollars,  the  only  other  buildings  were  the  two-story 
brick  barn  and  the  frame  shed  erected  the  year  before.  This  proved  sufficient, 
however,  and  the  fourth  show  was  the  real  thing  in  stock  shows,  and  from  that 
time  on  the  great  National  Show  at  Denver  was  an  assured  institution.  At  tiie 
fourth  show  the  National  Western  Horse  Show  became  a  settled  department  of 
the  annual  exhibition,  and  for  the  first  time  the  association  was  able  to  hold 
night  shows  at  which  the  fine  horses  from  all  over  the  LTnited  States  were  ex- 
hibited in  harness. 


526  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

For  the  fifth  show  the  stock  yards  company  yielded  to  the  insistent  demands 
of  the  stock  show  association  for  more  buildings,  and  erected  a  three-story 
barn  and  club  house.  At  the  fifth  show  the  two  upper  iloors  of  the  new  building 
were  used  for  cattle  and  the  bottom  floor  for  horses. 

From  that  time  on  there  has  been  a  steady  development  in  the  annual  ex- 
hibition. The  feed  and  forage  exhibit  which  was  added  at  the  fourth  show  de- 
veloped into  a  great  agricultural  exhibit.  At  the  sixth  show  the  poultrymen 
came  into  their  own  with  a  National  Western  Poultry  Show,  and  at  the  ninth 
show  dairy  cattle  made  their  first  appearance,  together  with  a  baby  health  con- 
test, and  the  show  had  become  a  great  midwinter  fair. 

THE  STOCK    YARDS    AND   THE   PACKING    INDUSTRY 

The  first  cattle  brought  into  Denver  were  driven  to  the  old  Bull  Head  corral 
down  on  what  is  now  known  as  Wazee  Street,  between  lOth  and  17th  streets. 
As  the  town  grew,  other  yards  were  built  at  Broadway  and  Cherry  Creek,  along 
in  the  early  '70s.  Later  on  the  yards  were  crowded  out  to  35th  and  Wazee 
streets,  where  is  now  located  the  Colorado  Iron  Works.  This  was  the  first  place 
in  Denver  where  cattle  were  unloaded  from  railroad  cars.  The  further  exten- 
sion of  the  city  lines  forced  the  yards  out  still  farther  to  a  point  about  a  quarter 
of  a  mile  south  of  the  present  location,  which  new  location  was  soon  outgrown, 
fohn  Clough,  who  bought  and  traded  in  cattle,  had  become  interested  in  the 
yards  at  this  time.  He  bought  some  ground  from  J.  Farley  on  the  present  site 
of  the  yards  and  put  up  some  pens  along  the  bank  of  the  South  Platte  in  1880. 
The  Union  Pacific  built  into  the  yards  immediately,  and  the  Burlington  followed 
in  the  early  part  of  1882. 

The  first  incorporation  of  the  stock  yards  was  in  1881,  under  the  name  of  the 
Denver  Union  Stock  Yards  Company,  by  John  A.  Clough,  Jacob  Scherrer,  F.  P. 
Ernest.  J.  A.  Cooper.  J.  AL  Wilson,  William  B.  Mills  and  Samuel  E.  Wetzel.  In 
1885  the  yards  were  taken  over  by  the  Kansas  City  Stock  Yards  Company  and 
reincorporated  as  the  Denver  Union  Stock  Yard  Company.  This  was  really  the 
lirst  important  event  in  connection  with  the  yards,  and  drew  attention  to  the 
fact  that  there  might  be  some  future  to  the  business  of  the  yards  in  Denver. 

■  About  this  time  George  \\'.  Ballantine  became  associated  with  the  company 
as  general  manager  and  continued  as  its  active  head  for  twenty-eight  years,  re- 
tiring from  the  presidency  in  January,  191 5. 

Live  stock  markets  are  plants  of  slow  growth  and  cannot  be  expected  to 
develop  faster  than  the  cotmtry  which  they  are  designed  to  serve.  Some  slaugli- 
tering  was  done  nearby.  Smith  Brothers  were  among  the  first,  with  a  plant 
located  about  where  the  present  Smith  Brothers'  plant  now  stands,  and  were 
the  first  to  kill  hogs,  shipping  them  in  from  eastern  Nebraska  and  Missouri  Ri\er 
markets.  Walters  &  Aicher  had  a  small  plant  across  the  river  from  Smith  Broth- 
ers. Hoffer  Brothers  built  a  slaughtering  ])Iace  about  on  the  present  site  of  the 
Swift  plant,  and  near  that  Pete  Schaefer  had  a  little  place. 

HofTer  Brothers'  plant  was  taken  over  by  Burkhardt  &  Mills  along  about 
1881,  and  was  run  for  awhile  by  them  and  became  known  as  the  B.  &  M.  Packing 
House.  About  1880  Andy  Campion  became  interested  with  Mills  in  the  plant. 
and  it  continued  to  be  operated  as  the  B.  &  M.     Henry  Gebhard  was  more  or 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  •  027 

jess  interested  in  the  slaughtering  business,  having  been  for  a  short  time  con- 
nected with  the  B.  &  M.  concern,  and  conceived  the  idea  of  building  a  plant  of 
his  own.  He  succeeded  in  interesting  George  ISenkelman  and  iMfred  Butters  in 
the  proposition,  and  together  they  established  the  Colorado  Packing  &  Provision 
Company,  which  was  opened  for  business  in  1892.  This  was  the  first  big  boost 
Denver  received  in  the  packing  line,  which  gave  the  industry  a  start  and  kept 
it  going. 

The  packing  industry  got  another  big  lift  when  Charles  Boettcher  and  Col. 
D.  C.  Dodge,  in  1903,  built  and  opened  for  business  the  plant  of  the  Western 
Packing  Company.  The  Coffin  Packing  &  Provision  Company,  of  which  W.  N. 
W.  l)layney  is  now  the  president,  was  organized  in  1904,  and  its  business  has 
grown  abreast  of  the  market. 

Up  to  the  time  the  Colorado  plant  was  opened  the  demand  for  killing  stock 
at  the  Denver  stock  yards  was  only  nominal  and  no  real  market  could  be  said  to 
exist,  but  with  the  demand  of  the  Western  Packing  Company  added  to  that  of 
the  Colorado  plant  an  interest  was  created  which  led  to  the  purchase  of  both 
plants  and  the  stock  yards  property  by  the  National  Packing  Company. 

While  the  live  stock  and  packing  industry  in  Denver  showed  very  substantial 
growth  from  1906,  when  the  National  Packing  Company  became  interested  in 
Denver,  the  greatest  evidence  of  permanent  development  has  been  apparent  since 
the  big  firms  of  Armour  &  Company  and  Swift  &  Company  took  over  the  pack- 
ing plants  of  the  Western  Packing  Company  and  the  Colorado  Packing  &  I'ro- 
vision  Com])any  and  became  directly  identified  with  the  market  in  1912. 

ON    THE    WHITE    RIVER    AND   ON    THE    BEAR 

In  the  '70s  the  Indian  Bureau  drove  a  herd  of  cattle  to  the  White  River 
agency  to  supply  beef  to  the  Utes,  using  only  the  increase  for  that  purpose.  Not 
alone  was  this  need  filled  but  the  cattle  became  the  nucleus  of  other  herds  in  the 
Snake  River  country.  The  rich  grasses  of  the  \\  hite  River  country  soon  gave 
Denver  its  best  beef,  save  the  corn-fed,  which,  of  course,  was  always  superior. 
The  Snake  River  beef  was  often  on  the  market  when  Plains  cattle  were  loo  thin 
to  kill. 

The  "Bear  River"  cattle  also  soon  commanded  a  premium  on  the  Denver 
inarket — and  this  meant  jjractically  all  of  Routt  County — that  is  the  Bear  River 
valley  and  the  tributaries.  In  the  early  '90s  the  stockmen  had  already  become 
powerful  and  when  in  i(S94  a  "sheep"  invasion  was  threatened  I'nmi  Wyoming 
there  was  a  determined  movement  to  stoi)  it.  lUit  this  was  no  sooner  settled  when 
the  old  light  between  the  range  man  and  the  settler  began.  I'erliaps  the  largest 
herds  were  known  as  the  "twt)  bar''  outfit,  owned  by  (  )ra  ll<)le\',  who  has  since 
sold  his  holdings,  and  today  the  Careys  have  the  largest  and  linest  herds. 

It  was  the  custom  before  the  advent  of  the  railroad  to  trail  the  herds  through 
Egeria  J'ark  on  their  way  to  the  lower  ranges  and  return  liiem  in  aboMt  three 
stnnmers,  in  prime  condition.  Cattlemen  s.ay  that  grass  in  the  Aspen  groves 
was  high  enough  U)  hide  cattle,  and  that  as  soon  as  the  snow  started  to  melt  in 
the  spring  cattle  could  get  enough  grass  on  tlie  bare  patches  to  kee])  them  going 
until  new  grass  came.     The  early  range  is  now   fenced  in. 

.\Iex  Crav.  lohn  Trull  ,Tnd  [errv  McWilliams  have  done  much  for  the  indus- 


528  •  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

try  by  their  importation  of  pedigreed  Shorthorns.    But  the  Careys,  on  their  model 
ranch  below  Hayden,  have  sold  bulls  all  over  the  west  from  their  fine  Shorthorn 

herd. 

Among  the  pioneers  who  have  developed  the  industry  in  that  country  are 
the  Dunckley  Brothers,  the  Male  Brothers,  Mark  Choate,  Arnold  Powell,  Riley 
Wilson,  W.  E.  Wheeler  and  Dave  and  Franz  Chapman. 

STOCK    RAISING    IN    THE    SAN    LUIS    VALLEY 

Coronado  in  1541  was  perhaps  the  first  man  to  carry  domesticated  cattle 
into  this  region.  In  1765  Ribera  came  with  a  few  head,  Escalante  too,  carried 
some  live  stock  into  the  Rio  Dolores  and  Gunnison  country.  It  is  quite  certain 
that  many  of  the  herds  of  "wild  horses"  and  of  Indian  ponies  are  the  direct  de- 
scendants of  horses  that  escaped  from  the  Rio  Grande  communities  in  New 
Mexico.  The  cattle  too  strayed  and  soon  joined  and  were  "eugenically"  swal- 
lowed up  by  the  buffalo  herds. 

When  General  Pike  was  captured  in  the  San  Luis  Valley  and  taken  to  Santa 
Fe  he  found  that  the  small  New  Mexican  communities  through  which  he  passed 
were  shipping  30,000  head  of  sheep  to  Mexico  annually,  and  even  a  larger  num- 
ber of  cattle. 

The  first  attempt  to  settle  and  to  raise  live  stock  in  the  San  Luis  Valley  was 
in  1842,  when  the  Mexican  land  grant  in  Conejos,  or  Taos  County,  New  Mexico," 
as  it  was  then  called,  was  taken  possession  of  by  its  owners.  "Eighty-three  heads 
of  families"  were  on  the  ground  and  promised  to  "occupy  and  cultivate  the  lands, 
raise  stock,  etc."  Thus,  it  appears  that  stock  raising  was  a  prerequisite  to  settle- 
ment. The  first  attempt  failed  as  the  Indians  resented  the  coming  of  the  Mexi- 
cans. But  in  1849  another  settlement  was  made  in  Costilla  and  in  1854  in  Cone- 
jos. This  latter  was  the  Mexican  colony  headed  by  Maj.  Lafayette  Head,  a 
former  Missourian  and  later  a  celebrated  legislator.  From  this  time  dates  the 
beginning  of  the  cattle  and  sheep-raising  industry  of  the  San  Luis  Valley. 

The  Government  in  the  summer  of  1852  built  Fort  Massachusetts,  a  few  miles 
above  the  present  site  of  Fort  Garland,  within  easy  access  of  the  first  Mexican 
settlements  in  Conejos  and  on  the  Greenhorn.  In  1858  this  fort  was  abandoned 
and  Fort  Garland  was  erected  on  the  present  site  of  the  town  of  that  name. 

Governor  Gilpin  in  his  contest  for  the  Sangre  de  Cristo  grant,  began  adver- 
tising the  country  in  the  early  '60s  as  the  greatest  stock-raising  area  in  the  United 
States. 

In  1864  the  San  Luis  Valley  was  visited  by  Allen  A.  Bradford,  later  territorial 
delegate  to  Congress,  then  associate  justice  of  the  Supreme  Court,  and  in  a  letter 
to  Governor  Gilpin  he  says :  "I  learned  that  stock  to  the  amount  of  50,000  head 
were  owned  by  people  on  the  Sangre  de  Cristo  grant."  In  1862  Bishop  Sampson 
in  a  letter  to  the  Christian  Advocate  says  of  the  cattle  raised  by  the  Mexicans 
in  San  Luis  Park:  "Cattle  refuse  to  eat  hay  in  the  winter  when  they  can  have 
access  to  the  dry  grass  of  the  plains.  Beef  cattle  that  have  not  been  fed  a  pound 
of  grain  or  hay  are  very  frequently  brought  to  market  even  in  winter." 

Sheep  raising  was  also  carried  on  in  these  early  years,  and  in  a  letter  written 
in  1867  by  C.  D.  Hendron,  from  San  Luis,  then  a  Mexican  town  of  perhaps 
three  hundred,  he  says:  "Ewes  can  be  bought  here  for  $2  per  head;  a  boy  can 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  529 

easily  herd  i,ooo  at  a  cost  of  $io  per  month,  to  include  board  and  buckskin  cloth- 
ing. In  the  months  of  April  and  May  when  the  lambs  are  dropped,  small  boys 
are  employed — say  four  to  one  thousand  sheep — to  take  care  of  the  young  lambs. 
These  boys  are  hired  at  about  twenty-five  to  fifty  cents  each  per  day.  Shearing 
also  commences  at  or  about  this  time.  The  shearers  receive  one  sheep  for  every 
hundred  they  shear.  Cattle  or  sheep  are  never  fed  during  winter,  but  thrive 
and  fatten  on  the  nutritious  grasses  which  the  plains  and  valleys  afford." 

And  so  it  was.  Even  before  i860  the  New  Mexican  cattle  and  sheep  men 
drove  their  horses  and  mules,  their  hogs  and  sheep,  in  fact  all  their  live  stock, 
into  the  San  Luis  Valley  and  grazed  them  there  upon  the  rich  public  domain. 
In  1 861  the  Territorial  Legislature  made  this  unlawful  and  limited  the  grazing 
right  to  owners  and  residents  of  the  counties.  In  1867  the  shipment  of  Texas 
cattle  had  become  so  extensive  that  the  Legislature,  for  some  reason  that  cannot 
be  plausibly  explained  today,  prohibited  the  traffic.  This  proved  a  dead  letter, 
and  the  importation  continued  on  an  even  larger  scale. 

In  the  '70s  the  cattle  industry  took  on  vast  proportions.  The  finest  "freight- 
ing" oxen  in  the  country  were  raised  here,  and  when  the  railroad  reached  Ala- 
mosa in  1878  fully  a  thousand  Mexicans  started  freighting  in  all  directions  with 
yokes  of  oxen,  running  as  high  as  twenty-eight  head  for  one  wagon  and  trailer. 

The  history  of  the  early  big  herds  in  the  San  Luis  Valley  is  in  many  cases  a 
story  of  "mavericks."  Old  John  Chisholm  and  his  brother  (in  the  "Twitchell 
History  of  New  Mexico"  this  is  spelled  Chisum)  had  herds  running  up  to  sixty 
thousand  head,  and  while  their  range  was  largely  in  the  Pecos  Valley,  parts  of 
the  herds  strayed  into  the  southern  end  of  the  San  Luis  Valley.  But  the  whole 
region  was  filled  with  cattle  thieves  and  outlaws,  "the  worst  of  these,"  says  Em- 
erson Hough  in  his  "Story  of  the  Cowboy"  "being  under  the  leadership  of  Billy 
the  Kid,  who  died  at  the  ripe  age  of  twenty-three,  and  at  that  time  had  killed 
twenty-three  men,  committing  his  first  murder  when  he  was  but  fourteen  years 
of  age." 

During  what  is  known  as  New  Mexico's  "Lincoln  County  cattle  war"  many 
head  were  driven  north  and  became  the  nucleus  of  herds  owned  by  Mexicans  in 
Colorado. 

It  was  not  long  before  the  big  cattle  kings,  both  Mexican  and  American,  began 
to  buy  up  these  herds,  and  thus  in  the  '80s  the  industry  took  tremendous  strides 
forward. 

The  Mexicans  had  for  decades  fed  small  herds  of  cattle  on  the  field  pea  in 
the  San  Luis  Valley,  but  the  advent  of  the  railroad  in  1878  brought  the  stock- 
growers  to  a  realization  of  the  value  of  this  vegetable  for  cattle,  sheep  and  hog 
raising  on  a  large  scale.  The  investments  of  T.  C.  Henry  for  the. Travelers  In- 
surance Company,  made  first  in  1883,  gave  the  entire  San  Luis  Valley  another 
great  advance  in  the  stock-raising  industry.  There  had  been  until  this  time  much 
feeding  of  thousands  of  range  cattle  brought  from  Texas,  and  not  alone  fattened, 
but  changed  by  the  climate  and  the  feed  to  a  richer  color  from  what  in  Texas 
had  been  a  very  light  red.  Here  as  elsewhere,  except  on  the  vast  old  Mexican 
grants,  the  settlements  soon  put  an  end  to  the  big  herds.  But  the  scientific  stock 
raising  of  the  present  day  had  its  real  beginnings  in  the  splendid  irrigation  projects 
and  in  the  accidental  discovery  of  the  first  artesian  well  about  eight  miles  below 
Alamosa  by  workmen  employed  under  T.  C.  Henry.     Today  there  are  about 


530  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

four  thousand  of  these  wells,  some  of  them  h.aving  sufScient  flow  to  irrigate  forty 
acres  of  land. 

The  discovery  that  the  field  pea,  which  turns  mouldy  under  the  hot  sun  in 
the  east,  here  thrives  and  has  ideal  feeding  qualities,  has  made  the  entire  San 
I.uis  Valley  a  great  live  stock  "fattening"  district. 

An  acre  of  peas  will  fatten  more  lambs  than  an  acre  of  corn,  with  less  than 
one-tenth  of  the  labor.  The  lambs  to  be  fattened  are  simply  turned  into  the 
fields  in  the  early  winter.  They  eat  the  cured  vines  as  hay,  and  eat  the  peas  as 
grain.  All  the  attendant  has  to  do  is  to  see  that  they  eat  up  the  feed  clean  as  they 
go,  see  that  they  have  water,  and  keep  dogs  and  coyotes  away.  In  sixty  to  ninety 
days  the  lambs  are  finished,  ready  to  go  en  the  eastern  markets,  where  they 
bring  the  highest  prices  paid. 

Hogs  as  well  as  lambs  are  fattened  on  field  peas.  In  the  cool  climate  of  the 
San  Luis  Valley  hog  cholera  and  swine  plague  are  absolutely  unknown.  Enor- 
mous crops  of  roots  are  raised  as  maintenance  crops  for  herds  of  swine,  to  be 
finished  ofif  on  field  peas.  Pea-fattened  pork  is  of  the  highest  quality,  especially 
for  butchering  and  bacon  making,  and  the  exceptionally  healthful  conditions 
under  which  the  hogs  are  raised  and  fattened  puts  San  Luis  Valley  pork  products 
almost  in  the  line  of  fancy  articles.  Denver  and  Pueblo  packers  are  now  paying 
from  lo  cents  to  15  cents  per  hundredweight  more  for  pea-fed  hogs  than  for 
hogs  of  the  same  grade  fattened  on  corn. 

The  San  Luis  records  of  lamb,  sheep  and  hog  shipments  show  a  continuous 
and  enormous  growth. 

LIVE  STOCK  STATI.STICS 

The  following  figures  are  from  the  Government  census  reports,  and  give  in 
number  and  values  the  records  of  the  industry : 

LIVE  STOCK  ON   II.AXD 

Milch  other  VaJue  of  all 

Year  Hurees  ilules  Oxen  Cow3  Cattle  Swiiie  Sheep  Live  S*pck 

1870  6,446   1,173   5.566   25,017    40,153     5,509   120,928   $2,871,102 

1880  ....  42,257   2,581   2,080   28,770   315,989     7,656   746,443     8,703.342 

1890   I55.I70    7.139     1.282    76.948    639,631     64.358    717,990    22,594,010 

The  \aluation  of  all  live  stock  in  1900  was  $49,954,311  ;  and  in  1910  it  was 
$70,161,344. 

HORSES    .^ND    MULES 

1900  . 248,843  $  7,686.283 

1910  312,007  29,318,193 

191 1  328,000  29,448,000 

1912  338,000  27,380,000 

1913  341,000  29,905,000 

1914  357,000  29,988,000 

1915  365.000  31,295,000 

1916  380,000  34.409,000 

1917  ( Januar}'  1st)  385,000  36,025,000 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  531 

CATTLK 

1900 i,433.3i«  $35,532,738 

I9I0 1,127,737        31.017,303 

191 1 1. 133-000        31,329,000 

191 2 I  ,o8<S,ooo  33,269,000 

I9I3 1,093,000  40,660,000 

I9I4 1,135.000        49,678,000 

I9I5 1,201,000         57,465,000 

I9I6 1,315,000        64,869,000 

191 7  (January  ist)  i,387,oot)  68,825,000 

SHEEP 

1900 2,044,814        $  5,584,897 

I9IO 1,426,214         6,856,187 

191 1 1,61 1,000  5,800,000 

1912 1 .579-0OO  4,737,000 

1913 1,737,000  6,253,000 

1914 1,668,000  6,172,000 

1915 1,751,000  7,704,000 

1916 1,839,000  9,563,000 

1917 1,950,000  14,625,000 

SWINE 

1900  101,198  $  482,722 

I9IO  179,294  1,568,158 

igll  215,000  2,107,000 

1912  211,000  1,688,000 

1913  205,000  2,255,000 

1914  205,000  2,152,000 

191 5  256,000  2,688,000 

1916  320.000  3,624,000 

1917  352,000  4,224,000 

Colorado's  wool  cli])  in  1870  was  204,925  lbs.  ;  in  1880  il  was  3,197.391  H's.  :  in 
i8<x)  it  was  3,334,234  lbs.  The  wool  product  in  1916  was  8,400,000  lbs.,  which 
sold  at  an  average  price  of  25.2  cents.  This  compared  with  the  output  of 
7,800,000  lbs.  in  1915,  for  which  21.2  cents  was  paid. 

THE  ST.ATE   CATTLE  CROWl.:Us'    ASSOCI.VI'IOX 

The  "Colorado  Stock  Growers'  Association"  was  established  in  1867  and  was 
largely  to  jircvent  stealing  of  cattle.  But  it  was  not  effective  and  no  concerted 
effort  at  securing  j)rotectivc  legislation  was  made  until  November  10,  1871.  when 
a  second  Colorado  Stock  Growers'  y\ssociation  was  formed.  At  the  meeting, 
held  in  Denver.  January  IQ.  1872.  both  the  Wyoming  Oazers'  .Association  and  the 


532  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

Southern  Colorado  Stock  Growers'  Association  were  represented.  And  thus 
with  the  cooperation  of  practically  all  the  cattlemen  in  this  territory  and  region 
the  first  measures  for  adequate  protection  were  framed  and  submitted  and  passed 
by  the  Legislature.  Roundups  were  regulated,  recording  of  brands  was  pro- 
vided for,  which  has  now  been  perfected.  In  1876  the  Colorado  Stock  Growers' 
Association  changed  its  name  to  the  Colorado  Cattle  Growers'  Association.  This 
went  out  of  existence  in  1897,  when  the  National  Live  Stock  Association  was 
organized  in  Denver  by  the  cattlemen  of  the  country. 

On  the  question  of  the  leasing  of  the  public  domain  to  the  cattlemen  there 
was  a  split-up  after  the  Fort  Worth  convention  in  1899,  where  favorable  action 
was  taken.  In  1900  the  Colorado  Cattle  and  Horse  Growers'  Association  was 
formed  as  a  distinctive  Western  Slope  organization  fighting  the  leasing  propo- 
sition. 

In  1900  the  two  factions  in  the  national  field  divided  and  the  American  Cattle 
Growers'  Association  was  formed,  merging  a  year  later  into  the  old  fold  under 
the  joint  name  of  the  "American  National  Live  Stock  Association." 

In  1905  the  State  Cattle  Growers'  Association  was  formed,  composed  alto- 
gether of  men  who  were  both  farmers  and  stock  growers. 


CHAPTER  XXVI 
HOW  COLORADO  WON  BEET  SUGAR  LEADERSHIP 

CONDITION  OF  THE  INDUSTRY  WHEN  MOVEMENT  STARTED  IN  THIS  STATE NATIONAL 

PRODUCTION    BY  YEARS GROWTH    IN    NUMBER  OF    FACTORIES  THROUGHOUT   THE 

NATION HOW    irrigation's    BENEFITS    WERE    DISCOVERED SUCCESS    IN    UTAH 

STIRS   UP   WESTERN    SLOPE CHARLES    S.    BOETTCHER   AND   JOHN    CAMPION    HELP 

ALONG  THE  INDUSTRY WHAT  THE  AGRICULTURAL  COLLEGE  WAS  DOING SHIP- 
PING THE  FIRST  BEETS  TO  NEBRASKA THE  FAILURE  AT  GRAND  JUNCTION SUC- 
CESS   FOLLOWED    WITH    EXPERIENCE THE    GREAT    WESTERN    SUGAR    COMPANY — 

HAVEMEYERS  COME  INTO  THE  FIELD THE  AMERICAN    BEET   SUGAR   COMPANY 

THE   OXNARDS THE    NATIONAL THE    HOLLY    SUGAR    CORPORATION. 

The  condition  of  the  beet  sugar  industry  in  the  United  States  when  the 
movement  for  the  erection  of  factories  started  in  Colorado,  was  not  exceptionally 
favorable.  The  entire  capacity  was  not  much  more  than  thirty-five  hundred  tons, 
and  the  factories  were  able  to  extract  only  approximately  Ii  per  cent  of  sugar 
from  the  gross  weight  of  the  beets.  The  extraction  now  is  from  15  to  17  per 
cent.  In  the  official  report  in  1897  by  Charles  F.  Saylor,  special  agent  and  in- 
vestigator of  the  sugar  beet  industry,  he  said : 

"In  Europe  farmers  are  required  to  do  a  great  deal  of  fertilizing,  while  in 
this  country  we  have  sufficient  lands  to  produce  our  sugar  without  fertilization — 
lands  which  will  excel  the  production  of  Europe,  both  in  tonnage  and  percentage 
of  sugar  and  purity  of  beets;  and  now  that  Congress  has  arranged  for  a  pro- 
tective tariff,  having  in  view  the  fostering  of  the  beet  sugar  industry,  extensive 
experiments  are  being  carried  on  in  various  parts  of  the  United  States  in  the 
culture  and  test  of  sugar  beets.  There  can  be  but  one  answer  to  the  question 
as  to  whether  this  country  will  eventually  manufacture  its  sugar.  We  not  only 
think  that  it  will  manufacture  the  hundred  million  dollars'  worth  of  sugar  that 
we  now  purchase,  but  we  feel  safe  in  predicting  that,  in  this  industry,  history 
will  repeat  itself,  and  the  United  States  will  be  offering  its  sugar  to  the  other 
countries  of  the  world  at  a  profit." 

In  the  year  1897  there  were  in  operation  the  two  Oxnard  factories  at  Grand 
Island  and  Norfolk,  Nebraska ;  the  Lehi,  Utah,  factory,  operated  by  the  Mor- 
mons; and  the  four  California  factories  at  Alvarado,  Watsonville,  a  Spreckles 
concern,  at  Chino,  an  Oxnard  factory,  and  one  at  Los  Alamitos,  controlled  by 
W.  A.  Clark  and  J.  Ross  Clark  of  Montana.  Aside  from  these  there  was  a 
small  factory  at  Eddy  in  the  Pecos  Valley,  New  Mexico,  and  one  at  Rome,  New 
York,  the  latter  just  opening  up.  Oxnard,  California,  was  also  in  process  of 
construction. 

533 


oM  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

By  1900  thirty-one  factories  were  in  operation.  By  the  winter  of  1901  eleven 
additional  factories  were  opened  up.  Expansion  continued  until  1906.  After  a 
building  respite  of  several  years  eleven  new  factories  were  built  in  191 1  and 
1912.  In  1914  there  v^'ere  seventy-eight  beet  sugar  factories  in  the  United  States, 
located  in  seventeen  states,  Colorado  and  Michigan  leading,  each  with  sixteen; 
California  had  thirteen  and  Utah  seven. 

The  work  of  the  sugar  companies  took  them  far  afield  from  the  domain  of 
manufacturing  sugar.  They  became  involved  in  every  phase  of  the  farmer's  life 
and  problems.  Irrigation  systems  depending  on  direct  irrigation  found  them- 
selves not  infrequently  without  water  at  critical  stages  of  the  crop  development 
and  the  irrigation  systems  of  the  state  had  to  complete  tremendous  water  storage 
reservoirs,  and  not  infrequently  these  extensions  had  to  be  financed  by  the  sugar 
companies. 

In  those  early  days  of  the  beet  sugar  industry  the  companies  had  to  erect  their 
factories,  finance  the  planters  as  to  seed  and  labor,  bolster  up  and  perfect  defec- 
tive canal  systems,  provide  frequently  implements  of  tillage  peculiar  to  the  in- 
dustry, and  also  keep  in  bank  available  a  working  capital  equivalent  to  35  per 
cent  of  their  total  investment. 

During  these  early  days  of  struggle  and  constantly  increasing  investment  the 
]M-ice  of  sugar  was  steadily  declining  and  there  was  an  incessant  clamor  for  a 
higher  price  for  beets.  Nor  was  the  course  of  affairs  at  the  nation's  capital  such 
as  to  make  easy  the  minds  of  those  who  had  invested  in  the  securities  of  the  sugar 
companies. 

Cane  sugar  from  the  Philippines,  Hawaiian  Islands  and  Porto  Rico  obtained 
entry  into  the  United  States  duty  free,  and  Cuba,  the  greatest  producer  of  cane 
sugar,  had  been  given  a  20  per  cent  reduction  of  the  tarit¥.  German  beet  sugar 
producers  were  being  paid  bounties  on  all  .■•ugar  exported,  enabling  them  to  de- 
liver raw  sugar  (88  per  cent)  in  London  at  $1.50  per  hundred  pounds. 

Some  relief  was  afforded  by  the  Brussels  Conference  in  1903,  at  which  boun- 
ties were  abolished.  The  price  of  raw  sugar  immediately  rose  to  $2  per  cwt.  in 
London ;  in  May,  11)04,  it  went  to  $2.33  and  in  September,  1904,  the  price  was 
$2.'/2,  and  in  December  of  that  year  reached  $3.50. 

But  in  spite  of  all  obstacles  and  handicaps  the  American  beet  sugar  industry 
was  making  steady  growth,  winning  its  fight.  By  1916  there  were  665,000  acres 
devoted  to  sugar  beets,  and  seventy- four  factories  made  822,887  tons  of  sugar. 

The  investment  of  approximately  fifteen  million  dollars  in  construction  of 
fifteen  new  sugar  factories  in  1917  indicates  what  shrewd  investors  think  of  the 
future  of  the  beet  sugar  industry  in  the  United  States. 

The  total  number  of  sugar  factories  in  this  country  is  now,  January  i,  1918, 
ninety-nine.  L^tah  leads  in  new  construction  with  four ;  California,  Idaho  and 
Montana  with  two  each ;  Iowa,  Washington,  Wyoming  and  Colorado  with  one 
each. 

Prior  to  the  war,  in  1914,  Europe  had  1.254  sugar  factories;  Germany,  341; 
Russia,  294;  France,  208;  Austria,  201 :  Belgium,  68;  Italy,  39;  Spain.  31  ;  Hol- 
land. 27;  Sweden,  21;  Denmark,  9;  Rumania,  6;  Serbia,  3;  Bulgaria,  3;  Eng- 
land, Switzerland  and  Greece  one  each. 

It  should  be  noted,  however,  in  connection  with  the  European  sugar  factories 
that  they  do  not  compare  in  size  or  in  economy  of  operation  with  the  factories 


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536  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

of  Colorado.  Most  of  them  are  very  old  and  do  not  slice  over  a  third  as  many 
beets  as  a  new  mill  in  this  state.  Besides  this,  most  of  them  do  not  refine  the 
sugar,  whereas  the  western  mills  of  the  United  States  turn  out  the  very  finest 
granulated  sugar. 

Europe  builds  for  permanency  and  the  Europeans  hate  to  scrap  a  building 
and  its  machinery,  even  after  they  have  become  obsolete.  Well  informed  sugar 
men  assert  that  when  the  time  comes  to  rebuild  the  sugar  factories  that  have 
been  destroyed  in  the  war  zone  there  will  be  erected  such  factories  as  will  match 
the  best  in  the  world.  Their  destruction  will  not  have  been  an  unmitigated  evil, 
as  the  new  mills  will  in  time  save  in  economy  of  operation  their  cost  of  con- 
struction. 

Not  all  the  beet  sugar  factories  are  old.  Many  of  those  in  Germany  are  of 
the  latest  pattern  and  up  to  date  in  every  respect.  The  ninety-nine  sugar  fac- 
tories in  the  United  States  are  probably  equivalent  in  slicing  capacity  to  300 
European  mills. 

Colorado  now  leads  all  the  states  in  beet  sugar  production  with  about  31 
per  cent  of  the  total  crop.  The  table  below  shows  the  source  of  beet  sugar  sup- 
ply in  the  United  States,  the  percentages  given  being  approximate: 

No.  of 

State                                                              Per  cent  Factories 

Colorado 31  16 

California    22  15 

Michigan    15  16 

Utah    10  IS 

Idaho    6  7 

Ohio    4  5 

Other  states 12  25 

In  1891  some  California  beet  growers  irrigated  their  beets.  The  sugar  factory 
management  thereupon  issued  a  printed  notice  to  the  effect  that  irrigated  beets 
would  not  be  received.  The  farmers  were  stubborn  and  persisted  in  the  irrigation 
of  the  crop  and  at  the  end  of  the  season  it  was  found  that  the  beets  were  both 
high  in  sugar  and  heavy  in  tonnage. 

Now  more  than  half  of  the  beet  crop  of  the  United  States  is  grown  under 
irrigation  and  sugar  production  has  been  a  potent  factor  in  opening  up  to  settle- 
ment large  areas  of  western  desert  lands. 

The  annual  production  of  beet  sugar  in  the  United  States  from  1889  to  1915 
follows : 

Year  Short  tons 

1S89-1890  2,467 

1890-1891  3,874 

1891-1892  5,999 

1892-1893  13,460 

1893-1894  22,344 

1894-1895  22,503 

1895-1896  32,746 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  537 

Year  Short  tons 

1896-1897    42,040 

1897-1898   45,246 

1898-1899   36,361 

1899-1900   81,729 

1900-1901    68,082 

1901-1902    184,606 

1902-1903    218,406 

1903-1904    240,604 

1904-1905    242,113 

1905-1906   312,921 

1906-1907    483,612 

1907-1908    463,628 

1908-1909   425,884 

1909-1910    509.655 

1910-1911    510,821 

1911-1912  585.380 

1912-1913  688,174 

1913-1914  726,764 

1914-1915  722,054 

For  1916-1917  the  tonnage  of  sugar  beets  in  Colorado  was  1,801,580. 
Federal  tariffs,  and  in  some  instances,  state  bounties,  greatly  stimulate  the 
industry. 

.  In  Colorado  the  acreage  and  the  average  yield  per  acre  since  1904  is  as  follows: 

Average  yield  per 
Year  Acreage  acre — short  tons 

1904    44,456  12.38 

1905    85,916  10.19 

1906  110,943  I3-4' 

1907  127,678  11.93 

1908  119,475  9-28 

1909  121,698  10.33 

1910  81,412  10.62 

191 1  86,437  1 1.07 

1912  144,999  11-32 

1913 168,410  10.93 

1914  135,400  12.60 

1915  171,222  1 103 

For  the  year  1917  the  acreage  was  157,817  and  the  average  yield  was  11.43 
short  tons  per  acre. 

The  beginnings  of  the  sugar  beet  industry  in  Colorado  have  a  close  relation- 
ship to  those  of  Utah,  for  it  was  at  Grand  Junction,  near  the  Utah  line,  that 
the  first  factory  was  built. 

A  few  men  in  that  Western  Slope  town  had  been  watching  the  Utah  experi- 
ments, which  succeeded  only  after  long  years  of  patient  and  persevering  labor. 


.338  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

As  early  as  1850  Brighaiu  Young,  in  his  anxiety  to  supply  his  people  with  home 
industries  and  with  the  sugar  that  they  needed,  had  sent  a  delegation  to  France, 
and  this  committee  brought  by  ox  teams  across  the  plains  some  very  crude  ma- 
chinery of  the  open-kettle  type.  The  father  of  Senator  Reed  Smoot  was  super- 
intendent of  the  first  sugar  mill  of  which  he  later  said :  "That  is  about  the  only 
failure  I  ever  made  in  my  life."'  There  was  no  means  of  polarizing  the  beets, 
and  the  only  thing  produced  was  what  is  today  called  "macerate,"  or  the  entire 
mass  of  the  material.  This  they  ate,  but  with  no  great  relish,  for  while  it  was 
sugary  it  "almost  took  oft"  the  end  of  the  tongue,"  as  Mr.  Smoot  put  it. 

Until  1865  the  price  of  sugar  at  Salt  Lake  City  was  $1  per  pound,  so  that 
the  Utah  experiments  were  continued  despite  apparent  failure. 

As  far  back  as  1871  the  experimental  work  with  sugar  beets  began  in  Colo- 
rado, and  in  1872  a  bill  to  pay  a  bounty  of  $10,000  to  the  first  successfully  oper- 
ated beet  sugar  factor}-  was  defeated  by  one  vote.  The  promoters  of  that  period, 
however,  formed  a  company,  of  which  the  principal  directors  and  officials  were 
James  Archer,  H.  P.  Bennett,  Fred  Z.  Salomon,  H.  G.  Bond,  Henry  Crow,  Charles 
W.  Perry,  F.  L.  Schirmer,  George  C.  Schleier,  ■V\^ellington  G.  Sprague,  Peter 
-Magnus,  and  Phillip  Trounstine.  While  approximately  thirty  thousand  dollars 
was  raised,  it  was  insufficient  for  the  enterprise,  and  so  the  comj>any  gave  up  the 
project. 

Not  until  1891  was  the  first  actual  working  factory  built  at  Lehi  by  what  was 
then  called  the  Utah  Sugar  Company,  finally  merged  into  the  Utah-Idaho  Sugar 
Company.  This  almost  proved  disastrous.  People  refused  to  buy  stock,  and  the 
farmers  did  not  want  to  raise  beets.  In  that  first  year  the  Government  paid  a 
two  cent  bounty  on  sugar,  and  L'tah  paid  a  one  cent  bounty.  Despite  this,  it  cost 
9  cents  per  pound  to  manufacture  that  first  sugar,  which  amounted  to  500  tons. 

For  three  years  it  was  a  struggle.  After  this  the  agricultural  problem  was 
at  least  partially  solved,  and  so  the  project  grew  to  success.  By  1898  the  second 
factory  was  started  at  Ogden. 

By  this  time  the  agitation  for  sugar-beet  culture  in  Colorado  had  developed 
along  several  lines. 

The  value  of  such  an  industry  to  Colorado  had  first  been  shown  by  the 
State  Agricultural  College,  even  before  1888,  the  date  of  the  establishment  of 
the  first  experiment  station.  Plots  of  beets  were  grown  on  the  college  farm  at 
Fort  Collins.  These  were  carefully  analyzed  for  sugar  content  and  purity. 
Later  with  the  cooperation  of  the  Department  of  Agriculture  enough  sugar-beet 
seed  was  obtained  from  a  German  seedsman  for  distribution  in  small  lots  to  five 
of  the  main  irrigating  sections  of  the  state.  These  crops  were  grown  and  the 
analysis  made  by  the  Department  of  Agriculture  showed  sufficient  sugar  content 
and  purity  to  warrant  the  establishment  of  a  factory. 

Before  the  coming  of  the  beet  industry  the  state  was  growing  grain  and 
engaging  heavily  in  the  cattle  business,  and  the  range  was  then  more  or  less  open. 
In  favorable  localities  the  price  of  land  ranged  from  $20  to  $31  an  acre,  and 
rotation  of  a'falfa  was  just  beginning.  The  principal  market  for  the  farm  prod- 
ucts were  local  mills,  either  cooperative,  built  by  the  farmers  or  else  built  by 
Denver  capitnh'sts.  The  potato  industry  around  Greeley  and  in  the  San  Luis 
Vallev  had  iust  developed  and  was  offering  a  new  crop  for  rotation. 

"With  the  advent  of  the  beet  industry  there  came  first  of  all  another  new  cro]5 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  539 

lor  rotation,  a  tremendously  important  factor  in  farming.  This  was  followed  by 
pulp  cattle-feeding,  and  land  that  formerly  sold  for  520  to  $30  per  acre  went  ac 
once  to  $150  and  $200  an  acre. 

Reet  culture  has  played  a  great  part  in  the  evolution  of  scientific  farming 
in  Colorado.  The  better  methods  of  cultivation  in  France  and  Germany  were 
imported  and  greater  efficiency  in  agriculture  resulted.  The  specialists  in  the 
employ  of  the  factories  educated  Colorado  ranchers  in  beet  culture  and  naturally 
in  systematic  farming. 

Hut  these  were  the  developments  of  the  future.  About  1898  John  F.  Campion 
was  president  of  the  Denver  Chamber  of  Commerce.  He  had  made  a  vast  for- 
tune at  Leadville  and  was  ready  and  anxious  to  spend  it  in  helpful  ways  for 
Colorado.  Through  the  foresight  and  interest  of  Charles  S.  Boettcher  he  be- 
came deeply  interested  in  the  beet  sugar  movement,  and  secured  its  endorsement 
by  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  directors.  The  committee  of  the  Denver  Chamber 
of  Commerce  which  had  the  subject  of  the  beet  sugar  industry  in  charge  consisted 
of  Earl  B.  Coe,  J.  F.  Callbreath,  W.  A.  Hoover,  I.  N.  Stevens,  Charles  F.  Wil- 
son. 

The  Agricultural  College  was  following  up  its  experiments,  and  those  of  the 
Federal  agricultural  department.  On  offers  of  seed  to  the  farmers  of  the  state 
about  fifty  plantings  were  made  in  as  many  parts  of  the  state  in  1898.  The  re- 
sults of  these  were  on  the  whole  unsatisfactory,  for  little  was  known  concerning 
beet  culture.  But  in  a  few  sections  experiments  had  been  followed  by  actual 
crops.  In  fact  as  early  as  iSq8  Fort  Collins.  Greeley  and  Loveland  shipped  a 
trainload  of  beets  to  Grand  Island,  where  the  Oxnards  were  operating  a  factory 
successfully. 

In  these  years  (1897  and  1898)  the  agitation  in  Colorado  had  assumed  such 
proportions  that  construction  of  factories  was  assured.  Prizes,  much  in  the 
nature  of  bonuses,  were  offered  to  the  farmers  of  the  state.  The  Denver  Cham- 
ber of  Commerce  put  up  $2,000,  and  to  this  the  railroads  added  $4,000.  In  Grand 
Junction  the  Western  Colorado  Beet  Sugar  Association  was  formed,  with  S.  D. 
Delan,  of  Glenwood  Springs,  as  president,  C.  E.  Mitchell,  of  Grand  Junction, 
secretary,  and  H.  J.  Holmes,  of  Glenwood  Springs,  treasurer.  Under  its  auspices 
successful  experiments  were  conducted  in  nearly  all  the  Western  Slope  counties. 
In  1898,  1,200  acres  had  been  signed  up  for  the  Grand  Junction  project,  and 
when  all  these  facts  were  presented  to  John  F.  Campion  and  Charles  S.  Boettcher 
in  Denver  they  at  once  gave  it  not  alone  enthusiastic  moral  support  but  financial 
aid  as  well.  This  made  possible  the  erection  of  the  first  beet  sugar  factory  in 
Colorado,  in  1899. 

The  factory  at  Grand  Junction,  while  low  in  capacity — only  350  tons — was 
equipped  with  Dyer  Company  machinery,  the  best  in  the  market  at  that  time. 
Rut  its  failure  in  the  first  few  years  was  due  more  to  the  fact  that  its  promoters 
had  not  mastered  the  agricultural  requirements.  There  was  a  tendency,  too,  to 
grow  sugar  beets  on  new  lands :  in  fact  to  open  up  these  lands  with  tlie  cultiva- 
tion of  this  crop.  The  failure,  which  should  have  boon  foreseen  bv  ai^MicuUnral 
aflvisers,  was.  of  course,  inevitable. 

The  original  company  was  The  Colorado  Sugar  Manufacturing  Compan^•. 
and  several  of  the  men  to  whom  the  success  of  the  industry  in  Colorado  is  due, 
notably  Charles  S.  Boettcher,  were  in  this  first  project. 


540  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

In  1903  it  was  purchased  by  the  Western  Sugar  Land  Company,  the  stock  of 
which  was  owned  almost  aUogether  by  J.  R.  McKennie,  R.  P.  Davie,  Verner  Z. 
Reed,  all  of  Colorado,  and  Alfred  Hand,  of  Scranton,  Pennsylvania.  The  daily 
capacity  was  increased  to  600  tons,  and  in  1904  it  bought  29,554  tons  of  beets.  By 
191 1  this  had  grown  to  56,069,  although  its  banner  year  for  the  period  was  1907, 
when  the  tonnage  was  67,002.  For  this  period  its  yearly  average  was  50,280  tons. 
Its  production  ranged  from  4,809,400  pounds  in  1904  to  11,102,400  in  191 1,  with 
14,611,110  as  the  production  in  1907.  The  acreage  planted  in  1904  was  3,733, 
and  in  191 1  it  was  6,290. 

The  Grand  Junction  factory  gets  its  beets  from  Grand  Junction  to  Colona 
on  the  Ouray  branch  of  the  Denver  &  Rio  Grande,  and  intermediate  points; 
from  Grand  Junction  to  Paonia  on  the  Somerset  branch;  from  Grand  Junction 
to  Glenwood  Springs;  and  from  Grand  Junction  to  Green  River,  Utah. 

The  Grand  Junction  Sugar  Company,  with  a  top-heavy  capitalization  of  $2,- 
000,000,  went  into  the  hands  of  a  receiver  two  years  ago,  and  is  now  under 
lease  to  the  Holly  Sugar  Company,  giving  this  company  two  plants  in  Colorado. 

THE  GREAT  WESTERN   SUGAR  COMPANY 

In  1901  the  first  of  what  are  now  known  as  the  Great  Western  group  of 
factories  was  erected  by  Colorado  capital  at  Loveland.  In  this  Charles  S. 
Boettcher  and  J.  E.  Kinney  were  heavily  interested.  Its  title  then  was  the 
Great  Western  Sugar  Company,  and  its  capital  stock  was  $1,000,000.  The 
capacity  was  600  tons,  and  this  was  eventually  enlarged  to  1,200  tons.  The 
Eaton  Sugar  Company's  factory  was  built  in  190 1,  by  a  group  of  men  headed 
by  W.  D.  Hoover,  of  Denver.  In  the  same  year  the  Greeley  Sugar  Company 
began  business,  with  Chester  S.  Morey  as  president. 

At  the  close  of  that  year  the  American  Sugar  Refining  Company,  better  known 
as  the  Havemeyer  interests,  came  into  the  field,  and  first  of  all  purchased  the 
Eaton  Sugar  Company,  followed  immediately  by  the  purchase  of  a  controlling 
interest  in  the  factories  at  Loveland  and  Greeley.  Thus  in  1903  the  American 
Sugar  Refining  Company  controlled  the  Ea^on  Sugar  Company,  the  Great  West- 
ern Sugar  Company  and  the  Greeley  Sugar  Company. 

In  1903  the  Windsor  Sugar  Company,  which  had  been  organized  with  a  cap- 
ital of  $750,000  by  W.  D.  Hoover  and  associates,  sold  a  controlling  interest  to 
the  American  Sugar  Refining  Company  before  the  completion  of  the  factory  at 
Windsor. 

In  1903  the  Longmont  Sugar  Company  built  the  factory  at  Longmont.  Of 
this  Chester  S.  Morey  was  president,  its  ownership  being  controlled  by  the  new 
eastern  interests.  The  factory  at  Fort  Collins  was  built  by  the  Fort  Collins 
Sugar  Company,  and  was  put  into  operation  in  January,  1904.  At  that  time 
B.  B.  Hottel,  of  Fort  Collins,  was  its  president.  This  factory  had  a  capacity  of 
1,200  tons  at  the  very^  outset.  This  also  was  completed  by  the  new  eastern  inter- 
ests. Its  first  year  was,  however,  disastrous,  as  it  started  too  late,  and  much  of 
its  beet  supply  rotted. 

In  his  testimony  before  the  Senate  Finance  Committee  Mr.  Morey  thus 
graphically  describes  this  period: 

"Rumors  were  pretty  thick  about  the  beet  sugar  business  in  those  years.    They 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  541 

were  falling  over  each  other  to  get  locations,  and  every  town  that  had  300  people 
wanted  a  sugar  factory.  In  fact  all  of  them  were  circulating  petitions  for  acre- 
age." 

The  old  company  which  built  the  factory  at  Loveland,  was  known  as  the 
Great  Western  Sugar  Company  of  Colorado.  In  1905  the  Great  Western  Sugar 
Company  was  organized  and  incorporated  in  the  State  of  New  Jersey.  This  took 
over  all  of  the  existing  sugar  factories  in  northern  Colorado  in  which  Charles  S. 
Boettcher,  Chester  S.  Morey,  of  Denver,  M.  D.  Thatcher,  of  Pueblo,  Charles  S. 
Waterman,  Henry  M.  Porter  and  associates  and  H.  O.  Havemeyer  and  the 
American  Sugar  Refining  Company  were  interested. 

The  capital  stock  was  originally  $20,000,000,  $10,000,000  preferred  and  $10,- 
000,000  common.  This  was  later  increased  to  $15,000,000  each,  or  $30,000,000  in 
all.  The  purchase  of  the  properties  included  also  the  purchase  of  the  Great  West- 
ern Railroad,  to  which  in  the  last  year  part  of  the  Denver,  Laramie  &  North- 
western has  been  added. 

The  company  paid  7  per  cent  on  preferred  stock  since  1905,  and,  since  1910, 
5  per  cent  on  the  common. 

In  1905  the  factory  at  Sterling  was  constructed,  followed  in  1906  with  those 
at  Brush  and  Fort  Morgan,  and  in  1917  the  latest  Colorado  plant  was  erected  at 
Brighton.  The  company  in  1906  built  the  factory  at  Billings,  Montana,  and  in 
1910  that  at  Scottsbluff,  Nebraska,  was  erected.  The  factories  at  Lovell,  Wyo- 
ming, Gering,  Nebraska,  Missoula,  Montana,  and  Bayard,  Nebraska,  were  built 
in  the  preceding  years.  The  factory  at  Lovell  was  a  transfer  of  the  plant  at 
Monte  Vista. 

In  191 1  the  company  had  4,460  growers,  who  grew  97,484  acres;  in  1917  at 
its  ten  factories  it  harvested  119,200  acres  and  produced  370,000,000  pounds  of 
sugar. 

The  price  paid  to  the  farmer  per  ton  for  beets  began  with  $4.50  for  the 
years  1901  to  1903  inclusive,  with  the  exception  of  the  Eaton  factory,  which  paid 
$5.00  at  the  beginning.  Commencing  with  the  year  1904  the  price  was  $5  in  all 
localities  up  to  and  including  the  year  1906.  In  1907  the  price  was  the  same  with 
the  exception  that  50  cents  per  ton  extra  was  paid  for  all  tonnage  which  was 
silved.  The  silving  of  beets  consists  of  placing  the  beets  into  piles  about  five 
feet  high,  five  feet  wide,  and  of  any  desired  length,  and  covering  them  with  dirt 
enough  to  protect  the  beets  from  freezing  and  thawing  in  order  to  deliver  them 
in  good  condition  after  the  harvest  work  in  the  fields  is  finished.  These  prices 
continued  until  1910.  In  that  year  the  contract  was  changed,  so  that  the  growers 
were  paid  according  to  the  sugar  content.  They  received  an  increase  of  25 
cents  per  ton  for  each  increase  of  i  per  cent  in  sugar  content  for  all  beets  testing 
15  per  cent  and  above.  This  change  resulted  in  an  increase  of  from  31  to  88 
cents  per  ton.  In  191 7  it  paid  from  $6.50  to  $8.00.  For  1918  it  will  pay  from 
$8.37  to  $9.75. 

From  1901  to  191 1  the  company,  or  its  antecedent  companies,  purchased  beets 
to  the  value  of  $37,400,000.     In  191 7  it  paid  the  farmers  $10,362,000. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  beet  sugar  industry  in  the  state  it  was  necessary  to 
procure  laborers  from  other  states  to  work  in  the  fields.  The  greater  part  of 
these  laborers  were  Germans,  whose  ancestors  200  years  ago  emigrated  from 
Germany  to  Russia,  but  retained  their  native  language.    In  Russia  these  people 


542  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

were  engaged  in  beet  farming,  so  that  they  came  to  the  fields  in  Colorado  thor- 
oughly equipped  for  the  work. 

The  production  of  sugar  ranged  from  13,920,900  lbs.  in  1901-2  to  38,786,800 
in  1902-3,  and  to  295,648,500  lbs.  in  1907-8  and  to  264,194,300  in  1911-12.  In 
1917  it  was  370,000,000  lbs. 

In  1901  the  acreage  was  5,610.  In  1909-10  it  was  98,095;  in  1911-12  it  was 
83,059.     In   1917  it  was   119,200. 

The  Great  Western  Sugar  Company  has  paid  dividends  regularly  since  the 
consolidation  in  1905.  This  was  increased  from  5  per  cent  to  i-)4  quarterly  in 
July,  1916.  In  July,  1917,  an  extra  dividend  of  10  per  cent  was  paid.  Moody's 
-Manual  states  in  its  1917  issue  that  while  the  American  Sugar  Refining  Company 
holds  a  large  interest,  it  does  not  control  a  majority  of  the  stock. 

Its  officers  in  1917  were:  C.  S.  Morey,  chairman;  \\'.  L.  Petrikin,  president; 
W.  S.  Dixon,  first  vice  president  and  general  manager;  Charles  Boettcher,  second 
vice  president;  S.  M.  Edgell.  third  vice  president.  The  directors  are  the  above 
and  John  H.  Porter,  Godfrey  Schirmer;  E.  R.  Grififin,  R.  M.  Booraem,  S.  D. 
Seerie,  M.  D.  Thatcher,  Horace  Havemeyer,  and  R.  J.  Marsh. 

THE   AMERICAN'    BEET    SUCAJJ    COMPANY 

The  American  Beet  Sugar  Company,  which  owns  the  factories  at  Rocky 
Ford,  Lamar  and  Las  Animas,  in  the  Arkansas  \'alley,  had  its  beginnings  at 
Grand  Island,  Nebraska,  where  Henry  T.  Oxnard  with  his  brothers  Robert,  Ben- 
jamin and  James  G.,  and  W.  Bayard  and  R.  Fuller  Cutting  of  New  York,  built 
the  first  beet  sugar  factory  in  1889.  The  machinery  was  brought  over  from  Ger- 
many. The  Oxnard  Brothers  Company  had  operated  a  refinery  in  Brooklyn  from 
1876  to  1887,  when  it  was  bought  out  by  the  trust,  the  Oxnards  getting  $750,000 
worth  of  trust  certificates  of  the  Sugar  Refineries  Company  for  their  holdings. 

The  factory  at  Grand  Island  was  built  by  the  Oxnard  Beet  Sugar  Company, 
and  aside  from  the  Oxnards  and  the  Cuttings  the  only  other  stockholder  was 
J.  G.  Hamilton.  This  plant  cost  $350,000,  and  had  a  capacity  of  350  tons.  In 
1890  and  1891  the  company  built  the  factory  at  Norfolk,  Nebraska,  which  was 
later  moved  to  Lamar,  Colorado,  and  the  one  at  Chino,  California.  In  1897-8 
the  largest  plant  of  the  company  was  built  at  Oxnard,  California,  with  a  capacity 
of  2,500  tons.  In  1899  'hs  American  Beet  Sugar  Company  was  incorporated 
under  the  laws  of  New  Jersey,  consolidating  all  the  existing  Oxnard  companies. 

In  1900  the  factory  at  Rocky  Ford  was  built,  followed  at  once  by  that  at  Las 
Animas.  In  1906  the  factory  at  Norfolk  was  moved  to  Lamar  and  greatly  en- 
larged. The  capitalization  of  the  American  Beet  Sugar  Company  was  fixed  at 
$20,000,000,  of  which  $5,000,000  is  preferred. 

The  American  Beet  Sugar  Company,  with  a  capacity  of  7,200  tons  daily,  broke 
all  records  for  the  fiscal  year  ending  March  31,  191 7.  Its  gross  revenues  for 
this  period  were  $15,333,224,  and  net  operating  earnings  $6,126,677.  This  com- 
pared with  earnings  of  $3,174,831  in  1916,  $1,426,778  in  1915.  $517,427  in  1914; 
$775,660  in  1913  and  $2,325,589  in  1912.  Its  earnings  on  preferred  stock  for 
1917  were  97.64  per  cent;  on  common  stock,  30.55  per  cent. 

Its  production  for  the  year  ending  March  31,  1917.  was  2.155,963  bags  of 
sugar;  in  1916,  1,752,662  bags. 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  543 

Its  land  holdings  in  Colorado  in  1917  were:  5,936  acres  about  Rocky  Ford: 
212  acres  at  Las  Animas,  and  13,453  acres  about  Lamar. 

Its  officers  in  1917  were:  H.  Rieman  Duval,  president;  Robert  Oxnard,  vice 
president ; '  Henry  T.  Oxnard,  vice  president.  Its  directors  include  the  above 
and  Kalman  Haas,  Charles  J.  Peabody.  J.  Horace  Harding,  R.  Walter  Leigh, 
E.  M.  Rulkcley,  Franklin  Q.  Brown,  William  Fellows  Morgan,  and  F.  .\.  Schoon- 
niaker. 

Tin-:    XATIONAL  SUGAR  COMl'AXY 

The  National  Sugar  Manufacturing  Company  owns  one  500-ton  daily  slicing 
capacity  beet  sugar  factory  at  Sugar  City,  Colorado,  which  was  built  in  1900. 
The  absence  of  farmers  close  to  the  plant  compelled  the  company  to  seed  about 
sixteen  hundred  acres  of  prairie  land  to  beets  the  first  year,  only  a  few  farmers 
living  ten  to  twenty  miles  west  of  Sugar  City,  contributing  beets.  The  second 
year  there  was  a  large  increase  in  tonnage,  and  in  1906  the  tonnage  harvested 
was  70,000.  Each  year  new  farmers  came  to  this  part  of  the  .\rkansas  \^alley, 
largely  from  Illinois,  Iowa  and  Missouri,  and  purchased  or  leased  land  near  the 
factory.  Prairie  conditions  were  slowly  conquered,  and  today  land  values  which 
ranged  from  $35  to  $50  per  acre  run  from  $100  to  $125  flat  per  acre  without  im- 
provement.    The  production  of  the  factory  in  1916  was  122,429  bags. 

The  headquarters  of  the  owning  company  are  at  Baltimore,  and  its  officers 
are:  President,  Francis  K.  Carey;  vice  president,  Frances  T.  Carey;  general  man- 
ager, John  H.  Abel.    The  capital  stock  of  the  company  is  $750,000. 

THE  IIOLL\-   Sl'C,.\R   CORPORATION 

The  Holly  Sugar  Company  was  organized  by  Colorado  men  in  KJ03.  willi  a 
capital  of  $1,500,000,  and  began  its  work  by  coiiperating  with  a  subsidiary  com- 
pany then  and  still  in  existence  and  called  The  iXrkansas  X'alley  Sugar  Beet  and 
Irrigation  Company.  In  up3  the  factory  at  Holly  was  built,  and  this  was  suc- 
cessful, but  in  191 5  was  moved  to  Sheridan,  Wyoming.  In  1906  the  factory  at 
Swink  was  built  and  the  ca])acity  of  this  after  i()i5  sufficed  to  cover  the  entire 
acreage  of  the  company  Ijoth  at  Holly  and  .'^wink.  In  1910  the  company  l>uill  ;i 
factory    at    Huntington    Beach,    California. 

When  Swink  was  decided  on  as  the  site  for  a  factory  a  railroad  was  pin- 
jected  from  Holly  to  Swink.  This  was  jjartially  built,  and  [\m.-\\  sold  to  iJio 
Santa  Fe,  by  which  system  it  was  completed  and  is  now  operated.  In  1917  the 
company  leased  the  factory  at  Crand  Junction,  the  first  one  erected  in  Colorado, 
riic  iiK-c]ition  of  this  project,  which  is  in  tlic  liands  of  Colorado  men.  was 
due  largely  to  liie  efl'orts  of  W.  M.  Wiley,  its  tirst  manager. 

The  Holly  .Sugar  Corporation  was  iiicor]X)raled  .'\])ril  4,  191(1.  under  New 
York  laws,  taking  over  the  stock  of  the  Holly  Sug.'ir  Company  .ind  controlling 
the  .Sheridan  Sugar  Comi)any,  the  factory  at  .Swink,  the  Huntington  P>eacli,  Cali- 
fornia, refinery,  and  now  also  has  the  lease  on  the  factory  at  Grand  Junction. 
In  1916  it  acquired  50  per  cent  of  IJie  cajiital  stock  of  the  Soutliern  California 
Sugar  Company  at  .Santa  .Xna,  California. 


American  Beet 
Sugar  Company 

Holly  Saear 
Corporation 

2 

2 

21,823 

18,500 

12.50 

10 

273,000 

185,000 

14-50 



60,000,000 

50,000,000 

$1,900,000.00 

$1 

;, 250,000.00 

450,000.00 

190,000.00 

9io,ooo.ooest. 

500,000.00 

510,000.00 

500,000.00 

250,000.00 

225,000.00 

910 

650 

100 

100 

544  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

Its  earnings  for  the  year  ended  March  25,  1916,  were  $1,226,374;  for  year 
ended  March  31,  1917,  its  net  profits  were  $1,874,478. 

Its  officers  in  1917  were:  A.  E.  Carlton,  president;  S.  W.  Sinsheimer,  vice 
president;  Remsen  McGinnes,  secretary;  E.  P.  Shove,  treasurer.  Its  directors 
include  J.  H.  Post,  T.  A.  Howell,  Spencer  Penrose,  and  Ray  Morris. 

BEET  SUGAR  STATISTICS 

for  1917 

Great  Western 
Su£ar  Company 

Number  Factories   10 

Acres  harvested    1 19,200 

Average  Yield  per  Acre   11  .So 

Gross   Tonnage    1,405,000 

Average  Sach.  Content    16.34 

Pounds  Sugar  produced    370,000,000 

Money  paid  Farmers   $10,362,000.00 

Money  paid  Factory  Men 2,700,000.00 

Money  paid  Farm  Labor   2,500,000.00 

Money  paid  for  Supplies   2,100,000.00 

Money  paid  for  R.  R.  Transp'tion  2,600,000.00 

Number   Factory   Employes    4-3SO 

Length  of   Campaign    (Days)    ....  100 

Pounds  Beet  Seed  raised   3,000,000                       —                      — 

This  covers  all  but  the  National  Sugar  Company  factory  at  Sugar  City.  Dur- 
ing the  year  the  Lamar  factory  was  idle. 

Dry  pulp,  as  a  food  for  various  classes  of  animals,  is  not  an  experiment.  In 
Germany  about  70  per  cent  of  all  pulp,  from  about  twenty  million  tons  of  beets 
was  dried  before  the  war  and  now  virtually  all  is  dried,  partly  with,  and  partly 
without,  molasses. 

The  dry  pulp'  is  fed  to  cattle  of  all  kinds,  to  sheep  and  also  to  horses. 

In  Colorado,  California,  Michigan  and  Ohio  almost  all  pulp  is  dried  and  mainly 
used  as  dairy  food. 

Dry  pulp  is  a  food  similar  to  corn,  that  is,  it  is  valuable  mainly  for  its  fat- 
tening, but  not  meat-making  qualities.  Wherever  corn  or  barley  has  been  used 
in  a  ratio,  part  of  it  can  be  replaced  with  good  results  by  dry  pulp. 

SIXTEEN   BEET  SUGAR   FACTORIES   IN   STATE 

Location  Erected  Capacity  tons 

Rocky  Ford   1900  1,800 

Lamar    1905  500 

Las  Animas   1917  1,000 

Loveland   1901  2,000 

Greeley    1902  1,000 

Eaton   1902  1,100 

Fort  Collins   1903  2,150 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  545 

Location  Erected         Capacity  tons 

Windsor    1903  1,100 

Longmont    1903  2,350 

Sterling    1905  1,100 

Brush 1906  1,100 

Fort  Morgan    1906  1,200 

Brighton    1917  1,000 

Swink    1906  1,200 

Sugar   City    1900  500 

Grand  Junction    1899  700 

The  San  Luis  Valley  Beet  Sugar  Company  was  organized  through  the  efforts  of 
W.  D.  Hoover  in  1909,  and  erected  a  factory  at  Monte  Vista,  making  its  first  run 
in  191 1.  This  opened  up  a  new  territory  in  the  San  Luis,  and  upper  Rio  Grande 
valleys.  Beets  for  the  factory  were  grown  in  Rio  Grande,  Saguache  and  Cos- 
tilla counties.  Other  Colorado  and  New  Mexico  factories  now  cover  this  acre- 
age, as  the  factory  came  under  the  control  of  the  Great  Western  Sugar  Com- 
pany and  was  removed  to  Lovell,  Wyoming. 


CHAPTER  XXVII 

THE   STRUGGLE  TO   BUILD   UP   MANUFACTURING 

THE  FIRST  MANUFACTURERS  IN  COLORADO SOME  E.\RLY  STATISTICS— DEVELOPMENT 

DESPITE  REBATES  AND  DISCRIMINATIONS U.    S.   CENSUS   FIGURES  FROM    iS/O  TO 

I9I4 LATER   FIGURES   FROM    STATE   RECORDS PROFESSOR   PHILLIPS    WRITES   THE 

HISTORY  OF  COLORADO'S  GREATEST  STRUGGLE FORMING  THE  COLORADO  MANU- 
FACTURERS' ASSOCIATION KINDEL  SCORES  FIRST  VICTORY — DEFEAT  IN  GALVES- 
TON CASE COLORADO  MANUFACTURERS'  ASSOCIATION  SECURES  PARTIAL  READ- 
JUSTMENT  COLORADO    FAIR    RATES    ASSOCIATION    BEGINS    COMPREHENSIVE    SUIT 

WHICH     WAS    STILL    PENDING    EARLY     IX     I918 MISCELLANEOUS     NON-METALS 

THAT    ENTER    INTO    THE    MANUFACTURING    HISTORY'    OF    COLORADO THE    STONE 

QUARRIES  OF  THE  STATE — OIL  PRODUCTION  OF  COLORADO. 

FIRST  MANUFACTURERS 

It  was  not  a  difficult  task  to  take  the  census  of  manufacturing  in  Colorado  in 
i860,  for  there  were  in  the  entire  region  only  163  blacksmiths,  542  carpenters 
and  joiners,  4  coopers,  29  painters  and  30  stone  cutters.  No  mention  is  made 
of  any  other  skilled  labor  needed  in  manufacturing.  Manufacturing,  however, 
began  in  April,  1859,  when  the  timber  about  twenty-five  miles  south  of  Denver 
was  needed  for  the  construction  of  buildings  in  the  two  Cherry  Creek  settlements, 
and  in  the  Clear  Creek  section  a  little  later.  The  Bennett  &  \\'yatt  and  the  Oakes 
saw  mills  were  the  first  to  use  machinery  for  the  needed  lumber  supply  in  the 
north  and  at  Golden  City.  Within  a  year  .\.  G.  Langford  &  Company  estab- 
lished the  first  machine  shop  in  Denver  and  smelted  the  first  iron  ore  which 
had  been  brought  down  from  Coal  Creek.  In  December,  i860,  Joseph  M.  Mar- 
shall began  getting  iron  from  the  ore  brought  down  from  Erie  at  the  foundry 
which  he  had  just  purchased  from  Eraser  &  Scoville  and  which  they  had  started 
in  the  simimer  of  that  year.  In  1865  his  production  of  iron  from  a  small  furnace 
at  Erie  was  considerable. 

But  within  two  years  the  processes  for  handling  Boulder,  Jefferson,  Clear 
Creek  and  Gilpin  County  ores  were  so  completely  changed  that  many  hundred 
thousand  tons  of  discarded  machinery  were  put  into  the  furnace  and  remelted  into 
necessary  iron  utensils.  Tarr  &  Cushman,  owners  of  the  Denver  foundr\-  were 
getting  a  good  quality  of  gray  pig  iron  by  mixing  scrap  and  the  Colorado  product 
of  hematite  and  limonite  ores. 

In  i860  James  Endlich  began  the  brewing  of  beer,  which  grew  finally  into 
one  of  the  large  establishments  closed  up  after  the  state  went  dn,'.  In  that  year 
John  W.  Smith  actually  brought  a  grist  mill  to  Denver  and  began  making  flour 

546 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  547 

and  corn  meal.  A  grist  mill  had  been  projected  in  1859  by  Gen.  William  Larimer 
to  be  operated  with  water  power  from  the  Platte,  but  this  was  never  constructed. 
Smith  after  erecting  a  mill  in  West  Denver,  which  was  operated  with  high-priced 
cord  wood  as  fuel,  closed  a  contract  for  water  power  with  the  Union  Ditch  Com- 
pany's canal  built  in  1864  and,  selling  his  second  mill,  erected  a  third  one  a  little 
way  above  the  town.  In  1874  Smith  built  the  Excelsior  mill  at  Eighth  and  Law- 
rence streets  and  this  in  1879  became  part  of  the  J.  K.  Mullen  interests.  Whit- 
temore  &  Company  were  also  among  the  early  milling  interests.  In  1868  the 
Colorado  Salt  Works  were  in  operation  about  twenty  miles  below  Fairplay  at 
the  Salt  Springs. 

By  1868  pottery,  tiles  and  lire  brick  were  being  made  at  Golden  City  where 
three  flour  mills  had  also  began  to  do  business.  The  commercial  report  for  1868 
gives  the  value  of  the  flour,  feed  and  bran  manufactured  in  that  year  as  $180,000; 
the  beer,  $5,000;  manufactured  goods,  $66,400.  On  the  South  Boulder  the 
furnace  for  smelting  iron  ore  was  in  operation.  In  Gilpin  County  181  engines 
with  an  aggregate  of  4,500  horse  power  were  giving  power  to  sixty-five  stamp 
mills,  reducing  works,  etc. 

Pueblo  was  agitating  for  a  woolen  mill  10  mantifacture  "blankets  and  fabrics 
for  heavy  wear  from  the  wool  of  the  country,  which  is  annually  shipped  east 
at  an  expense  per  pound  nearly  equal  to  the  cost  of  the  raw  material,  wool  being 
sold  in  the  fleece  at  the  ranch  at  10  cents  to  I2j/^  cents  per  pound."  This  woolen 
mill  became  a  reality  in  1870  when  John  W.  Smith  and  John  Winterbottom  began 
the  manufacture  of  flannels,  blankets  and  yarns,  but  prohibitive  freight  rates  then 
as  later,  prevented  the  success  of  the  venture  and  it  was  closed  up  in  1877. 

Rocky  Mountain  flour  in  those  years  commanded  a  high  price  in  eastern 
markets,  but  little  of  it  was  shipped  out  for  it  was  barely  enough  to  sujiply 
home  demands. 

In  1877  a  rolling  mill  was  taken  from  Danville,  Pennsylvania,  and  set  up  in 
Pueblo.  On  March  1,  1878,  it  was  in  operation,  producing  re-rolled  rails.  Late 
in  the  year  Denver  ofifered  a  substantial  subsidy  and  Faux,  the  owner  removed 
the  plant  to  a  point  near  the  old  fair  grounds  in  the  northern  part  of  the  City  of 
Denver.  While  operating  in  Denver  the  first  rolling  mill  supplied  the  iron  for 
the  Denver  &  South  Park  road.  The  Colorado  Coal  &  Iron  Company,  now  the 
Colorado  Fuel  &  Iron  Company,  bought  it  in  the  early  '80s  and  transix)rted  it 
back  to  Pueblo,  where  it  has  remained. 

The  new  company  in  1880  commenced  the  erection  of  a  large  coke  furnace 
at  what  was  then  known  as  South  Pueblo,  now  Bessemer.  This  was  put  in  blast 
September  7,  1881.  It  also  at  the  same  time  began  building  the  Bessemer  steel 
works.  Coke  ovens  on  an  extensive  scale  had  even  before  this  been  built  by  the 
same  company  at  El  Moro.  In  1880  the  U.  S.  Census  reports  200  ovens  com- 
pleted. This  marked  the  beginning  of  the  state's  greatest  manufacturing  in- 
dustry, the  history  of  which  is  covered  in  other  chapters. 

Mrs.  Elizabeth  Stone  and  H.  C.  Petterson  in  1868  built  the  first  flour  mill. 
the  Linden  in  the  Cache  la  Poudre.  Later  in  the  same  year  Andrew  Douty  buill 
his  mill  in  the  Big  Thompson  Valley. 

The  first  commercial  cheese  manufactured  in  Larimer  County  was  made  by 
Mrs.  George  E.  Buss  in  1886.  Her  facilities  at  the  start  were  cnuie.  the  liooji 
Ijeing  hollowed  out  of  a  cottonwood  tree  iiud   the  press  being  the  jiarts  of  an 


548  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

old  grain  reaping  machine.  In  1887  the  first  creamery  was  built  at  Fort  Collins 
but  Mrs.  Buss  made  and  sold  from  10,000  to  20,000  pounds  of  cream  cheese  each 
year  until   1889. 

The  first  sawmill,  a  portable  one,  in  Larimer  County,  was  located  northwest 
of  Laporte  by  James  Obenchain  in  1863.  The  logs  cut  in  the  canyon  of  the 
Cache  la  Poudre  in  the  winter  were  floated  down  to  the  mill  by  the  spring  floods. 
Later  Joseph  Rist's  mill  supplied  the  booming  Cheyenne  market  with  lumber.  In 
the  '70s  the  industry  became  very  important,  logging  crews  going  into  the  moun- 
tains in  the  fall  and  preparing  the  timber  and  in  the  spring  sending  it  down  in 
the  flood  waters  to  Greeley  and  to  a  mill  located  at  the  Linden  Street  bridge  at 
Fort  Collins. 

Between  1882  and  1890  over  a  thousand  men  were  employed  at  the  quarries 
at  Bellvue,  Stout  and  Arkins  in  Larimer  County,  getting  out  building  stone,  pav- 
ing blocks,  curbings  and  flaggings  for  Denver,  Omaha  and  Kansas  City  contract- 
ors. At  Ingleside,  sixteen  miles  northwest  of  Fort  Collins,  immense  limestone 
quarries  were  opened  in  1904. 

In  191 1  the  amount  invested  in  manufacturing  enterprise  in  Larimer  Coimty 
was  $3,500,000  with  an  annual  production  of  $6,000,000.  These  in  1917  were 
more  than  doubled.  In  1914  the  county  had  two  sugar  factories,  two  pressed 
brick-making  plants,  two  large  stucco  and  plaster  mills,  four  flouring  mills,  a 
fruit  and  vegetable  canning  factory,  one  cement  tile  factory,  one  foundry  and 
several  machine  shops,  one  alfalfa  meal-mill  factory,  two  planing  mills.  Several 
cigar  factories. 

The  first  iron  foundry  and  machine  shop  in  Boulder  was  built  by  J.  W. 
Develine  in  1876.  At  Valmont  the  five  rock  quarries  were  early  worked  for 
superior  pressed  brick. 

From  the  first  crude  blast  furnace  built  at  Marshall  in  1864,  A.  G.  Langford, 
William  and  Milo  Lee  and  Joseph  M.  Marshall  sold  many  tons  of  excellent  pig 
iron  made  from  the  brown  hematite  iron  ores  of  that  region. 

In  the  early  '60s  the  first  flour  mill,  run  by  water  power  was  built  at  San 
Luis  by  St.  Vrain  and  Easterday.  They  sold  it  to  a  Mormon  association  and 
later  it  drifted  into  other  hands  and  grew  into  a  fine  steam-driven  industry. 

Red  Park  Cafion  in  El  Paso  County  supplied  some  of  the  finest  red  sand- 
stone in  the  country.  Among  the  early  buildings  of  note  for  which  this  stone 
was  used  were  the  Board  of  Trade  of  Fort  Worth  and  the  Union  Depot  at  Des 
Moines. 

With  the  advent  of  the  railroad  in  1870  manufacturing  grew,  but  not  to  the 
extent  to  which  the  central  position  of  Colorado  entitled  it.  It  had  the  eastern 
trade  powers  to  combat  from  the  very  outset.  Thus  when  the  Denver  &  Rio 
'Grande  was  sold  to  the  Santa  Fe  there  was  an  express  stipulation  that  there  should 
be  no  discrimination  in  rates  against  Denver.  But  Kansas  City  was  powerful 
enough  to  effect  a  discrimination  in  rates,  which  might,  had  it  not  been  met  by 
what  was  in  fact  a  Colorado  uprising,  have  ended  in  the  commercial  ruin  of 
Denver.  But  this  was  only  the  beginning  of  its  efforts  to  build  up  its  manufac- 
turing enterprises.  The  problem  of  the  long  and  short  haul,  the  apparent  neces- 
sity of  meeting  water  rates  by  low  rates  to  the  Pacific  Coast  points,  discrimina- 
tion against  western  inland  points — all  these  entered  into  the  struggle  which 
not  even  the  creation  of  the  Inter-State  Commerce  Commission  was  able  to  set- 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  549 

tie.     But  despite  its  trade  limitations,  Colorado  has  had  a  phenomenal  growth  in 
manufacturing.    In  1873  the  total  of  manufactured  products  sold  was  $1,394,000. 

SOME   EARLY    FIGURES 

In  1878  the  Denver  Board  of  Trade  thus  reviewed  the  state  manufacturing 
growth  of  1877:  "The  three  large  planing  mills  manufactured  lumber  to  the 
amount  of  $350,000.  The  value  of  furniture  manufactured  here  is  upwards  of 
$45,000,  while  the  value  of  leather,  whips,  collars,  etc.,  amounts  to  the  round  sum 
of  $103,000.  \\'oolen  goods  which  include  blankets,  flannels  and  yarns  amount 
to  $20,000;  a  malt  house  made  50,000  bushels  of  malt,  a  large  amount  of  which 
was  shipped  east,  west  and  north.  The  iron  interests  employ  three  large  and  com-. 
plete  foundries  and  machine  shops  in  the  manufacture  of  boilers,  engines,  mining 
and  mill  machinery.  Fifteen  engines  were  constructed  here  in  1877;  value  of 
products,  $140,000.  There  are  in  Colorado  twenty-six  first  class  mills,  with 
sixty-eight  burrs,  employing  over  two  hundred  men  and  representing  an  in- 
vestment of  $350,000.  The  flour  made  in  Denver  will  aggregate  not  less  than 
a  million  dollars.  A  soap  manufactory  started  in  Denver  March  14,  1877,  now 
averages  65,000  pounds  in  sales  every  month." 

The  United  States  Census  for  1880  and  1870  gives  a  fair  conception  of  the 
growth  of  manufacturing  in  Colorado  during  the  first  decade  after  the  railroads 
had  reached  the  territory : 

1880  1870 

Number  of  Manufacturing  Establishments   599  256 

Capital    $4,31 1.714  $2,835,605 

Average  Number  Employes,   5fi74  8/6 

Wages  paid  in  Year $2,314,427  $258,221 

Value  of   Products    14,260,159  2,852,820 

In  1880  Colorado  liad  two  firms  making  awnings  and  tents,  62  men  were 
employed  and  the  value  of  the  product  was  $135,000;  one  baking  and  yeast  pow- 
der factory  made  $1,200  in  goods  in  the  year.  There  were  47  blacksmiths,  em- 
ploying 160  men  and  with  a  production  valued  at  $287,085.  In  forty-four  boot 
and  shoe  shops  in  the  state  158  men  were  producing  goods  to  the  value  of  $262,- 
518.  One  brass-casting  concern  employing  three  men  did  $7,500  business  in  the 
year;  sixteen  bakeries  employed  117  men  and  women  and  had  a  production  valued 
at  $574,552 ;  one  broom  and  brush  factory  produced  $30,000  worth  of  goods  an- 
nually. Forty  carpenter  shops  employed  262  men  and  their  production  was  valued 
at  $1,056,400.  Ten  carriage  and  wagon  shops  employing  135  men  did  a  total  busi- 
ness of  $475,000;  twenty-five  charcoal  kilns  employed  75  men  and  their  production 
was  $81,873.  There  were  two  butter  and  cheese  factories;  thirty-one  brick  and 
tile  yards;  nine  clothing  shops;  one  coffee  and  spice  mill,  six  candy  factories,  one 
cutlery  and  edge  tool  maker,  three  manufacturers  of  drugs  and  chemicals,  two 
dyeing  and  cleaning  establishments,  a  fertilizer  factory,  thirty-four  grist  mills, 
seventeen  foundry  and  machine  shops,  one  iron  and  steel  rolling  mill,  seven  tan- 
neries, twenty-three  breweries,  three  lock  and  gun  smiths,  nincly-six  lumber  mills, 
one  pickle  and  preserve  factorv,  two  soap  and  candle  factories,  twenty-two  firms 


550  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

in  the  tinware  and  sheet  iron  ware  business,  ten  wheelwrights,  ten  watch  makers, 
one  trunk  and  valise  maker. 

One  of  the  largest  industries  in  the  state  at  this  period  was  that  of  slaughter- 
ing and  meat  packing  exclusive  of  retail  butchering  establishments.  Of  these  con- 
cerns there  were  four  in  Denver,  one  in  Boulder,  four  in  Clear  Creek,  two  in 
Custer,  one  in  Gilpin  and  two  in  Lake  City. 

This  shows  not  alone  the  growth  in  volume  l)ut  in  industrial  diversification 
as  well. 

The  Board  of  Trade  Annual  for  1882  estimates  the' value  of  Denver's  manu- 
factured products  for  1881   as  seven  million  dollars. 

CENSUS    ST.'VTISTICS — 189O-I9I4 

The  following  United  States  Census  throws  further  light  on  the  progress  made 
in  manufacturing  in  Colorado  from  i8go  to  1914: 

1890         1899         1904  1909  1914 

No.   of  eetabUshmentB 762                     1.323                         1,606                        2,034  2.126 

Wage  earners 9.283                  19,498                     21,813                     28.067  27.278 

Capital.... $16,811,868  $58,172,885  $107,663,500  $162,667,801  $181,776,339 

ToUl  wages 6.653.585       11.707,566          15,100,365          19.912.342  20,199.764 

Value  of  product 29,240,747      89,067.879       100,143,999       130,044,312  136,839.321 

The  \alue  of  the  manufactured  products  of  Colorado  in  1914  was  $136,839,- 
321 ;  the  average  number  of  wage  earners  employed  in  its  manufacturing  indus- 
tries was  27,278 ;  and  the  value  added  by  manufacture,  which  is  the  best  measure 
of  the  importance  of  the  manufacturing  industry,  amounted  to  $47,083,019.  In 
1914  the  state  ranked,  among  the  states,  thirty-second  in  value  of  products, 
thirty-sixth  in  number  of  wage  earners,  and  thirty-third  in  value  added  by  man- 
ufacture. The  corresponding  rankings  in  1909  were  thirty-first,  thirty-sixth,  and 
thirtieth,  respectively.  The  value  of  the  manufactured  products  of  Colorado 
in  1914  and  1909  represented  six-tenths  of  i  per  cent  of  the  total  for  the  United 
.States;  the  corresponding  proportion  for  1904  was  seven-tenths  of  i  per  cent. 

Froni^  1899  to  1914  the  capital  invested  in  manufacturing  industries  more 
than  trebled ;  the  horsepower  used  in  developing  these  industries  increased  almost 
four  times ;  and  the  amount  paid  for  salaries  and  wages  almost  doubled.  The 
largest  percentage  of  increase  for  the  period  1909-1914  was  in  the  amount  paid 
for  contract  work  (80.7).  This  increase  is  not  an  indication  of  the  growth  of 
the  manufactures  of  the  state,  but  of  the  method  of  operation.  For  the  five- 
year  period  from  1909  to  1914  the  capital  invested  increased  by  $19,108,538,  or 
11.7  per  cent;  the  cost  of  materials,  $9,265,398,  or  11. 5  per  cent;  and  the  value 
of  products,  $6,795,009,  or  5.2  per  cent.  The  value  added  by  manufacture  de- 
creased $2,470,389,  or  5  per  cent. 

In  rank  according  to  value  of  products,  there  were  a  few  changes  in  1914,  as 
compared  w'ith  1909.  Of  the  more  important  industries,  slaughtering  and  meat 
packing,  flour  milling  and  grist  milling,  printing  and  publishing,  and  the  opera- 
tions of  steam-railroad  repair  shops  held  the  same  relative  rank  in  19 14  as  in 
7909.  Separate  statistics  for  the  manufacture  of  sugar  from  beets  are  shown 
for  the  first  time  in  1914  in  this  state,  and  as  the  industry  is  the  most  impoitant 
one  in  the  state  for  which  figures  can  be  given,  it  takes  first  place  in  rank,  and 
the  other  industries  in  that  year  are  lowered  relatively  by  one.     Bread  and  other 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  551 

bakery  products,  foundry  and  machine  shop  products,  butler,  cheese,  and  con- 
densed milk,  and  the  malt-Hquor  industry,  ranking  sixth,  seventh,  eighth  and 
ninth,  respectively,  in  1914,  were  seventh,  tifth,  ninth  and  eighth,  respectively, 
in  1909. 

In  1914  Colorado  ranked  first  among  beet  sugar  producing  states  with  13 
establishments  employing  2,268  wage  earners,  which  represented  8.3  per  cent  of 
all  the  wage  earners  employed  in  manufacturing  industries  in  the  state.  The 
value  of  products  was  $17,635,556,  or  12.9  per  cent  of  the  total  value  of  man- 
ufactures; and  the  value  added  by  manufacture  was  $4,278,527,  or  9.1  per  cent 
of  the  total  for  the  state. 

In  1914,  16  establishments  were  reported  as  engaged  in  the  slaughtering  and 
meat-packing  industry  in  Colorado,  as  compared  with  13  in  1909.  During  the 
five-year  period  1909-1914  the  total  value  of  products  increased  from  $9,656,810 
to  $12,726,127,  or  31.8  per  cent;  the  average  number  of  wage  earners  from  659 
to  TJT,  or  17.9  per  cent;  and  the  value  added  by  manufacture  from  $1,362,031  to 
$2,039,201,  or  49.7  per  cent.  Eight  of  the  16  establishments  reported  for  the 
industry  were  located  in  Denver,  and  the  value  of  their  output  represented  88.2^ 
])er  cent  of  the  total  reported  for  the  industry  in  the  state. 

The  packing  industry  shows  a  remarkable  growth  from  i<p4  to  1914.  The 
total  cost  of  materials  increased  by  $7,905,137,  or  284.2  per  cent,  and  the  total 
value  of  j)roducts  by  $9,402,624,  or  282.9  per  cent.  The  total  number  of  animals 
slaughtered  almost  doubled,  and  their  cost  increased  nearly  four  times.  Each  of 
the  various  products  shows  large  increases  in  both  quantity  and  value,  but  the 
increase  in  value  was  relatively  much  greater  than  the  increase  in  quantity.  This 
is  apparent  in  fresh  beef,  the  chief  product,  which  increased  by  $2,624,153,  or 
240.5  per  cent  in  value,  and  by  17,269,649  pounds,  or  110.8  per  cent  in  quan- 
tity, and  the  price  per  pound  from  7  cents  in  1904  to  11.3  cents  in  1914. 

Cars  and  general  shop  construction  and  repairs  by  steam  railroad  companies 
represent  the  work  done  in  car  shops  operated  by  steam  railroad  companies. 
The  operations  consist  principally  of  repairs  to  rolling  stock  and  equipment  but 
includes  also  shop  work  done  for  the  track  and  bridge  and  building  depart- 
ments. Although  there  was  a  decrease  of  four  establishments  during  the  period 
1909-1914,  there  was  an  increase  of  356  in  the  number  of  wage  earners  employed. 
In  1914  there  were  4,349  wage  earners  employed  in  the  industry,  which  was 
15.9  per  cent  of  the  total  for  all  manufacturing  establishments  of  the  state,  the 
largest  number  of  wage  earners  reported  for  any  of  the  industries  shown  sep- 
arately in  the  census.    The  value  of  the  work  done  was  $6,821,673. 

In  1914  the  number  of  persons  engaged  in  manufacture  in  (be  state  was 
.S.v7'5.  of  whom  27,278,  or  eight-tenths,  were  wage  earners.  A  predominating 
l>roportion  of  the  total  number  employed,  90.7  per  cent,  were  males,  a  decrease, 
however,  since  1909,  when  the  proportion  was  92  per  cent.  During  the  five- 
year  period  1909-1914,  there  was  a  slight  increase  in  the  proportion  of  females 
employed  in  the  state.  The  largest  number  of  females,  2,318,  were  employed 
as  wage  earners,  but  the  largest  pro]mrtioa  (21.2  per  cent")  were  reported  as 
clerks  and  other  subordinate  salaried  employes. 

Denver,  the  largest  and  most  important  city  in  the  slate  in  respect  to  value 
of  manufactured  products  and  number  of  wage  earners,  shows  an  increase  in 
value  of  |)roducts  at  each  successive  census.     In   1914  this  city  contributed  34.3 


552  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

per  cent  of  the  total  value  of  products  of  this  state  and  reported  40.6  per  cent 
of  the  total  number  of  wage  earners  employed.  The  principal  industries  were 
slaughtering  and  meat  packing,  printing  and  publishing,  foundry  and  machine 
shops,  bakeries,  steam  railroad  repair  shops,  butter  making,  and  flour  mills  and 
grist  mills.  The  principal  industries  in  Pueblo  were  the  manufacture  of  malt 
liquors,  printing  and  publishing,  steam  railroad  repair  shops,  saddlery  and  har- 
ness, and  brick  and  tile;  in  Colorado  Springs,  printing  and  publishing,  butter 
making,  bakeries,  the  manufacture  of  gas,  and  steam  railroad  repair  shops;  in 
Greeley,  flour  mills  and  grist  mills,  and  canning  and  preserving;  in  Trinidad, 
breweries,  mineral  waters,  and  bakeries ;  in  Fort  Collins,  flour  mills  and  grist 
mills,  and  printing  and  publishing;  in  Boulder,  flour  mills  and  grist  mills,  and 
printing  and  publishing. 

City  Average  number  of  wage  earners 

1914  1909       1904 

Denver 1 1,062  1 1,639                 •  9.672 

Pueblo    980  1,065                      941 

Colorado  Springs 538  516                      410 

Greeley    170 

Trinidad 236  220 

Fort   Collins    85 

Boulder    90 

One  of  the  noteworthy  developments  of  1916  and  1917  was  the  consummation 
of  plans  by  the  Colorado  Fuel  &  Iron  Company  to  erect  a  by-product  coke  oven 
plant  at  Pueblo.  This  plant  cost  approximately  $3,000,000  and  has  for  its  pur- 
pose the  conservation  of  coal  products  which  heretofore  have  gone  to  waste 
through  the  use  of  the  old-fashioned  beehive  ovens. 

The  Colorado  Fuel  &  Iron  Company  had  a  prosperous  year  in  1916.  It  pro- 
duced 3,800,000  tons  of  coal  as  compared  with  2,590,000  in  1915  ;  875,000  tons 
of  coke  against  634,443  in  the  previous  year;  800,000  tons  of  iron  ore  as  com- 
pared with  562,843  in  1915;  438,576  tons  of  iron  ore  against  281,617  in  1915, 
and  520,000  tons  of  finished  iron  and  steel  against  378,886  in  the  previous  year. 
It  employed  12,000  people  in  1916  against  9,000  in  1915,  and  its  aggregate  payroll 
during  1916  was  $11,000,000  against  $7,190,000  the  preceding  year. 

The  Western  Chemical  Manufacturing  Company  experienced  prosperity  dur- 
ing the  year.  It  has  laid  plans  for  expansion  during  the  next  four  years  through 
the  addition  of  departments  to  manufacture  dyes  and  other  products.  The 
company  increased  its  capital  from  $600,000  to  $1,000,000  during  1917  and  added 
John  C.  Mitchell,  Tyson  S.  Dines,  and  other  prominent  Denver  men  to  its  board 
of  directors. 

The  sugar  industry  witnessed  substantial  progress  during  1916.  The  Holly 
Sugar  Company  was  reorganized  and  succeeded  by  the  Holly  Sugar  Corporation 
with  A.  E.  Carlton  at  its  head  and  other  prominent  Colorado  and  eastern  men 
associated  with  him.  It  took  over  all  the  plants  of  the  old  company,  purchased 
another  plant  in  Arizona,  one  in  California,  leased  the  Grand  Junction  sugar 
plant  and  by  these  acts  became  the  third  largest  producer  of  beet  sugar  in  the 
country. 


55-1  HISTORY  UF  COLORADO 

The  Great  Western  Sugar  Company  in  1916-1917  built  a  new  plant  at  Brigh- 
ton, one  in  the  Big  Horn  basin,  of  Wyoming,  and  one  in  western  Nebraska. 
These  plants  cost  approximately  $1,500,000  each  and  add  materially  to  the  pro- 
ducing capacity  of  the  company. 

Another  important  step  taken  during  1916  was  the  survey  of  the  resources 
of  Colorado  factories  by  the  Government  for  possible  mobilization  and  use  by 
the  Government  in  the  event  of  war.  A  strong  committee  of  engineers,  with  R. 
B.  Moore,  of  the  United  States  Bureau  of  Mines,  as  chairman,  took  a  complete 
inventory  of  plant  equipment,  facilities  for  turning  out  products,  raw  material 
available,  and  other  data,  which  information  is  now  in  the  hands  of  the  depart- 
ments at  Washington. 

The  old  paper  mills  in  Denver  were  reconstructed  during  1916  and  occupied 
by  a  group  of  Denver  capitalists  with  a  plant  for  manufacturing  chemicals  and 
other  products  made  scarce  by  the  war  in  Europe. 

The  American  Coal  Refining  Company  put  into  operation  during  the  year  a 
plant  representing  an  investment  of  $200,000  of  foreign  capital  for  the  extraction 
of  coal  products  from  lignite  coal  by  a  process  developed  in  its  own  laboratories. 

The  Great  Western  Cement  Company  was  incorporated  by  the  Cement  Se- 
curities Company  to  operate  a  $750,000  cement  plant  at  Morrison.  Armour  & 
Company  spent  nearly  a  million  during  1916  and  1917  in  doubling  the  capacity 
of  its  packing  plant. 

Swift  &  Company  appropriated  $500,000  for  enlarging  its  packing  plant  and 
facilities. 

The  brewing  industry  readjusted  itself  to  new  conditions  following  prohi- 
bition. The  Coors  Manufacturing  &  Brewing  Company  is  manufacturing  near 
bear  and  a  malted  milk  which  is  finding  a  ready  market.  The  same  interests  are 
manufacturing  a  pottery  product  which  is  enjoying  a  large  sale.  The  Ph.  Zang 
Brewing  Company  is  manufacturing  near  beer  and  working  out  plans  for  a  cold 
and  dry  storage  plant,  a  garage  and  other  imptovements.  The  other  plants  have 
either  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  prohibition  drinks,  or  turned  their  plants 
to  other  uses. 

A  $200,000,000  valuation  is  placed  on  the  Colorado  factory  output  for  1917. 

The  output  of  fifteen  sugar  factories  in  Colorado  constitutes  31  per  cent  of 
the  sugar  manufactured  in  the  United  States.  During  the  year  191 7  these  insti- 
tutions produced  over  five  hundred  million  pounds  of  sugar.  The  factories" 
paid  the  beet  growers  $14,212,000.  The  growers,  in  turn,  paid  farm  laborers 
.$4,010,000.  The  factory  employes  received  $3,430,000  and  the  railroads  $3,175,- 
000  for  transportation  services. 

The  great  steel  mills  of  the  Colorado  Fuel  &  Iron  Company  at  Pueblo  pro- 
duced, during  1917,  552,500  net  tons  of  finished  iron  and  steel,  much  of  this 
product  going  into  war  uses.  Of  pig  iron,  the  company  produced  404,000  net 
tons.  In  producing  this  output,  the  big  concern  used  706,900  tons  of  iron  ore, 
451,600  tons  of  limestone  and  4.427.000  tons  of  coal,  the  latter  from  its  own 
mines. 

The  great  packing  concerns  of  Denver,  during  191 7,  reported  an  output  of 
$21,219,265,  as  compared  with  an  output  of  $15,249,710  the  year  before.  Pueblo 
followed  closely  in  this  important  industry. 

Denver  has  the  second  largest  saddle  tree  manufacturing  plant  in  the  United 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  555 

States,  a  company  which  is  engaged  at  present  in  liUing  an  order  for  50,000 
saddle  trees  for  the  United  States  Government.  In  connection  with  war  orders, 
also,  it  can  be  disclosed  that  a  million  and  a  half  dollars  or  more  in  Government 
supplies,  including  lathes,  engines,  tenting  and  army  food  stuffs,  are  being  turned 
out,  with  many  more  orders  in  waiting.  Five  large  machinery  firms  are  at  work 
on  these  supplies.  A  branch  of  one  of  the  nation's  great  powder  concerns,  near 
Denver,  meanwhile,  is  turning  out  vast  quantities  of  explosives  for  war  use. 
Benzol  and  Toluol  for  high  explosives,  sulphuric  acid,  nitric  acid  and  other  war 
materials  are  produced  in  important  quantities  at  the  works  of  the  Western  Chem- 
ical Company  in  Denver. 

In  all,  according  to  Government  figures  themselves,  Colorado  manufacturers 
have  received  upwards  of  $10,000,000  in  orders  for  military  supplies  since  the- 
war  began. 

Colorado's  greatest  struggle 

"For  the  first  decade  and  more  after  the  railroad  reached  Denver,"  writes 
Dr.  John  B.  Phillips  of  the  State  University  and  recently  a  member  of  the  State 
Tax  Commission,  "mining  was  the  leading  occupation.  No  one  was  paying  much 
attention  to  manufacturing;  the  returns  from  mining  were  sufficiently  large  to 
make  that  the  paramount  industry.  Therefore  the  few  manufacturing  concerns 
which  did  start  were  soon  disposed  of  by  the  adjustment  of  discriminatory  rates 
on  the  part  of  the  railroad  companies.  After  the  factories  started,  the  rates 
were  lowered  so  that  goods  could  be  brought  in  from  the  east  more  cheaply 
than  they  could  be  produced  in  Denver.  This  matter  did  not  attract  any  par- 
ticular attention  during  the  early  period,  as  mining  was  occupying  too  prom- 
inent a  place.  As  Denver  increased  in  population,  howev.er,  and  it  was  seen 
that  it  was  destined  to  be  one  of  the  large  cities  of  the  country,  and  as  it  also 
became  apparent  that  the  cheaper  forms  of  mining  were  no  longer  efficient,  it 
was  evident  that  manufacturing  in  Colorado  would  be  an  advantage  to  the  city 
and  state.  Therefore,  public  attention  began  to  be  directed  toward  whatever 
hindrances  there  were  to  the  development  of  this  important  industry.  The  freight 
rate  difficulty  was  at  once  complained  of.  Discussion  of  the  injustice  which  it 
was  alleged  the  city  and  state  were  suffering  at  the  hands  of  the  railroads  was 
carried  on  in  the  newspapers  and  in  January,  1885,  the  Legislature,  almost  im- 
mediately after  convening,  appointed  a  special  railroad  committee  of  the  House 
of  Representatives  to  investigate  the  freight  rate  situation  and  ascertain  if  jios- 
siblc  whether  or  not  the  railroads  were  unfavorable  to  the  establishment  of  man- 
ufactures in  Colorado.  This  committee  occupied  several  weeks  in  examining 
witnesses,  both  shippers  and  railroad  agents  and  officers,  in  an  honest  endeavor 
to  ascertain  the  facts  of  the  existing  situation  and  also  the  attitude  of  the  rail- 
roads toward  the  establishment  of  manufacluring  industries  in  Colorado.  Much 
important  testimony  was  taken  and  great  light  was  thereliy  thrown  upon  mruiy 
|)hascs  of  the  question. 

"The  efforts  of  the  Union  Pacific  to  l)uild  iij)  Cheyenne  and  interfere  with 
the  progress  of  Denver  which  had  been  th.'  policy  of  that  railroad  in  the  early 
days  lasted  till  some  time  previous  to  18R5,  and  the  rates  enjoyed  bv  the  mer- 
chants in  that  town  were  much  more  favorable  than  the  rates  granted  to  the 
Denver    dealers.      Goods    shipped    to   Georgetown    and    Central    City    came    via 


556  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

Cheyenne.  The  Union  Pacific  would  not  make  the  same  rate  to  Denver,  as  it 
was  a  pool  point  and  Cheyenne  was  not.  If  goods  were  shipped  to  Denver  the 
Union  Pacific  would  get  only  one  fourth  of  the  freight,  but  if  shipped  to  Chey- 
enne, this  road  would  get  all.  Such  conditions  prevented  the  increase  of  man- 
ufacture and  trade  in  Denver.  If  the  Union  Pacific  hauled  to  Denver,  it  would 
get  one  fourth  of  the  freight,  but  if  it  hauled  to  Ogden,  it  would  get  all  the 
freight.  This  condition  accounts  for  the  lower  rates  from  the  Missouri  River 
to  Ogden  and  Salt  Lake  than  to  Denver. 

"The  true  attitude  of  the  railroads  toward  the  growth  of  manufacture  in 
Colorado  during  this  period  is  perhaps  most  clearly  shown  by  the  statements  of 
the  freight  agents  before  the  investigating  committee  of  1885.  The  freight  agent 
of  the  .Santa  Fe  testified  that  the  rate  on  freight  from  Denver  to  points  in  New 
Mexico  was  imiformly  more  than  the  rate  from  Kansas  City.  He  said  it  av- 
eraged 40  per  cent  more  on  goods  made  in  Colorado.  The  rate  was  uniformly 
more  to  Denver  and  from  there  to  destination  than  was  the  case  if  the  freight 
went  through  direct.  The  then  existing  rates  were  not  published  in  the  rate 
sheet,  but  were  gotten  up  in  a  hektograph  form  and  distributed  among  some 
of  the  shippers.  The  date  of  the  sheet  exhibited  to  the  committee  was  January 
I,  1882.    It  showed  a  pronounced  discrimination  against  Colorado  manufacturers. 

"The  freight  rate  was  usually  from  50  per  cent  to  75  per  cent  more  from 
Denver  to  points  in  Arizona  and  New  Mexico  than  from  Kansas  City  600  or 
700  miles  farther  distant.  Much  the  same  situation  prevailed  with  regard  to 
the  freight  rates  from  Omaha.  These  rates  show  that  the  man  with  the  capital 
to  invest  in  manufacturing  enterprises  would  be  driven  out  of  Colorado  and 
would  probably  locate  his  factory  at  some  point  on  the  Missouri  River." 

The  Colorado  Manufacturers  Association  was  organized  in  December.  1905, 
for  the  purpose  of  securing  equitable  rates  to  and  from  Colorado  points.  Up 
to  1905  the  Interstate  Commerce  Commission  lacked  the  power  to  enforce  rate- 
making  rulings  and  when  this  was  given  them  by  the  Hepburn  Act,  Colorado's 
association  became  active.  It  interested  itself  in  the  individual  cases  of  rate 
maladjustments  and  has  accomplished  results  in  thousands  of  cases. 

On  December  26,  191 1,  the  association  filed  its  case  against  all  the  railroads, 
claiming  discrimination  against  Colorado  in  classes  and  commodities  in  trans- 
Missouri  rate  territory.  In  19 13  the  Inter-State  Commerce  Comrnission  ordered 
a  reduction  on  the  class  rates.  Early  in  1914  it  adjusted  commodity  rates.  This 
was  a  victory  for  the  Colorado  Manufacturers  Association  and  has  greatly  ben- 
efited the  growth  of  manufacturing  and  jobbing  in  the  state. 

George  J.  Kindel's  case  against  the  New  Haven  road  and  others,  filed  August 
14,  1907,  was  decided  March  i.  1909.  In  that  the  Inter-State  Commerce  Com- 
mission granted  the  first  important  reduction  in  class  rales  from  Chicago  and 
St.  Louis  territories  to  Colorado  points.  Many  efiforts  have  been  made  to  secure 
adjustments  from  southern  and  eastern  points,  but  as  a  rule  these  have  not  been 
successful.  The  most  important  was  that  known  as  the  Galveston  rate  case, 
which  sought  to  secure  the  benefit  of  the  partial  water  haul  for  Colorado.  This 
failed. 

The  Colorado  Fair  Rates  Association  and  the  Public  Utilities  Commission 
of  the  State  of  Colorado  have  pending  in  1918  the  most  comprehensive  case 
yet  filed  for  the  improvement  of  rate  conditions  both  into  and  out  of  Colorado. 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  557 

They  aim  through  their  attorneys,  Albert  L.  Vogl,  Carle  Whitehead  and 
former  Governor  George  A.  Carlson,  to  secure  a  comprehensive  readjustment 
of  class  rates  between  Chicago,  Mississippi  River  and  Missouri  River  terri- 
tory and  Colorado  common  points.  The  complaint  seeks  reduction  in  com- 
modity rates  from  the  same  territories  to  Colorado  common  points;  reductions 
are  also  sought  in  class  rates  for  Atlantic  seaboard  points  and  territory  via 
Galveston  to  Colorado  common  points,  and  between  Galveston  and  Colorado 
conmion  points ;  reductions  are  also  asked  in  commodity  rates  from  Atlantic  sea- 
board points  and  territory,  via  Galveston  to  Colorado  conmion  points.  Read- 
justment of  class  rates  between  Colorado  common  points  and  all  points  in  Kansas 
and  Nebraska  as  far  east  as  points  midway  between  Colorado  common  points 
via  Missouri  River  points  is  sought.  It  also  seeks  reduction  in  class  rates  from 
Colorado  common  points  to  ninety-four  representative  points  in  Arizona,  Cal- 
ifornia, Idaho,  Montana,  Nebraska,  Nevada,  New  Mexico,  Oregon,  South  Da- 
kota, Texas,  Utah,  Washington  and  Wyoming,  including  Pacihc  coast  terminals ; 
and  commodity  rates  to  Albuquerque,  New  Mexico;  Billings,  Butte  and  other 
Montana  common  points;  El  Paso,  Texas;  Green  River,  Utah;  Holbrook,  Ari- 
zona; Huntington,  Oregon;  Pocatello,  Idaho;  Salt  Lake  City  and  other  Utah 
common  points;  Thermopolis,  Wyoming,  and  Tucson,  Arizona. 

MISCELLANEOUS    NON-METALS    THAT    ENTER    INTO    THE    MANUFACTURING    HISTORY 

OF  COLORADO 

In  addition  to  those  previously  mentioned,  the  principal  non-metal  mineral 
deposits  found  in  the  state  are  asbestos,  asphalt,  cement  materials,  clays,  corun- 
dum, feldspar,  fluorspar,  fuller's  earth,  graphite,  gypsum,  mica,  natural  gas, 
potash,  road  metal,  sand,  sulphur,  and  a  variety  of  gem  stones.  Of  these  ce- 
ment materials,  clays,  fluorspar,  fuller's  earth,  gypsum,  road  metal,  sand,  sulphur 
and  various  gem  stones  have  been  produced  in  commercial  quantities.  Most  of 
the  others  have  been  produced  in  small  quantities,  but  the  deposits  as  a  usual 
thing  have  not  been  developed  sufficiently  to  make  their  production  profitable. 

Cement  materials  are  found  principally  in  the  Missippian  and  Cretaceous 
limestones  along  the  Front  Range.  Limestone  of  the  Niob.rara  age  is  also  used 
for  this  purpose.  The  principal  cement  workings  are  in  Fremont  County,  where 
two  large  companies  are  operating.  Only  Portland  cement  is  made.  Large 
deposits  of  good  cement  material  are  found  in  Boulder,  Larimer,  Chaffee  and 
Gunnison  counties  and  in  several  other  counties.  There  has  been  little  de- 
velopment except  in  Fremont  County,  near  the  City  of  Florence.  The  average 
annual  output  of  Portland  cement  from  the  state  is  in  the  neighborhood  of  one 
million  barrels. 

The  clay  deposits  of  Colorado  are  in  wide  variety,  and  are  found  in  con- 
siderable quantities  in  nearly  all  parts  of  the  state.  Brick  clay  has  been  dug 
in  Boulder,  Conejos,  Alamosa,  Delta,  Denver,  El  Paso,  Fremont,  Garfield,  Hins- 
dale, Jefferson,  Kit  Carson,  La  Plata,  Larimer,  Las  Animas,  Mesa,  Moffat, 
Montrose,  Morgan,  Otero,  Prowers,  Pueblo,  Rio  Grande,  Monte  Vista.  Teller, 
Weld  and  Yuma  counties,  and  to  a  limited  extent  in  a  few  other  counties.  It 
varies  greatly  in  quality  and  shows  a  wide  range  of  color.  Fire  clay  has  been 
dug  in  Douglas,  El  Paso,  Fremont,  Garfield,  Jefferson,  Lake,  Pueblo  and  a  few 


558  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

other  counties.  Kaolin  occurs  in  many  mines  as  gouge,  and  extensive  deposits 
are  found  in  La  Plata,  Chaffee,  Garfield,  Fremont,  Custer  and  some  other  coun- 
ties, but  they  are  undeveloped  and  their  quality  is  little  understood.  Clay  suit- 
able for  the  manufacture  of  stoneware  and  china  is  found  in  Jefi'erson  and  a  few 
other  counties.  Deposits  near  the  City  of  Golden  are  being  worked  successfully. 
Clay  suitable  for  the  manufacture  of  tile  has  been  dug  in  many  counties  and  a 
considerable  amount  of  tile  and  similar  clay  products  are  being  produced  in  the 
state.  Special  opportunities  are  offered  for  the  development  of  the  clay  de- 
posits of  the  state.  Detailed  information  about  these  deposits  may  be  obtained 
from  the  State  Geologist  at  Boulder,  Colorado. 

Fluorspar  produced  in  Colorado  is  used  almost  exclusively  in  the  steel  fur- 
naces of  the  Colorado  Fuel  &  Iron  Company,  as  a  flux.  It  has  been  found 
in  Boulder,  Clear  Creek,  Custer,  Dolores,  Douglas,  El  Paso,  Gilpin,  Gunnison, 
Jefferson,  Mineral,  Park,  San  Juan,  San  Miguel  and  Teller  counties,  and  has 
been  marketed  from  Boulder,  Custer,  El  Paso.  Jefferson,  Mineral  and  San  Juan 
counties. 

Fuller's  earth  is  found  in  Chaffee  and  Washington  counties,  and  has  been 
produced  in  limited  quantities  from  the  latter  county,  near  the  town  of  Akron. 

Gypsum  is  found  in  very  large  quantities  in  several  sections  of  the  state.  Its 
occurrence  has  been  noted  in  Custer,  Delta,  Dolores,  Eagle,  El  Paso,  Fremont, 
Jefferson,  Larimer,  Montrose  and  some  other  counties.  Deposits  have  been 
worked  in  Eagle,  El  Paso,  Jeft'erson,  and  Larimer  counties.  Reports  of  recent 
investigation  in  connection  with  black  alkali  on  irrigated  lands,  particularly  in 
the  San  Luis  Valley,  indicate  that  such  lands  may  be  reclaimed  by  the  use  of 
gypsum  to  neutralize  the  sodium  sulphate  in  the  soil.  If  experiments  in  this 
direction  prove  satisfactory  the  result  will  be  the  utilization  of  a  large  amount 
of  the  gypsum  available  and  the  consequent  reclamation  of  some  of  the  best 
agricultural  land  in  Colorado. 

Road  metal  of  various  kinds  is  found  in  practically  every  county  in  the  state. 
Disintegrated  granite  is  largely  used  for  ballast  and  for  surfacing.  Clays  of 
various  kinds  are  largely  utilized.  With  the  increased  activity  in  road  building 
that  has  been  evident  in  the  state  in  the  past  few  years,  materials  of  this  kind 
are  rapidly  becoming  valuable. 

\'aluable  sands  are  found  in  most  counties  in  the  state.  Building  sand  has 
been  dug  in  Denver,  El  Paso,  Fremont,  La  Plata,  Pueblo,  Rio  Grande  and  sev- 
eral other  counties  and  is  known  to  exist  in  considerable  quantities  in  about 
half  the  counties  of  the  state.  Moulding  sand  has  been  dug  in  Denver  and 
Pueblo  counties.  Good  glass  sand  is  found  in  several  localities,  particularly  along 
the  valley  of  the  Arkansas  River  in  Prowers,  Pueblo,  Bent  and  Otero  counties. 
It  has  never  been  developed. 

Sulphur  has  been  mined  in  Gunnison  County,  at  Vulcan,  and  in  Mineral 
County,  at  Trout  Creek.  It  is  found  in  several  other  localities,  and  is  a  con- 
stituent of  many  of  the  compound  metallic  ores  produced  in  the  state. 

Gem  stones  have  been  produced  in  considerable  quantities  in  Colorado, 
chiefly  in  the  central  mountain  counties.  Among  the  varieties  are  blue  chalce- 
dony, amazon  stone,  agate,  amethyst,  aquamarine,  beryl,  chrysoberyl,  garnet,  jet, 
opal,  rose,  smoky,  clear  and  crystal  quartz,  sapphire,  serpentine  topaz  and  tur- 
quoise. 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  559 

Asbestos  has  been  found  in  considerable  quantities  in  a  number  of  localities, 
.  l)Ut  there  is  no  production.  Asphaltic  rock  occurs  in  Garfield,  Routt,  Rio  Blanco 
and  other  western  counties,  in  Grand  and  Jefferson  counties  and  in  other  lo- 
calities. There  has  been  very  little  production.  Corundum  is  found  in  Chaffee, 
Clear  Creek,  Routt  and  a  few  other  counties,  but  it  is  not  mined.  Feldspar  has 
been  produced  to  adimited  extent  in  El  Paso  County.  Graphite  has  been  mined 
in  Chaffee  and  Giinnison  counties  and  is  found  in  Las  Animas  and  a  few  other 
counties.  Mica  is  rather  widely  distributed  in  the  state,  but  has  been  very  little 
mined,  principally  in  Fremont  and  Mesa  counties.  Potash  occurs  with  other 
salts  in  solution  in  Soda  Lake,  Costilla  County,  and  in  other  localities.  Alunite, 
which  often  occurs  in  connection  with  potash,  is  found  in  Conejos,  Custer,  Hins- 
dale, Mineral,  Lake,  Ouray,  Rio  Grande,  Saguache  and  a  few  other  counties. 

THE   state's   stone   QUARRIES 

The  stone  deposits  of  Colorado  cover  a  wide  range  in  variety  and  are  prac- 
tically inexhaustible.  They  are  confined  largely  to  the  mountainous  counties,  in 
the  central  and  western  part  of  the  state.  They  include  granites,  marbles,  sand- 
stones, limestones,  slates,  abrasives,  lavas  and  other  less  common  varieties. 
There  has  been  little  working  of  stone  deposits  for  any  purpose  except  in  re- 
stricted areas  near  railroad  lines,  and  few  sections  of  the  country  offer  wider 
opportunities  for  development  in  this  direction  when  market  and  transportation 
conditions  justify  such  development. 

Perhaps  the  most  extensive  and  valuable  stone  deposits  in  the  state  are  the 
different  varieties  of  granite.  Almost  every  known  variety  of  granite  is  found 
in  Colorado,  showing  a  wide  range  of  color  and  texture.  Granite  mined  in  the 
state  has  been  used  largely  for  building  purposes,  for  interior  finishing  and 
for  monumental  purposes,  as  crushed  stone  for  road  surfacing  and  like  uses. 
Granite  quarries  have  been  opened  for  commercial  purposes  in  the  following 
counties:  Boulder,  Chaft'ee,  Clear  Creek,  Douglas,  El  Paso,  Fremont,  Gunnison. 
Jefferson,  La  Plata,  Larimer,  Pitkin  and  Rio  Grande.  Hundreds  of  small  quarries 
have  been  operated  to  supply  local  demands  in  many  other  counties.  The  character 
of  Colorado  granite  is  well  known  among  users  of  stone  all  over  the  country, 
and  its  use  for  !)uilding  and  monumental  purposes  is  increasing  steadily. 

The  range  of  marbles  found  in  the  state  is  not  nearly  so  wide  as  that  of  gran- 
ites, but  there  is  a  very  large  supply  of  excellent  stone  and  a  good  variety  of  color 
and  texture.  The  most  extensively  developed  deposits  are  in  northern  Gun- 
nison County,  along  Yule  Creek,  near  the  town  of  Marble.  The  marble  here  is 
principally  pure  white,  or  white  with  black  veins  and  is  of  medium  line  grain. 
Some  of  the  handsomest  public  buildings  in  the  country  are  trininud  with  this 
stone,  including  the  postoffice  at  Denver,  Colorado,  the  Cuyahoga  county  court- 
house at  Cleveland,  Ohio,  tiie  Lincoln  Memorial  at  Washington,  D.  C.  and  a  num- 
ber of  others.  Marble  has  been  mined  also  in  Chaffee,  Fremont.  Pueblo,  Pitkin 
and  .Saguache  counties,  and  in  small  (|uantilios  in  several  other  counties. 

Sandstone  is  very  widely  distributed  in  the  .state  and  is  of  many  varieties. 
It  has  been  mined  princijially  in  the  following  counties:  Roulder,  Conejos,  Delta 
Douglas,  Eagle,  \i\  Paso,  Freiuont.  La  Plata,  Larimer,  Las  Animas,  Montrose. 
I'ueblo,  Rio  Grande  and  Routt.     It  has  also  been  mined  for  local  uses  in  a  con- 


560  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

siderable  number  of  other  counties  and  is  found  in  some  form  in  practically 
every  county  in  the  state.  It  has  been  used  extensively  for  building  purposes 
in  the  state  and  has  been  shipped  to  a  limited  extent  to  other  states.  The  most 
important  varieties  are  the  fine-grained  red,  light-grey  and  tan-colored  sand- 
stones found  along  the  Front  Range,  particularly  in  Larimer,  Boulder,  Douglas, 
El  Paso  and  Pueblo  counties.  Cream-white  and  pink  sandstone  are  quarried  in 
Routt  County.  In  most  of  the  inter-mountain  counties  the  'stone  is  quarried 
chiefly  for  local  use. 

Limestone  is  quarried  chiefly  in  these  counties :  Pueblo,  Boulder,  Chafifee, 
Douglas,  Fremont,  El  Paso,  Jefferson,  Gunnison,  Mesa,  La  Plata,  Larimer,  Pit- 
kin and  San  Juan.  There  are  lime  kilns  in  Boulder,  Chaffee,  Douglas,  Fremont, 
Gunnison,  La  Plata,  Larimer  and  Pitkin  counties.  The  limestones  of  the  state 
may  be  divided  both  geologically  and  geographically  into  two  general  groups. 
The  first  group  includes  limestones  chiefly  of  the  Cretaceous  age,  which  occurs 
in  the  eastern  plains  region  and  in  a  narrow  belt  immediately  east  of  the  Front 
Range.  The  second  group  includes  limestones  mostly  of  the  Carboniferous  age. 
which  lie  west  of  the  Front  Range.  The  abundance  and  wide  distribution  of 
both  sandstone  and  granite  suitable  for  building  purposes  has  retarded  the  de- 
\elopment  of  the  limestone  deposits  to  some  extent.  It  has  been  used  chiefly 
for  lime,  as  a  smelter  flux  and  in  the  purification  of  beet  sugar.  Limestone  de- 
posits are  used  extensively  in  the  state  for  the  manufacture  of  cement,  espe- 
cially in  Fremont  County,  where  the  principal  cement  plants  are  located. 

Lava  stone  is  found  extensively  in  some  sections  of  the  state,  particularly  the 
south  central  part.  It  has  been  used  chiefly  for  building  purposes  and  has  been 
quarried  in  Douglas,  Fremont,  Gunnison,  Huerfano  and  Rio  Grande  and  a  few 
other  counties.  Grindstones  and  other  abrasive  stones  are  found  in  several  sec- 
tions and  have  been  quarried  to  a  limited  extent  in  Gunnison  County. 

The  amount  of  stone  produced  in  the  state  has  varied  greatly  from  year  to 
year,  the  maximum  annual  output  being  but  slightly  in  excess  of  $2,000,000,  but 
it  has  perhaps  been  somewhat  in  excess  of  that  figure,  as  there  are  considerable 
amounts  of  stone  used  locally  each  year  which  do  not  appear  in  the  statistics  of 
production. 

THE  OIL  PRODUCTION  OF  COLORADO 

Although  Colorado  has  never  ranked  iiigh  among  the  states  in  petroleum 
output,  it  has  been  producing  crude  oil  steadily  since  1887.  The  maximum  annual 
output  was  recorded  in  1892,  being  824,000  barrels.  The  total  output  of  the 
state  to  the  end  of  1917  was  approximately  11,000,000  barrels. 

The  most  important  producing  fields  are  in  Fremont  County,  in  and  about 
the  City  of  Florence,  and  in  Boulder  County,  near  the  City  of  Boulder.  There 
has  been  some  production  from  Rio  Blanco  County,  near  the  Town  of  Rangely : 
Garfield  County,  near  the  Colorado-Utah  line,  and  Mesa  County,  near  De  Beque. 
Drilling  has  been  done  in  several  other  sections  and  favorable  oil  showings  have 
been  found  in  some  localities,  but  no  production  of  importance  has  been  made 
from  districts  other  than  those  named  above. 

As  a  result  of  the  extraordinary  demand  for  gasoline,  fuel  oil  and  other 
petroleum  products,  growing  out  of  the  war  there  has  been  much  prospecting 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  561 

for  oil  in  the  state  since  1915,  and  several  wells  are  now  being  drilled  in  widely 
separated  districts.  In  order  to  encourage  the  development  of  possible  oil  sup- 
plies within  the  state,  arrangements  have  been  made  for  an  oil  survey,  to  be 
conducted  under  the  direction  of  the  State  Geologist  and  the  State  Oil  Inspec- 
tion Department.  This  survey  is  now  being  made  and  reports  on  various  dis- 
tricts will  be  made  public  as  they  are  completed.  Information  regarding  the 
survey  will  be  obtainable  from  the  State  Oil  Inspection  Department  at  the  State 
Capitol  Building. 

Recent  discoveries  of  oil  in  large  quantities  in  nearby  states,  particularly 
in  Wyoming,  Kansas  and  Oklahoma,  have  greatly  stimulated  prospecting  in 
Colorado.  Reports  of  competent  geologists  on  various  sections  of  the  state 
have  afforded  considerable  encouragement  and  many  oil  experts  are  convinced 
that  the  oil  supplies  of  the  so-called  Mid-Continent  field  extend  into  this  state. 

The  oil  of  both  the  Florence  and  the  Boulder  fields  is  of  good  quality,  and 
the  production  in  each  district  has  held  up  exceptionally  well.  The  Florence 
field  especially  is  noted  for  the  long  life  of  its  wells,  one  of  them  at  least  hav- 
ing been  a  steady  producer  for  twenty-five  years.  This  field  has  always  been 
the  most  important  in  the  state  and  is  now  producing  nearly  ninety-five  per  cent 
of  the  oil  marketed  from  Colorado. 

'  Colorado  has  immense  supplies  of  oil  shale,  which  promise  in  the  near 
future  to  become  one  of  the  most  important  sources  of  petroleum  production  in 
this  country.  The  war  demand  for  petroleum  products  has  caused  both  the 
Federal  and  State  governments  to  make  special  investigations  of  the  economic 
possibilities  of  these  oil  shale  deposits,  and  reports  have  been  made  which  prom- 
ise much  in  the  direction  of  speedy  and  extensive  development. 

Colorado's  oil  shales  are  found  in  what  is  known  as  the  Green  River  forma- 
tion, in  the  western  part  of  the  state,  chiefly  in  Mesa,  Garfield,  Rio  Blanco  and 
Moffat  counties.  They  cover  an  area  of  perhaps  2,000  square  miles,  and  the 
various  shale  strata  sometimes  attain  an  aggregate  thickness  of  more  than  one 
hundred  feet.  Tests  made  by  representatives  of  the  United  States  Geological 
Survey  have  shown  a  recovery  ranging  from  10  to  68  gallons  from  a  ton  of  shale 
and  in  one  case  the  recovery  reached  90  gallons.  Experts  of  the  United  States 
Geological  Survey  have  estimated  that  the  oil  available  in  Colorado  shales  is 
at  least  20,000,000,000  barrels,  or  about  three  times  as  much  as  has  been  pro- 
duced in  the  world  up  to  date.  The  same  authorities  estimate  that  in  the  process 
of  recovering  oil  from  the  shale  there  should  be  a  recovery  of  approximately 
300,000,000  tons  of  ammonium  sulphate,  now  in  great  demand  as  a  fertilizer, 
worth  from  $50  to  $60  per  ton,  or  more.  The  process  of  distillation  by  which 
the  oil  is  recovered  also  may  result  in  the  recovery  of  large  quantities  of  pro- 
ducer gas,  dye  stuffs  and  other  valuable  by-products. 

There  has  been  almost  no  development  of  these  rich  shale  deposits,  for  the 
rea.son  that  production  of  petroleum  from  wells  in  this  country  until  recently 
has  been  ample  to  meet  requirements.  Prices  as  a  result  have  been  low  and 
there  has  been  little  encouragement  for  the  installation  of  expensive  equipment 
for  llie  recovery  of  oil  from  shale  in  competition  with  the  production  of  oil  from 
wells.  In  1017.  however,  the  consumption  of  petroleuin  in  the  United  States 
was  21. 000.000  I)arrels  in  excess  of  production,  and  at  the  beginning  of  1918 
the  supplies  in  storage  were  only  sufficient  to  last,  at  the  present  rate  of  con- 


562  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

sumption,  a  little  less  than  six  months.  With  growing  war  demands  consumption 
is  sure  to  increase,  and  the  Federal  Government  is  now  encouraging  the  produc- 
tion of  oil  from  shale  to  supplement  the  supply  from  wells.  The  price  of  oil  is 
higher  than  it  has  been  for  many  years,  and  there  is  every  indication  that  the 
profitable  production  of  oil  from  shale  in  this  country  will  begin  very  soon.  It 
has  been  produced  profitably  from  shale  in  Scotland  and  France  for  a  great 
many  years. 

Oil  is  recovered  from  shale  by  a  process  of  destructive  distillation.  A  plant 
for  handling  shale  in  this  way  has  been  established  at  De  Beque,  Mesa  County, 
and  other  plants  are  being  contemplated  for  various  points  in  the  shale  fields. 
Many  varieties  of  equipment  have  been  devised  for  the  recovery  of  the  various 
products  from  the  Colorado  shales,  and  te5ts  with  some  of  them  have  proved 
very  satisfactory.  Those  who  are  familiar  with  the  tests  are  confident  that 
shales  of  the  average  richness  found  in  Colorado  can  be  now  treated  profitably 
with  the  equipment  at  present  available,  and  improvements  are  constantly  being 
devised,  so  that  within  a  few  years  it  is  believed  that  practically  all  the  shales 
having  an  average  oil  content  of  15  gallons  or  more  to  the  ton  can  be  worked 
advantageously. 

Following  is  the  output  of  petroleum  in  Colorado  up  to  January    i,   1916: 

Year  Barrels  Year  Barrels 

1887 76,295  1902 396,901 

1888 297,612  1903 483,925 

1889 316,476  1904 501,763 

1S90 368,842  1905 376,238 

1891 665,482  1906 327,582 

1892 824,000  1907 331,851 

1893 594,390  1908 379,653 

1894 515,746  1909 310,861 

1895 438,232  1910 239,794 

1896 361.450  191 1 226,926 

1897 384.934  1912 206,052 

1898 444.383  1913 188,799 

1899 390,278  1914 222,773 

1900 317.385  1915 208.475 

1901 460,520 


CHAPTER  XXVJIl 
COLORADO'S  NATIONAL  FORESTS  AND  MOUNTAIN  PARKS 

PROTECTING  THE  TIMBER  IN   THE  I'UBLIC  DOMAIN — WORK  OF  PRESERVATION   BEGUN 

TWENTY    YEARS   AGO THE   WHITE    RIVER    PLATEAU    TIMBERLAND    RESERVE,    THE 

FIRST  NATIONAL  FOREST  IN   COLORADO TOTAL  AREA   OF   SEVENTEEN    FORESTS    IN 

STATE  IS    12,640,450  ACRES — BUILDING  HOMES  IN  THE  RESERVES — MAKING  THE 

TIMBER    PROFITABLE — SELLING    AT    COST    TO    SETTLERS PROTECTED    RANGE    FOR 

HOMESTEADERS   AND  RANCHERS NEARLY   THREE  THOUSAND   RANCHERS   GRAZED 

LESS   THAN    IDG    HEAD   OF    STOCK    EACH    IN     I917 NATIONAL    FORESTS    OPEN    TO 

MINING     DEVELOPMENT WATER     POWER     IX     THE     RESERVES — ROAD     BUILDING 

THROUGH    THE    FORESTS STRETCHING    TELEPHONE    WIRES     FROM     STATION    TO 

STATION WORK    OF    THE    FIELD    DISTRICT NATIONAL    FORESTS    IN    COLORADO 

THE   MOUNTAIN  PARKS — DENVER'S  MOUNTAIN   PARKS. 

(By  Wallace  L  Hutchinson,  U.  S.  Forest  Reserve) 

PROTECTING    THE   TIMBER 

Until  about  twenty  years  ago  the  forests  of  the  public  domain — the  timber 
of  the  Rocky  Mountains  from  Montana  to  New  Mexico — seemed  in  a  fair  way 
of  being  eventually  destroyed  by  fire  and  reckless  cutting.  Nothing  whatever 
was  done  to  protect  them,  or  even  to  use  them  in  the  right  way.  They  were 
simply  left  to  burn,  or  else  to  pass  by  means  of  various  land  laws  into  the  hands 
of  private  owners  whose  interests  in  most  cases  impelled  them  to  lake  from 
the  land  what  they  could  get  easily,  and  move  on. 

Had  this  destruction  gone  on  unchecked,  there  would  have  been  little  tim- 
ber left  in  the  west  at  the  ]iresent  time,  either  to  burn  or  to  cut,  and  the  develop- 
ment of  the  country,  which  calls  for  limber  at  all  times,  wnuld  h.ivc  been  seriously 
retarded. 

The  destruction  of  the  forest  cover  on  the  watersheds  supplying  hundreds 
of  streams  which  rise  in  the  Rockies  would  also  have  had  its  certain  effect  on 
stream  flow.  Little  or  no  water  would  be  available  during  long  dry  periods, 
and  destructive  floods  would  follow  heavy  rains.  This,  of  course,  would  sjiell 
disaster  to  the  irrigation  systems  by  which  thousands  of  ranchers  raise  their 
croi)s.  and  would  also  have  a  serious  effect  on  domestic  and  numicipal  water 
supplies  and  electric  power  development.  So,  in  i8qi  Congress  .uUhorized  the 
President  to  set  aside  "Forest  Reserves,"  as  national  forests  were  then  called, 
in  order  to  protect  the  remaining  timber  on  the  public  doni.iin  from  destruction 
and  to  insure  a  regular  flow  of  water  in  the  stream. 

563 


564  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

WHITE    KiXER    PLATEAU    TIMBERLAND    RESERVE 

The  first  national  forest  in  Colorado — the  "'White  River  Plateau  Timber- 
land  Reserve" — was  created  by  President  Harrison  on  October  i6,  1891,  and 
later  presidents  have  created  others,  until  at  the  present  time  there  are  seventeen 
forests,  with  a  total  net  area  of  12,640,450  acres.  Within  the  forest  boundaries 
are  also  some  2,115,896  acres  in  private  ownership,  consisting  of  lands  granted 
or  taken  up  for  one  purpose  or  another  before  the  forests  were  created  or  of 
homestead  and  mining  entries  made  since.  These  forests  are  largely  located  in 
the  high,  mountainous  country  of  the  state,  and  through  proper  management 
now  yield  an  unfailing  supply  of  timber  for  the  people  and  also  regulate  the 
flow  of  streams  upon  which  thousands  of  inhabitants  of  our  cities,  towns  and 
ranches  are  dependent  for  their  domestic  and  irrigation  water. 

BUILDING  HOMES  IN  RESERVES 

The  policy  under  which  the  national  forests  are  administered  by  the  De- 
partment of  Agriculture  through  the  Forest  Service  is  to  make  them  of  the  most 
use  to  the  most  people,  but  especially  to  the  small  man  and  the  local  farmer  or 
settler.  They  are  meant,  first  of  all,  to  enable  the  people  of  Colorado  to  build 
homes  and  to  maintain  them.  How  well  this  policy  is  becoming  to  be  under- 
stood by  the  public  is  shown  by  the  constantly  increasing  use  which  is  being 
made  of  national  forest  resources  by  the  home  builders  of  the  state. 

MAKING  TIMBER   PROFITABLE 

The  greatest  of  all  national  forest  resources  is  timber,  which  the  Government 
is  anxious  to  sell  as  soon  as  it  is  ripe,  since  when  a  tree  reaches  maturity  it  is  no 
longer  growing  at  a  profitable  rate,  and  should,  therefore,  give  way  to  young 
trees  and  seedlings  that  will  insure  continuous  production.  The  total  commer- 
cial stand  of  timber  in  the  national  forests  of  Colorado  is  estimated  at  18,076,- 
432,000  board  feet,  having  a  total  stumpage  value  of  over  $36,000,000.  Engel- 
mann  spruce  is  the  leading  timber  tree,  followed  in  order  by  lodgepole  pine, 
western  yellow  pine,  Alpine  fir,  and  Douglas  fir,  these  five  species  comprising 
over  ninety  per  cent  of  the  total  stand. 

Any  one  may  purchase  timber  from  the  national  forests,  but  no  one  can  obtain 
a  monopoly  of  it  or  hold  it  for  speculative  purposes.  Settlers  living  within  or 
adjacent  to  the  forests  are  granted  free  use  of  material  for  firewood  and  domestic 
purposes  and  where  timber  is  desired  for  farm  use  any  amount  may  be  secured 
for  the  actual  cost  of  administering  the  sale,  at  a  price  of  about  seventy-five 
cents  per  thousand  board  feet. 

SELLING   AT    COST 

In  Colorado  during  the  fiscal  year  ending  June  30,  1917,  permits  were  issued 
by  the  Forest  Service  to  3,017  applicants  for  8,500,000  board  feet  to  be  taken 
free  from  national  forest  lands ;  2,000,000  board  feet  were  sold  to  settlers  at 
cost,  and  44,696,000  board   feet  disposed  of  through  935  commercial  "sales,  95 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  565 

per  cent  of  which  were  sales  for  less  than  $ioo  worth  of  timber,  showing  that 
the  small  lumberman  or  local  consumer  is  the  one  who  receives  the  principal  ben- 
efit from  the  timber  resources  of  the  forests.  A  permanent  supply  of  material 
for  local  communities,  including  the  mining  industry,  is  always  given  first  con- 
sideration in  the  administration  policy  of  the  national  forests. 

PROTECTED  RANGE 

Of  all  the  benefits  received  from  the  national  forests,  probably  the  greatest 
is  the  protected  range  afforded  homesteaders  and  ranchers  for  their  stock. 
About  two-thirds  of  the  area  of  the  forests  contains  more  or  less  forage,  which, 
like  all  other  resources,  is  put  to  its  highest  use.  In  Colorado,  during  19 17, 
over  3,500  permittees  grazed  1,266,000  cattle,  horses,  sheep  and  goats  on  na- 
tional forest  range.  This  grazing  is  under  Government  regulations,  so  that  the 
forests  are  not  injured  or  the  range  overstocked. 

Every  farmer  is  to  a  certain  extent  a  stockman,  especially  if  his  ranch  is 
remote  from  markets  at  which  he  can  sell  his  farm  produce.  It  is  at  this  point 
that  the  national  forests  serve  to  meet  his  special  need,  for  the  small  rancher 
is  given  the  preference  in  use  of  the  forage  on  the  forests.  He  is  allowed  to 
graze  ten  head  of  milch  and  work  animals  free  of  charge,  and  is  also  considered 
before  all  others  in  the  allotment  of  further  grazing  privileges.  That  the  small 
owner  avails  himself  of  these  privileges  is  shown  by  the  fact  that  out  of  the 
1917  total  of  3,500  permittees  using  national  forest  range  in  this  state,  2,987 
were  ranchers  grazing  less  than  100  head  of  stock  each.  The  number  of  animals 
now  sustained  in  proportion  to  the  area  of  the  forests  is  vastly  greater  than  it 
was  ten  years  ago.  Under  regulation  the  productivity  of  mountain  ranges  has 
been  restored  and  increased ;  the  livestock  industry  has  been  made  more  stable ; 
range  wars  have  ceased ;  and  ranch  property  has  increased  in  value.  In  short, 
public  control  has  served  to  promote  community  development,  prevent  monopoly, 
and  increase  prosperity. 

OPEN   TO   MIXING 

The  national  forests  are  open  to  prospecting  and  mining  development  just 
as  is  the  public  domain.  Many  of  the  greatest  mining  camps  of  the  west  are 
located  within  or  adjacent  to  forests.  This  is  a  distinct  advantage  to  the  miner, 
since  these  protected  areas  assure  him  of  a  continuous  supply  of  timber  and 
water  for  development  work.  To  prevent  fraud,  a  claim  coming  up  for  patent 
is  examined  on  the  ground  to  determine  whether  the  mining  laws  have  been 
complied  with.  This  examination  is  made  by  an  expert  miner,  and  no  one 
with  at  valid  claim  need  fear  it.  It  is  not  on  the  great  areas  of  privately  owned 
land  that  miners  are  prospecting,  but  on  the  national  forests' and  public  domain: 
for  it  is  only  on  these  lands  that  title  to  a  claim  can  be  secured  by  a  conscientious 
compliance  with  the  mining  laws. 

WATER   POWER   TX   RESERVES  .^Nn   AGRTCl'I.TUR.M,   INTERESTS 

Water  power  is  also  an  important  resource  of  the  national  forests.  Manv 
sites  suitable   for  hydro-electrical  development  are  to  be   found   in   the   vicimty 


566  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

of  the  lakes  and  streams  in  the  mountains.  These  are  open  to  occupancy  for 
such  purposes  at  all  times.  The  Government  does  not,  however,  permit  the 
monopolization  of  power  in  any  region,  or  allow  power  sites  to  be  held  without 
development.  Permits  for  power  development  on  the  National  Forests  usually 
run  for  a  term  of  50  years,  and  may  be  renewed  at  their  expiration  upon  com- 
pliance with  regulations  then  existing. 

To  the  agricultural  interests  the  proper  handling  of  the  national  forests  is  .of 
the  greatest  importance.  The  forests  conserve  and  increase  the  water  supply; 
and  property  secures  an  added  value  through  fire  protection  and  the  construc- 
tion of  roads,  trails  and  other  Government  improvements.  It  is  the  policy  of 
the  Department  of  Agriculture  to  make  available  for  settlement  lands  chiefly 
valuable  for  farming.  To  this  end  all  forest  lands  have  been  classified,  and 
areas  found  to  be  more  valuable  for  agriculture  than  for  forest  purposes  re- 
stored to  entry.  The  farm  units  available  for  entry  as  a  result  of  this  classifica- 
tion are,  as  a  rule,  small  and  isolated,  and  of  considerably  less  value  than  much 
of  the  land  on  the  public  domain  outside  the  forests.  Since  1906  nearly  250,- 
000  acres  have  been  listed  for  settlement  under  the  Act  of  June  11,  1906,  in  the 
national  forests  of  the  state,  and  many  large  tracts  found  to  be  unsuited  for 
forest  purposes  have  been  eliminated. 

ROAD  BUILDING,  TRAILS  AND  TELEPHONE  LINES 

Good  roads  and  the  successful  development  of  a  country  go  hand  in  hand, 
and  road  building  is  the  greatest  problem  which  confronts  the  new  settler. 
Today  there  are  millions  of  acres  of  good  farm  land  lying  undeveloped  because 
of  the  lack  of  adequate  transportation  facilities.  The  national  forests,  situated 
as  they  are  in  remote  and  least  settled  localities,  often  present  as  difficult  condi- 
tions as  are  to  be  found  anywhere  in  the  country.  The  Government  is  meeting 
this  problem  in  three  ways :  First,  by  public  improvements  constructed  by  the 
Forest  Service  in  the  forests;  second,  by  returning  to  the  counties  a  share  of  the 
receipts  from  the  forests ;  and  third,  by  standard  road  construction  under  the 
terms  of  the  Federal  Aid  Road  Act. 

Each  year  the  Government  builds  in  the  forest  roads,  trails,  telephone  lines 
and  other  improvements.  During  the  twelve  years  which  the  national  forests 
of  Colorado  have  been  under  the  a-dministration  of  the  Department  of  Agri- 
culture there  have  been  constructed  282  miles  of  roads,  3,251  miles  of  trails, 
and  1,183  miles  of  telephone  lines.  All  of  these  improvements  benefit  some  set- 
tlers or  ranchers,  but  more  especially  those  who  live  within  the  forest  boundaries. 
Congress  has  also  provided  for  an  annual  appropriation  of  twenty-five  per  cent 
of  all  gross  receipts  earned  from  the  sale  of  timber  and  other  resources  for  the 
use  of  the  counties  ih  which  the  forests  lie.  This  money  must  be  used  for  road 
building  and  for  schools,  and  to  the  sum  thus  made  available  is  added  another 
ten  per  cent  of  the  receipts  for  road  construction  only,  this  latter  money  being 
expended  under  the  supervision  of  the  Forest  Service.  In  1917  some  $107,232 
were  obtained  in  this  way  from  national  forest  receipts  by  the  various  counties 
in  Colorado  for  road  and  school  improvements.  As  the  business  throughout  the 
forests  increases,  this  contribution  to  community  development  will  soon  be  a  very 
large  one. 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  567 

A  bill  of  far-reaching  importance  to  the  national  forest  communities,  known 
as  the  Federal  Aid  Road  Act,  was  signed  by  the  President  in  July,  1916.  By 
the  terms  of  this  Congressional  measure  an  appropriation  of  $1,000,000  a  year 
for  ten  years  was  made,  to  be  used  exclusively  in  the  development  of  national 
forest  roads.  This  money  is  expended  on  a  fifty-fifty  basis — the  states  benefiting 
from  the  act  appropriating  a  like  sum.  Colorado's  share  of  this  amount  is  ap- 
proximately $62,000  per  annum. 

Protection  from  fire  is  one  of  the  many  services  effected  by  the  administration 
of  the  national  forests.  Prior  to  their  creation  little  or  no  effort  was  made  to 
guard  the  timber  on  the  public  domain  from  fire.  But  during  the  past  ten  years 
a  most  effective  system  of  detection  and  suppression  of  fires  has  been  developed 
by  the  Forest  Service.  Extra  patrol  forces  are  maintained  during  danger 
periods;  numerous  fire  lookout  stations  have  beien  established  on  prominent 
points  overlooking  large  areas  of  timber;  trails  and  telephone  lines  have  been 
constructed  into  hitherto  inaccessible  parts  of  the  mountains,  and  efficient  meth- 
ods of  detecting  and  suppressing  forest  fires  put  into  force.  Through  these 
various  means  the  occurrence  of  disastrous  fires  has  practically  been  eliminated, 
and  the  number  of  small  fires  materially  reduced.  Thus  in  1916  over  275  fires, 
covering  an  area  of  3,053  acres,  occurred  in  tlie  national  forests  of  the  state, 
while  in  1917  the  number  was  reduced  to  a  total  of  172  fires,  and  the  area  burned 
over  to  1.525  acres.  This  work  is  not  only  saving  public  property;  it  is  con- 
serving our  natural  resources  for  economic  development  and  for  permanent 
industry. 

Apart  from  the  commercial  resources  of  the  national  forests,  their  use  for 
recreation  is  destined  to  become  one  of  enormous  value  to  the  nation.  It  is  esti- 
mated that  3,000.000  people  visit  the  forests  of  the  United  States  yearly,  and  it 
would  be  difficult  to  find  a  freer  or  more  healthful  place  in  which  to  spend  a 
vacation.  These  vast  areas,  which  embrace  the  high,  rugged  mountains  of  our 
country,  the  scenery  of  which  is  unsurpassed,  are  open  to  all.  Camping,  fish- 
ing and  hunting  grounds  abound,  and  the  visitor  is  free  to  come  and  go  as  he 
pleases.  The  lands  bordering  on  the  thousands  of  lakes  and  streams  in  the  for- 
ests offer  attractive  sites  for  summer  homes,  which  may  be  obtained  under  term 
leases  from  the  Forest  Service  at  a  nominal  rental.  Many  portions  of  the  for- 
ests can  now  be  reached  by  railroads  and  automobile  highways,  while  even  the 
more  remote  mountain  regions  are  open  to  travel  on  horseback  over  trails  built 
and  maintained  by  the  Government. 

Thousands  of  recreation  centers,  public  picnic  and  camping  grounds,  excur- 
sion ])oints  and  resorts  are  being  developed  in  localities  readily  accessible  to  large 
numbers  of  people.  Through  tlie  cooperation  of  railroads,  tourist  bureaus  and 
connncrcial  associations,  the  public  is  rapidly  becoming  familiar  with  the  won- 
derful opportunities  for  outdoor  life  and  enjoyment  which  the  national  forests 
offer  In  1917  over  853,000  visitors  and  144,270  automobiles  entered  these  great 
mountain  playgrounds  of  Colorado,  an  increase  of  thirty-five  per  cent  over  1916. 
These  figures  express  better  than  words  the  popularity  of  the  national  forests 
as  a  place  in  which  to  motor,  cam]),  fish  ;uul  hunt,  ruid  justify  the  title  of  "  I  he 
People's  Playground,"  by  which  they  arc  comninnly  known. 


568 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

WORK   OF   THE   FIELD   DISTRICT 


In  order  to  prevent  delay  and  "red  tape"  in  the' administration  of  the  na- 
tional forests  of  the  country,  seven  field  districts  have  been  established,  with  a 
district  forester  in  charge  at  each  headquarters.  The  Rocky  Mountain  Dis- 
trict, which  includes  Colorado,  has  its  headquarters  in  the  new  Federal  Building 
in  Denver.  Each  of  the  national  forests  is  in  charge  of  a  forest  supervisor,  who 
is  the  general  manager  of  his  forest,  planning  the  work  and  seeing  that  it  is 
properly  carried  out.  Every  forest  is  also  divided  into  ranger  districts,  with  a 
forest  ranger  in  charge  of  each.  On  January  i,  1918,  the  force  employed  by 
the  Forest  Service  in  the  state  numbered  310.  The  total  receipts  for  the  fiscal 
year  1917,  from  the  national  forests  of  Colorado,  on  account  of  timber  sales, 
grazing  fees,  and  special  uses,  was  $306,379.93. 

NATION.'^L   FORESTS    IN   COLORADO 


Name  Date  Created 

Arapaho    July     i,  1908 

Battlement   Dec.  24,  1892 

Cochetopa    June  13,  1905 

Colorado July     i,  1910 

Durango    July     i,   1911 

Gunnison    May  12,  1905 

Holy  Cross  Aug.  25,  1905 

Leadville    May  12,  1905 

Montezuma   June  13,  1905 

Pike July     i,  1908 

Rio  Grande    July     i,   1908 

Routt    June  12,  1905 

San  Isabel  May  27,  1910 

San  Juan June     3,  1905 

Sopris    April  26,   1909 

Uncompahgre    July  i,   1908 

White   River    Oct.   16,   1891 


Net  Area  Acres 

Headquarters 

634,903 

Hot    Sulphur    Springs 

651,227 

Grand  Junction 

905,723 

Saguache 

847,328 

Ft.  Collins 

614,129 

Durango 

908,055 

Gunnison 

576,905 

Glenwood  Springs 

934,017 

Leadville 

700,082 

Mancos 

1,080,381 

Denver 

1,136,884 

Monte  Vista 

833,459 

Steamboat   Springs 

598,912 

Westcliffe 

617,995 

Pagosa  Springs 

596,986 

Aspen 

790,349 

Delta 

848,018 

Glenwood  Springs 

12,640,450 


THE    MOUNTAIN    PARKS 

The  Federal  Government  has  during  the  past  two  decades  set  apart  and 
reserved  from  disposition,  under  the  Public  Land  Laws,  some  of  the  state's 
"wonderland."  Part  of  this  has  been  included  in  "national  parks"  and  part  as 
"national  monuments,"  under  the  act  of  Congress  known  as  the  "Antiquities  Act," 
which  authorizes  the  President  to  reserve  by  proclamation  "historic  landmarks, 
historic  and  prehistoric  structures,  and  other  objects  of  historic  or  scientific  in- 
terest" that  are  situated  upon  public  lands  or  upon  lands  which  may  be  donated 
to  the  United  States  for  monument  purposes. 

There  are  now  two  national  parks  and  two  national  monuments  in  Colorado. 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  569 

Colorado's  national  parks  are  the  Mesa  Verde  and  Rocky  Mountain  (Estes) 
parks.  Of  the  Mesa  Verde  much  has  been  covered  in  the  chapter  devoted  to 
the  cHff  dwellers.  But  aside  from  these  there  is  in  Mesa  Verde  Park  scenery 
of  a  high  order.  Mesa  Verde  itself  is  covered  with  a  magnificent  growth  of 
cedar,  and  its  northern  rim  is  fringed  with  pine  trees.  From  any  point  on  the 
mesa,  and  especially  from  its  rim,  one  may  view  the  awe-inspiring  Shiprock 
balancing  its  phantom  form  on  the  southern  horizon,  the  distant  Sleeping  Ute 
in  the  west. 

In  the  Rocky  Mountain  National  Park  there  are  some  of  the  highest  moun- 
tains in  the  United  States — one  peak  over  14,000  feet  in  altitude,  fourteen  peaks 
which  tower  over  13,000  feet  above  the  sea,  and  nineteen  peaks  with  an  altitude 
of  more  than  12,000  feet.  Enormous  glaciers,  remarkable  evidence  of  past  gla- 
cial action  on  a  grand  scale;  numerous  species  of  animals  and  birds,  wild,  of 
cour.se,  but  no  longer  in  great  fear  of  man;  wild  flowers  in  abundance;  beautiful 
lakes  teeming  with  fish ;  and  primeval  forests  of  extraordinary  grandeur. 

The  national  monuments  in  Colorado  are  the  Wheeler  and  Colorado  monu- 
ments. The  former  is  located  in  Mineral  County,  not  far  from  Creede  and 
Wagon  Wheel  Gap,  and  has  an  area  of  over  three  hundred  acres.  It  is  a  moun- 
tainous region  of  volcanic  structure  and  evidences  of  violent  volcanic  action  are 
to  be  seen  everywhere.  The  monument  is  cut  by  luuiierous  deep  canvons  which 
exhibit  stratum  after  stratum  of  ashes  and  lava  of  varying  composition.  These 
deep  gorges  have  been  carved  by  powerful  erosive  forces,  leaving,  besides  the 
exhibit  of  volcanic  action,  a  remarkable  exhibit  of  erosive  sculpturing  in  great 
pinnacles,  spires,  and  other  fantastic  rock  formations  that  crown  the  ridges  be- 
tween the  canyons  and  rise  in  bewildering  profusion  in  the  canyons  themselves. 

The  Colorado  National  Monument  is  located  a  short  distance  from  Grand 
Junction,  on  the  Denver  &  Rio  Grande,  and  contains  over  thirteen  thousand 
acres  of  land.  It  also  includes  several  canyons  of  more  than  ordinary  scenic 
quality.  These  canyons  have  been  cut  in  a  red  sandstone  formation  and  in  connec- 
tion with  their  development  monoliths  of  enormous  proportions  have  been  carved 
by  the  tireles  elements  working  through  countless  ages.  These  great  monoliths, 
towering  hundreds  of  feet  in  the  air,  ,all  gorgeously  colored,  are  the  chief  natural 
features  of  the  monument.  The  largest  monolith  is  considerably  over  four 
hundred  feet  high  and  is  more  than  one  hundred  feet  in  diameter  at  its  base. 
The  canyon  floors  ofTer  excellent  o])portunities  for  the  establishment  of  an  im- 
portant wild  animal  refuge,  and  in  all  likelihood  the  Federal  Government  will 
undertake  the  development  of  this  Sanctuary  within  a  few  years. 

Denver's  mountain  p.\rks 

Denver  pioneered  the  mountain  park  idea.  Six  years  ago  this  progressive 
western  city  put  the  idea  into  efiect,  and  went  about  the  development  of  its 
mountain  parks  methodically.  The  plan  has  been  tested  thoroughly,  both  as  to 
popularity  and  bonnfits,  and  the  results  may  be  gauged  by  the  fact  that  more 
than  300.000  individual  visitors  passed  through  the  mountain  park  gateways  dur- 
ing Jufie.  Ju'y  and  August  of  T017.  in  automobiles  alone.  This  is  more  than 
the  combined  attendance  at  .'ill  of  the  Federal  national  p;irks  in  the  country  dur- 
ing the  corresponding  period. 


570  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

The  Denver  mountain  parks  at  present  constitute  ten  tracts  of  land,  more 
tlian  tive  square  miles  in  total  area,  scattered  over  loo  square  miles  of  territory 
and  connected  by  75  miles  of  road,  of  which  50  miles  are  of  actual  mountain  con- 
struction. The  road  never  exceeds  a  six  per  cent  grade,  is  20  feet  wide  with 
easements  on  turns;  tilted  inward  towards  the  hillside,  guarded  with  anchored 
steel  cable,  and  drained  by  iron  pipes  passing  beneath  the  surface. 

An  amendment  to  the  state  constitution  gave  Denver  the  right  to  condemn 
land  in  other  counties  for  park  purposes,  ro  build  and  maintain  roads  and  im- 
provements outside  the  city  limits.  The  citizens  voted  a  levy  not  to  exceed  five 
mills  per  year,  to  accomplish  this  purpose. 

The  City  of  Denver  had  expended  on  mountain  parks  up  to  January  i,  1918, 
$414,000.  Of  this  amount  there  has  been  spent  for  road  construction,  $225,000; 
for  building  fences,  etc.,  $30,000;  for  land  purchases,  $34,000.  There  are  eight 
shelter  houses,  and  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  each  shelter  house  there  will  be 
found  playgroimd  equipmen,t  consisting  of  teter  boards  and  swings,  stone  fire- 
places for  food  preparation ;  tables  and  benches  for  picnic  parties,  and  an  unfail- 
ing supply  of  pure  water. 

In  Genesee  Mountain  Park,  the  largest  of  the  park  areas,  is  a  municipal  wild 
game  preserve,  in  which  are  75  head  of  elk,  14  buffalo,  10  big  horn  sheep,  antelope 
and  deer  of  three  varieties.  This  preserve  is  to  be  stocked  also  with  game  birds 
of  various  species,  blue  and  sharp-tailed  grouse,  mountain  plume  partridge,  Hun- 
garian partridge,  Mongolian  pheasants,  and  certain  mountain-dwelling  European 
species. 

On  Bear  Creek,  the  southern  boundary  of  the  mountain  park  system,  the 
city  maintains  two  feeding  ponds  for  mountain  trout,  from  which  are  released 
annually  into  Bear  Creek  300,000  trout  fry.  These  trout  consist  of  rainbow, 
eastern  brook  and  black-spotted  native  trout.  The  only  requirement  of  citizens 
and  visitors  desiring  to  cast  the  elusive  fly,  is  that  they  secure  a  state  fishing 
license,  which  costs  $1.00. 

There  are  three  types  of  park  lands  in  the  mountain  park  system,  the  first 
beginning  at  the  little  town  of  Golden,  Colorado's  second  capital,  includes  Look- 
out Mountain.  In  five  miles  the  road  cliinbs  2,000  feet — a  skyline  drive  that 
has  no  peer  in  this  country.  All  the  tricks  of  the  scenic  engineer  have  been  em- 
ployed on  this  section.  At  one  moment  the  motorist  looks  into  the  gorge-like 
depths  of  Clear  Creek,  along  whose  banks  gold  was  first  discovered  in  Colorado ; 
at  the  next  he  gazes  across  200  miles  of  checkered  farm  land,  and  looks  into 
the  states  of  Wyoming,  Nebraska  and  Kans^. 

The  section  leading  up  Lookout  Mountain  constitutes  one  of  the  finest  road- 
building  feats  in  America.  At  Sensation  Point,  the  road  hangs  on  the  face  of 
the  cliff  and  is  prevented  from  dropping  into  Clear  Creek,  500  feet  below,  by  a 
concrete  retaining  wall.  The  engineers  lost  their  roadbed  repeatedly  during 
construction,  as  sections  of  it  crumbled  away  beneath  them.  Finally,  they 
anchored  the  retaining  wall  on  solid  rocks  on  either  side  to  serve  as  a  dam  on 
the  face  of  the  cliff. 

Another  battle  royal  with  the  mountains  occurred  when  the  engineers  evolved 
the  upper  and  lower  hairpin  curves,  two  successes  which  compare  favorablv  with 
any  of  the  scenic  road-building  in  the  Swiss  Alps.  On  the  upper  Hairpin,  in  an 
elevation  of  y^  feet,  and  on  a  transverse  horizontal  axis  of  250  feet,  five  levels 


w 
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a 
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GO 

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o 

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o 

o 


572  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

of  the  road  are  laid.  At  Wildcat  Point,  on  Lookout  jMoimtain,  the  motorist 
drives  to  the  edge  of  a  sheer  clifT,  and  gazes  down  at  the  little  town  of  Golden 
2,000  feet  below.  From  this  point  at  night  the  lights  of  Denver,  criss-crossing 
over  an  area  of  sixty  square  miles,  impart  a  wonderful  impression.  One  hundred 
feet  above  this  point,  among  the  pungent  pines,  lies  the  body  of  the  late  Col. 
W.  F.  Cody,  "Buffalo  Bill." 

The  second  type  of  the  parks  is  represented  in  Genesee  and  Bergen  parks. 
This  is  a  region  of  pastoral  landscapes,  abounding  in  splendidly  wooded  mountains. 

Bear  Creek  Caiion  represents  the  third  type.  The  road  here  runs  through 
the  bottom  of  a  rocky,  picturesque  canyon — the  haunts  of  fishermen  and  campers. 

The  entire  region  is  well  timbered  with  silver  spruce,  yellow  pine,  lodgepole 
pine,  flexible  pine,  cedar,  fir,  quaking  aspen  and  alders.  On  every  hand  wild 
flowers  are  in  profusion.  Colorado,  with  its  300  native  species,  has  more  wild 
flowers  than  any  other  state  in  America.  Acres  of  delicate  blue  and  white  colors 
beneath  the  quaking  aspens  are  in  bloom.  The  scarlet  spikes  of  the  Indian  paint 
brush  splash  the  hills  and  meadows  with  vivid  touches  of  color,  while  a  careful 
search  may  reveal  the  Woods  lily,  a  red  flower  resembling  the  tiger  lily  in  all 
but  the  color.    So  far  as  botanists  know,  it  has  its  habitat  exclusively  in  Colorado. 

The  multifarious  small  life  of  the  region  is  especially  interesting  to  the  nature 
lover.  This  phase  of  the  mountain  parks  is  reserved  to  the  enthusiastic  pedestrian. 
Mountain  trails,  built  over  the  hills  and  around  beetling  crags,  lead  the  hiker 
into  a  primeval  wilderness.  Rabbits,  chipmunks,  grouse,  bluejays,  and  scores 
of  bird  species  start  up  on  every  hand. 

Genesee  Peak,  8,260  feet  high,  is  encircled  by  a  spiral  automobile  road.  This 
is  the  scene  of  winter  sports.  Skiing,  tobogganing,  snow-shoeing  draw  the  city- 
bred  dweller  to  the  mountains,  even  in  winter. 

Along  Bear  Creek  hundreds  of  summer  homes  have  been  built  by  wealthy 
residents  of  Denver  and  other  cities.  These  picturesque  lodges,  built  of  un- 
dressed pine  and  the  native  rocks,  form  one  of  the  most  interesting  features  of 
the  mountain  park  system. 

The  city  has  begim  the  construction  of  a  wonderful  skyline  drive  to  the  top 
of  Mount  Evans,  the  tenth  highest  peak  in  Colorado.  Its  elevation  is  14,260 
feet,  and  it  is  surrounded  by  a  series  of  titanic  cliffs,  moraines,  and  some  fifty 
natural  lakes.  A  bill  before  Congress  asks  for  the  creation  of  a  national  park 
in  the  Mount  Evans  region.  The  city  has  offered  to  stand  half  the  expense  of 
completing  a  driveway  to  the  top  of  the  peak.  When  completed,  this  drive, 
which  will  be  twenty-seven  miles  from  the  present  end  of  the  mountain  park 
roads,  will  be  above  twelve  thousand  feet  in  elevation  for  more  than  half  of  its 
le-igth. 


CHAPTER  XXIX 

DE\'ELOPING  THE  HIGHWAYS  OF  THE  STATE 

THE    FIRST    WAGON    ROADS    AFTER    THE    SANTA    FE    TRAIL "SMOKY    HILL"    TRAIL 

ROUTES    FROM     THE    EAST BUILDING    THE     MOUNTAIN     ROADS — THROUGH     UTE 

PASS    TO    SOUTH    PARK HAYDEN's    LIST    OF    ROADS TERRITORIAL    LEGISLATURE 

NAMES  TERRITORIAL  ROADS HIGHWAYS  OUT  OF  SILVERTON "SNUBBING"   POSTS 

ADVENT  OF  THE  AUTOMOBILE — THE  FIGHT   FOR  GOOD  ROADS THE  NEW    HIGH- 
WAY COMMISSION BUILDING  A   NEW  SYSTEM   OF  STATE  ROADS 

In  1S52,  when  the  Santa  Fe  Trail  passed  up  the  Arkansas  River  and  over  the 
Sangre  de  Cristo  Pass,  it  was  found  necessary  to  construct  a  fairly  wide  trail 
to  the  site  of  Canon  City  covering  the  trapping  stations  along  the  Arkansas  River. 
Five  thousand  pounds  of  freight  was  about  the  limit  for  eight  mules  or  three  yoke 
of  oxen  on  these  early  roads.  There  were  no  bridges  in  this  period,  and  it  often 
taxed  the  pulling  power  of  forty  or  more  mules  to  pull  a  large  loaded  wagon 
across  the  sandy  river  beds.  When  the  floods  were  on,  it  was  simply  a  case  of 
stopping  and  camping  until  conditions  for  crossing  were  favorable.  There  are 
many  places  to  be  seen  along  the  old  trail,  even  at  this  late  day,  which  are  un- 
questionably the  ruts  made  by  the  old,  heavy  wagons. 

The  "Smoky  Hill"  Trail  from  Leavenworth  was  headed  toward  .\uraria  and 
Cherry  Creek  almost  immediately  after  the  discoveries  of  1858,  followed  a  little 
later  by  the  "Overland"  Trail,  built  from  Atchison  towards  Colorado  and  Utah. 

The  first  real  stage  line  to  Colorado  was  the  Leavenworth  and  Pike's  Peak 
Express  Line,  which  made  its  initial  trip  starting  March  27,  1859,  reaching 
Denver  June  7th — seventy-one  days.  This  was  mainly  over  a  new  and  imtraveled 
route,  the  stage  company  building  the  road  as  it  progressed.  Horace  Greeley 
was  a  passenger  on  this  first  journey  and  helped  out  with  the  shovel  and  pick. 

The  route  followed  was  along  the  divide  between  the  Solomon  and  Republican 
rivers ;  thence  northwest  to  the  south  side  of  the  Republican  to  its  source ;  thence 
southwest  to  the  headwaters  of  the  Beaver,  Bijou  and  Kiowa  creeks ;  thence  along 
the  pine  ridge  to  Cherry  Creek ;  thence  along  the  high  ridge  on  the  north  side  of 
Cherry  Creek  to  Denver.  The  route  was  laid  out  by  Beverly  D.  Williams,  first 
territorial  fielegate  to  Congress,  who  kept  the  road  on  high,  dry  ground  all  the 
way.  The  total  distance  was  687  miles ;  afterwards  reduced  to  600  miles,  and 
the  average  time  each  way  was  reduced  to  ten  or  twelve  days. 

Later  the  line  was  reorganized  and  called  the  Central  Overland  California 
and  Pike's  Peak  Express  Company.  A  survey  was  completed  over  Berthoud 
Pass  and  along  the  Green  River  to  Utah,  and  the  road  was  partially  completed, 
but  after  spending  $40,000,  this  part  of  the  line  was  abandoned  for  the  time. 

r.73 


574  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

In  1861  Ben  Holladay  and  associates  bought  up  many  of  the  old  stage  hues 
and  then  controlled  3,300  miles  of  stage  routes.  Between  1861  and  1865  the 
Government  was  paying  them  $i,cxx),ooo  yearly  for  carrying  a  daily  mail  from 
the  Missouri  River  to  Placerville,  California,  a  distance  of  about  2,000  miles 
over  the  Overland  route. 

D.  A.  Butterfield  was  running  a  line  from  Leavenworth  via  the  Smoky  Hill 
route  to  Denver  and  Salt  Lake,  while  Holladay  was  sending  a  branch  line  from 
the  Overland  Trail  into  Denver  via  Julesburg  and  Fort  jMorgan.  There  was 
much  rivalry  and  record  runs  were  made.  Holladay  made  the  trip  himself  for 
a  test  from  Atchison,  Kansas,  to  Placerville,  California,  2,000  miles,  in  twelve 
days.  Albert  Richardson  made  the  run  from  Atchison  to  Denver  in  four  and 
one-half  days,  and  Butterfield  was  advertising  regular  trips  from  the  Missouri 
River  to  Denver  in  eight  days  and  often  made  them  in  six  days. 

Very  little  change  has  been  made  in  the  old  Santa  Fe  Trail.  The  Smoky 
Hill  route  followed  what  is  now  known  as  the  "Golden  Belt"  route  as  far  as 
Oakley,  Kansas,  thence  followed  directly  west  to  Cheyenne  Wells.  Hugo,  Limon, 
Deertrail  and  Bennett  to  Denver.  It  is  exactly  the  Kansas  Pacific  Railroad  route, 
or  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad  of  the  present  day.  The  old  Leavenworth  and 
Pike's  Peak  stage  route  is  now  practicallv  extinct.  The  Overland  Trail  has  been 
changed  somewhat;  it  now  starts  from  Omaha  and  is  partly  on  the  north  side  of 
the  Platte,  while  in  the  stage-coach  days  it  ran  from  Atchison  and  kept  on  the 
south  side  of  the  river  through  Julesburg  to  a  point  near  Greeley,  thence  to 
Laporte,  near  Fort  Collins,  thence  to  \'irginia  Dale,  thence  to  Rock  Springs. 
Wyoming.  Three  branches  connected  the  Overland  Trail  with  Denver,  one  across 
the  plains  to  a  point  near  Fort  Morgan,  another  connecting  at  Latham,  near 
Greeley,  another  connecting  at  Laporte  near  Fort  Collins.  These  old  roads  are 
practically  the  same  as  the  present  roads. 

The  Overland  roads,  the  Arkansas  River  route  to  Pueblo  and  Buckskin  Joe, 
were  so  good  that  in  i860  a  man  by  the  name  of  Fortune  built  a  steam  wagon 
twenty  feet  long  with  driving  wheels  eight  feet  in  diameter  intended  to  run  be- 
tween Atchison  and  Denver.  It  worked  well  on  its  trial  trips,  making  eight 
miles  per  hotir.  Its  first  trip  to  Denver  was  scheduled  for  July  4,  i860.  Then 
something  went  wrong  with  the  steering  gear,  and  the  excited  driver  in  attempt- 
ing to  get  out  of  town  ran  it  through  a  building,  wrecking  both  the  building 
and  the  wagon.  The  disgusted  Mr.  Fortune  concluded  his  name  was  "misfor- 
tune" and  abandoned  the  scheme. 

The  "wind"  wagon  was  another  product  of  the  times,  but  the  inventor,  who 
conceived  the  idea  of  propelling  his  wagon  by  sails,  found  he  could  not  "tack" 
upon  the  prairie  and  consequently  he  and  his  wind  wagon  finished  at  the  bottom 
of  a  gulch. 

With  the  immigration  into  the  mountains  there  soon  came  a  pressing  need 
for  wagon  highways,  the  mule-pack  soon  exhausting  its  utility.  Heavy  material 
was  needed  for  even  the  crudest  mining  operations,  and  as  the  population  in- 
creased, supplies  were  called  for  in  quantities  that  required  wagon  traffic.  Through 
the  Ute  Pass  to  South  Park  the  natural  road,  improved  by  the  early  settlers,  was 
comparatively  easy  for  wagon  travel.  But  the  first  actual  roads  built  into  the 
mountains  were  two  routes  to  the  Clear  Creek  gold  fields,  one  by  ^ilount  \'ernon 
to  the  diggings  at  Chicago  Creek,  and  the  other  was  by  way  of  Rocky  Moun- 


PIKK'S  PEAK  AUTO  HIGHWAY 


II.    i;i)AI)   IT  TMKK'S   PEAK 


576  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

tain  Gulch  to  the  North  Clear  Creek  gold  held.  There  were  two  roads  that 
led  to  the  Arkansas  River,  one  part  of  the  old  Fort  Laramie  Trail  via  a  point 
near  Colorado  City,  the  other  known  as  the  "Plum  Creek"  road.  From  Canon 
City  the  early  settlers  built  a  good  wagon  road  to  the  camp  at  Tarryall.  Denver 
men,  too,  built  a  fairly  good  road  to  Bergen  Park  and  to  Tarryall  soon  after  the 
camp  was  opened.  Later  it  was  extended  to  the  western  slope  to  the  Blue  River 
milling  district  over  Breckenridge  Pass.  It  was  not  long  before  the  enterprising 
citizens  of  Golden  City  took  a  hand  in  the  fight  for  wagon  roads,  as  they  took  a 
prominent  part  in  the  contest  for  railroads  a  little  later.  They  soon  had  their 
own  road  to  Tarryall  by  way  of  "Bradford  Hill"  and  even  into  some  camps  in 
what  is  now  Grand  County.  Bridges,  too,  built  of  logs,  but  well  constructed  were 
now  put  in  on  all  these  toll  roads,  the  most  important  being  that  over  the  Arkan- 
sas River  at  the  site  of  the  future  Fowler  City.  Thus  did  these  pioneers  pave  the 
way  for  the  crude  traffic  of  those  early  days. 

William  L.  Campbell,  afterwards  surveyor  general  of  Colorado,  came  to  the 
gold  diggings  in  i860,  and  after  building  the  Mrginia  Caiion  wagon  road  from 
Idaho  Springs  to  Russell  Gulch,  did  much  tc  survey  and  build  many  of  the  best 
of  the  later  mountain  highways  of  the  state. 

From  Hayden's  record  of  this  period  the  following  is  taken : 

"The  original  stage  route  from  Denver  :o  the  South  Park  entered  the  moun- 
tains via  Bear  Creek,  (crossing  the  creek  eight  miles  from  Denver)  crossed  the 
divide  to  Turkey  Creek,  (over  Bradford  Hill)  followed  that  stream  to  Elk 
Creek,  thence  across  the  high  divide  to  the  North  Fork ;  followed  the  latter  nearly 
to  its  head,  and  across  into  the  park  at  Kenosha  Summit ;  thence  skirted  the 
northwestern  border  to  Hamilton  and  Fairplay.  A  branch  left  it  at  Michigan 
Creek  and  crossed  the  main  range  at  Georgia  Pass  and  thence  to  Breckenridge. 
Still  another  branch  left  it  at  Hamilton  and  connected  with  Breckenridge  via 
Tarryall  Pass  and  Swan  River.  From  Fairplay  a  road  ran  up  the  South  Platte, 
connecting  Fairplay  with  the  mining  towns  above,  and,  crossing  by  Hoosier  Pass, 
ran  down  the  Blue  to  Breckenridge. 

Colorado  City  was  connected  with  Fairplay  by  a  road  which  followed  closely 
the  Ute  Pass,  now  the  Midland  route,  as  far  as  the  crossing  of  the  South  Platte ; 
thence  northwest  to  the  Tarryall  fork  of  the  Platte,  where  the  road  forked,  one 
branch  going  to  Tarryall  and  one  to  Fairplay.  A  branch  left  it  in  the  southern 
part  of  the  South  Park  and  ran  to  the  Arkansas  Valley  over  the  Cafion  City 
road.  From  Fairplay  a  road  skirted  the  western  side  of  the  park,  a  branch  of 
it  crossing  the  Park  Range  at  Weston's  Pass  to  the  California  Gulch,  while  the 
main  road  continued  on  down  to  the  salt  works  and  thence  to  the  Arkansas  Val- 
ley via  Trout  Creek  Pass  and  Trout  Creek.  The  direct  route  from  Fairplay 
and  Buckskin  Joe  was  bv  a  pack  trail  up  Mosquito  Gulch  and  over  Mosquito 
Pass  to  California  Gulch. 

By  an  act  approved  February  8.  1865.  the  Legislature  authorized  county 
commissioners  to  fix  the  toll  rates  and  made  the  legal  distance  between  toll  sta- 
tions ten  miles. 

In  1865  the  Denver  &  San  Luis  \"alley  W'agon  Road  Company  was  organized, 
with  authority  to  build  south  by  way  of  Cafion  City  to  the  mouth  of  the  South 
Arkansas,  now  Salida.  thence  up  the  South  Arkansas  to  the  mouth  of  Poncha 
Creek,  thence  to  Poncha  Pass  and  over  into  the  San  Luis  Valley.    The  ferry  rates 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  577 

across  the  Rio  Grande  were  fixed  at  $i  for  wagon  and  two  horses,  mules  or  oxen, 
25  cents  for  each  additional  animal ;  a  "one  animal"  vehicle  was  75  cents ;  "loose" 
animals,  10  cents  per  head ;  footmen,  10  cents. 

In  1865  the  wagon  road  from  Boulder  to  Central  City  via  North  Boulder 
Creek,  and  via  South  Boulder,  was  incorporated,  constructed  and  operated  as  a 
toll  road. 

In  1868  the  Legislature  by  enactment  declared  "the  most  usually  traveled 
roads  between  the  following-named  places  to  be  territorial  roads."  This  list  by 
no  means  covers  the  road  construction  up  to  this  period,  for  there  were  many  toll 
roads  and  ferries  still  operating  under  prior  "thirty-year"  enactments.  But  in  a 
general  way  it  is  a  fairly  complete  list  of  main-traveled  lines.     The  list  follows: 

"From  Denver  to  Pueblo  via  Colorado  City;  from  the  Denver  &  Pueblo  road 
where  it  diverges  from  the  Platte,  to  a  point  near  the  mouth  of  Plum  Creek,  up 
Plum  Creek  Valley  to  Monument  Creek,  thence  to  a  point  (Colorado  Springs) 
on  the  Denver  &  Pueblo  road  in  El  Paso  County;  from  Fort  Lyon  by  way  of 
Pueblo,  Caiion  City,  Platte  Valley  ranch;  from  Fairplay  by  way  of  Tarryall 
City  and  Hamilton  to  Jefferson;  from  Hamilton  to  Platte  Valley  (Hartsell's) 
ranch;  from  Denver  by  way  of  Boxelder  station  and  Bijou  station  to  the  "Junc- 
tion" (near  Fort  Morgan) ;  from  Denver  down  the  Platte  River  by  way  of  St. 
Vrain's  to  Julesburg;  from  Denver  to  Golden;  from  Denver  by  way  of  Boulder 
to  Laporte;  from  Denver  to  Bradford  (Hill) ;  from  Denver  up  Cherry  Creek  to 
"Fountaine  qui  Bouille"  (River).  From  St.  Vrain  to  Golden;  from  Denver  to 
Golden  by  way  of  Boyd's  ranch  on  Clear  Creek ;  from  the  mouth  of  the  Cache  la 
Poudre  to  Laporte  through  Cherokee  Pass  to  the  western  boundary  of  the  ter- 
ritory ;  from  Pueblo  by  way  of  "Greenhorn's  Ranch"  (the  Greenhorn  ranch) 
to  Fort  Garland ;  from  Cisco  and  Head's  ferry  across  the  Rio  Grande  and  from 
Fayette's  Head  to  the  southern  boundary  of  the  territory;  from  Fort  Garland  to 
Culebra,  Costilla,  Red  River,  Osage  House ;  from  Greenhorn's  Ranch  to  the 
Cimarron,  on  the  south  line  of  the  territory;  from  Hayne's  (Hoyne's)  ranch  up 
the  Huerfano  by  way  of  the  Mosca  Pass  to  Fort  Garland ;  from  Caiion  City  to 
Greenhorn's  Ranch ;  from  Denver  to  the  south  boundary  of  Weld  County." 

Tt  may  be  stated  that  the  preceding  paragraph  is  quoted  verbatim  from  the  legis- 
lative record.  This  record  was  officially  written  by  a  misinformed  clerk  and  so  numer- 
ous were  his  mistakes  that  a  bill  was  brought  up  in  the  Legislature  to  have  the  errors  in 
spelling,  etc.,  corrected.  One  member  of  the  assembly,  who  might  have  been  from  the 
innermost  fastnesses  of  the  Ozarks,  prevented  the  bill  from  being  effected  by  the  stand 
that  the  record  was  "law,"  mistakes  and  all.  Some  effort  has  been  made  to  correct 
errors  by  the  use  of  parentheses  in  the  foregoing  quotation. 

This  is  interesting  as  it  covers  in  a  general  way  the  trend  of  the  system  of 
state  roads  since  established.  The  changes  are  largely  due  to  the  discovery  of 
lower  passes. 

In  1867  the  state  began  dispensing  its  road  funds  in  considerable  sums,  voting 
in  1868  about  five  thousand  dollars  for  highway  improvement  on  the  line  of  the 
Georgetown  and  .Snake  River  wagon  road  in  Clear  Creek  and  Summit  coimties, 
for  a  bridge  over  the  Arkansas  in  Lake  County  at  the  point  where  the  South 
Park  and  San  Luis  Valley  wagon  road  crossed  it,  and  for  improvements  on  the 
wagon  road  from  Colorado  City  to  Hamilton. 

In   1870  the  Legislature  made  "territorial"  the  road   from  Evans  in  Weld 

Vol.  I— ST 


578  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

County  to  Boulder,  with  a  branch  to  Golden.  In  1872  the  road  already  built 
from  Walsenburg  by  way  of  Veta  Pass  to  the  San  Luis  Valley  was  made  a  ter- 
ritorial road.  In  1874  the  road  laws  of  the  territory  were  completely  revised, 
all  acts  of  county  commissioners  in  the  construction  of  roads  were  legalized,  and 
the  manner  of  bonding  towns  and  counties  for  road  work  was  carefully  defined. 

Between  1876  and  1886  the  state  passed  through  a  notable  road  building  era, 
particularly  in  the  southern  and  western  part  of  the  state. 

The  road  over  Marshall  Pass,  a  continuation  of  the  Salida  road,  opened  up 
the  entire  Western  Slope.  The  railroads,  however,  followed  quickly  and  greatly 
accelerated  development.  The  wagon  road  between  Silverton  and  Ouray,  for  a 
distance  of  ten  miles  from  the  latter  place,  was  constructed  under  the  super- 
vision of  Otto  Mears.     This  was  the  original  "Rainbow  route"  in  the  state. 

In  the  period  when  the  Rio  Grande  was  making  its  surveys  and  building  to 
Alamosa,  enterprising  men  in  the  San  Juan  built  a  wagon  road  between  Animas 
City  and  Alamosa,  utilizing  a  large  part  of  the  Government  pack  trails  between 
Fort  Lewis  and  Fort  Garland.  The  wagon  road  from  Durango  to  Fort  Lewis, 
however,  was  not  built  until  some  years  later. 

While  this  Alamosa-Durango  road  was  under  way  the  San  Juan  men  also 
built  a  toll  road  from  Silverton  to  Durango,  realizing  that  this  gave  them  an 
easier  and  quicker  outlet  for  their  ore  for  treatment  in  the  Durango  smelter. 

In  1878  the  Denver  &  Rio  Grande  reached  Alamosa  and  heavy  freighting  in 
all  directions  over  new  and  old  wagon  roads  began  immediately.  Judge  C.  D. 
Hayt,  who  was  the  first  postmaster  of  this  San  Luis  Valley  center,  estimates  the 
number  of  freighters  leaving  Alamosa  weekly  in  this  period  at  several  thousand. 
The  Mexicans  used  oxen  almost  exclusively,  at  times  driving  one  wagon  and 
trailer  with  fourteen  yoke.  The  wagon  could  take  three  or  four  tons  and  the 
trailer  a  ton  and  a  half.  From  this  point  freight  brought  in  by  the  narrow  gauge 
was  sent  to  Santa  Fe  and  even  as  far  south  as  Texas.  All  freight  for  Gunnison 
and  Montrose  went  via  Alamosa  and  through  Saguache.  The  wagon  road  up 
the  Rio  Grande  to  Silverton  and  the  roads  to  Animas  City  and  the  La  Plata 
placer  fields  were  all  utilized,  and  Alamosa  became  one  of  the  busiest  points  in 
the  state. 

The  road  from  Lake  City  to  Animas  Forks  was  built  in  the  early  '80s.  The 
John  J.  Crook  smelter  was  then  in  operation  at  Lake  City.  Crook  had  mining 
properties  in  Animas  Forks  and  Mineral  Point  besides  his  holdings  in  Lake 
City,  and  he  aided  in  the  construction  of  a  wagon  road  to  facilitate  the  move- 
ment of  his  ores  to  his  smelters.  Until  this  time  there  had  been  only  a  pack 
trail  between  these  points. 

The  original  mountain  road  into  the  San  Juan  was  built  from  Wagon  Wheel 
Gap  up  the  Rio  Grande  River,  over  Stony  Pass,  down  Cunningham  Gulch  to  Sil- 
verton. It  was  on  this  road — the  Cunningham  Gulch  side  of  Stony  Pass — that 
the  precipitous  nature  of  the  country  made  down  travel  exceedingly  difficult. 
This  was  so  steep  that  loaded  wagons  were  held  back  by  heavy  ropes  tied  to  trees. 
These  were  slowly  "snubbed"  down  the  incline  about  a  thousand  feet.  Trees 
eighteen  inches  in  diameter  were  cut  in  two.  These  old  "snubbing"  posts  are 
still  to  be  seen,  the  road  having  been  abandoned.  The  state  about  twelve  years 
ago  appropriated  moneys  for  the  construction  of  a  less  dangerous  road  by  the 
use  of  a  switchback. 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  579 

Between  1880  and  1902  the  General  Assembly  used  the  Internal  Improve- 
ment fund,  the  Federal  Government's  contribution  to  internal  improvements,  for 
the  building  of  bridges,  most  of  them  built  for  permanency.  In  1889  t^^^'s  fund 
amounted  to  $341,000.  While  it  was  divided  between  the  counties  for  bridge  and 
road  building,  and  was  called  the  "Pork  Barrel"  fund  because  it  was  too  often 
"traded  off"  and  used  to  bring  recalcitrant  members  to  terms  by  an  anxious  ma- 
jority, yet  it  was  practically  always  used  for  a  real  and  economically  constructed 
improvement.  Many  of  the  best  country  loads  and  finest  bridges  in  the  state 
came  out  of  this  period.  The  great  trouble  was  that  the  work  was  not  done  in 
unison  with  other  counties  and  followed  no  general  state  plan.  The  further  draw- 
back was  that  in  the  division  money  was  voted  in  some  instances  in  such  small 
amounts  that  the  greater  projects  of  a  county  had  to  be  sidetracked  for  minor 
betterments.  This  of  course  is  now  changed,  as  the  entire  expenditure  is  under 
the  supervision  of  the  State  highway  commission. 

The  advent  of  the  automobile  had  much  to  do  here  as  elsewhere  with  the 
"good  roads"  movement,  which  became  eiifective  in  Colorado  in  1902,  when  the 
owners  of  motors  first  combined  to  secure  better  "traveling"  conditions.  The 
Colorado  Automobile  Club,  of  which  D.  W.  Brunton  was  president  and  Dr.  F.  L. 
Bartlett,  the  latter  one  of  the  most  ardent  advocates  for  good  roads  in  the  state, 
vice  president,  was  formed  in  1902.  In  1905  Doctor  Bartlett,  who  was  then  its 
president,  with  the  assistance  of  the  National  Good  Roads  Association,  arranged 
the  first  state  good  roads  meeting.  This  was  held  in  Denver  July  27th  and  28th, 
and  was  attended  by  sixty-five  authorized  delegates.  It  was  at  this  meeting  that 
the  Colorado  Good  Roads  Association  was  formed,  with  J.  A.  Hayes,  of  Colorado 
Springs,  as  president ;  Dr.  F.  L.  Bartlett,  of  Denver,  vice  president ;  and  Henry 
R.  Wray,  of  Colorado  Springs,  as  secretary. 

The  second  convention  was  held  December  4th  to  6th,  1906,  in  Denver,  and 
was  an  enthusiastic  gathering,  to  which  President  Roosevelt  and  Secretary  of 
Agriculture  Wilson  sent  telegrams  of  congratulations,  and  which  was  addressed 
by  the  Government  heads  of  the  Public  Roads  Bureau.  The  Denver  Chamber  of 
Commerce  shouldered  the  burden  of  the  expense  of  conducting  this  great  gath- 
ering. 

William  R.  Rathvon  of  Boulder  was  elected  chairman,  and  many  notable 
good  roads  speakers  attended,  among  them  the  late  Sam  Plouston,  road  commis- 
sioner of  Ohio. 

The  bill  for  a  State  Highway  Commission  was  drawn  up  and  adopted  by  the 
convention,  and  committees  were  appointed,  headed  by  S.  A.  Osborn  of  Denver, 
to  get  it  through  the  Legislature.  .'\  fight  was  made,  but  the  "Pork  Barrel"  con- 
tingent was  too  strong,  and  the  bill  failed  even  to  be  considered  on  the  floor  of 
either  Plouse  or  Senate. 

Not  discouraged,  the  Good  Roads  Association  immediately  lined  up  for  a 
campaign  of  education  all  over  the  state.  They  were  ably  seconded  by  the  Rocky 
Mountain  Highway  .Association,  formed  early  in  tlic  spring  of  TO08,  incorporated 
by  Charles  A.  Johnson,  Harold  Kountze  and  Gerald  Hughes  of  Denver,  with 
C.  A.  Johnson  as  president.  F.  L.  Bartlett,  vice  president  and  W.  H.  Emmons, 
secretary. 

In  order  to  gain  strength  for  the  legislative  fight,  the  Colorado  Good  Roads 
Association  and  the  Colorado  Auto  Club,  with  all  its  affiliated  clubs,  were  in  the 


580  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

fall  of  1908  consolidated  into  the  Rocky  Mountain  Highway  Association,  and  the 
Highway  bill  was  finally  pushed  through  and  became  a  law  in  1909,  but  with 
no  adequate  appropriation  for  effective  work.  C.  F.  Allen,  William  M.  Wiley 
and  Thomas  TuUy  were  appointed  State  Highway,  Commissioners.  During  1909- 
1910  state  roads  were  mapped  and  laid  out  and  considerable  preliminary  work 
was  accomplished  but  no  funds  were  available  for  anything  more  than  a  begin- 
ning of  the  work. 

In  January,  191 1,  under  the  auspices  of  the  Rocky  Mountain  Highway  Asso- 
ciation and  the  Denver  Chamber  of  Commerce  another  good  roads  conference 
was  called  in  Denver  for  the  purpose  of  making  another  attempt  to  secure  funds 
for  the  Highway  Conunission.  At  this  convention  four  road  bills  were  drawn 
and  presented  to  the  Legislature,  the  two  most  important  ones  being  for  a  ten 
million  bond  issue  and  the  turning  over  of  the  Internal  Improvement  fund  to 
die  Highway  Conunission.  The  ten  million  bond  issue  passed,  was  referred  co  a 
vote  of  the  people  and  was  lost.  The  Highway  Appropriation  bill  was  amended 
and,  after  the  Legislature  had  passed  ninety-three  special  improvement  bills,  the 
remainder  of  the  Internal  Improvement  fund  was  turned  over  to  the  Highway 
Commission.  Governor  Shafroth  vetoed 'the  ninety-three  special  road  bills,  thus 
turning  over  the  entire  Internal  Improvement  fund  to  the  highway  commission. 
Immediately  the  validity  of  the  bill  was  assailed  and  the  bill  was  fought  through 
the  courts  and  finally  pronounced  invalid  by  the  Supreme  Court.  Thus  again  the 
State  Highway  Commission  was  left  without  funds  and  the  money  then  amount- 
ing to  over  eight  hundred  thousand  dollars  was  left  in  the  banks.  The  bill  was 
then  initiated  and  referred  to  a  vote  of  the  people  and  lost  by  only  a  few  votes. 

Meantime  the  Good  Roads  Association  of  Colorado,  having  become  a  perma- 
nent association,  took  up  and  by  its  various  committees  succeeded  in  finally  se- 
curing, in  1 91 3,  adequate  road  legislation,  thus  ending  a  fight  which  was  waged 
for  eight  years  by  good  road  enthusiasts. 

The  present  state  highway  commissioner,  T.  J.  Ehrhart,  is  responsible  for 
the  first  bill  for  convict  labor  on  the  state  roads.  This  was  in  1899,  for  a  convict 
built  state  road  between  Pueblo  and  Leadville. 

The  Lewis  bill,  however,  with  some  amendments,  is  the  one  under  which 
convicts  are  now  successfully  working.  Work  began  under  the  Lewis  bill  in 
the  summer  of  1905,  on  the  famous  "Sky  Line"  drive  at  Canon  City,  and  to 
Warden  John  Cleghorn  belongs  the  credit  of  beginning  the  system  of  working 
convicts  without  gun  guards.  I  quote  from  his  letter  dated  September  18,  1906, 
read  at  the  Denver  Good  Roads  convention,  of  that  year: 

"We  have  been  working  on  an  average  of  seventy-five  convicts  on  the  roads 
in  this  county  (Fremont),  under  the  provisions  of  the  Lewis  road  law,  for  more 
than  a  year,  without  gun  guard  or  other  protection  aside  from  the  overseers  in 
charge  of  the  work.  Not  one  attempt  to  escape  has  been  made  by  any  member 
of  these  road  gangs  during  this  period,  and  it  seems  to  be  the  ambition  of  a  large 
percentage  of  the  inmates  to  attain  a  place  on  the  road  gang.  In  accordance  with 
the  terms  of  the  Lewis  law  the  penitentiary  commissioners  adopted  rules  allowing 
additional  good  time  to  each  prisoner  employed  on  the  roads,  and  this  fact,  to- 
gether with  the  change  from  prison  conditions  afforded  by  the  outside  work, 
seems  to  serve  as  a  great  incentive  both  for  faithful  service  and  good  conduct." 

The  famous  highway  to  the  top  of  the  Royal  Gorge  was  opened  May  12,  191 1, 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  581 

by  Governor  Shafroth.  Prisoners  from  the  state  penitentiary  in  Canon  City, 
working  in  gangs  of  from  twenty-four  to  forty,  completed  the  road  within  dight 
months.  From  its  highest  point  Pike's  Peak,  nearly  a  hundred  miles  away,  can 
be  seen  to  the  east,  and  the  Sangre  de  Cristo  Range  to  the  south,  while  3,000 
feet  below,  like  mere  streaks,  the  tracks  of  the  railroad  running  through  the  can- 
yon can  be  seen. 

Work  on  the  "Sky  Line"  was  followed  by  work  on  the  state  road  between 
Trinidad  and  the  New  Mexico  state  line  in  1908.  The  present  warden,  T.  J. 
Tynan,  took  charge  of  the  work  in  1909,  and  under  his  energetic  and  progres- 
sive management  convict  road  work  has  been  extended  until  Colorado  now  ranks 
above  all  other  states  in  this  class  of  work.  The  record  of  road  building  by 
convicts  will  be  found  in  the  chapters  on  State  Institutions. 

The  state  highway  commission  now  consists  of  a  highway  commissioner,  ap- 
pointed by  the  governor,  and  an  advisory  board  of  five  members,  holding  office 
from  one  to  five  years,  respectively.  The  conmiission  is  required  to  meet  four 
times  a  year  and  to  appoint  a  secretary,  who  is  required  to  be  a  civil  engineer 
and  a  practical  road  builder,  to  hold  office  at  the  pleasure  of  the  commission. 
The  commission  is  required  to  prepare  a  map  showing  the  public  roads  in  each 
county  connecting  the  roads  of  sufficient  importance  to  receive  state  aid  and 
form  a  connecting  system  of  state  roads.  The  commission  is  given  authority  to 
designate  the  most  important  roads  as  the  first  to  be  improved.  They  are  also 
authorized  to  make  investigations  to  ascertain  the  location  of  road  material,  etc. 
The  commission  is  given  authority  to  apportion  the  state  road  fund  among 
the  counties,  taking  into  consideration  area,  amount  of  money  expended  in  con- 
struction, difficulty  and  extent  of  such  construction,  and  extraordinary  expenses 
in  connection  with  the  development  of  new  territory.  The  counties  receiving 
such  aid  are  required  to  raise  an  amount  equal  to  the  amount  set  aside  by  the 
state,  unless  the  state  highway  commission  should  desire  to  extend  further  aid  to 
poorer  counties,  in  which  case  they  may  extend  it  to  the  amount  of  $5  of  state 
money  to  $1  of  the  county's.  All  money  apportioned  to  counties  and  not  ac- 
cepted by  them  is  distributed  to  other  counties.  The  county  commissioners  are 
to  designate  the  roads  to  receive  state  aid,  subject  to  the  approval  of  the  state 
highway  commissioner.  The  county  commissioners  must  make  surveys,  prepare 
plans  and  specifications,  and  make  estimates  and  submit  them  to  the  state  high- 
way commissioner  for  approval.  Contracts  are  let  by  the  county  commissioners 
after  approval  by  the  state  highway  commissioner.  Construction  and  mainte- 
nance are  under  the  supervision  of  the  county  commissioners,  subject  to  the  ap- 
proval of  the  state  highway  commissioner.  The  money  apportioned  by  the  state 
highway  commission  shall  be  paid  to  the  treasurer  of  the  county  on  estimates  from 
the  state  highway  commissioner  as  the  work  progresses.  Annual  reports  must 
be  made  by  the  county  commissioners  to  the  state  highway  commissioner  of  all 
moneys  expended  on  roads  during  the  current  year. 

Appropriations  for  state  highways  arc  made  directly  by  the  Legislature. 

In  each  county  a  board  of  three  coimty  commissioners  serving  four-year  terms 
has  jurisdiction  over  local  roads.  They  may  appoint  a  general  overseer  for  all 
such  roads  or  divide  the  county  into  districts  and  appoint  a  district  overseer  for 
each.  ^ 

Automobile  registration  with  the  secretary  of  state  is  required.     The   fees 


582  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

are  as  follows:  20  h.  p.  and  less,  $2.50;  21  h.  p.  and  40  h.  p.,  $5;  41  h.  p.  and 
over,  $10;  motorcycles,  $2;  chaufteur's  license,  $1. 

Revenues  are  divided  equally  between  the  state  and  the  county  from  which 
the  revenue  is  received.  The  state's  portion  is  credited  to  the  state  road  fund, 
to  be  expended  in  improving  and  maintaining  state  roads,  and  the  county's  por- 
tion is  credited  to  the  road  fund  of  such  county.  Fines  and  forfeitures  are  divided 
equally  between  the  state  and  the  county  and  credited  in  the  same  way  as  the 
registration  fees. 

The  highway  officials  in  1918  are:  State  highway  commissioner,  T.  J.  Ehr- 
hart,  of  Denver.  There  is  an  advisory  board  of  five  members,  composed  at  this 
time  of  Lafayette  Hughes,  Denver;  Leonard  E.  Curtis,  Colorado  Springs;  Fred 
J.  Radford,  Trinidad;  L.  Boyd  Walbridge,  Meeker;  Frederick  Goble,  Silverton; 
and  J.  E.  Maloney,  of  Littleton,  secretary  and  engineer. 

The  total  length  of  roads  in  the  state  in  1916  was  estimated  to  be  thirty-one 
thousand  miles,  of  which  550  miles  were  hard  surfaced.  No  roads  are  completed 
entirely  at  the  expense  of  the  state,  but  it  is  estimated  that  fifty-five  hundred 
miles  had  in  191 7  been  improved  partly  at  the  expense  of  the  state  and  partly 
at  the  expense  of  local  subdivisions. 

THE  ST.^TE  ROADS 

The  total  mileage  of  roads  in  the  state  on  January  i,  1918,  was  approximately 
40,000,  of  which  about  7,100  is  state  highways.  There  is  available  for  work  on 
state  and  county  roads  in  191 8  a  total  of  $800,000,  together  with  the  proportion- 
ate sum  from  the  counties.  The  Internal  Improvement  funds  and  Internal  In- 
come funds  total  $110,000.  The  half  mill  state  levy  for  roads  amounts  to  $600,- 
000.     The  auto  license  fund  is  approximately  $150,000. 

Under  the  Federal  act  of  July  11,  1916,  for  ten  years  of  Post  Road  building 
Colorado  will  receive  the  following  amounts:  1917,  $83,690;  1918,  $167,300; 
1919,  $251,070;  1920,  $334,760;  1921,  $418,450. 

The  State  Highway  Commission,  under  the  supervision  of  T.  J.  Ehrhart, 
commissioner,  and  J.  E.  Maloney,  engineer,  has  during  the  past  five  years  car- 
ried out  and  greatly  extended  the  system  planned  in  the  previous  three  years. 
Originally  the  plan  was  for  3,000  miles  of  state  road  construction.  This  has 
now  grown  to  7,100  miles,  for  the  first  time  in  the  past  few  decades  outdistanc- 
ing railroad  mileage,  which  today  is  approximately  5i8oO- 

The  most  important  of  the  state  roads  built  during  these  years  was  the  road 
now  known  as  the  "Great  North  and  South  Highway."  This  goes  from  Cheyenne 
to  Raton,  New  Mexico,  passing  through  Fort  Collins,  Loveland,  Longmont,  Den- 
ver, Colorado  Springs,  Pueblo,  Walsenburg,  Trinidad,  and  over  the  Raton  Pass 
to  Raton. 

The  entering  roads  from  the  east  are  first  of  all  the  Platte  River  road,  com- 
ing in  at  Julesburg.  This  is  along  one  of  the  old  overland  routes  and  follows  the 
Platte  River  through  Sterling,  Brush,  Fort  Morgan,  Greeley,  Brighton  and  into 
Denver.    This  now  is  the  Colorado  branch  of  the  Lincoln  Highway. 

There  are  six  main  roads,  including  the  above,  from  the  east  to  the  moun- 
tains. The  others  go  as  follows :  one  via  Holyoke,  joining  the  river  road  at  Ster- 
ling; another  by  the  old  trail  via  Wray  and  Akron,  joining  the  Lincoln  Highway 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  583 

at  Brush;  another  is  via  Burlington,  following  the  old  K.  P.  survey,  running 
from  Burlington  to  Limon,  branching  there  to  Colorado  Springs,  and  on  to  Den- 
ver. This  is  now  known  as  the  Golden  Belt  road,  also  as  a  part  of  the  Pike's 
Peak  Ocean  to  Ocean  Highway,  and  also  as  the  Kansas-Colorado  road.  The 
next  entrance  from  the  east  is  the  road  via  Cheyenne  Wells,  coming  via  Hugo  to 
Limon,  where  it  joins  the  Golden  Belt  Highway.  The  next  is  the  old  Santa  Fe 
Trail,  following  the  Arkansas  River  by  way  of  Holly,  Lamar,  Las  Animas,  La 
Junta,  Rocky  Ford,  Manzanola,  Fowler,  to  Pueblo.  The  present  state  highway 
from  La  Junta  to  Trinidad,  joins  the  North  and  South  Highway  at  Trinidad. 
From  La  Junta  to  Pueblo  the  road  is  known  as  the  new  Santa  Fe  Trail. 

There  is  another  entrance  to  the  state  via  the  Missouri  Pacific,  going  through 
Eads  and  Ordway,  and  joining  the  Santa  Fe  Trail  at  Manzanola. 

The  Midland  Trail  from  Denver  goes  through  to  Grand  Junction  and  Salt 
Lake  City,  following  the  Lookout  Mountain  trail  through  the  Denver  Mountain 
Park  system  to  Idaho  Springs,  then  over  Berthoud  Pass  to  Hot  Sulphur  Springs, 
Kremmling,  over  the  Trough  to  Wolcott,  and  then  following  the  Eagle  and  Grand 
rivers  to  Glenwood  Springs,  Rifle,  and  Grand  Junction,  west  to  the  state  line. 

A  state  road  branches  at  Rifle,  going  up  to  Meeker,  thence  west  to  the  "K" 
ranches  at  the  state  line,  then  via  Vernal  to  Salt  Lake  City.  Another  road  from 
Denver  is  by  way  of  Morrison  and  Turkey  Creek,  following  the  old  Leadville 
road  from  Conifer  to  Fairplay,  then  to  Buena  Vista  and  along  the  Arkansas 
River  to  Leadville,  crossing  Tennessee  Pass  and  following  the  Eagle  River  to 
Wolcott,  where  it  merges  into  the  Midland  Trail.  The  connection  from  Colo- 
rado Springs  is  by  way  of  Ute  Pass  into  the  South  Park  district,  joining  the 
Leadville  road  just  beyond  Hartsel,  thus  connecting  with  the  Midland  Trail. 
From  Pueblo  the  road  follows  the  Arkansas  through  Florence,  Canon  City,  Salida, 
to  Bucna  Vista,  connecting  there  with  the  road  above  mentioned  and  known  as 
the  old  Leadville  road.  From  Pueblo  to  Salida  is  part  of  what  is  known  as  the 
"Rainbow  route,"  which  runs  from  Salida  across  Monarch  Pass  into  Gunnison, 
following  the  Gunnison  River,  then  crossing  the  Cerro  Summit  and  dropping  into 
Montrose.  From  there  it  runs  by  Delta  to  Grand  Junction,  connecting  there  with 
the  Midland  Trail.  South  from  Montrose  it  runs  to  Ouray  and  Silverton.  From 
the  North  and  South  Highway  at  Walsenburg  the  state  road  runs  south  through 
La  Veta,  over  La  Veta  Pass  to  Fort  Garland  and  Alamosa.  There  it  follows  the 
.  Rio  Grande  River  through  Monte  Vista,  Del  Norte  to  South  Fork.  A  short 
branch  runs  up  through  Wagon  Wheel  Gap  to  Creede.  From  South  Fork  sta- 
tion the  road  follows  the  south  fork  of  the  Rio  Grande  over  Wolf  Creek  Pass, 
dropping  into  the  west  fork  of  the  San  Juan  River,  thence  to  Pagosa  Springs  and 
Durango,  Mancos,  Mesa  Verde  Park,  Cortez  and  the  Dolores  into  the  Montezuma 
Valley.  This  road,  known  as  the  Spanish  Trail,  also  leads  into  a  picturesque 
section  of  Utah,  that  containing  the  natural  bridges  and  scenic  wonders.  This 
was  the  old  region  of  the  so-called  lawless  characters.  This  is  now  part  of  the 
road  to  California  by  way  of  New  Mexico  and  Arizona,  which  is  under  con- 
struction. 

Between  Durango  and  Silverton  the  state  highway  is  now  being  constructed. 
This  will  finish  the  western  North  and  South  Highway,  giving  the  people  of  t*'e 
western  part  of  the  state  easy  access  to  northern  and  southern  points.    Work  is 


584  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

also  under  way  on  the  road  from  Dolores  to  Rico,  giving  another  outlet  in  this 
section. 

In  addition  to  these  there  are  main  state  highways  connecting  every  county 
seat  in  the  state. 

In  the  early  '80s  the  Government  built  a  road  to  Pagosa  Springs  from  Ala- 
mosa, going  along  the  Alamosa  River,  crossing  Ellwood  Pass  a  short  distance 
from  the  old  mines  at  Summitville,  then  dropping  down  Timber  Hill  and  the 
east  fork  of  the  San  Juan  to  its  junction  with  San  Juan,  thence  to  Pagosa  Springs. 
This  was  used  for  transporting  troops  and  supplies  quickly  into  regions  made 
dangerous  by  Indian  raids.  The  west  portion  of  the  old  road  was  washed  out 
by  the  flood  of  1912,  and  is  not  now  used.  The  Wolf  Creek  Pass  road  is  now 
a  better  road  to  the  same  section. 


CHAPTER  XXX 
EDUCATION  IN  COLORADO 

EARLY   SCHOOL    LAWS STANDARDIZATION — OPPORTUNITY    SCHOOL EARLY    HISTORY 

OF    THE     SCHOOLS     IN     EACH     COUNTY     OF    COLORADO PRESENT     ATTENDANCE, 

VALUES,    ETC. 

EARLY   SCHOOL   LAWS 

Among  the  acts  passed  by  the  first  Legislative  Assembly  of  Colorado,  held 
at  Denver  in  1861,  was  a  very  comprehensive  school  law,  similar  in  its  provisions 
to  that  then  in  force  in  the  State  of  Illinois.  This  law  provided  for  the  appoint- 
ment, by  the  governor,  during  that  session,  of  a  "Territorial  Superintendent  of 
Common  Schools,"  who  was  to  enter  upon  the  duties  of  his  office  on  the  first  day 
of  December,  1861,  and  to  continue  until  his  successor  was  duly  appointed  and 
qualified ;  he  was  to  receive  an  annual  salary  of  $500.  The  duties  were  minutely 
prescribed  and  were  similar  to  those  now  imposed  on  the  state  superintendent  of 
public  instruction,  with  the  additional  duty  of  recommending  to  the  several  school 
districts  a  uniform  series  of  text-books,  to  be  used  in  the  schools  thereof.  As  a 
matter  of  course,  the  superintendent  could  accomplish  but  little.  The  impulses 
of  the  people  were  in  the  right  direction,  but  the  essential  elements  of  success — 
children — were  wanting.  Some  of  the  first  school  districts  organized  were  as 
large  as  states,  while  the  school  population  numbered  less  than  a  score. 

It  may  be  interesting  to  note  that  the  first  effort  to  give  the  youths  of  this 
part  of  the  country  some  educational  advantages  was  made  by  O.  J.  Goldrick, 
later  county  superintendent,  who  opened  a  private  school  in  Auraria  in  1859. 
The  school  started  with  an  enrollment  of  thirteen  children — two  Indian  half- 
breeds,  two  Mexicans,  and  nine  whites. 

The  law  provided  for  the  election,  biennially,  of  a  county  superintendent  in 
each  county,  and  in  its  general  features  was  not  essentially  different  from  that 
of  the  present. 

At  the  second  session  of  the  Legislature,  begun  at  Colorado  City,  July  7,  1862, 
and  adjourned  to  Denver,  July  nth,  the  ordinary  school  revenue  was  sought  to 
be  supplemented  by  enacting  "That  hereafter  when  any  new  mineral  lode,  of 
either  gold  bearing  quartz,  silver,  or  other  valuable  metal,  shall  be  discovered  in 
this  Territory,  one  claim  of  one  hundred  feet  in  length  on  such  lode  shall  be 
set  apart  and  held  in  perpetuity  for  the  use  and  benefit  of  schools  in  this  Ter- 
ritory, subject  to  the  control  of  the  Legislative  Assembly." 

This  law  seemed  at  the  time  to  promise  much  for  the  schools,  but  the  results 
proved  to  be  insignificant ;  not  one  per  cent  of  the  thousands  of  claims  so  located 

585 


586  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

ever  contributed  a  dollar  to  the  school  fund;  a  few  were  sold  at  prices  ranging 
from  $5  to  $25. 

By  virtue  of  the  provisions  of  the  law  of  1861,  W.  Curtice  was,  by  Governor 
Gilpin,  appointed  "Territorial  Superintendent  of  Common  Schools"  and  entered 
upon  the  duties  of  his  office  December  ist  of  that  year. 

The  pioneers  and  immigrants  of  other  new  regions — Michigan,  Illinois,  Kan- 
sas, etc. — were  families,  seeking  permanent  homes,  while  those  of  Colorado  were 
fortune-hunting  men  only,  whose  wives  and  children  were  left  behind,  whose 
highest  ambition  and  only  intentions  were  to  remain  here  long  enough  to  gather 
wealth. 

Mr.  Curtice  resigned  his  office  in  1863,  and  William  S.  Walker  was  appointed 
to  the  vacancy.  Mr.  Walker  left  no  records  of  his  doings,  and  the  presumption 
is  that  little  or  nothing  was  done  in  the  office,  probably  from  the  fact,  as  above 
stated,  of  an  insufficiency  of  working  material. 

At  the  fourth  session  of  the  Legislature,  held  at  Golden  City,  in  1865,  the 
school  law  was  amended,  making  the  territorial  treasurer  ex  officio  superintendent 
of  public  instruction,  with  an  annual  salary  of  $500,  and  also  fixing  the  compen- 
sation of  county  superintendents  at  $5  a  day  for  actual  services;  prior  to  this 
the  superintendent  had  been  paid  "such  a  sum  as  the  county  commissioners  saw 
fit  to  allow."  By  this  last  enactment,  the  superintendency  fell  into  the  hands  of 
A.  W.  Atkins,  territorial  treasurer.  There  are  no  reports  of  his  official  work. 
The  same  may  be  said  of  his  successors  in  1866  and  1867.  At  the  fifth  session 
of  the  Legislature,  begun  at  Golden  City,  January  ist,  and  adjourned  to  Denver 
January  2,  1866,  a  law  was  passed  making  it  a  misdemeanor  to  jump  mineral 
claims  that  had  been  set  apart  for  schools,  or  for  failing  to  relinquish  such 
claims  as  had  previously  been  pre-empted ;  also,  providing  for  the  sale  and  leasing 
of  school  claims,  and  the  investment  of  the  proceeds  in  United  States  bonds; 
also,  for  giving  to  the  colored  people  a  pro  rata  share  of  the  school  fund  for  the 
maintenance  of  separate  schools. 

In  December.  1867,  Columbus  Nuckolls,  by  virtue  of  his  office  as  territorial 
treasurer,  became  superintendent.  His  deputy,  E.  L.  Berthoud,  evidently  set  out 
with  a  determination  to  bring  order  out  of  chaos;  still  but  little  was  accom- 
plished. 

The  chaotic  condition  of  school  affairs  continued  until  1870.  It  was  no  un- 
common thing  for  the  school  funds  to  be  misappropriated  by  both  county  and 
district  officers.  The  burden  of  the  songs  of  nearly  all,  who  were  by  law  required 
to  make  reports,  was  about  the  same:  "Lack  of  interest,"  "My  predecessor  In 
office  has  left  no  records,"  "I  hope  to  get  matters  in  shape  so  as  to  render  a  com- 
plete account  next  year,"  "School  matters  here  are  in  a  very  bad  condition;  for 
the  past  two  years  the  County  Commissioners  have  neglected  to  levy  a  school 
tax,  hence  we  have  no  money,"  etc.,  etc. 

The  advent  of  the  railroad  in  1870  seemed  like  a  new  birth;  the  effects  of  the 
success  of  the  smelting  works  at  Blackhawk,  which  had  been  in  operation  two 
years,  were  being  felt.  Confidence  and  stability  began  to  supplant  doubt  and 
makeshifts ;  it  had  been  completely  demonstrated  that  Colorado  was  to  become 
more  than  a  mere  mining  camp,  or  a  series  of  them.  The  favorable  results  of 
irrigation  had  demonstrated  beyond  a  doubt  that  farming  was,  ultimately,  to  play 
an  important  part  in  the  settlement  of  this  region.     Irrigation  canals  of  great 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  587 

extent  were  projected,  colonies  were  founded,  immigration  increased,  and  all  cir- 
cumstances tended  towards  the  upbuilding  of  a  great  commonwealth.  Costly 
public  schoolhouses  sprang  up  as  if  by  magic.  Following  those  of  Central  City 
and  Blackhawk,  were  the  still  finer  structures  of  Denver,  Greeley,  Golden,  Colo- 
rado Springs  and  Georgetown.  Private  and  sectarian  schools  and  seminaries 
kept  pace  with  the  public  schools. 

The  Legislature  of  1870  made  provision  for  a  State  School  of  Mines  to  be 
located  at  Golden  City,  and  also  established  the  office  of  superintendent  of  public 
instruction.  The  act  provided  that  the  governor,  "by  and  with  the  consent  of 
the  Legislative  Assembly,  should  appoint  a  suitable  person  to  said  office,  who 
should  hold  the  same  two  years  and  receive  a  salary  of  $1,000  a  year." 

By  virtue  of  this  enactment,  Governor  E.  M.  McCook  appointed  Wilbur  C. 
Lothrop  superintendent  of  public  instruction.  Superintendent  Lothrop  published 
his  first  report  December  20,  1871,  covering  the  years  1870-71.  Mr.  Lothrop  was 
reappointed  to  the  office  by  Governor  Elbert^  in  1872,  and  continued  until  July, 
1873,  when  he  resigned,  and  Horace  M.  Hale  was  called  to  the  vacancy.  In 
1874  Governor  Elbert  reappointed  Mr.  Hale,  and  in  1876  Governor  Routt  con- 
tinued him  in  the  office,  which  he  held  until  November,  1876,  when  Joseph  P. 
Shattuck,  who  had  been  elected  by  the  people  under  the  provisions  of  the  state 
constitution,  assumed  its  duties. 

The  complete  list  of  superintendents  appears  in  the  roster  of  state  officials 
in  the  chapters  on  State  Government. 

With  the  advent  of  statehood  the  schools,  both  city  and  country,  became 
thoroughly  modernized,  culminating  in  the  standardization,  particularly  of  the 
schools  of  the  second  and  third  class,  and  in  the  development  of  consolidated  or 
"Union"  schools  in  country  districts.  The  latter  plan  has  brought  the  curricu- 
lum of  the  country  schools  to  a  plane  with  that  of  the  graded  city  schools. 

STANDARDIZATION 

A  standard  school,  what  is  now  known  as  the  Colorado  plan,  means  one 
that  has  earned  sufficient  credits  to  be  recognized  by  the  State  Standardization 
Committee  and  the  State  Department  of  Public  Instruction  as  worthy  of  special 
commendation. 

Credits  are  given  for  the  proper  heating  and  lighting  and  ventilating  of  the 
school  building.  A  condition  of  ideal  cleanliness  is  required.  A  minimum  of 
two  hundred  cubic  feet  of  air  and  a  minimum  of  fifteen  square  feet  of  floor 
space  for  each  pupil  is  necessary'.  The  building  must  be  well  designed,  well 
painted,  the  site  must  be  convenient,  healthful  and  beautiful.  The  school  build- 
ing must  be  equipped  with  thoroughly  modern  furniture  and  possess  a  good 
library,  musical  instruments,  good  pictures  or  other  art  agencies,  and  tinted  walls 
and  well  finished  woodwork.  A  minimum  of  one  acre  of  ground  must  surround 
the  school  building.  Playground  apparatus,  lawn,  shrubs,  trees,  and  other  fea- 
tures of  aesthetic  and  economic  value  must  be  present.  The  school  district  must 
either  provide  a  tcacheragc  or  make  itself  responsible  for  securing  good  places 
for  the  teachers.  The  school  must  be  a  community  center  and  the  teacher  a  com- 
munity leader.  A  high  grade  of  teacher  iiuist  be  provided  and  good  salaries 
paid. 


588  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

These  are  the  requirements  of  standardization,  and  their  fulfilhnent  is  recog- 
nized by  the  presentation  of  a  tablet,  beautiful  in  design,  which  declares  the  grade 
of  standardization  attained  by  the  school. 

The  first  Standardization  Day  was  observed  on  February  25,  1917,  although 
2j4  years  of  work  had  gone  to  prepare  the  way  for  this  great  educational  and 
civic  holiday.  In  19 18  there  are  305  standard  schools  in  the  State  of  Colorado, 
17  of  which  are  "Superior,"  115  "Approved,"  and  173  "Probationary." 

Among  recent  methods  of  securing  the  betterment  of  rural  schools,  standardi- 
zation has  come  to  be  considered  one  of  the  most  practical  and  efficient.  It  re- 
quires no  legislation  to  effectuate  this  form  of  school  improvement,  the  constitu- 
tional authority  of  the  state  department  of  education  being  amply  sufficient  to 
put  it  in  operation.  It  appeals  to  local  self-respect  and  pride  in  the  local  school 
and  community  and  it  stimulates  local  initiative.  It  includes  no  denunciation  of 
present  conditions,  but  holds  fine  aims  before  the  minds  of  teachers,  pupils,  tax- 
payers and  school  patrons  generally.  It  stands  for  practical  idealism  in  school 
work,  energizes  the  higher  motives,  and  makes  definite  requirements  which  must 
be  met  by  all  who  care  for  the  schools. 

OPPORTUNITY   SCHOOL 

In  the  city  its  culmination  has  been  the  creation  of  a  system  of  splendid  man- 
ual training  schools  and  of  what  is  now  known  as  the  "Opportunity"  school,  the 
credit  of  which  must  go  both  to  the  creator  of  the  idea.  Carlos  M.  Cole,  superin- 
tendent of  the  Denver  schools,  and  to  Miss  Emily  Griffith  who  has  so  successfully 
developed  the  new  school  that  it  is  now  attracting  the  attention  of  educators  all 
over  the  country.  It  was  the  idea  of  Mr.  Cole  to  establish  a  school  in  which  the 
three  usual  elements  of  school  control  were  to  be  eliminated.  It  was  to  have  no 
definite  hours,  but  was  to  begin  and  end  daily  according  to  the  needs  of  its  pupils. 
It  was  to  have  no  age  limit  and  it  was  to  have  none  of  the  usual  educational  re- 
quirements for  admission.  It  was  to  be  a  people's  school  in  which  trades  for 
men  and  women  could  be  acquired,  and  in  which  elementary  education  was  to  be 
at  hand  for  men  and  women  who  had  lacked  early  opportunities.  The  Denver 
"Opportunity"  school  begins  at  8:30  a.  m.,  and  closes  at  9  p.  m.  During  these 
hours  it  often  serves  as  many  as  three  thousand  individuals. 

EARLY    HISTORY    OF   THE    SCHOOLS    BY    COUNTIES 

Early  attempts  to  open  schools  in  what  was  part  of  Arapahoe  County  and 
what  is  now  Denver  met  with  but  little  encouragement.  A  private  school  con- 
ducted in  1S59  had  but  nine  white  pupils.  But  in  October,  1862,  under  territorial 
enactment  the  first  election  for  members  of  boards  of  education  was  held  and 
two  districts  organized.  The  first  public  school,  with  three  teachers,  was  con- 
ducted by  the  second  district  officers  on  the  upper  floor  of  a  roomy  two-story 
brick  building  on  Larimer  between  Tenth  and  Eleventh  streets.  A  few  days 
later  the  first  district  officials  opened  the  Bayaud  School  on  the  present  site  of 
the  American  House. 

In   1868,  upon  the  demand  of  some  of  the  patrons,  a  separate  school  for 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  589 

colored  children  was  opened  temporarily  at  Sixteenth  and  Market  streets,  and 
a  German  private  school  was  reorganized  as  a  public  school. 

The  first  official  records  show  that  in  1870  there  were  ten  school  districts  in 
Arapahoe  County,  having  a  total  school  population  of  1,122  persons  and  an  ap- 
propriation for  the  year  of  $18,096.55. 

At  the  close  of  1880  there  were  thirty-two  organized  districts  in  the  county 
and  12,046  persons  of  school  age.  The  apportionment  for  the  year  was  $70,- 
606.31. 

The  decade  1880-90  shows  an  unprecedented  increase  in  school  affairs.  The 
school  population  was  more  than  doubled,  the  number  of  schools  more  than 
trebled,  and  sixty-five  new  districts  were  formed. 

During  the  next  decade  no  new  districts  were  formed.  There  was  a  gradual 
growth  in  school  population  and  a  proportionate  increase  in  school  accommoda- 
tions. 

In  1903  the  consolidation  of  the  districts  was  completed  and  the  supervision 
placed  in  the  hands  of  Superintendent  Aaron  Gove,  assisted  by  L.  C.  Greenlee 
and  C.  E.  Chadsey. 

The  superintendents  in  succession  were :  L.  C.  Greenlee,  C.  E.  Chadsey,  and 
William  H.  Smiley,  and  the  present  superintendent,  Carlos  M.  Cole. 

On  January  I,  1916,  there  were  in  Denver  73  schools  with  871  school  rooms, 
63  school  libraries  and  all  valued  at  $4,549,753.  The  enrollment  was  4,916  in 
high  schools,  4,194  in  rural  schools,  and  a  total  of  41,781  enrolled  in  the  public 
schools. 

The  first  high  school  of  the  county  was  established  in  District  No.  i  in  1874. 
The  Arapahoe  School,  situated  on  Arapahoe  Street,  between  Seventeenth  and 
Eighteenth,  was  used  for  this  purpose  until  1881,  when  the  present  high  school 
was  finished.  District  No.  2  opened  a  high  school  in  1881,  but  had  no  separate 
building  until  1893,  the  date  of  the  completion  of  the  present  high  school. 

District  No.  17  organized  its  first  high  school  in  the  Ashland  School  in  1883; 
District  No.  7,  the  South  Denver  section  of  the  city,  in  the  Grand  School  in 
1892,  and  District  No.  21  in  the  Villa  Park  School  in  1895. 

.^t  the  time  of  the  consolidation  of  the  districts  there  were  eight  high  schools 
in  Arapahoe  County,  including  the  five  mentioned  above,  one  at  Brighton,  one  at 
Littleton  and  the  Manual  Training,  established  by  District  No.  i  in  1897. 

At  present  there  are  in  existence  the  East  Side  high  school,  the  Manual  Train- 
ing high  school,  the  North  Side  high  school,  the  Denver  School  of  Trades  and 
the  West  Side  high  school. 

In  Adams  County,  which  was  part  of  Arapahoe,  the  school  enrollment  in 
1916  was  2,479.  The  enrollment  in  the  high  school  at  Brighton  was  143 ;  in  rural 
schools,  965.  There  are  65  school  buildings,  with  94  schoolrooms,  in  the  county. 
In  Arapahoe  County,  separated  from  Denver,  there  are  45  schoolhouses,  with 
86  schoolrooms.  There  are  high  schools  at  Englewood  and  at  Littleton,  with  an 
attendance  January  i,  1916,  of  159.  The  total  enrolled  in  the  public  schools  of 
the  county  on  that  date  was  1,842. 

Archuleta  County. — School  District  No.  5,  of  Conejos  County,  was  detached 
from  this  county  May  20,  1885,  and  known  as  Archuleta  County,  and  F.  A. 
Byrne  was  appointed  county  superintendent  of  schools. 

The  first  schoolhotise  was  a  frame  building  22  by  30  and  12  feet  high,  one 


590  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

room,  with  wooden  benches,  one  stove,  poor  ventilation,  and  no  school  apparatus. 
Thirty  pupils  were  enrolled  on  the  teacher's  daily  register. 

In  1888  and  in  1903  new  schoolhouses  were  built. 

The  county  contains  a  large  per  cent  of  Mexican  children,  which  causes  a 
slower  progress  in  the  teachers'  work,  as  they  must  learn  the  language  over  and 
above  what  the  American  children  do. 

Baca  County. — What  is  now  Baca  County  was  part  of  Las  Animas  County 
until  April  16,  1889,  when  it  was  organized  into  a  county  under  the  present 
name.     Prior  to  this  there  were  thirty-two  school  districts. 

During  the  rapid  settlement  of  the  county  in  1887  and  1888,  ten  school  dis- 
tricts were  organized  in  1887  and  twenty-one  districts  in  1888. 

There  are  now  forty-three  districts,  and  a  school  age  census  of  1,879. 

Bent  County.- — There  is  a  record  of  a  private  school  established  in  what  is 
now  Bent  County  in  1869  at  Las  Animas.  Bent's  early  educational  history  is 
that  of  the  counties  from  which  it  was  segregated.  On  January  i,  1916,  there 
were  forty-five  school  districts  in  the  county,  with  a  school  age  census  of  2,205. 
The  attendance  of  the  high  school  in  Las  Animas  was  135.  The  total  attendance 
in  the  public  schools  of  the  county  was  1,295.  It  has  thirty-four  schoolhouses, 
with  sixty-one  rooms,  and  a  total  school  property  valuation  of  $72,211. 

Boulder  County. — Robert  J.  Woodward,  superintendent  in  1868,  reported 
thirteen  districts  and  439  persons  of  school  age.  The  first  public  school  was 
opened  in  i860,  with  A.  R.  Brown  as  teacher.  Air.  Brown  had  taught  a  private 
school  the  winter  before.  The  first  schoolhouse  was  built  in  the  fall  of  i860. 
This  is  claimed  to  be  the  first  schoolhouse  built  in  the  territory — a  one-room  frame 
building,  which  was  used  also  for  town  and  church  purposes. 

On  January  i,  1916,  Boulder  County  had  eighty-two  schools,  with  196  rooms, 
with  a  total  county  school  valuation  of  $537,462.  The  high  school  enrollment 
was  810,  and  the  total  public  school  enrollment  was  3,428.  There  are  high 
schools  at  Boulder,  Longmont,  Louisville  and  Lafayette. 

Chaffee  County. — This  is  one  of  the  counties  created  after  statehood.  On 
January, I.  1916,  it  had  thirty-five  schoolhouses.  with  seventy-four  rooms,  total 
valuation,  $138,400.  In  the  high  schools  at  Salida  and  Buena  Vista  the  enroll- 
ment was  228.  The  total  enrollment  in  the  public  schools  on  January  i,  1916, 
was  1,698. 

Cheyenne  County. — This  is  another  of  the  eastern  counties  segregated  after 
statehood.  On  January  i,  1916,  there  were  forty-eight  pupils  enrolled  in  the 
high  school  at  Cheyenne  Wells.  The  total  enrollment  in  the  public  schools  of 
the  county  January  i,  1916,  was  796.  There  were  in  the  county  sixty-six  school- 
houses,  with  seventy-five  rooms,  and  valued  at  $63,410. 

Clear  Creek  County. — In  i86q  there  were  twenty-five  school  children  in  the 
county,  and  they  occupied  a  schoolhouse  which  had  cost  $2,300  to  erect.  During 
the  gold  excitement  there  was  a  considerable  growth  in  school  population.  On 
January  i,  1916,  there  were  sixteen  school  houses,  with  forty-two  rooms,  and 
valued  at  $94,256,  in  the  coimty.  The  enrollment  in  the  high  school  was  118, 
and  the  total  public  school  population  was  837. 

Conejos  and  Alamosa  counties.- — Both  are  counties  segregated  in  later  years. 
On  January  i,  1916,  there  were  enrolled  in  the  Alamosa  high  school  seventy-six 
pupil^  with  a  total  public  school  population  in  the  county  of  1,066.    Conejos  had 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  591 

fifty-seven  in  the  La  Jara  consolidated  school,  and  a  total  public  school  enroll- 
ment in  the  county  of  2,185.  I"  Alamosa  there  were  twenty-seven  schools,  with 
forty-four  rooms,  and  valued  at  $62,075.  I"  Conejos  there  were  thirty-two 
schools,  with  sixty-five  rooms,  and  valued  at  $82,477. 

Costilla  County. — On  January  i,  1916,  there  were  thirteen  districts,  with 
thirty-three  teachers  in  the  county.  The  total  school  enrollment  in  the  high 
school  grades  was  twenty-seven;  total  public  school  enrollment  in  county,  1,047. 
There  were  in  the  county  fifteen  schools,  with  thirty-eight  rooms,  and  valued  at 

$55,550. 

Crowley  County. — This  was  segregated  in  late  years  from  Bent  and  Prowers. 
On  January  i,  1916,  there  were  twenty-six  schools  in  the  county,  with  appro.xi- 
mately  thirty-eight  rooms,  and  valued  at  $81,500.  The  high  schools  at  Ordway 
and  Sugar  City  have  an  enrollment  of  no.  The  total  enrollment  in  the  county 
was  1,586. 

Custer  County. — The  first  public  school  taught  in  what  is  now  Custer  County 
was  in  School  District  No.  8,  Fremont  County,  in  Wet  Mountain  Valley,  about 
four  miles  southwest  from  Silver  Cliff.  A  five  months'  term  was  taught  here  in 
the  winter  of  1871-72,  by  Miss  Louisa  V.  Verden.  There  was  probably  an  average 
attendance  of  a  dozen  pupils. 

On  January  i,  1916,  there  were  enrolled  in  the  public  schools  of  Custer 
County  428  pupils.  These  were  housed  in  twenty-two  school  buildings,  with 
twenty-eight  rooms.     School  property  is  valued  at  $12,800. 

Delta  County. — The  early  school  history  of  this  county  is  told  in  that  of  the 
Western  Slope  counties,  out  of  which  it  was  segregated.  On  January  i,  1916, 
there  were  enrolled  in  the  high  schools  of  Delta,  Hotchkiss  and  Paonia,  591 
'  pupils.  The  total  enrollment  in  the  county  was  3,966.  There  were  fifty-three 
schoolhouses  in  the  county  with  132  rooms,  and  valued  at  $214,223.  Delta  County 
has  twenty-seven  school  libraries. 

Dolores  County. — This  also  was  segregated  in  later  years.  On  January  i, 
1916,  there  were  147  pupils  enrolled  in  its  public  schools.  They  were  housed  in 
six  schoolhouses,  with  nine  rooms,  and  a  total  valuation  of  $12,400. 

Douglas  County.— The  early  history  of  this  county  is  that  of  its  immediate 
county  neighbors,  from  whom  it  was  separated  after  statehood.  On  January  i, 
19 1 6,  there  were  seventy-seven  pupils  enrolled  in  the  high  school  at  Castle  Rock. 
The  total  enrollment  in  the  county  was  726.  The  county  has  forty-six  school- 
houses,  with  fifty-seven  rooms,  and  valued  at  $77,410. 

Eagle  County. — This  also  is  one  of  the  later  counties.  On  January  i,  191 6, 
there  were  enrolled  in  the  high  scho<:)l  at  Gypsum  seventy-seven  pupils.  The 
total  enrollment  in  the  public  schools  of  the  county  was  878.  There  were  thirty- 
three  public  schools,  with  forty-six  rooins,  in  the  county,  and  these  were  valued 
at  $63,400. 

Elbert  County. — On  January  i,  1916,  there  were  enrolled  in  the  high  schools 
at  Elizabeth  and  .Simla  cighly-threc  pupils,  ;.nd  the  total  enrollment  in  the  public 
schools  of  the  county  was  1,565.  Elbert  County  had  January  i,  1916,  a  total  of 
ninety-nine  schoolhouses,  with  109  rooms,  and  a  valuation  of  $56,945. 

El  Paso  County. — In  1868  there  were  in  El  Paso  County  six  districts,  and 
235  persons  of  school  age.  The  first  school  was  opened  at  Colorado  City.  On 
Januarv'  i,   tot6.  there  were  enrolled  in   the  high   schools  of  Colorado   .'^jirings 


592  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

1,504  pupils,  with  a  total  enrollment  in  the  public  schools  of  the  county  of  9,301. 
There  were  on  January  i,  1916,  143  public  schools  in  the  county,  with  321  rooms. 
The  valuation  of  school  property  was  placed  at  $1,278,421. 

Fremont  County. — In  1869  there  were  seven  districts  in  the  county,  and  180 
persons  of  school  age,  and  as  the  superintendent  phrased  it,  "a  general  indif- 
ference in  the  matter  of  schools."  On  January  i,  1916,  the  enrollment  in  the 
high  schools  of  Canon  City,  Florence  and  South  Cafion  was  483,  with  a  total 
public  school  enrollment  of  4,187.  There  were  in  the  county  sixty-two  schools, 
with  147  rooms,  and  the  school  property  was  valued  at  $279,640. 

Garfield  County. — On  January  i,  1916,  there  were  in  Garfield  County  fifty- 
four  schoolhouses,  with  loi  rooms,  and  valued  at  $198,850.  The  enrollment  m 
the  high  schools  of  Carbondale,  Rifle,  Grand  \"alley.  Silt,  New  Castle  and  Glen- 
wood  Springs,  was  306;  total  enrollment  in  public  schools  of  the  county,  2,468. 

Gilpin  County. — Thomas  Campbell  reported  in  1868,  five  school  districts, 
with  639  persons  of  school  age,  nine  teachers,  salaries  from  $50  to  $150  a 
month.  The  first  school  taught  in  this  county  was  a  private  school,  by  Miss 
Ellen  F.  Kendall,  in  her  father's  house,  in  the  fall  of  1862.  A  public  school 
was  soon  after  opened,  and  Miss  Kendall  gave  up  her  school  to  assist 
Thomas  Campbell  in  its  management.  In  this  county  were  built,  1870,  the  first 
permanent  schoolhouses  in  Colorado,  Central  City  building  a  granite  house  at 
a  cost  of  $20,000,  and  Blackhawk,  a  frame,  costing  $15,000. 

On  January  i,  1916,  there  were  enrolled  in  the  high  school  at  Central  City 
fifty-nine  pupils.  The  total  enrollment  in  the  county  was  455.  There  were 
eighteen  schoolhouses,  with  thirty-six  rooms,  and  valued  at  $89,490  in  the 
in  the  county. 

Grand  County. — On  January  i,  1916,  there  were  enrolled  in  the  Union  high 
school  at  Kremmling  twenty  pupils.  The  total  enrollment  in  the  county  was 
359.  There  were  sixteen  schoolhouses,  with  twenty-two  rooms,  and  valued  at 
$19,144,  in  the  county. 

Gunnison  County. — The  rush  to  Gunnison  in  1879  and  1880  was  followed 
immediately  by  the  establishment  of  the  school  system.  By  1890  the  county  had 
a  school  population  of  844.  There  were  twenty  school  districts  and  eighteen 
buildings,  valued  at  $42,850.  On  January  i,  1916,  there  were  enrolled  in  the 
high  school  at  Gunnison  141  pupils.  The  total  enrollment  in  the  county  was 
1,323.  There  were  in  the  county  thirty-five  schoolhouses,  with  sixty-five  rooms, 
and  valued  at  $89,473. 

Hinsdale  County. — The  first  school  district  was  organized  in  1876,  and  in 
a  few  months  had  pupils  in  ten  grades.  In  1890  there  were  145  pupils  enrolled 
in  its  four  districts,  and  at  school  in  its  three  schoolhouses.  The  schools  then  in 
existence  were  valued  at  $32,000.  On  January  i,  1916,  there  were  eight  school- 
houses,  with  fourteen  rooms,  in  the  county;  valuation,  $19,082.  There  was  an 
enrollment  of  ten  in  the  high  school  grades,  and  a  total  enrollment  of  no  in 
the  public  schools  of  the  county. 

Huerfano  County. — The  first  schoolhouse  was  built  at  St.  Mary's,  on  the 
old  Gate  Patterson  place,  by  the  people  of  the  community,  in  1869,  and  in  1870 
a  man  by  the  name  of  Harland  taught  school  in  it.  Judge  J.  A.  J.  Valdez  taught 
a  school  in  Cucharas,  and  drew  his  pay  from  the  county,  $300.  About  1871, 
Father  Jose  Piercevoux,  a  lay  priest,  taught  a  school  in  Walsenburg.     The  first 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  593 

records,  in  1874,  show  that  at  that  time  there  were  eight  school  districts  in  the 
county,  i.  e. :  Gardner,  Badito,  St.  Mary's,  Butte  \'alley.  La  Veta,  Walsenburg, 
Santa  Clara,  and  Cucharas. 

The  first  schoolhouse  in  Walsenburg  was  built  in  1875,  and  the  deed  was 
given  in  1876.  It  was  built  on  what  is  West  Sixth  Street  on  the  lot  now  oc- 
cupied by  the  fire  department.  The  first  high  school  was  that  of  Walsenburg, 
which  was  estabhshed  in  1896.  The  La  Veta  Union  high  school  was  organized 
in  1905;  it  comprises  five  districts.  The  County  high  school  was  established  in 
1906. 

On  January  i,  1916,  there  were  enrolled  in  the  Walsenburg  and  La  Veta  high 
schools,  138  pupils.  The  total  enrollment  in  the  public  schools  of  the  county 
was  3,568.  There  were  fifty-nine  school  buildings,  with  106  rooms,  valued  at 
$146,743,  in  the  county. 

Jackson  County. — The  early  school  history  of  Larimer  County  covers  the 
beginnings  in  this  section.  On  January  i,  1916,  there  were  nine  schoolhouses, 
with  twelve  rooms,  in  the  county,  and  the  valuation  of  this  property  was  $7,200. 
The  enrollment  on  January  i,  1916,  was  nineteen  in  the  high  school  at  Walden, 
and  a  total  of  164  in  the  public  schools  of  the  county. 

Jefferson  County. — M.  C.  Kirby,  superintendent,  reported  in  1868  ten  dis- 
tricts, with  429  persons  of  school  age.  The  first  school  was  taught  at  Golden 
City,  in  the  winter  of  i860,  by  J.  Daugherty,  with  eighteen  pupils  in  attendance. 
The  first  public  school  was  opened  in  the  same  district  in  1863,  and  taught  by 
Miss  Bell  Dixon.  In  1863  a  one-story  brick  schoolhouse  was  built,  which  was 
used  also  by  the  governor  as  an  office.  It  was  burned,  and  another  was  built 
on  the  site. 

In  1890  the  South  Golden  schoolhouse,  built  in  1873,  and  the  North  Golden 
school,  built  in  1879,  were  pretentious  structures.  The  school  population  in  this 
year  was  1,548.  There  were  forty-five  schoolhouses,  nine  of  logs,  twenty-eight 
frame  and  eight  of  brick  and  stone.  The  high  school  in  1890  had  an  enrollment 
of  fifty-seven. 

On  January  i,  191 6,  there  were  317  pupils  in  the  high  school,  and  2,863 
enrolled  in  the  public  schools  of  the  county.  The  schoolhouses  numbered  sixty, 
with  116  rooms,  and  valued  at  $206,272. 

Kiowa  County. — This  was  part  of  Bent  County  until  1889.  By  the  census 
of  1890  its  school  population  was  411.  Its  schoolhouses  numbered  seven,  and 
were  put  up  at  a  cost  of  about  eleven  thousand  dollars. 

On  January  i,  1916,  there  were  fifty-one  schoolhouses  in  the  county,  with 
seventy-two  rooms,  and  valued  at  $53,525.  The  enrollment  in  the  high  school 
grades  was  seventy-one ;  total  enrollment  in  the  public  schools  of  the  county, 
1,240. 

Kit  Carson  County. — The  first  record  of  schools  in  Kit  Carson  County  dates 
back  to  1886,  when  the  territory  now  embraced  in  Kit  Carson  County  was  a 
part  of  Elbert  County.  From  this  time  to  May  ist,  1889,  thirty-one  schools  were 
established.  The  record  shows  the  existence  of  two  other  schools,  which  must 
have  been  established  previous  to  the  above,  but  does  not  tell  when  they  were 
established.  They  were  districts  26,  at  Carlysle,  and  39,  at  Tuttle,  one  of  which 
must  have  been  the  first  school  established  in  this  section. 

From  i88g  to  1895  new  districts  were  established,  boundaries  were  changed. 


594  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

and  a  few  districts  were  annulled,  until  there  were  forty-six  districts,  representing 
as  many  schools,  the  largest  number  of  districts,  but  not  the  largest  number  of 
schools,  in  the  history  of  the  county. 

From  1895  to  1903  a  great  many  people  left  the  county,  and  ten  districts  were 
annulled. 

The  first  graded  school  was  taught  in  the  Town  of  Burlington,  in  1893-94. 

From  1893  and  1894  to  1900  a  school  having  but  one,  or,  perhaps,  two 
pupils  enrolled,  was  not  an  unusual  thing;  now  a  great  many  of  the  country 
schools  enroll  thirty,  forty,  and  as  high  as  fifty-six  pupils. 

In  1916  there  were  118  pupils  enrolled  in  the  high  schools  of  the  county,  and 
a  total  enrollment  of  2,048  in  the  county.  In  that  year  there  were  100  school- 
houses,  with  125  rooms,  and  valuation  was  placed  at  $76,063. 

Lake  County. — In  February,  1879,  Chaffee  County  was  divided,  and  the 
portion  now  known  as  Lake  County  was  organized  into  a  new  county.  Previous 
to  this  division  there  were  three  organized  school  districts  in  the  section  now 
known  as  Lake  County.  The  most  reliable  information  obtainable  fixes  the  date 
of  the  establishment  of  the  first  school,  at  Oro  City,  in  1876. 

In  1878  the  first  school  was  established  in  Leadville,  with  an  enrollment  of 
thirty  pupils.  In  1879  the  commencement  of  the  "boom"  days,  six  additional 
rented  rooms  and  eight  teachers  were  necessary  to  care  for  the  four  or  five  hun- 
dred pupils  enrolled. 

The  annual  report  for  1908  shows  that  there  were  twenty  school  buildings 
in  Lake  County,  with  fifty-five  teachers.  The  school  buildings  were  valued  at 
$133,900.  The  high  school  building  erected,  in  1907,  in  Leadville,  was  one  of 
the  best  equipped  in  the  state. 

On  January  i,  1916,  there  were  twenty-one  schools,  with  forty-nine  rooms, 
and  valued  at  $140,931.15.  The  enrollment  in  the  high  school  was  250;  total  en- 
rollment in  public  schools  of  county,   1,521. 

La  Plata  County. — In  1876  the  first  school  district  was  organized,  in  what  is  now 
La  Plata  County ;  the  county  superintendent  was  F.  G.  Hagan. 

Durango,  included  in  District  No.  g,  vvas  organized  February  9,  1881,  with 
twenty-six  children  of  school  age  on  the  census  list.  The  county  seat  was 
then  at  Parrott.  C.  M.  Hoge  was  then  county  superintendent.  In  1888  there 
were  twenty  districts  in  the  county.  Not  until  1905  was  all  the  territory  in  the 
county  organized  into  school  districts. 

By  1890  the  total  school  population  had  grown  to  1,056,  with  an  enrollment 
of  745.  There  were  sixteen  schoolhouses  in  La  Plata  County,  which  were  valued 
approximately  at  thirty-two  thousand  dollars.  On  January  i,  1916,  there  were  in 
the  county  fifty-six  schoolhouses,  with  104  rooms,  and  valued  at  $152,300.  The 
high  school  enrollment  was  312,  and  the  total  number  of  pupils  in  the  public 
schools  of  the  county  was  2,582. 

Larimer  County. — James  M.  Smith,  superintendent,  reported,  in  1868,  three 
school  districts,  with  seventy-five  persons  of  school  age.  The  first  school  (pri- 
vate") was  taught  in  1864,  near  the  present  site  of  Loveland,  by  Mrs.  A.  L.  Wash- 
burn ;  her  patrons  paid  her  $10  a  month.  The  first  public  school  was  opened  in 
the  winter  of  1865,  near  Loveland,  and  taught  by  Edward  Smith.  In  1868  a 
log  schoolhouse  was  built  by  contributors  of  labor  and  material.  La  Porte  also 
opened  a  public  school  in  1865. 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  595 

In  1890  the  school  population  of  the  county  was  2,757,  ^"tl  ot  these  2,272 
were  enrolled.  There  were  fifty-six  schoolhouses,  valued  at  nearly  ninety  thou- 
sand dollars,  and  in  Fort  Collins  the  Franklin,  built  in  1886,  and  the  Remington, 
in  1878,  had  cost  respectively  $20,000  and  $10,000. 

On  January  i,  1916,  there  were  -j-j-j  pupils  enrolled  in  the  several  high  schools 
of  the  county,  the  largest  number  in  Loveland  and  Fort  Collins.  The  total  en- 
rollment in  the  public  schools  of  the  county  was  6,810.  There  were  seventy- 
three  schoolhouses,  with  204  rooms,  in  the  county,  with  a  valuation  of  $595,553. 

Las  Animas  County. — Las  Animas  County  was  created  by  an  act  of  the 
Legislature  in  1866,  and  in  the  early  part  of  the  following  year  the  first  school 
district  in  the  county  was  organized,  in  Trinidad,  which  was  known  as  "School 
District  No.  i."  This  district  embraced,  originally,  within  its  territory,  what  are 
now  known  as  Starkville,  Sopris,  Jansen,  Engleville,  El  More  and  Bowen.  The 
first  school  was  started  in  the  new  district  in  the  fall  of  1867,  with  George  Boyles 
as  teacher. 

In  1867  Jefferson  W.  Lewelling  was  elected  the  first  county  superintendent, 
but  had  to  resign,  and  Joseph  Davis  was  appointed  in  his  place. 

The  schools  of  Las  Animas  County  developed  rapidly.  By  1890  there  were 
in  Trinidad  three  two-story  brick  schools,  a  private  academy,  the  Tillotson,  and 
a  business  college.  In  that  year,  1,844  ptipi's  were  enrolled  in  the  public  schools, 
with  an  enrollment  fully  as  large  in  the  parochial  schools,  which  most  of  the 
Mexican  children  attended.     There  were,  however,  thirty-three  public  schools. 

On  January  i,  1916,  there  were  enrolled  in  the  high  school  449;  and  the  total 
enrollment  in  the  ptiblic  schools  of  the  county  was  9,077.  The  public  schools 
numbered  eighty-nine,  with  230  rooms,  and  a  valuation  of  $561,805. 

Lincoln  County. — In  1890  there  were  seven  schools  in  the  county.  In  that 
year  Hugo  built  an  $8,000  school  building.  On  January  i,  1916,  there  were  in 
Lincoln  County  twenty-nine  public  schools,  with  116  rooms,  and  valued  at  $130,- 
877.  In  the  high  school  at  Hugo  the  enrollment  was  1 19.  The  total  public  school 
enrollment  in  the  county  was  951. 

Logan  County. — The  early  school  history  of  this  county,  created  in  1887,  is 
largely  that  of  Weld  County.  By  1883  Sterling  had  a  fine  $6,000  school  build- 
ing, the  Franklin;  and  by  1888  the  Broadway,  costing  $10,000.  was  built.  By 
the  census  of  1890  Logan  had  1,104  of  school  age,  of  whom  900  were  enrolled, 
thirty-seven  in  the  Sterling  high  school.  There  were  thirty  schoolhouses,  and 
the  value  of  the  school  property  was  approximately  thirty-three  thousand  dollars. 

On  January  i,  1916,  there  were  four  high  schools  in  the  county,  the  Industrial 
Arts  high  school  at  Sterling,  and  the  Union  high  schools  at  Atwood,  Merino  and 
Crook.  On  January  i,  1916,  there  were  386  enrolled  in  the  high  schools,  and  the 
total  public  school  enrolhnent  was  3,610.  There  were  ninety-three  schoolhouses 
in  the  county,  with  139  rooms,  and  a  valuation  of  $300,080. 

Mesa  County. — The  first  schoolhouse  on  the  site  of  Grand  Junction  was  one 
made  of  pickets,  about  the  period  of  the  town's  beginning  in  1881.  The  first 
election  held  was  for  members  of  a  school  board,  and  W.  M.  McKelvcy,  O.  D. 
Russell  and  Dr.  H.  K.  Stroud  were  chosen  to  supervise  the  work  of  Miss  Nannie 
Blair,  the  teacher.     From  that  time  on  the  growth  of  the  schools  was  rapid. 

In  1890  there  were  twelve  school  buildings,  with  fifteen  pupils  in  the  first 
high  school.    The  total  enrollment  was  nearly  seven  hundred.     In  January,  1916, 


596  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

there  were  Union  high  schools  at  Fruita  and  Collbran,  a  Senior  high  school 
and  a  Junior  high  school  at  Grand  Junction,  with  high  school  grades  at  Pali- 
sade. There  were  797  pupils  in  the  high  schools  of  the  county,  with  a  total 
public  school  enrollment  of  5,165.  The  schoolhouses  numbered  sixty-five,  with 
239  rooms,  and  valued  at  $383,700. 

Mineral  County. — Mineral  County  was  organized  in  April,  1893.  Governor 
Waite  appointed  W.  A.  Gipson  superintendent  of  schools  of  the  new  county. 
May  3rd  three  schools  were  established,  at  Weaver,  Sunnyside  and  Spar  City. 
June  6th  school  commenced  at  Bachelor  and  Creedmore.  In  1894  the  census  was 
364,  a  decrease  of  ninety-eight  from  the  preceding  year.  In  1907  the  census 
was  430,  and  enrollment  323.     Nine  teachers  were  employed. 

On  January  i,  1916,  there  were  thirty-eight  enrolled  in  the  high  school  at 
North  Creede.  The  total  enrollment  in  the  county  was  210.  The  seven  school 
buildings  were  valued  at  $13,800. 

Moffat  County. — The  early  history  of  Routt  County  covers  "the  first  period 
of  this  region.  On  January  i,  1916,  there  were  thirty  schoolhouses  in  the  county, 
with  forty-three  rooms,  and  valued  at  $40,840.  There  were  fifty-one  enrolled  in 
high  school  grades,  with  a  total  public  school  enrollment  in  the  county  of  516. 

Montezuma  County. — The  first  school  district  was  organized  and  the  first 
school  opened  in  Cortez  on  August  i,  1887.  By  1890  a  high  school  had  been 
built  at  Mancos,  and  had  forty  pupils  enrolled,  and  a  two-story  stone  structure 
had  been  put  up  at  Cortez. 

The  enrollment  in  the  county  in  that  year  was  549.  On  January  i,  1916, 
there  were  forty-one  schools  in  the  county,  with  sixty-three  rooms,  and  valued 
at  $55,580.  The  high  school  enrollment  was  107,  and  total  public  school  enroll- 
ment  1,529. 

Montrose  County. — District  No.  i,  Montrose,  was  organized  in  1883.  The 
first  building  was  a  brick  one  of  four  rooms.  The  County  high  school  was  or- 
ganized in  1904,  with  three  teachers. 

School  District  No.  2,  Montrose  R.  F.  D.  No.  i,  was  formed  in  1883,  from 
a  part  of  District  No.  i,  and  extending  north  from  that. 

School  District  No.  3,  ^Montrose  R.  F.  D.  No.  2,  was  formed  in  1883  from 
a  part  of  District  No.  i,  and  extending  north  from  that. 

In  1890  there  were  nineteen  public  schoolhouses  and  419  pupils  enrolled. 
From  that  period  on  the  schools  of  the  county  have  grown  rapidly  until  on  Janu- 
ary I,  19 1 6,  there  were  a  county  high  school  at  Montrose,  an  Olathe  branch 
county  high  school,  a  Nucla  branch  county  high  school,  and  an  Uncompahgre 
branch  cotmty  high  school.  There  are  twenty-six  school  districts  in  the  county. 
The  high  school  enrollment  is  425,  and  the  total  public  school  enrollment  3,332. 
There  are  forty-three  school  buildings,  with  102  rooms,  in  the  county,  and  these 
are  valued  at  $201,745. 

Morgan  County. — W.  E.  Garver  was  the  first  county  superintendent  after  the 
incorporation  of  the  county  in  1889.  In  1890  the  public  school  enrollment  was 
350.  Nine  school  buildings,  valued  at  $18,428,  had  been  erected.  On  January 
I,  1916,  there  were  in  the  high  schools  at  Brush  and  Fort  Morgan  473  pupils. 
The  total  public  school  enrollment  in  the  county  was  3,027.  There  were  sixty- 
nine  schoolhouses,  with  127  rooms,  in  the  county,  and  these  were  valued  at 
$265,459. 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  597 

Otero  County. — In  1877  the  first  school  district  was  organized  in  La  Junta. 
The  first  schoolroom  was  of  cottonwood  logs.  In  September,  1877,  when  the 
schools  opened,  the  enrollment  was  thirteen,  embracing  all  the  school  popula- 
tion save  ten  or  twelve.  The  first  school  directors  in  this  district  were  all  women 
— Mrs.  George  Spane,  Mrs.  S.  J.  Anderson  and  Mrs.  Cooper.  Miss  Ida  Crit- 
tenden was  the  first  teacher,  and  Aliss  Florence  Brondage  and  Mrs.  Hollings- 
worth  her  successors. 

In  the  year  1879  ^^^  school  population  was  thirty,  and  the  adobe  building, 
used  later  as  a  residence  by  Rev.  Father  Callahan,  was  built,  costing  $1,000. 
Mrs.  Alarshall  taught  in  this  for  a  little  time,  also  J.  E.  Ganger,  former  county 
clerk  of  Otero  County. 

Messrs.  Russell,  Kilgore  and  Spane,  in  1883,  put  up  the  stone  building,  No. 
I,  costing  $7,500.  Two  teachers  were  employed.  In  1904  a  five-room  addition 
was  completed  at  a  cost  of  $12,000. 

During  the  years  1884-85,  180  pupils  were  enrolled  in  La  Junta  and  in  1890 
this  number  had  increased  to  600. 

The  Columbian  school  was  completed  and  occupied  in  December,  1890,  and 
cost  $15,000.  Union  District  No.  i  county  high  school  was  organized  in  1895, 
with  about  fifty  pupils  and  three  teachers. 

In  1890  the  enrollment  in  the  public  schools  of  the  county  was  497,  and  the 
nine  schoolhouses  were  valued  at  $7,000.  On  January  i,  1916,  there  were  high 
schools  at  Manzanola,  Rocky  Ford,  La  Junta  and  Fowler.  The  high  school  en- 
rollment was  629,  the  total  public  school  county  enrollment,  5,131.  There  were 
forty-five  schools,  with  154  rooms,  and  these  were  valued  at  $480,930. 

Ouray  County. — Rev.  C.  M.  Hoge  was  the  first  county  superintendent,  elected 
in  1877,  and  schools  were  established  at  once.  By  1890  there  were  ten  districts 
and  as  many  schoolhouses,  built  at  a  cost  of  $23,800.  The  enrollment  was  586, 
and  of  these  eight  were  in  the  high  school  grades.  On  January  i,  191 6,  there 
were  lOi  enrolled  in  the  Ouray  County  high  school,  with  a  total  enrollment  of 
715  in  the  county.  Eighteen  school  houses,  with  forty-two  rooms  were  valued 
at  $64,850. 

Park  County. — Oliver  P.  .-\llcn,  su])erintendent  in  1869,  reported  sixty-four 
pupils  enrolled  in  the  two  schools  of  the  county.  On  January  i,  1916,  there  were 
thirty  schoolhouses  in  the  county,  and  the  public  school  enrollment  in  the  county 
is  several  iumdred.    There  are  forty-three  pupils  in  the  high  school  at  Hartsel. 

Phillips  County. — The  first  county  superintendent  of  schools  was  Oscar  Trego, 
elected  in  1889.  Holyoke  had  schools  when  the  first  settlers  came,  and  long  be- 
fore incorporation.  In  1888,  the  year  of  the  town's  incorporation,  one  two-story 
brick  school  was  erected  at  a  cost  of  $8,000.  In  1890  there  were  sixty-two  school 
districts  and  thirty-five  school  buildings  in  the  county,  valued  at  $16,698.  The 
enrollment  was  y//.  On  January  i,  1916,  there  were  thirty-six  school  buildings, 
with  forty-seven  rooms,  and  valued  at  $42,000.  Seventy-eight  high  school  pupils 
were  enrolled.     The  total  enrollment  was  910. 

Pitkin  County. — The  first  schools  in  Pitkin  County  were  held  in  Tonrtelotte 
Park  and  Aspen  in  the  fall  of  1881  and  the  spring  of  1882.  These  were  not 
organized  districts  until  1882.  The  first  school  opened  with  an  enrollment  of 
twenty-five  pupils.    The  school,  in  a  regular  organized  district,  opened  in  the  fall 


598  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

of  1882,  and  consisted  of  two  rooms  with  an  enrollment  of  twenty-five  pupils  in 
each  room. 

On  January  i,  1916,  there  were  112  pupils  enrolled  in  the  Aspen  high  school. 
The  total  public  school  enrollment  in  the  county  was  798.  There  were  twenty- 
one  public  schools,  with  forty-eight  rooms,  in  the  county;  valuation,  $52,312. 

Prowers  County. — Lamar  had  its  first  school  in  1886,  the  year  before  the 
date  of  its  incorporation.  Within  the  next  three  years  it  expended  $14,000  on  a 
fine  two-story  schoolhouse.  In  1890  there  were  535  pupils  enrolled  in  the  eleven 
schoolhouses  in  the  county.  On  January  i,  1916,  there  were  392  pupils  enrolled 
in  the  high  schools  of  the  county.  The  total  enrollment  in  the  public  schools 
of  the  county  was  3,125.  There  were  sixty-three  schools  in  the  county,  with  117 
rooms;  valuation,  $215,808. 

Pueblo  County. — In  1862  the  first  school  in  southern  Colorado  was  opened 
in  Pueblo.  The  building,  a  frame  structure  built  near  the  center  of  the  town, 
has  long  since  disappeared.  It  was  a  school  supported  by  subscription,  and  its 
teacher  was  a  Miss  Weston. 

School  District  No.  i  was  organized  in  1866-67  and  the  members  of  the  first 
school  board  were  L.  R.  Graves,  H.  C.  Thatcher  and  D.  Sheets. 

In  1870-71  a  two-room  adobe  schoolhouse,  the  first  public  school  building 
in  southern  Colorado,  was  erected  in  Pueblo,  on  the  corner  of  Eleventh  and  Court 
streets,  where  now  stands  the  beautiful  Centennial  high  school. 

The  first  teachers  in  this  building  were  Mesdames  S.  J.  Patterson  and  E.  S. 
Owen.    They  were  followed  by  Miss  Hillock  and  Miss  Lou  Stout. 

The  "adobe"  was  soon  outgrown  and  it  was  necessary  to  rent  rooms  in  dif- 
ferent parts  of  the  town  to  accommodate  the  larger  pupils. 

In  1874  the  bonds  for  a  new  building  were  sold,  but  after  the  building  was 
started  the  district  treasurer  absconded  with  the  funds.  For  over  a  year  no  pub- 
lic school  was  held,  but  in  Januar}^  1876,  the  new  building  was  opened  and  it 
was  appropriately  named  the  Centennial  School. 

In  1890  this  was  remodeled  and  enlarged  and  made  into  one  of  the  finest  and 
best  equipped  school  buildings  in  the  United  States.  At  that  time  the  old  "adobe" 
was  torn  down.     In  1908  another  wing  was  added  to  the  building. 

District  No.  i  contained  in  1908,  besides  the  Centennial  high  school,  the 
Hinsdale,  Fountain,  Somerlid,  Bradford,  Riverside,  Irving  and  Centennial  An- 
nex buildings. 

The  first  superintendent  of  District  No.  i  was  Prof.  Isaac  C.  Dennett,  who 
had  charge  of  the  schools  from  1876  to  1879,  when  he  was  called  to  a  chair  in 
the  state  university.  He  was  succeeded  by  J.  S.  McClung,  of  Delavan,  Illinois, 
who  for  twenty-six  years  was  at  the  head  of  the  schools  of  this  district. 

Superintendent  McClung  was  followed  in  September,  1905,  by  Prof.  George 
W.  Loomis,  who  was  formerly  the  superintendent  of  the  Central  State  Normal 
School  of  Michigan. 

In  1873  ^  "sw  school  district,  which  was  called  No.  20,  was  organized  in 
Pueblo  on  the  south  side  of  the  Arkansas  River. 

Ex-Governor  Adams  was  one  of  the  chief  factors  in  its  organization,  having 
driven  out  to  the  ranch  of  Philip  Zoeller,  Pueblo's  first  county  superintendent, 
and  presented  a  petition  to  him  to  organize  the  territory  lying  south  of  the  Arkan- 
sas River  into  a  new  school  district.     Superintendent  Zoeller  did  so,  but  said 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  599 

that  he  did  not  see  the  use  of  it,  as  there  were  no  children  to  attend  school.  The 
members  of  the  first  school  board  in  the  new  district  were  Dr.  Shelburn,  J.  A. 
Barclay  and  Klass  Wildeboor. 

A  one-room  brick  building  was  erected  on  the  brow  of  the  hill,  and  the  school 
was  opened  in  the  fall  of  1873. 

The  little  brick  building  was  soon  followed  by  a  four-room  building,  the 
Corona,  and  the  Central,  Bessemer,  Wildeboor,  Danforth,  Carlile,  Columbian, 
Edison,  Central  Annex,  Minnequa,  Lake  View,  Lincoln  and  the  Pueblo  high 
school,  the  latter  said  to  be  one  of  the  finest  school  buildings  in  the  United  States, 
were  built. 

Mrs.  Emma  Kincaid  was  the  first  principal  of  the  "Corona,"  and  she  was 
succeeded  in  March,  1882,  by  C.  W.  Parkinson. 

In  February,  1883,  the  enrollment  in  this  district  was  460.  January  i,  1916, 
there  were  enrolled  in  the  high  schools  of  the  county,  the  Centennial,  Manual 
Training  department,  the  Pueblo  and  the  Junior  high  school,  1,037  pupils.  The 
total  enrollment  in  the  county  was  9,943.  There  were  ninety-one  schools,  with 
375  rooms,  in  the  county;  value,  $1,395,113. 

Rio  Blanco  County. — Before  the  incorporation  of  Meeker,  in  1885,  the  settlers 
had  started  their  schools.  Before  1890  it  had  expended  $10,000  on  a  two-story 
brick  school.  The  enrollment  in  the  six  schoolhouses  of  the  county  in  that  year 
was  153.  On  January  i,  1916,  there  were  sixty  pupils  enrolled  in  the  Meeker 
high  school,  and  the  total  enrollment  in  the  twenty-two  county  public  schools 
was  339.     The  valuation  of  these  schools  was  $34,756. 

Rio  Grande  County. — Daniel  E.  Newcomb,  the  first  county  superintendent, 
was  apjiointed  March  21,  1874.  At  Del  Norte  the  first  school  district  was  or- 
ganized in  1874,  the  first  directors  being  John  Poole,  J.  Hughes  and  J.  C.  Howard. 
A  fine  schoolhouse  was  erected  from  the  proceeds  of  a  $10,000  bond  issue.  The 
public  school  enrollment  in  1890  in  the  county  was  817,  in  seventeen  schoolhouses. 
On  January  i,  1916,  there  were  200  pupils  enrolled  in  the  Del  Norte  and  Monte 
Vista  schools.  The  total  public  school  enrollment  in  the  county  was  1,823.  There 
were  twenty-nine  school  buildings,  with  fifty-one  rooms,  and  valuation,  $126,900. 

Routt  Coimty. — The  first  school  established  in  Routt  County  was  organized 
March  5,  1881,  on  Snake  River,  near  the  present  town  of  Slater.  The  first  board 
of  directors  was  A.  McCargar,  president;  A.  L.  Ely,  treasurer;  and  F.  N.  Robi- 
doux,  secretary.     Ten  pupils  were  enrolled. 

The  schoolhouse  was  a  small  log  cabin,  and  grouped  around  it  were  three  or 
four  empty  cabins.  Some  of  the  mothers  brought  the  children  to  school  on  Mon- 
day mornings,  stayed  in  these  cabins  all  the  week,  and  took  them  back  to  the 
ranch  Friday  evenings. 

District  No.  2  was  organized  at  Ladore  September  12,  1881.  No  report  was 
received  from  this  district  after  1882,  so  the  district  number  was  given  to  Hayden, 
organized  in  1882  with  an  enrollment  of  twenty-eight.  The  first  term  was  held 
in  a  cabin  on  the  present  site  of  Hayden.  School  was  held  in  different  cabins 
up  and  down  the  river  until  1889,  when  a  permanent  schoolhouse  was  Iniilt.  It 
had  only  one  room,  but  was  the  best  school  building  in  the  county  at  that  time. 

In  the  days  of  the  log  cabin  schoolhouse  in  the  Hayden  district  there  came 
a  heavy  rain  one  spring  that  lasted  three  days.    A  settler  happened  to  go  to  the 


600  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

schoolhouse  one  morning  and  found  all  the  pupils  sitting  on  the  floor  under  a 
table  studying,  while  the  rain  was  pouring  through  the  dirt  roof. 

The  original  District  No.  3  was  organized  in  November,  1881.  It  included 
almost  a  third  of  the  county  and  was  situated  in  the  southeastern  part. 

August  25,  1883,  District  No.  4  was  estabhshed.  The  first  school  was  taught 
by  Mr.  Bennett  in  the  home  of  J.  H.  Crawford  at  Steamboat  Springs.  A  little 
later  the  school  was  held  in  a  cabin  built  for  that  purpose.  In  1890  a  new  school 
building  was  completed. 

District  No.  6  was  organized  in  Egeria  Park  December  10,  1883,  and  District 
No.  5  at  Craig,  now  part  of  Moffatt  County,  July  6,  1885. 

The  first  schoolhouse  at  Craig  was  built  on  one  corner  of  the  McLachlin 
ranch.     The  first  term  there  were  fifteen  pupils. 

Among  the  graded  schools  of  Routt  County,  Yampa  was  the  last  to  be  or- 
ganized. The  first  schoolhouse  was  built  across  from  the  old  Watson  place  and 
near  the  cemetery.    This  old  building  is  still  standing. 

After  1890  the  four  schools  in  Hayden,  Craig,  Steamboat  Springs  and  Yampa 
were  established  and  in  a  flourishing  condition,  but  only  a  part  of  them  had  been 
graded.  The  grading  in  these  districts  was  not  brought  to  anything  like  a  perfect 
state  until  1900,  and  full  high  school  courses  were  not  added  to  all  the  town 
schools  until  1907. 

The  census  record  of  1894  gives  674  pupils  in  the  schools  of  Routt  County. 
In  1898  there  were  835,  showing  but  a  small  increase.  In  1908  there  were  1,579 
pupils  enrolled. 

On  January  i,  1916,  there  were  in  the  present  limits  of  Routt  County  fifty- 
eight  schoolhouses,  with  ninety-seven  rooms ;  valuation,  $107,030.  In  the  old 
limits  there  were  eighty-eight  schoolhouses.  There  were  108  high  school  pupils 
enrolled  in  what  is  now  Routt  County,  and  the  total  public  school  enrollment 
was  1,980. 

Saguache  County. — In  1869  the  first  superintendent  of  Saguache  County  re- 
ported thirty  children,  "English  and  Spanish,"  enrolled  in  the  schools  of  the 
county.  In  1890  the  enrollment  was  651,  and  the  eighteen  schoolhouses  had  been 
erected  at  a  cost  of  $13,100,  the  first  high  school  having  been  established  in  that 
year  in  Saguache.  On  January  i,  1916,  there  were  ninety-nine  pupils  enrolled 
in  the  high  school;  total  county  public  school  enrollment,  1,294.  The  thirty-six 
schoolhouses,  with  sixty-five  rooms,  were  valued  at  $74,000. 

San  Juan  County. — The  first  county  superintendent  of  schools,  elected  in 
1876,  the  year  the  county  was  created,  was  William  Munroe.  By  1890  Silverton 
had  spent  $10,000  on  a  fine  schoolhouse,  and  the  total  enrollment  in  this,  the 
only  schoolhouse  in  the  county  at  that  time,  was  109.  By  1894  the  valuation 
had  gone  from  this  first  expenditure  of  $10,000  to  a  total  of  $210,944.  On  Jan- 
uary I,  191 6.  with  much  territory  taken  to  form  other  counties  the  high  school 
enrollment  was  ninety-six,  and  the  total  county  enrollment  was  341.  There  were 
in  the  present  comparatively  small  limits  five  schoolhouses,  with  sixteen  rooms  ; 
valuation,  $66,000. 

San  Miguel  County. — The  school  system  of  what  now  comprises  San  Miguel 
County  started  with  the  early  days  of  Columbia,  later  called  Telluride.  When 
the  town  was  incorporated  in  1878  the  first  school  was  already  in  existence.  By 
1890  a  substantial  structure  was  erected.    The  first  county  superintendent,  elected 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  601 

in  1883,  was  George  S.  Andrews.  In  1890  the  enrollment  of  the  county  in  its 
three  schoolhouses  was  109.  On  January  i,  1916,  there  were  ninety-six  enrolled 
in  the  Telluride  high  school,  and  the  total  public  school  enrollment  in  its  twenty- 
one  schools  was  1,055.     The  valuation  of  these  schools  was  $23,100. 

Sedgwick  County. — The  first  school  district  was  organized  in  Sedgwick  County 
May  2,  1887,  according  to  law.  The  second  school  district  was  organized  May 
6,  1887.    In  1908  there  were  twenty-four  organized  school  districts. 

Miss  Amelia  Guy  was  the  first  public  school  teacher  in  Julesburg,  having 
been  appointed  in  1885  to  conduct  the  school  in  a  frame  building  close  to  the 
railroad  tracks.  By  1890  there  were  265  pupils  enrolled  in  the  county,  in  twenty- 
three  schoolhouses. 

On  January  i,  1916,  there  were  thirty-two  schools,  with  forty-three  rooms,  in 
the  county;  valuation,  $43,500.  There  were  113  pupils  enrolled  in  the  high  school, 
and  total  enrollment  in  the  county  was  902. 

Summit  County. — The  first  record  of  schools  in  Summit  County  was  made 
in  1876.  The  county  was  then  much  larger  than  now  and  was  divided  into  two 
school  districts  and  the  first  school  was  held  in  Montezuma  for  a  term  of  forty- 
six  days. 

The  first  school  census  was  taken  in  1878,  and  there  were  then  in  the  county 
sixty-five  persons  of  school  age. 

In  1880  two  more  districts  were  made  from  the  original  two,  and  Kokomo 
had  a  three  months'  school  that  summer,  the  school  population  for  that  district 
being  sixty-nine.  The  other  district  was  Red  Cliff,  which  now  belongs  to  Eagle 
County. 

On  January  i,  191 6,  there  were  eleven  schools,  with  seventeen  rooms,  in  the 
county;  valuation,  $35,245.  The  high  school  enrollment  at  Breckenridge  was 
thirty-three ;  total  in  the  county,  335. 

Teller  County. — The  early  history  of  El  Paso  County  covers  Teller  County. 
In  1892  the  first  public  school  was  started  in  what  is  commonly  called  Old  Town, 
in  Cripple  Creek,  with  W.  E.  Pruett  as  teacher.  In  1897  the  first  class,  num- 
bering two,  graduated  from  the  Cripple  Creek  high  school,  which  was  established 
late  in  1896. 

On  January-  i,  1916,  there  were  enrolled  in  the  high  schools  of  Cripple  Creek 
and  \'ictor  408  pupils ;  total  enrollment  in  county,  2,568.  There  were  thirty-five 
schools,  with  122  rooms,  and  a  total  valuation  of  $223,348. 

Washington  County. — .Akron  was  the  site  of  the  first  schoolhousc,  in  wJiat  is 
now  Washington  County,  hut  whicli  in  1SS6  was  still  part  of  Weld  County.  The 
first  public  school  teacher  was  Miss  Hettie  Irwin,  although  Mrs.  S.  Cortical  had 
conducted  a. private  school  prior  to  this  time.  Before  1890  a  $12,000  school- 
house  was  erected.  Tn  that  year  there  were  nineteen  schoolhouses  in  the  county, 
which  had  cost  $25,000  to  build  and  equip.  The  total  enrollment  was  601.  On 
January  i,  1916,  there  were  ninety-nine  school  buildings  in  the  county,  with  178 
rooms;  valuation,  $63,258;  the  high  school  enrollment  was  eighty-eight;  total  en- 
rollment. 2,060. 

Weld  County. — Seven  counties  now  occupy  the  area  which  was  formerly  that 
of  Weld  County.  In  1868  D.  J.  Fulton,  superintendent,  reported  sixty-one  per- 
sons of  school  age  in  the  entire  comity.  With  the  formation  of  Union  Colony  the 
work  of  establishing  a  school  system  began.     A  class  of  over  fifty  forming  the 


602  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

first  private  school  was  opened  in  1870,  with  a  Mrs.  Guinney  as  teacher.  In  1871 
E.  W.  Gurley  organized  the  school  into  a  semblance  of  grades,  with  two  teach- 
ers to  aid  him.  But  the  first  school  directors,  elected  in  May,  1871,  J.  L.  Brush, 
W.  Teller,  and  W.  H.  Post,  now  started  in  to  establish  a  modern  public  school 
system,  and  appointed  J.  C.  Shattuck,  later  state  superintendent  of  public  in- 
struction, to  the  position  of  principal.  By  1873  the  new  building,  for  which  an 
expenditure  of  $30,000  had  been  authorized,  was  completed  and  occupied.  In 
1880  the  first  high  school  class  was  graduated.  By  1890  seven  other  school  build- 
ings had  been  erected.  On  January  i,  1916,  there  were  240  schoolhouses,  with 
415  rooms,  in  the  county,  with  its  various  segregations  all  distinctively  enumerated. 
Within  its  present  limits  the  high  school  enrollment  is  697;  total  enrollment, 
12,813.  The  valuation  of  school  property  is  $863,737.  There  are  high  schools 
in  practically  all  the  leading  towns  of  the  county,  the  principal  ones  being  at 
Greeley,  Johnstown,  Fort  Lupton,  Erie,  Ault,  Eaton,  Milliken,  La  Salle,  Nunn, 
Gill,  Grover,  Keota,  Gilcrest,  Kersey,  Buckingham,  and  Mead. 

Yuma  County. — Miss  ]\Iary  Elmore  taught  the  first  school  at  Yuma,  in  1886. 
By  1890  there  had  been  built  in  Yuma,  Wray,  and  in  the  other  towns  of  the 
county  twenty-two  schoolhouses,  with  an  enrollment  of  573.  In  the  county  high 
school  at  Wray  the  enrollment  January  i,  1916,  was  107,  with  2,816  enrolled  in 
the  109  schoolhouses  of  the  county.  The  valuation  of  school  property  on  Janu- 
ary I,  1916,  was  $54,899. 


CHAPTER  XXXI 

EDUCATION  IN  COLORADO 
(Continued) 

HIGHER   EDUCATION UNIVEKSITY   OF   COLORADO'S    DEVELOPMENT DENVER    UNIVER- 
SITY  THE    SCHOOL    OF    MINES THE    AGRICULTURAL    COLLEGE THE    TEACHERS' 

COLLEGE STATE    NORMAL    SCHOOL COLORADO    COLLEGE WOMAN's     COLLEGE 

THE  CLAYTON  SCHOOL. 

THE  UNIVERSITY  OF  COLORADO 

Higher  education  in  Colorado  was  in  the  minds  of  the  pioneers  who  first  came 
into  this  part  of  the  territory  of  Kansas  as  early  as  i860 — when  even  the  few 
district  schools  had  a  difficult  time  finding  pupils  to  fill  the  few  log  huts.  Dr. 
J.  Raymond  Brackett,  of  the  University  of  Colorado,  in  the  brief  history  of  the 
University  of  Colorado  prepared  for  this  volume,  says  that  before  Boulder's 
first  schoolhouse  was  a  year  old  Robert  Culver  began  the  work  for  a  university 
to  be  located  at  this  little  town  of  some  sixty  log  cabins  and  one  or  two  frame 
houses.  Charles  F.  Holly  introduced  into  the  House,  October  26,  1861,  a  bill 
to  establish  the  university  at  Boulder,  and  this  was  ratified  by  Governor  Gilpin 
November  7th. 

During  the  ten  years  from  1861  to  1871  this  hamlet  hungering  for  a  university 
hardly  kept  itself  together.  Denver  had  its  first  railway  communication  June 
22,  1870,  by  way  of  Cheyenne;  in  1871  the  Denver  &  Rio  Grande  reached  Col- 
orado Springs,  a  city  consisting  of  one  low.  flat,  mud-roofed  log  cabin.  The  "es- 
tablishment" of  the  university  by  the  first  Territorial  Legislature  was  merely  on 
paper.  There  were  only  about  twenty-five  thousand  people  in  the  Territory, 
mostly  men;  children  and  schools  were  few.  It  took  sixteen  years  of  hard  work 
to  bring  the  actual.  Nearly  every  man  of  standing  in  Boulder  contributed  funds 
or  visited  the  capital  at  each  session  to  keep  the  legislation  alive;  among  these 
must  be  mentioned  Capt.  David  H.  Nichols,  speaker  of  the  House,  and  James 
P.  Maxwell,  who  was  president  of  the  Senate  when  Colorado  became  a  state. 

The  tract  constituting  the  campus  was  presented  to  the  university  in  1872. 
On  January  8th  of  this  year  George  A.  Andrews  deeded  21.08  acres;  on  the 
same  day  Marinus  G.  Smith  deeded  25.40  acres ;  January  loth  Anthony  Arnett 
deeded  3.83  acres.  The  main  building  and  Hale  Science  building  arc  on  the 
Smith  tract ;  Woodbury  and  the  athletic  field  are  on  the  Andrews  tract. 

In  1872  an  appropriation  for  the  erection  of  the  first  building  failed  to  pass. 
For  three  years  longer  the  jack-rabbits  on  the  campus  were  undisturbed  by  ham- 
mer or  trowel.    But  September  20,  1875,  the  comer-stone  was  laid;  $15,000  had 

603 


604  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

been  appropriated  in  1874  and  another  $15,000  given  by  the  citizens  of  Boulder. 
The  raising  of  $15,000  by  this  village  was  a  matter  of  great  sacrifice,  but  this  was 
what  actually  fixed  the  university  at  Boulder.  Marinas  G.  Smith,  known  as 
"University  Smith,"  headed  the  list  with  $1,000,  the  largest  sum.  So  the  main 
building  rose  as  an  index  of  the  ideals  and  a  partial  measure  of  the  self-depriva- 
tion of  those  pioneers  who  sixteen  years  before  had  seen  on  this  spot  not  a  uni- 
versity campus,  but  hundreds  of  elk  grazing  in  the  evening  sun. 

The  proposed  university  was  in  charge  of  a  board  of  fifteen  trustees.  They 
organized  at  Boulder,  January  2,  1870.  The  $15,000  raised  by  the  people  of 
Boulder  and  the  $15,000  appropriated  by  the  Legislature  of  1874  was  expended 
by  them  and  also  about  $6,500  of  the  $15,000  granted  by  the  Territory  in  1875. 

In  1877  the  population  of  the  state  scarcely  reached  one  hundred  and  thirty- 
five-thousand.  The  common-school  system  was  barely  organized.  Only  three 
high  schools  existed ;  but  one  high  school  class  had  ever  graduated  in  Colorado 
and  that  was  at  Boulder  in  1876;  Denver  had  eighty-one  high  school  students 
at  that  time  and  the  next  year  graduated  a  class  of  seven.  But  the  regents  voted 
to  open  the  university  in  the  two  departments  required  by  law — the  normal  and 
preparatory.  This  decision  was  reached  at  a  meeting  at  Boulder  in  conference 
with   Governor   Rotitt   and   Prof.    Joseph   Addison    Sewall,    March    27   and    28, 

1877- 

The  regents  had  the  following  resources  with  which  to  establish  the  uni- 
versity : 

1.  A  campus  of  fifty-one  acres  presented  by  three  citizens  of  Boulder. 

2.  The  main  building  erected  but  not  ready  for  occupancy;  $15,000  had 
been  put  in  by  citizens  of  Boulder,  $15,000  from  the  appropriation  of  1874, 
and  about  $6,500  came  from  the  territorial  appropriation  of  $15,000  of  1875. 

3.  Eight  thousand  five  hundred  dollars  of  the  territorial  appropriation  of 
1874 — the  balance  unexpended  by  the  trustees ;  the  warrants  for  the  sum  were 
expected  in  March  and  July,  1877;  $6,920  dollars  was  realized. 

4.  The  income  of  a  permanent  \e\y  of  one-fifth  of  a  mill  on  the  assessed 
valuation  of  the  state. 

5.  The  income  of  a  permanent  land  fund  to  be  created  by  the  disposal  of 
seventy-two  sections  of  land  granted  by  Congress  in  the  Enabling  act. 

6.  A  special  appropriation  of  $15,000  made  by  the  General  Assembly  of  1876, 
to  complete  the  building  and  open  the  school. 

The  regents,  at  the  meeting  of  March  28,  1877,  unanimously  elected  to  the 
presidency.  Joseph"  Addison  Sewall,  a  native  of  Maine,  educated  at  Harvard  Uni- 
versity. He  had  been  known  to  Governor  Routt  as  professor  of  natural  science 
in  the  State  Normal  University  of  Illinois.  The  high  school  at  Boulder  was  dis- 
continued :  its  students  and  principal,  Justin  E.  Dow,  were  transferred  to  the 
empty  building  on  the  hill. 

The  university  opened  Wednesday,  September  5,  1877,  with  two  teachers  and 
forty-four  students. 

In  the  first  year.  1S77-78.  seventy-five  students  matriculated.  Some  remained 
but  a  short  time.  Sixty-six  names  were  published — fourteen  normal  and  fifty- 
two  preparatory.  Of  these,  thirty-nine  were  men  and  only  twenty-seven  were 
women.  Seven  had  been  born  in  Colorado.  Sixteen  states  and  countries  were 
given  as  places  of  birth. 


HALE  SCIENCE  BUILDING,  UNIVERSITY  OF   COLORADO,  BOULDER 


MACKV  AUDJTOHIL'M,  UN'I  VKUSIT  V  Ol'  COLOKADO,  liOULDEK 


606  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

The  college  was  opened  the  second  year  under  the  titles,  "University  Classical 
Course"  and  "University  Scientific  Course."  These  courses  of  four  years  each 
were  modeled  on  the  rigid  college  curricula  of  the  time.  The  chief  branches 
were  Latin,  Greek,  and  mathematics. 

The  classical,  which  had  the  eight  entering  freshmen  in  September,  1878,  re- 
quired two  full  years  of  Greek,  three  years  of  Latin,  and  practically  two  years 
of  mathematics. 

In  1882  the  college  year  was  divided  into  two  semesters.  The  three  term  divi- 
sion continued  in  the  preparatory  six  years  longer.  In  this  year  a  third  college 
course  was  added,  Latin  and  Scientific,  leading  to  a  B.  S. 

In  1885  two  new  degrees  were  offered:  Bachelor  of  Philosophy  for  those 
completing  the  Latin-Scientific,  and  Bachelor  of  Letters  for  those  entering  with- 
out foreign  languages. 

The  increase  in  the  faculty  was  slow:  In  1S79  Paul  Hanus  in  mathematics, 
was  succeeded  by  W.  W.  Campbell  in  1886;  Isaac  C.  Dennett  succeeded  J.  E. 
Dow  in  Latin  and  Greek;  in  1884  James  W.  Bell,  history  and  economics;  J.  Ray- 
mond Brackett,  English  literature  and  Greek;  in  1886  William  J.  Waggener, 
physical  sciences.  The  first  year  there  were  three  instructors  and  one  assistant ; 
in  the  tenth,  seven  professors. 

The  Department  of  Medicine  was  announced  in  1S83  on  the  basis  of  a  four- 
year  course ;  President  Sewall  was  dean,  associated  with  William  R.  Whitehead, 
M.  D.  (University  of  Paris').  There  was  a  class  of  two.  In  1884-83  the  fac- 
ulty was  increased  by  two  physicians  from  Boulder  and  three  from  Denver ;  the 
course  was  reduced  to  three  years.  Two  degrees  were  granted  in  1885.  From 
1888  to  1892  twelve  licenses  were  granted. 

The  Preparatory  School  was  naturally  the  chief  department  in  importance 
at  the  opening  and  the  most  numerously  attended  throughout  the  first  ten  years. 

In  1877  there  was  one  course  of  three  years  based  on  two  years  of  Greek, 
three  years  of  Latin,  mathematics,  French  and  German ;  in  1880  a  scientific  course 
was  added;  in  1882,  a  third,  Latin-.Scientific ;  in  1884  the  course  was  lengthened 
to  four  years. 

In  1885  there  were  three  four-year  courses — Scientific,  Latin-Scientific,  and 
Classical.  Sixty  completed  a  preparatory  course  in  the  first  ten  years.  Admis- 
sion was  by  rigid  written  examinations,  and  the  conditions  for  promotion  were 
severe.  A  list  of  accredited  schools  was  first  published  in  1884:  Denver,  Pueblo, 
Leadville.  Gunnison,  Trinidad,  Georgetown,  and  Golden. 

In  1882  the  first  honorary  degree  was  conferred.  Doctor  of  Divinity,  upon 
W.  E.  Hamilton,  pastor  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  at  Central.  In  1887  the 
first  degree  for  graduate  work  in  residence,  Master  of  Arts,  was  conferred  upon 
Silas  Edward  Persons. 

December  9,  1891,  James  Hutchins  Baker,  a  native  of  Maine,  educated  at 
Bates  College  and  for  seventeen  years  principal  of  the  East  Denver  high  school, 
was  elected  president,  and  his  administration  began  January  i,  1892.  Until 
September  he  was  employed  with  executive  work  only ;  then,  in  addition,  he  filled 
the  chair  of  psychology  and  ethics,  teaching  psychology  or  ethics  until  1897-98. 

The  number  in  attendance  in  1892  was  fifty-five;  in  1908  it  had  increased  to 
550:  and  in  191 1  to  697;  in  19TI  there  were,  deducting  professional  and  vocational 
students,  472  taking  a  four-year  course,  of  college  subjects.     In  1892,  four  re- 


ENGINEERIXG  BUILDING,  UNIVERSITY  OF  COLORADO,  BOULDER 


LAW  BUILDING,  ON   THE  KIGHT,   AND   LIBHARY,  ON   THE   LEFT,   UNIVERSITY 

OF  COLORADO,  BOULDER 


608  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

ceived  a  college  degree;  in  1913  the  B.  A.  was  conferred  upon  106 — the  College 
of  Commerce  furnishing  six,  the  College  of  Education  thirty-five. 

The  following  professorships  were  established :  1893,  philosophy  (with  peda- 
gogy) ;  1894,  psychology  (with  education)  ;  1897,  romance  languages;  1902,  geol- 
ogy, history;  1903,  education;  1906,  English;  1907,  systematic  zoology,  music; 
1909,  natural  history;  1910,  second  professorship  in  Latin. 

The  professorships  increased  from  ten  in  1892  to  twenty-one  professorships 
and  four  assistant  professorships  in  1913;  the  instructors  increased  from  four 
in  1892  to  thirty-two  in  1913. 

The  College  of  Commerce  was  opened  in  1906,  with  John  B.  Phillips  sec- 
retary. It  offers  four  courses  of  four  years  each;  i,  banking;  2,  manufactures; 
3,  journalism ;  4,  trade,  transportation  and  consular  service. 

The  College  of  Education  was  opened  in  1907,  with  Frank  E.  Thompson 
secretary;  a  four-year  course  comprising  ten  courses  in  subjects  the  candidate 
intends  to  teach. 

The  College  of  Engineering  was  opened  in  1893  as  the  School  of  Applied 
Science,  Henry  Fulton,  acting  dean;  dean,  1894.  He  was  followed  in  office  by 
George  H.  Rowe,  1902 ;  Henry  B.  Dates,  1903 ;  Milo  S.  Ketchum,  1905.  At  the 
opening,  courses  were  announced  in  civil  and  in  electrical  engineering ;  mechanical 
engineering  was  added  in  1901 ;  chemical  engineering  in  1905.  In  1906  the  name 
College  of  Engineering  was  used.  In  1913  the  attendance  was  293  ;  fifty-one 
degrees  were  conferred. 

The  .School  of  ]\Iedicine  was  reorganized  in  1S92-93,  James  K.  Eskredge,  dean. 
He  was  folowed  in  office  by  Clayton  Parkhill,  1895;  Luman  M.  Giffin,  1897; 
and  W.  P.  Harlow,  1907.  From  September,  1892,  to  September,  1897,  the  first 
year  was  conducted  in  Boulder,  the  others  in  Denver.  In  1895  the  course  was 
lengthened  to  four  years.  January,  191 1,  the  school  was  thoroughly  reorgan- 
ized, taking  over  the  Denver  and  Gross  Medical  colleges ;  the  third  and  fourth 
year  students  removed  to  Denver.  The  attendance  in  1913  in  all  classes  was 
195 ;  fifty-one  degrees  were  conferred. 

The  School  of  Law  was  opened  with  a  two-year  course  in  1893,  Moses  Hallett, 
dean.  He  was  followed  in  office  by  John  Campbell,  1902,  and  John  D.  Fleming, 
1907.  In  1898  the  course  was  lengthened  to  three  years.  The  attendance  in 
1913  was  ninety-seven ;  degrees  granted,  twenty-two. 

The  Normal  School,  which  was  opened  at  the  beginning  of  the  school,  was 
discontinued  in  1892.  In  1892  arrangements  were  made  for  the  entering  class 
to  be  consolidated  with  the  Boulder  high  school ;  the  course  was  lengthened  to 
four  years.     The  Preparatory  Department  was  therefore  dropped  in   1906. 

The  Summer  School  opened  in  1904  with  sixty  students,  Fred  B.  R.  Hel- 
lems,  director;  George  Norlin  was  director,  1909.     In  1913  the  attendance  was 

305- 

In  April,  191 1.  the  regents  authorized  the  establishment  of  a  College  of 
Pharmacy  as  a  division  of  the  School  of  Medicine.  In  June,  1913,  it  was  organ- 
ized as  a  separate  department,  with  Homer  C.  Washburn  as  dean.  From  the 
beginning  it  has  maintained  a  standard  of  requirements  for  entrance  and  grad- 
uation equal  to  the  best  schools  of  pharmacy  in  the  country. 

The  Extension  Division  was  organized  in  1912,  with  Loran  D.  Osborn  as  di- 
rector.   It  aims  to  make  the  campus  of  the  university  coextensive  with  the  state, 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 


609 


in  accordance  with  the  new  idea  that  a  state  university  exists  for  all  the  people 
and  not  for  a  few.  Through  this  department  the  resources  of  the  university 
are  put  at  the  disposal  of  all  the  people  of  the  state  who  wish  to  utilize  them. 

In  December,  1913,  James  H.  Baker  resigned  from  the  presidency  and  was 
succeeded  by  Livingston  Farrand,  A.  M.,  M.  D.  Dr.  Farrand  came  from  Colum- 
bia University,  where  he  was  professor  of  anthropology.  He  had  for  a  num- 
ber of  years  been  executive  secretary  of  the  National  Association  for  the  Study 
and  Prevention  of  Tuberculosis,  .and  an  active  member  of  other  organizations 
concerned  with  public  health. 

Durmg  his  administration  the  university  has  made  marked  progress  in  organ- 
ization and  public  service.  A  revision  of  the  tax  levy  for  the  various  educational 
institutions  of  the  state  has  given  the  university  a  stable  income  for  running  ex- 
penses and  improvements,  independent  of  special  appropriations  by  the  Legis- 
lature. 

The  faculty  now  includes  200  members,  and  there  has  been  a  wholesome  in- 
crease in  enrollment  of  students  each  year.  Even  the  present  national  crisis  has 
not  reduced  the  number  of  students  as  severely  as  it  has  in  many  institutions. 

In  1917  the  School  of  Medicine  was  completely  reorganized  and  put  upon  a 
basis  for  greater  efficiency.  The  curriculum  of  the  School  of  Law  has  also  been 
revised  in  accordance  with  the  demands  of  this  profession.  The  requirements 
for  graduation  in  the  College  of  Liberal  Arts  and  its  branches  (Commerce,  Edu- 
cation, Social  and  Home  Service)  are  based  upon  the  most  approved  group  elec- 
tive system.  The  College  of  Engineering  offers  technical  training  of  the  highest 
grade  in  the  departments  of  Civil,  Electrical,  Mechanical  and  Chemical  Engineer- 
ing. The  School  of  Pharmacy  offers  courses  of  two,  three  and  four  years' 
duration,  which  furnish  thorough  training  for  pharmacists,  drug  inspectors  and 
analysts.  The  summer  session  offers  courses  of  standard  university  grade  to 
those  who  are  unable  to  attend  college  during  the  regular  school  year  and  to 
those  who  wish  to  hasten  the  completion  of  their  course  by  continuous  study. 
The  Extension  Division  has  greatly  increased  its  activities  along  the  lines  of 
public  service.  In  1916-17  there  were  1,366  persons  enrolled  for  instruction  in 
this  department. 

DEGREES   BY  YEARS 


Eng.     Phar. 


Year  Hon.  Crad.  ?\lcd.    Law       Arts 

i,sR2 r     6 

1883 

1884 

1885 I  2 

1886 2 

1887 2  1 

1888 I        ...  4 

1 889  ....       2       ...  I        ...  3 

1890 4       •  •  •  3 

1891 2       ...  5       ...  9 

♦These  are  given  as  evidence  tliat  certain  specified  courses  have  hecii  iiicUidod  in  tlie  work 
for  the  A.  n    and  A.  M.  degrees. 


Total 

*Dip. 
Ed. 

*Dip 
Con. 

7 

2 

I 

3 

9 

5 

5 
6 

7 

16 

610 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 


*Dip. 

*Dip 

Year 

Hon. 

Grad. 

Med. 

Law 

Arts 

Eng.  Pha 

r.  Total 

Ed. 

Con. 

1892  . . . 

I 

4 

5 

1893  .  .  . 

2 

2 

3 

10 

17 

1894  .  . . 

I 

12 

12 

10 

35 

1895  .  .  . 

4 

II 

6 

12 

34 

1896  .  . . 

13 

7 

II 

31 

1897  .... 

.  . . 

I 

22 

9 

19 

I 

52 

1898  . .  .  . 

5 

9 

21 

3   ■• 

39 

1899  .... 

5 

13 

20 

12 

51 

1 900  .  . . . 

7 

7 

28 

5   •• 

48 

1901  .  .  .  . 

6 

8 

12 

43 

5   •■ 

74 

1902  .  .  .  . 

9 

13 

14 

33 

8   .. 

78 

1903  .  .  .  . 

4 

8 

II 

28 

13   •• 

64 

1904  .  . . . 

12 

14 

20 

47 

16   .. 

109 

1905 

3 

II 

6 

15  . 

41 

14 

90 

1906  .  .  .  . 

2 

12 

16 

12 

(,4 

14 

120 

1907  .  . . . 

9 

12 

16 

53 

19   .. 

109 

1908  .  .  .  . 

I 

14 

II 

16 

77 

2-J          .. 

146 

8 

1909  .  .  . 

2 

15 

II 

29 

72 

32    •■ 

161 

22 

1910  .  . . 

I 

14 

8 

21 

82 

34   ■■ 

160 

28 

191 1  . .  . 

15 

39 

27 

96 

7,7       ■■ 

214 

31 

1912  .  . . 

I 

16 

39 

22 

no 

43   ■• 

231 

49 

1913  ... 

3 

23 

51 

2.2 

106 

42 

I    248 

35 

6 

1914  .  .- 

4 

29 

16 

35 

115 

45 

5    249 

39 

1915  ... 

2 

26 

8 

17 

127 

41 

7    228 

36 

2 

1916  .  .  . 

2 

19 

13 

14 

III 

42 

5    207 

31 

2 

1917  ... 

•   3 

II 

21 

II 

105 

47    I 

I    209 

2,1 

3 

36      273      379      370       1,482 


500 


30      3,070      312 


14 


In  1908  the  Government  was  reorganized;  the  Board  of  Regents  delegated 
certain  powers  to  the  president,  to  the  administrative  council,  to  the  senate, 
and  to  the  separate  faculties.  The  administrative  council,  made  up  of  the  heads 
of  all  the  schools,  is  advisor}'  to  the  president,  and  also  acts  in  major  cases  of 
discipline.  The  senate,  composed  of  all  the  full  professors  and  heads  of  de- 
partments in  all  schools,  recommends  for  honorary  degrees  and  through  its 
committees  and  legislation  deals  with  most  questions  in  which  more  than  one 
school  is  interested.  Each  separate  faculty  acts  on  questions  of  its  own  curricu- 
lum, and  the  scholarship  and  degrees  of  its  own  school ;  its  dean  controls  minor 
cases  of  discipline. 

In  1882  a  landscape  artist  was  employed  who  platted  the  grounds  for  an 
ornamental  campus ;  many  trees,  shrubs,  vines,  and  flowering  plants  were  set 
out ;  the  lawn  about  the  main  building  was  put  in.  The  main  building  was  im- 
proved from  time  to  time;  the  chapel  was  completed  and  furnished  in  1883. 
In  the  spring  and  summer  of  1884  the  following  buildings  were  erected: 


*  These  are  given  as  evidence  that  certain  specified  courses  have  been  included  in  the  work 
for  the  A.  B.  and  .'\.  M.  degrees. 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  611 

President's  House,  costing  approximately   $6,500.00 

Cottage  Number  1    4,263.00 

Cottage  Number  2 3,825.00 

Hospital  (later  known  as  the  Medical  Building)   6,250.00 

Most  of  the  campus  was  ploughed  and  seven  hundred  trees  were  planted, 
lawns  were  put  in,  and  walks  laid  during  President  Hale's  incumbency.  The 
ravine  was  crossed  by  two  bridges  of  stone  and  one  of  iron ;  a  part  of  it  was 
filled  with  a  beautiful  lake.  The  older  buildings  were  put  in  repair  and  the 
following  built : 

Medical  Hall,  brick $  2.540.00 

Addition  to  Women's  Dormitory,  brick 3,695.00 

Woodbufy  Hall,  stone 23,470.00 

Hale  Science  Building,  stone;  contract  price 41,586.00 

In  1904  the  driveways  in  the  centre  of  the  campus  were  removed  and  a  large 
quadrangle  extending  east  and  west  from  the  Engineering  Building  to  Broad- 
way and  north  and  south  from  the  Library  to  Main,  was  leveled  and  put  into 
lawn  bordered  by  stone  walks  and  rows  of  elms. 

Among  the  imi)rovemcnts  made  in  President  Baker's  administration  may  be 
mentioned : 

Engineering  Building $  50,000.00 

Gymnasium 6,000.00 

Chemistry   Building    43,000.00 

Hospital   ($10,000  from  Boulder  region) 15,000.00 

Heating,  Lighting  and  Power  Plant 1 12,000.00 

Engineering  Shops 32,500.00 

I^ter  construction  : 

Library   $  75,500.00 

Hale  Science  Building  ( the  wings) 37.000.00 

Geology   Building    55,000.00 

The  Simon  Guggenheim  Law  Building 55,000.00 

The  Macky  Auditorium    300,000.00 

Deni.son    Research    Laboratory    21,000.00 

UNIVERSITY   OF   DENVER 

The  first  educational  charter  granted  in  the  history  of  Colorado  was  the 
charter  of  the  Colorado  Seminary,  given  by  the  Territorial  Legislature,  when 
in  session  at  Golden,  on  March  5,  1864.  The  Supreme  Court  of  Colorado  in  a 
unanimous  decision,  in  the  University  of  Denver  tax  suit,  certified  that  "This  is 
the  pioneer  school  of  higher  learning  in  this  state." 

The  institution,  like  rd!  schools  at  the  beginning,  had  a  more  or  less  uncertain 
life  for  a  period  of  sixteen  ycnrs.  In  1880  the  Colorado  Seminary  developed 
into  (he  University  of  Denver.  The  work  of  the  University  of  Denver  has  gone 
forward   steadily,   without    any   interruption   whatsoever,   an<l    with   evfV-<,n-owing 


612  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

usefulness  and  efficiency  since  that  date.  The  first  university  degrees  given  in 
Colorado  were  given  by  the  University  of  Denver  ni  April,  1882.  The  university 
has  given  3,351  degrees  down  to  the  commencement  in  1917,  and  leads  all  insti- 
tutions of  like  rank  in  the  state  in  service  to  the  public,  as  shown  by  this  record. 

The  University  of  Denver  has  been  a  pioneer  in  many  varieties  of  educational 
work,  giving  the  first  degrees  in  medicine,  the  first  degrees  in  law,  the  first  de- 
grees in  dentistry,  the  first  degrees  in  commerce,  and  the  first  degrees  in  phar- 
macy. This  means  that  these  various  departments  were  organized  at  the  Uni- 
versity of  Denver  first  of  all. 

The  medical  department  of  the  University  of  Denver,  after  having  graduated 
more  than  600  doctors  of  medicine,  was  associated  with  the  medical  department 
of  the  State  University  a  few  years  ago.  The  Extension  College  of  the  University 
of  Denver  began  its  work  about  twenty  years  ago.  Work  has  been  given  regularly 
in  the  Extension  College  on  Saturdays  and  on  other  week-days  in  the  evening, 
and  in  the  Summer  School  for  a  period  of  twenty  years.  More  than  two  thousand 
different  people  have  enriched  their  lives  through  securing  college  training  out- 
side of  the  regular  college  hours.  More  than  a  thousand  of  the  teachers  and 
principals  in  Denver  have  been  students  in  these  classes.  In  the  list  of  teachers  in 
Denver  at  this  time  approximately  four  hundred  of  them  have  had  their  higher 
educational  training  in  whole  or  in  part  in  the  University  of  Denver. 

The  departments  of  the  University  of  Denver  now  fully  equipped  are  as  fol- 
lows :  College  of  Liberal  Arts,  Graduate  School,  School  of  Pharmacy,  Summer 
School,  Extension  College,  Law  School,  Dental  School,  School  of  Commerce, 
School  of  Arts. 

At  this  writing,  January  7,  191 8,  the  University  of  Denver  has  340  stars  in 
its  service  flag.  The  Patriotic  League  of  the  LTniversity  includes  in  its  member- 
ship all  the  professors  and  instructors  and  practically  all  the  students  in  all  de- 
partments. The  membership  will  include  graduates  and  former  students  and 
friends  of  the  university,  as  well  as  students  and  professors  and  trustees. 

The  purpose  of  the  League  is  to  maintain  intelligent  interest  in  the  ideals  of 
our  country,  to  awaken  ever  deepening  enthusiasm  in  our  obligations  to  all  peo- 
ples, to  coordinate  all  effort  of  our  university  for  the  development  of  what  is 
best  in  our  national  life,  to  respond  to  the  call  of  the  Government  in  all  manner 
of  service,  whether  military  or  educational  or  economic,  and  to  unite  our  eflforts 
in  all  possible  ways  with  like  endeavors  of  other  educational  institutions. 

THE  COLORADO  SCHOOL  OF   MINES 

It  is  rather  a  singular  coincidence  that  the  two  great  mining  schools  of  Amer- 
ica, the  Colorado  School  of  Mines  and  the  Columbia  University  School  of  Mines, 
New  York,  should  have  had  their  inception  in  1864.  In  the  year  noted  Thomas 
Eggleston,  a  well-known  mineralogist,  a  graduate  of  Yale  and  of  the  Ecole  des 
Mines,  in  Paris,  originated  the  plans  for  the  Columbian  institution. 

The  Colorado  school  owes  its  inception  to  the  practical  miners  of  Gilpin 
County,  who  set  aside  for  that  purpose  a  portion  of  the  receipts  derived  from  the 
recording  and  sale  of  mineral  claims.  In  1868,  when  Bishop  Randall,  of  the 
Protestant  Episcopal  Church,  started  his  proposed  university  at  Golden,  he  made 
provision  for  a  school  of  mines,  and  the  original  building  yet  stands  on  the  grounds 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  6l:i 

of  the  Industrial  School  for  Boys,  about  two  miles  east  of  the  present  School  of 
Mines.  Jarvis  Hall,  a  general  college  for  boys  and  young  men,  and  Mathews 
Hall,  the  divinity  school,  were  the  other  institutions  in  the  group.  The  two  halls 
were  destroyed  by  fire  in  1874.     The  schools  were  then  removed  to  Denver. 

In  1870  the  Territorial  Legislature,  appreciating  the  design  of  Bishop  Randall, 
appropriated  $3,872  for  a  special  building.  This  was  completed  in  1871,  when 
Prof.  E.  J.  Mallett,  a  New  York  chemist,  began  giving  instructions  in  assaying 
and  the  easier  of  the  chemical  tests.  With  the  assistance  of  his  students,  and 
aided  by  John  W.  Xesmith,  then  master  mechanic  of  the  Colorado  Central  Rail- 
road, and  later  president  of  the  Colorado  Iron  Works,  Professor  Mallett  tested 
the  fuel  values  of  the  Colorado  coals,  which  were  at  that  time  regarded  as  unfit 
for  use  in  either  smelting  or  railroad  work.  The  tests  were  favorable,  showing 
the  variety  and  value  of  the  Colorado  product.  Thus  early  in  its  history  the 
School  of  Mines  demonstrated  its  peculiar  value  and  its  intimate  relation  to  the 
varied  resources  of  the  Rocky  Mountain  region. 

The  appropriation  of  1874  was  $5,000,  secured  by  Dr.  Levi  Harsh,  the  repre- 
sentative from  Jeflferson.  When  this  appropriation  became  available  the  School 
of  Mines  was  transferred  by  Bishop  Randall  to  the  territorial  authorities.  Five 
acres  of  land,  originally  the  donation  of  C.  C.  Welch  to  the  Episcopal  University, 
were  deeded  to  the  Territory  in  connection  with  the  school.  The  first  board  of 
trustees  met  in  Golden,  July  6,  1874,  when  W.  A.  H.  Loveland  was  elected  pres- 
ident and  Capt.  E.  L.  Berthoud  secretary.  As  the  minutes  were  recorded  in 
the  handwriting  of  the  secretary,  the  names  of  all  the  members  of  the  board  are 
not  easily  made  out.  However,  Prof.  N.  P.  Hill,  of  Gilpin  County,  founder  of 
the  Argo  smelter;  Alpheus  Wright,  of  Boulder;  C.  C.  Davis,  of  .'\rapahoe;  and 
W.  W.  Ware,  of  Clear  Creek,  were  among  those  present.  The  title  deeds  from 
Bishop  Spalding  and  C.  C.  Welch  were  presented  and  approved,  whereupon  the 
bulk  of  the  $5,000  appropriation  was  set  aside  for  the  salary  of  Professor  Mallett 
and  the  equipment  of  the  school.  The  sum  of  $500  was  paid  Bishop  Spalding  for 
the  church's  interest  in  the  building  and  grounds,  and  the  purchase  of  one-half  of 
a  certain  Table  Mountain  spring  was  provided  for. 

Governor  John  L.  Routt,  the  last  of  the  territorial  executives,  named  a  new 
board  of  trustees,  which  was  made  up  as  follows:  W.  A.  H.  Loveland,  E.  L. 
Berthoud,  and  Capt.  James  T.  Smith  of  Jefferson  County;  Adair  Wilson,  of 
San  Juan  County;  J.  H.  Yonley,  of  Summit.  Messrs.  Loveland  and  Berthoud 
were  the  officers  of  the  board.  Gregory  Board,  M.  E.,  a  graduate  of  the  Royal 
School  of  Mines,  London,  succeeded  E.  J.  Mallett  as  professor  in  charge. 

March  29,  1878,  Milton  Moss,  a  practical  chemist,  succeeded  Gregory  Board 
in  charge  of  the  school,  the  latter  taking  charge  of  the  Golden  Smelting  Works. 
In  addition  to  his  duties  at  the  school.  Professor  Moss  was  instructed  to  use  his 
summer  vacation  in  the  examination  of  mines,  mining  districts,  stamp  mills,  smelt- 
ers, reduction  and  concentration  works,  and  any  other  examinations  or  reports 
pertinent  to  his  duties  as  commissioner  of  mines — an  office  which  was  then  at- 
tached to  the  duties  of  professor  in  charge. 

The  year  1879  was  a  crucial  one  in  the  affairs  of  the  Colorado  School  of 
Mines,  which  at  that  time  was  confronted  by  an  agitation  to  merge  the  school 
with  the  State  University  at  Piouldcr.  The  location  of  the  school  at  Golden,  by 
the  state  constitution,  served  to  stav  the  agil;ition  in  the  GiMicral  Assembly,  and, 


614  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

at  the  urgent  request  of  its  local  friends,  the  school  was  given  a  further  chance 
to  "make  good."  The  second  General  Assembly,  which  met  in  January,  1879, 
established  the  fifth-of-a-mill  tax  for  the  regular  support  of  the  school,  and  out 
of  that  provision,  with  gifts  and  special  appropriations  added,  in  addition  to  re- 
ceipts from  students,  the  institution  extended  from  four  lots  in  1879,  to  four  and 
one-half  blocks  in  1907,  with  an  increase  in  property  from  $10,000  all  told  to  more 
than  $500,000. 

Governor  Pitkin,  who  was  elected  in  November,  1878,  named  the  following 
board  to  govern  the  school :  Rev.  John  R.  Eads,  Capt.  James  T.  Smith  and  F.  E. 
Everett,  of  Golden ;  Frederick  Steinhauer  and  Edward  L.  Johnson,  of  Denver. 

Additions  were  made  to  the  original  building  of  1880  by  the  building  of  1882 
and  by  the  building  of  1890,  all  of  which  are  now  united  and  called  the  Hall  of 
Chemistry.  The  Hall  of  Physics  was  erected  in  1894,  the  Assay  Laboratory  in 
1900,  and  Stratton  Hall  in  1904.  The  heating,  lighting  and  power  plant  was  com- 
pleted in  1906.  The  Administration  Building,  named  Simon  Guggenheim  Hall 
for  the  donor,  was  also  erected  in  1906.  The  Gymnasium  was  completed  in  1908. 
The  Experimental  Ore  Dressing  and  Metallurgical  Building  was  completed  in  1912. 

At  a  meeting  of  September  23.  1880,  Prof.  Albert  C.  Hale,  now  of  Brooklyn, 
New  York,  was  engaged  to  take  charge  of  the  school,  being  the  fourth  in  suc- 
cession. 

In  September,  1883,  Dr.  Regis  Chauvenet,  of  St.  Louis,  was  placed  in  charge 
of  the  school,  remaining  in  this  position  until  1902.  He  was  succeeded  by  S.  K. 
Palmer,  who  had  been  professor  of  chemistry  at  the  state  university.  Prof.  W. 
G.  Haldane,  of  the  School  of  Mines,  followed.  Prof.  Victor  C.  Alderson  then 
assumed  charge.  Professors  Phillips  and  Parmelee  followed,  but  in  August,  1917, 
Doctor  Alderson  again  assumed  charge  of  the  institution. 

The  Colorado  School  of  Mines  had  graduated  762  mining  engineers  from  its 
inception  to  January  i,  1918.     Of  these,  103  were  foreign  students. 

Of  the  total  number  of  living  graduates,  84  per  cent  are  located  within  the 
United  States.  Of  the  graduates  in  the  United  States,  30  per  cent  are  located 
in  Colorado.  Of  the  graduates  engaged  in  foreign  countries,  51  per  cent  are  in 
Spanish-American  countries. 

THE    STATE    ACRICULTUR.XL    COLLEGE 

The  first  move  toward  establishing  an  agricultural  college  in  Colorado  was 
made  by  Congress  in  what  is  known  as  the  Morrill  act  of  July  2,  1862,  which  gave 
public  lands  to  the  several  states  and  territories  in  order  to  "provide  colleges  for 
the  benefit  of  agriculture  and  the  mechanic  arts."  According  to  this  act,  each 
state  was  to  receive  30,000  acres  for  each  senator  and  representative  it  had  in 
Congress. 

This  act  cannot  be  said  to  have  established  the  Agricultural  College,  for  the 
lands  were  not  finally  made  available  until  the  year  1884,  jet  the  provisions  of 
the  act  were  known  and  must  have  encouraged  the  legislators  of  Colorado  in  estab- 
lishing the  college.  Through  this  act  the  college  finally  received  an  endowment 
of  90,000  acres  of  land. 

The  people  of  Fort  Collins,  however,  took  a  lively  interest  in  the  proposed 
college  and.  before  1872,  240  acres  of  land  near  Fort  Collins  were  given  for  col- 


HISTORY  OF  COT.ORADO  615 

Jege  purposes  by  Artluir  11.  I'atterson  (80  acres),  Robert  Dalzell  (30  acres),  Jo- 
seph Mason.  H.  C.  Peterson,  and  J.  C.  Mathews  (jointly  50  acresj,  and  the  Lari- 
mer County  Improvement  Company  (80  acres). 

On  February  13,  1874,  the  Territorial  Legislature  made  an  appropriation  of 
$I,CXX)  to  aid  the  trustees  in  erecting  buildings,  provided  they  should  raise  "by 
subscription,  donation,  or  otherwise."  an  equal  sum  for  buildings  and  grounds. 
More  than  the  required  sum  was  subscribed  by  the  Improvement  Company,  by 
Collins  Grange,  and  by  private  parties,  amounting  in  all  to  $1,123. 

In  1876  the  college  became  an  institution  of  the  new  State  of  Colorado,  and 
early  in  1877  it  came  under  the  control  of  the  State  Board  of  Agriculture.  The 
act  establishing  this  board  provides  as  follows : 

"That  a  board  is  hereby  constituted  and  established  which  shall  be  known  by 
the  name  and  style  of  the  State  Board  of  Agriculture.  It  shall  consist  of  eight 
members,  besides  the  governor  of  the  state  and  the  president  of  the  State  Agri- 
cultural College,  who  shall  be  ex-officio  members  of  the  board.  The  governor,  by 
and  with  the  consent  of  the  Senate,  on  or  before  the  third  Wednesday  of  January 
of  each  biennial  session  of  the  General  Assembly,  shall  ap{X)int  two  members  of 
the  board  to  fill  the  vacancies  that  shall  next  occur,  which  vacancies  shall  be  so 
filled  that  at  least  one-half  of  the  appointed  members  of  the  board  shall  be  prac- 
tical farmers. 

"The  State  Board  of  Agriculture  shall  have  the  general  control  and  super- 
vision of  the  State  Agricultural  College,  the  farm  pertaining  thereto,  and  lands 
which  may  be  vested  in  the  college  by  state  or  national  legislation  and  of  all  ap- 
propriations made  by  the  state  for  the  support  of  the  same.  The  board  shall 
have  plenary  powers  to  adopt  all  such  ordinances,  by-laws,  and  regulations,  not 
in  conflict  with  the  law,  as  they  may  deem  necessary  to  secure  the  successful  op- 
eration of  the  college  and  promote  the  designed  objects.  The  design  of  the 
institution  is  to  afiford  thorough  instruction  in  agriculture  and  the  natural  sci- 
ences connected  therewith.  To  effect  that  object  most  completely,  the  institu- 
tion shall  combine  physical  with  intellectual  education,  and  shall  be  a  high 
seminary  of  learning,  in  which  the  graduates  of  the  common  school  of  both  sexes 
can  commence,  pursue,  and  finish  a  course  of  study,  terminating  in  thorough 
theoretical  and  practical  instruction  in  those  sciences  and  arts  which  bear  directly 
upon  agriculture  and  kindred  industrial  pursuits." 

On  March  9,  1877,  the  first  General  Assembly  also  provided  for  the  support 
of  the  college  by  a  levy  of  one-tenth  of  a  mill  upon  the  assessed  valuation  of 
property  in  the  state,  thus  giving  to  the  college  an  income  of  about  seven  thousand 
dollars  a  year. 

The  first  meeting  of  the  board  of  agriculture  was  held  in  the  office  of  Gov. 
John  L.  Routt,  in  Denver,  on  March  19.  1877.  The  members  of  the  board  were 
as  follows:  William  Rean,  M.  N.  Everett,  Harris  Stratton,  John  J.  Ryan.  R.  S. 
La  Grange.  W.  F.  Watrous.  P.  M.  Hinman.  John  Armor.  W.  F.  Watrous  was 
made  president  and  Harris  Stratton  secrclarv  of  the  board.  The  term  rtf  office 
of  the  members  was  determined  by  lot. 

On  Fcbniarv  3.  1879,  the  General  .Assembly  made  better  provision  for  the 
support  of  the  college  by  a  levy  of  nne-fifth  of  a  mill  in  place  of  the  levy  of  one- 
tenth  of  a  mill  made  in  1877. 

The  college  was  opened  for  students  on  September  i.  1879,  with  Rev.  K.  E. 


616  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

Edwards,  D.  D.,  of  AIcKendree  College,  Lebanon,  Illinois,  as  president,  as- 
sisted by  A.  E.  Blount,  A.  M.,  as  professor  of  agriculture,  and  Frank  J.  Annis, 
A.  B.,  as  professor  of  chemistry. 

During  the  first  term  there  were  twenty  students  in  attendance.  There  was 
but  one  course  of  study.  The  college  year  closed  with  the  autumn  term  and  the 
second  year  began  with  the  spring  term  after  a  winter  vacation.  This  plan  was 
abandoned  after  a  couple  of  years,  and  the  long  vacation  thereafter  extended 
from  June  to  September.  In  addition  to  the  work  of  instruction  in  agriculture, 
Professor  Blount  established  a  model  farm  and  carried  on  experiments  of  con- 
siderable value.  At  the  close  of  1880,  the  value  of  the  farm  and  buildings  was 
estimated  at  over  twenty  thousand  dollars.  In  1881  a  dormitory  was  erected  at 
a  cost  of  $6,000. 

During  the  year  1880,  forty-five  students  were  reported  in  attendance,  and  in 
the  following  year  the  number  had  increased  to  sixty-two.  It  was  found  that 
many  of  those  who  applied  for  admission  were  poorly  prepared,  and  an  intro- 
ductory or  preparatory  year  was  introduced  with  a  course  of  study  equivalent 
to  that  of  the  eighth  grade  in  the  public  schools.  For  those  who  had  completed  the 
work  of  this  year  a  four  years'  course  was  offered. 

On  April  2,  1882,  President  Edwards  resigned  and  was  succeeded,  on  August 
I,  by  Clarence  L.  Ingersoll,  M.  S.    At  that  time  the  faculty  numbered  seven  in  all. 

In  1883  the  Legislature  made  a  special  appropriation  for  a  mechanical  shop 
and  a  conservatory.  In  the  same  year  the  department  of  veterinary  science  and 
zoology  was  created. 

On  June  7,  1884,  three  students  were  graduated  from  the  college.  In 
April  of  this  year  the  department  of  music  was  added,  making  seven  depart- 
ments in  all.  Those  of  agriculture,  horticulture  and  botany,  chemistry  and 
physics,  mathematics  and  engineering,  mechanics  and  drawing,  veterinary  sci- 
ence and  zoology,  and  the  department  of  music. 

In  1887  the  "Hatch  experiment  station  bill"  passed  Congress,  and  in  Febru- 
ary, 1888,  an  appropriation  was  made  of  $15,000  a  year  for  the  support  of  an 
experiment  station  in  Colorado  in  connection  with  the  State  Agricultural  Col- 
lege. The  agricukural  experiment  station  was  forthwith  organized,  with  auxiliary 
stations  near  Del  Norte,  Rocky  Ford  and  Eastonville,  and  since  that  time  it  has 
regularly  received  the  appropriation  of  $15,000  a  year.  This  fund  cannot  be  used 
for  any  purpose  other  than  experimental  investigation,  but  since  the  president 
and  other  members  of  the  college  faculty  are  also  officers  of  the  experiment  sta- 
tion and  receive  salaries  in  connection  therewith,  the  fund  is  of  great  benefit  to 
the  college. 

In  the  year  1889  the  State  Legislature  made  a  special  appropriation  of  $18,- 
000  for  erecting  an  extension  to  the  main  building. 

On  August  30,  1890,  was  passed  what  is  known  as  the  "second  Morrill  act," 
by  which  Congress  gave  the  agricultural  college  the  sum  of  $15,000  for  the  first 
year  and  an  additional  $1,000  each  year  until  the  total  sum  of  $25,000  should  be 
reached.  No  part  of  this  appropriation  can  be  used  for  building  or  repairing, 
but  the  whole  must  be  "applied  only  to  instruction  in  agriculture,  the  mechanic 
arts,  the  English  language,  and  the  various  branches  of  mathematics,  natural  and 
economic  science,  with  special  reference  to  their  applications  to  the  industries 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  617 

of  life  and  to  the  facilities  for  such  instruction."  The  income  thus  received  has 
been  of  great  benefit  to  the  college.     For  the  year  1899  it  was  $25,000. 

On  March  17,  1891,  the  State  Legislature  passed  an  act  to  replace  the  one- 
fifth  mill  tax  by  a  tax  of  one-sixth  of  a  mill,  whereby  the  income  of  the  college 
was  considerably  reduced  for  several  years,  until  in  1895  the  act  was  declared  un- 
constitutional by  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  state  and  the  one-fifth  mill  tax  re- 
stored. 

In  the  year  1891  President  Ingersoll  resigned.  Prof.  J.  W.  Lawrence  acted 
as  president  until  the  appointment  of  Alston  Ellis,  A.  M.,  Ph.  D.,  LL.  D.,  as 
president  and  professor  of  political  economy  and  logic. 

Early  in  1899  President  Ellis  resigned  his  position  and  on  August  1st  he  was 
succeeded  by  Rev.  Barton  O.  Aylesworth,  A.  M.,  LL.  D.,  formerly  president  of 
Drake  University,  Des  Moines,  Iowa. 

Doctor  Aylesworth  resigned  the  presidency  of  the  college  in  1909,  and  after 
serving  as  acting  president,  Dr.  Charles  A.  Lory  was  in  1912  placed  in  complete 
charge  of  the  institution.  It  has  made  wonderful  strides  during  his  term  of 
office. 

The  State  Board  of  Agriculture,  organized  primarily  as  the  board  of  control 
of  the  State  Agricultural  College,  is  now,  through  laws  passed  by  the  General 
Assembly,  serving  the  State  of  Colorado  in  the  following  capacities: 

Board  of  Control  of  the  State  Agricultural  College. 

State  Board  for  the  Collection  of  Agricultural  Statistics. 

Board  of  Control  of  the  Colorado  Experiment  Station. 

State  Fair  Board. 

Board  of  Control  of  the  Colorado  School  of  Agriculture. 

Board  of  Control  of  the  Fort  Lewis  School  of  Agriculture,  Alechanic  and 
Household  Arts. 

Board  of  Control  of  the  Teller  School  of  Agriculture  and  Mechanic  Arts. 

State  Board  of   Forestry. 

Supervising  Board  of  the  Office  of  State  Dairy  Commissioner. 

State  Board  of  Horticulture. 

The  Teller  School  of  Agriculture  and  Mechanic  Arts  teaches  horticulture,  for- 
estry and  vocational  learning  at  what  was  formerly  known  as  the  Grand  Junc- 
tion Indian  School,  and  was  provided  for  by  the  eighteenth  General  Assembly 
in  191 1,  the  control  of  the  institution  being  placed  with  the  State  Board  of  Agri- 
culture. This  school  was  named  by  the  board  "The  Teller  School  of  Agricul- 
ture, Mechanic  and  Household  Arts"  in  honor  of  Senator  Teller. 

There  are  thousands  of  young  men  and  women  in  the  state  who  cannot  go 
to  college,  but  must  return  to  the  farm  or  enter  other  vocational  lines  after  leav- 
ing high  school.  For  these  young  people  Colorado  has  provided  opportunity  for 
training  in  Agriculture,  Mechanic  Arts,  Household  Arts  and  Rural  Teaching  in 
the  secondary  schools  maintained  by  the  Agricultural  College. 

The  Colorado  School  of  Agriculture,  established  in  1909,  is  located  at  the 
Agricultural  College  at  Fort  Collins,  the  same  buildings,  classrooms  and  labora- 
tories used  for  the  college  being  used  for  the  school.  Young  men  and  women 
are  admitted  from  the  eighth  grade  and  are  given  training  in  the  lines  specified, 
which  fits  them  in  a  thorough,  practical  manner  for  lives  of  usefulness. 


618  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

At  Fort  Lewis,  twelve  miles  west  of  Durango,  is  located  The  Fort  Lewis 
School  of  Agriculture,  Mechanic  and  Household  Arts,  established  in  191 1.  Here 
the  young  men  and  women  of  the  southwest  are  trained  in  Agriculture,  Mechanic 
Arts,  Household  Arts  and  Rural  Teaching.  The  course  here  is  peculiarly  prac- 
tical because  the  term  comes  in  summer-time  and  the  students  thereby  are  given 
an  opportunity  to  learn  by  actual  practice,  as  well  as  by  theory,  in  the  fields 
which  are  under  cultivation  at  this  season  of  the  year.  Provision  Is  made  for 
high  school  students  who  wish  \ocational  training  during  the  summer  or  who 
wish  to  prepare  for  rural  teaching. 

In  addition  to  the  work  being  carried  on  at  the  Experiment  Station  at  Fort 
Collins,  branch  stations  are  maintained  at  Rocky  Ford,  Cheyenne  Wells  and 
Fort  Lewis.  Experiments  in  alfalfa  breeding  are  in  progress  at  Rocky  Ford.  At 
the  Cheyenne  Wells  station,  experiments  with  crops  and  farm  practice  adaptable 
to  the  plains  region  are  being  carried  on.  This  is  a  most  important  piece  of  work, 
for  the  problems  of  the  dry  farmer  are  quite  as  complex  and  numerous  as  those 
of  the  farmer  under  an  irrigation  ditch.  At  Fort  Lewis,  experiments  with  high- 
altitude  crops,  both  under  dry  farming  and  irrigated  farm  methods,  are  being 
conducted.  To  those  familiar  with  the  possibilities  of  mountain  parks  the  im- 
portance of  this  work  need  not  be  emphasized. 

All  the  information  obtained  in  these  investigations  is  made  available  to  the 
people  of  the  state  through  bulletins  published  by  the  station  or  through  the 
Extension  Service. 

It  is  through  its  Extension  Service  that  the  Agricultural  College  is  able  to 
render  direct  and  general  service  to  the  people  of  Colorado.  The  workers  in 
agricultural  and  industrial  pursuits  when  confronted  by  problems  which  they 
are  unable  to  solve  can  call  on  any  or  all  the  specialists  at  the  college  through 
the  Extension  Service  for  technical  information  and  helpful  suggestions.  New 
methods  are  constantly  being  discovered  which  will  give  better  production  and 
better  profits.  These  are  brought  to  the  people  of  the  state  through  the  ex- 
tension workers. 

The  farmers  and  comnumities  in  eighteen  counties  in  Colorado  are  at  the 
present  time  receiving  the  aid  and  assistance  of  county  agricultural  agents,  main- 
tained by  the  Extension  Service  of  the  Agricultural  College  through  cooperation 
with  the  LTnited  States  Government,  the  county  governments  and  other  interests. 
Twelve  men  are  looking  after  the  work  in  these  eighteen  counties,  bringing  the 
farmers  better  cultural  methods,  advising  them  about  the  selection  of  crops 
and  livestock,  aiding  them  in  organizing  themselves  in  order  to  bring  about  better 
cooperation,  helping  in  the  improvement  of  rural  school  conditions  and  social 
conditions  in  the  country. 

Besides  these,  specialists  who  devote  all  their  time  to  the  needs  of  special 
phases  of  agriculture  or  community  betterment  are  maintained  in  the  following 
lines :  Farm  management  demonstrations,  anim.al  husbandry,  boys'  and  girls' 
clubs,  home  economics,  markets  and  marketing,  rural  school  improvement. 

One  example  of  the  work  of  these  specialists  will  suffice.  Lentil  four  years 
ago  little  attention  had  been  generally  given  by  the  institutions  of  higher  learn- 
ing to  the  improvement  of  the  rural  school.  The  work  the  Agricultural  College 
was  carrying  on  in  Farmers'  Institutes  convinced  the  workers  at  the  college  that 
the  rural  school  was  the  strongest  factor  for  community  betterment.     The  plan 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  619 

of  employing  a  tield  worker  who  should  give  all  his  time  to  the  rural  schools 
was  proposed  and  met  with  strong  favor  and  support  by  the  county  superinten- 
dents of  the  state,  and  by  the  school  patrons. 

The  eighteenth  General  Assembly  authorized  the  college  to  employ  such  a 
field  man  and  made  an  appropriation  for  the  support  of  his  work.  The  work  was 
begun  in  the  summer  of  1912  and  has  proven  to  be  one  of  the  most  effective 
lines  of  service  rendered  the  rural  communities.  This  field  man,  or  specialist, 
has  given  his  entire  time  during  the  past  four  years  to  studying  the  problems  of 
rural  education  as  they  are  found  in  Colorado  and  lending  assistance  to  the  people 
in  these  communities.  As  the  result  of  this  work  the  people  of  many  of  the 
country  districts  have  built  handsome  consolidated  schools,  where  their  children 
are  now  receiving  training  every  bit  as  good  in  every  particular  as  their  city 
cousins  are  receiving.  A  very  striking  feature  of  the  coming  of  these  consoli- 
dated schools  is  that,  wherever  there  is  one  of  these  schools,  the  boys  and  girls 
are  getting  high  school  training,  a  thing  they  could  not  have  gotten  under  former 
conditions  without  going  to  some  neighboring  city,  and  then  they  would  not  have 
been  taught  agriculture,  manual  training  and  domestic  science  as  they  are  now 
taught  in  the  consolidated  schools.  Since  this  work  was  begun  four  years  ago 
twenty  consolidated  schools  have  been  established,  taking  the  place  of  forty- 
eight  small  country  schools.  In  these  consolidated  schools  3,296  boys  and  girls  are 
enrolled  this  year  and  446  are  in  high  school. 

The  following  figures  are  taken  from  the  report  of  the  director  of  Extension 
for  the  year  ending  June  30,   1916: 

Farmers'   Institutes,   Attendance    19.777 

Farmers'   Congress  and   Short   Course    477 

Meetings  held  by  County  Agents,  x\ttendance 45-393 

Number  of  People  reached   in   meetings  and  at  exhibits  by 

Specialist  in  Rural  School  Improvement 12,598 

Days  of  Judging  at  Fairs   145 

Number  of   County   Agriculturists    12 

Number  of  Counties  having  Agriculturists    18 

Farm    Bureaus   organized    8 

Membership    (to  January    i,    1916)    952 

Boys'  and  Girls'  Clubs,  ?klembers   3.325 

Counties  in  which  Clubs  arc  formed    20 

Farm   Visits  made   by   Agents    5.6io 

Letters  written  by  County  Agents   6,451 

Letters    written    by    Instructors    and    Experiment     .Station 

Workers  in  Reply  to  Requests  for  Information    12.572 

Articles  for  Press  173 

.Acres  of  Corn  planted  with  Selected  Seed   4.631 

Farms  treating  Oats  for  Smut   827 

Acres  of  Oats  treated 1 12.810 

Hogs  vaccinated    for  Clinlera    2,567 

Cattle  treated  for  Blackleg  803 

.Acres  of  Land  drained   4.250 


620  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

Exactly  1,019  of  Colorado's  sons  and  daughters  were  getting  an  education  in 
1917  at  the  Colorado  Agricultural  College.  They  were  receiving  instruction  in 
Agriculture,  Mechanic  Arts,  General  Science,  Home  Economics,  and  Veterinary 
Medicine.  Of  these  649  were  enrolled  at  the  college  proper,  and  370  were  re- 
ceiving training  in  the  Colorado  School  of  Agriculture,  the  secondary  school 
maintained  for  eighth  grade  graduates.  In  addition  to  these  there  were  140 
enrolled  in  the  Conservatory  of  Music,  or  a  total  of  1,159  students  on  the  campus. 

During  the  seven  years,  from  1909  to  1916,  the  enrollment  at  the  college  has 
almost  tripled.  In  1909  it  was  217  and  for  1916-17  it  was  649.  The  following 
shows  the  growth  year  by  year  since  1909 : 

1909-10 217  1913-14 515 

1910-1 1    253  1914-15   602 

1911-12   322  1915-16 638 

1912-13   403  1916-17 649 

THE  COLORADO  STATE  TEACHERS*  COLLEGE 

From  the  very  first  the  picture  of  education  in  Colorado  was  a  bright  one. 
The  state  early  established  the  State  University  at  Boulder,  the  Agricultural  Col- 
lege at  Fort  Collins  and  the  School  of  Mines  at  Golden.  Private  initiative  brought 
forward  Colorado  College  at  Colorado  Springs  and  the  University  of  Denver. 

None  of  these  institutions  however  was  established  primarily  for  the  train- 
ing of  teachers  and  there  was  a  lamentable  gap  in  the  educational  forces  of  the 
state  during  its  first  four  years.  Either  it  had  to  look  to  other  states  for  trained 
teachers  or  be  content  with  the  high  school  graduate.  People  all  over  the  state 
began  to  realize  this  want  and  a  clamor  arose  for  the  establishment  of  a  normal 
school.  In  many  centers  in  the  state  this  agitation  was  carried  on,  but  a  group 
of  men  in  Greeley  who  knew  at  first  hand  the  work  of  the  normal  school  and 
colleges  of  the  middle  west  and  east  and  the  educational  and  social  benefits  of 
such  institutions  upon  the  comnumities  where  they  were  located  had  clearly  the 
most  definite  vision. 

Some  of  these  citizens  might  be  mentioned.  State  Senator  J.  \V.  McCreery 
and  George  D.  Statler,  later  a  member  of  the  board  of  trustees,  were  both  grad- 
uates of  the  Indiana  (Pa.)  Normal  School  and  were  former  school  teachers  in 
Pennsylvania.  The  late  Judge  J.  M.  Wallace,  then  president  of  the  First  Na- 
tional Bank  of  Greeley,  was  deeply  interested  in  higher  institutions.  Attorney 
J.  M.  Look  was  a  former  resident  of  Michigan  and  knew  intimately  the  normal 
schools  of  that  state. 

In  the  fall  of  1888  the  gentlemen  mentioned,  together  with  Governors  Eaton 
and  Brush,  J.  Max  Clark,  B.  D.  Sanborn,  Doctor  Hawes,  and  other  citizens,  com- 
menced to  agitate  for  the  location  of  a  nonnal  school  at  Greeley,  and  in  "January 
of  1889  a  meeting  was  held  of  the  citizens  of  the  town  to  urge  the  founding  of 
such  a  school  there. 

The  result  of  the  citizens'  meeting  was  the  introduction  of  two  bills,  one  in 
the  House  by  Representative  George  C.  Reed  of  Washington  County,  and  one 
in  the  Senate  by  Senator  J.  W.  McCreery  of  Greeley.  The  bills  were  drawn  up 
by  Senator  McCreery  and  Attorney  Look  of  Greeley,  and  were  based  on  the 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  621 

knowledge  their  authors  had  of  the  laws  in  Pennsylvania  and  Michigan,  which 
had  created  the  normal  schools  of  those  states. 

The  bill  which  hnally  passed  by  a  majority  of  one  vote  in  each  house  carried 
an  appropriation  of  $10,000  for  founding  the  school,  and  specified  that  the 
building  site  and  $25,000  should  be  furnished  by  the  people  of  Greeley.  At  that 
time  "Normal  Hill,"  the  region  on  which  the  school  stands  and  extending  to  the 
top  of  the  hill  south  of  the  school,  was  largely  owned  by  the  Colorado  Investment 
Company,  Limited,  of  London.  The  site  for  the  school  was  donated  to  the 
state  by  the  company  and  by  J.  P.  Cranford.  The  company  also  donated  $15,000 
toward  the  $25,000  fund  demanded  by  the  state,  and  the  other  $10,000  was 
donated  by  local  citizens. 

The  Colorado  State  Normal  School  opened  its  doors  to  students  October  6, 
1890.  The  first  faculty,  five  in  number,  was  composed  of  the  following  instruct- 
ors: Paul  M.  Hanus  (now  head  of  the  department  of  education  in  Har\^ard  Uni- 
versity), was  vice  president  and  professor  of  pedagogy;  Thomas  J.  Gray  of  the 
Mankato  (Minn.)  Normal  School  was  president;  Miss  Margaret  Morris  was 
teacher  of  English  and  history ;  Miss  Mary  D.  Reed  was  teacher  of  mathematics 
and  geography,  while  Prof.  John  R.  Whiteman'  of  Greeley  was  teacher  of  vocal 
music. 

When  the  first  session  of  the  school  was  opened,  the  building  had  not  been 
completed,  and  so  the  classes  were  held  in  rooms  down  town.  There  were  three 
places  of  meeting — the  vacant  courtrooms  in  the  courthouse,  the  lecture  room  of 
the  United  Presbyterian  Church,  and  the  old  Unity  House  Church  at  the  north- 
east comer  of  Ninth  Street  and  Ninth  Avenue,  Greeley. 

On  June  i,  1890,  the  cornerstone  of  the  main  building  of  the  State  Normal 
School  was  laid  by  Fred  Dick,  state  superintendent  of  public  instruction.  Gov- 
ernor Cooper,  the  president  of  the  State  University,  Superintendent  Gove  of 
Denver,  and  many  other  prominent  persons  in  the  state  were  present.  The  east 
wing  of  the  main  building  was  first  finished,  and  it  was  two  years  before  the 
west  wing  was  added. 

One  nnist  remember,  in  attempting  to  get  a  proper  setting  for  the  institu- 
tion, that  Greeley  at  that  time  was  a  town  of  3,500  people,  instead  of  over  ten 
thousand,  as  now.  The  campus  then  was  a  waste  of  sage  bmsh  and  wild  oats, 
and  nothing  was  done  to  improve  it  until  Doctor  Snyder  later  took  charge  of 
the  institution.  A  very  hopeful  move  forward,  however,  was  made  the  follow- 
ing year  when  a  millage  bill  was  passed  by  the  Legislature  placing  the  school 
on  an  assured  basis. 

Dr.  Z.  X.  Snyder,  who  had  been  superintendent  of  schools  at  Reading,  Penn- 
sylvania;  principal  of  the  Indiana  (Pennsylvania)  State  Normal  .School,  and  who 
had  been  appointcfl  by  Governor  Robert  Pattison  state  supcriiUondent  of  pu1)lic 
in.struction  of  Penilsylvania,  was  in  1891  elected  to  take  charge  of  the  institution. 

The  course,  at  first,  because  there  were  few  high  schools  in  the  state,  was  a 
four-year  one.  the  first  two  years  being  devoted  to  a  review  of  the  conur.on  and 
high  school  branches,  the  last  two  years  having  the  emphasis  upon  the  profes- 
sional branches.  In  1897-98  the  standard  of  admission  was  raised  to  high  school 
graduation.  There  was  no  decided  tendcncv  to  ;illow  election  of  subjects  for  the 
first  decade  of  the  history  of  the  school.  From  that  lime  on  the  course  of  study 
has  been  a  decided  amjilification  and  enrichment  as  well  as  a  chance  for  eleclinn 


622  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

of  subjects  in  wide  and  varied  fields.  The  change  to  the  three  term  system  was 
accomplished  near  the  beginning  of  the  second  decade  of  the  school's  history,  and 
the  establishment  of  a  high  school  department  to  replace  the  old  four-year  course 
gave  an  opportunity  for  the  training  of  high  school  teachers.  By  an  act  of  the 
Legislature  in  191 1  the  name  of  the  school  was  changed  to  the  State  Teachers' 
College,  and  it  entered  upon  newer  and  broader  fields  of  usefulness.  This  steadily 
expanding  aim  has  been  reflected  in  a  growth  from  seventy-eight  students  of 
the  first  year  to  over  seven  hundred  and  fifty  in  the  year  191 5-16.  The  material 
growth  has  been  as  remarkable  as  the  intellectual.  The  beautiful  library  build- 
ing occupying  the  center  of  the  campus  was  finished  in  1906.  The  commodious 
training  school  building,  a  splendidly  lighted  and  well  equipped  structure,  was 
completed  in  1910.  The  Simon  Guggenheim  Hall  of  Industrial  Arts  was  a  gift 
from  Senator  Guggenheim  to  the  cause  of  education  in  the  state.  No  pains  were 
sf)ared  to  make  it  the  last  word  in  buildings  of  its  kind.  The  corner-stone  of  the 
woman's  building  was  laid  in  1912. 

During  all  its  formative  years  Doctor  Snyder,  who  died  in  November,  191 5, 
was  at  the  helm  of  the  institution.  Each  step  in  its  growth  was  directed  by 
him. 

After  a  nation-wide  search  the  board  of  trustees  finally,  in  June,  1916,  se- 
lected Dr.  John  Grant  Crabbe  as  a  successor  of  Doctor  Snyder.  Doctor  Crabbe 
is  a  man  of  wide  educational  experience.  An  Ohio  man,  he  spent  twenty  years 
of  his  life  in  the  schools  of  Kentucky,  rising  to  the  highest  educational  honor  it 
was  possible  for  the  state  to  bestow — that  of  state  superintendent  of  public  in- 
struction. At  the  time  of  his  call  to  Greeley,  he  was  president  of  Eastern  Ken- 
tucky State  Normal  School. 

During  his  first  year  in  the  school  Doctor  Crabbe  obtained  from  the  Colorado 
Legislature  a  $50,000  additional  annual  fund  for  maintenance,  and  a  $75,000 
annual  fund  for  building.  He  immediately  embarked  on  an  extensive  building 
program,  including  the  building  of  a  domestic  science  building  and  a  gymnasium. 

Doctor  Crabbe  also  enlarged  the  faculty  and  placed  it  on  a  most  satisfactory 
and  definite  salary  schedule. 

THE  COLORADO  STATE  NORMAL  SCHOOL 

Archie  M.  Stevenson,  then  a  resident  of  Gunnison,  and  state  senator  from 
the  district,  introduced  the  bill  thirty-one  years  ago,  to  establish  the  first  state 
normal  school  in  Colorado  with  its  location  at  Gunnison. 

Nothing  further  was  done  toward  consummating  the  ambitions  of  Gunnison 
until  the  election  campaign  of  1896,  when  the  Gunnison  Tribune  started  agitation 
for  the  resurrection  of  the  old  bill  of  Senator  Stevenson's  and  its  introduction. 
This   also   failed. 

Two  years  later,  in  1899.  Charles  T.  Rawalt  became  a  member  of  the  House 
of  Representatives  of  the  twelfth  General  Assembly,  and  he  introduced  the  bill, 
which  was  verj'  simple  in  form  and  was  for  "An  Act  establishing  a  State  Nor- 
mal School  at  Gunnison."     This   finally  was   enacted. 

On  May  3.  1899,  Governor  Orman  named  the  first  board  of  trustees,  as  fol- 
lows: T.  W.  Gray,  H.  F.  Lake.  Jr..  and  C.  E.  Adams,  all  of  Gunnison.     The 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  623 

lirst  meeting  of  tliis  board  was  held  at  Gunnison,  July  i8,  1901,  and  Mr.  Adams 
was  named  president  and  Mr.  Lake  secretary. 

From  private  subscriptions  a  sufficient  fund  was  raised  to  purchase  twenty 
acres  from  Dr.  Louis  Grasmuck,  ten  acres  were  donated  by  Frank  P.  Tanner 
and  Joseph  F.  Heiner,  live  acres  by  De.xter  T.  Sapp,  five  acres  by  Doctor  Gras- 
muck, and  a  strip  of  land  100  feet  wide  by  660  feet  long  by  C.  T.  Sills,  making  in 
-ill,  in  one  block  of  land,  lying  in  the  shape  of  an  L,  for  the  normal  school  prop- 
erty, approximately  forty-three  acres. 

The  seventeenth  General  Assembly  voted  an  appropriation  of  $50,000  for  the 
normal  school  building.  The  corner-stone  of  this  new  building  was  laid  on  Octo- 
ber 25,  1910. 

During  the  period  of  the  erection  of  the  building,  the  question  that  was  up- 
permost in  the  minds  of  the  people  of  Gunnison  was  how  the  school  could  be 
opened  without  funds,  as  Governor  Sha froth  had  vetoed  the  maintenance  appro- 
priation. Meetings  were  held  and  the  patriotic  business  men  and  citizens  agreed 
to  loan  the  state  enough  money  to  start  the  school  and  keep  it  going  until  the 
next  session  of  the  Legislature,  when  an  appropriation  could  be  secured  to  make 
up  the  deficiency.  The  people  once  more  demonstrated  their  loyalty  and  loaned 
the  sum  of  $10,000  without  interest.  The  last  of  this  amount  was  paid  back 
to  them  in  the  summer  of  1914. 

The  school  was  finished  and  the  first  term  of  school  was  opened  on  September 
12,  191 1,  with  Dr.  Z.  X.  Snyder  of  Greeley  as  president,  and  C.  A.  Hollings- 
head,  principal. 

The  following  year,  on  May  29,  19 12,  the  first  commencement  exercises  were 
held,  when  five  young  ladies  received  life  certificates  as  teachers  in  the  public 
schools  of  Colorado. 

In  December,  1913,  James  Herbert  Keliey  was  chosen  principal  of  the  school 
following  the  resignation  of  Professor  Hollingshead. 

The  General  Assembly  in  1910  made  the  state  normal  school  at  Greeley  the 
Colorado  Teachers'  College,  and  this  gives  to  the  school  at  Gunnison  the  dis- 
tinction of  being  the  only  state  normal  school  in  Colorado.  It  was,  however, 
continued  under  the  management  of  the  Colorado  Teachers'  College  until  June 
f\  10 14.  when  the  board  of  trustees,  unanimously  adopted  a  resolution  segregat- 
ing the  two  institutions,  electing  Mr.  Keliey  as  president,  and  officially  desig 
nating  it  as  the  Colorado  State  Normal  School. 

The  growth  and  jKipularity  of  the  school  have  been  beyond  all  expectations. 
It  was  opened  in  191 1  with  an  enrollment  of  twenty-three,  while  at  the  sunnner 
normal  term  of  six  weeks  in  1915  there  was  an  enrollment  of  275  teachers  ami 
students  from  all  parts  of  Colorado. 

On  April  12,  1915,  Governor  George  A.  Carlson  signed  the  Ijill  giving  the 
school  a   .0.^  mill  permanent  income. 

On  March  24,  191 7,  Governor  Julius  C.  Gunter  signed  the  bill  for  additional 
mill  levy  of  .02  mill  for  maintenance  and  .015  mill  for  ten  years  for  buildings. 

COLORADO  COLLEGE 

P.efore  the  year  1874  many  proposals  had  been  made  looking  to  the  founding 

(if  one  or  more  colleges  in  tin-  Territory  of  Colorado.     Tlic  University  of  Cnlo- 


624  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

rado  was  incorporated  in  1861.  The  Colorado  Seminary  was  founded  in  1864, 
and  continued  to  exist  for  several  years.  An  Episcopalian  school  for  boys — ■ 
afterwards  known  as  Jarvis  Hall — was  established  at  Golden  in  the  early  '70s. 

On  July  12,  1871,  the  Colorado  Springs  Company  adopted  the  report  of  a 
committee  concerning  the  laying  out  of  a  town  site  for  the  Fountain  Colony. 
This  committee,  consisting  of  Gen.  R.  A.  Cameron,  William  H.  Greenwood  and 
E.  S.  Nettleton,  recommended  that  a  tract  of  land  one-third  of  a  mile  wide  and 
a  mile  and  a  half  long  in  the  valley  of  Monument  Creek  be  set  aside  for  educa- 
tional and  other  public  purposes.  Included  in  this  tract  was  the  present  college  res- 
ervation, "which  was  distinctly  set  aside  by  this  committee  for  the  founding  of  a 
college."  This  action  of  the  committee  was  largely  owing  to  the  advice  and  sug- 
gestions of  Gen.  William  J.  Palmer  and  Gen.  R.  A.  Cameron. 

One  of  the  first  proposals  to  establish  a  college  in  Colorado  under  the  auspices 
of  the  Congregational  Church  seems  to  have  been  made  by  Rev.  T.  N.  Haskell, 
A.  M.,  before  the  Congregational  Conference  at  Boulder  on  October  28,  1873. 
Mr.  Haskell  was  appointed  moderator  of  the  conference  and  chairman  of  a 
permanent  committee  on  education  "to  ascertain  what  opportunities  there  are 
for  founding  a  higher  institution  of  learning  in  Colorado  under  Congregational 
auspices.'' 

The  committee  immediately  took  steps  to  secure  offers  of  land  and  money 
from  towns  desiring  to  be  the  seat  of  a  college.  Several  towns  made  proposals, 
including  Greeley  and  Colorado  Springs.  The  Colorado  Springs  Company  offered 
to  give  to  the  college  seventy  acres  of  the  reservation  above  mentioned,  together 
with  a  block  of  twenty  acres  on  higher  ground  and  a  cash  donation  of  $10,000, 
on  condition  that  the  trustees  should  raise  $40,000  more. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  General  Congregational  Conference  held  at  Denver  on 
January  20,  1874,  Mr.  Haskell,  as  chairman  of  the  committee,  made  a  report  in 
favor  of  establishing  the  college  at  Colorado  Springs. 

After  the  address  of  Mr.  Haskell  and  a  full  discussion,  conference  decided 
without  a  dissenting  vote  to  undertake  at  once  the  establishment  of  a  Christian 
college  in  Colorado  under  Congregational  auspices,  having  a  board  of  trustees 
of  not  less  than  twelve  or  more  than  eighteen  men,  two-thirds  of  whom  must 
be  members  of  evangelical  churches.  Colorado  Springs  was  also  selected  as  the 
most  suitable  site  and  the  offers  made  from  that  town  through  the  educational 
committee  were  accepted. 

The  conference  subsequently  elected  the  following  self-perpetuating  board 
of  trustees,  eighteen  in  all:  Rev.  E.  P.  Wells,  Rev.  J.  M.  Sturtevant,  Jr.,  Rev. 
T.  N.  Haskell,  Rev.  E.  B.  Tuthill,  Rev.  Nathan  Thompson,  Rev.  T.  C.  Jerome, 
Rev.  R.  C.  Bristol,  Maj.  Henry  McAllister,  Gen.  W.  J.  Palmer,  Gen.  R.  A. 
Cameron,  Dr.  W.  A.  Bell,  H.  W.  Austin,  W.  S.  Jackson,  E.  S.  Nettleton,  Prof. 
J.  E.  Ayers,  J.  R.  Hanna.  W.  McClintock,  and  H.  B.  Heywood. 

In  spite  of  difficulties,  the  tmstees  secured  the  services  of  Rev.  Jonathan 
Edwards,  a  graduate  of  Yale  and  pastor  of  the  Congregational  Church  at  Ded- 
ham,  Massachusetts.  Mr.  Edwards  was  to  be  professor  of  literature  and  was 
to  receive  as  compensation  the  fees  of  students  attending  the  college.  A  prepara- 
tory department  was  opened  at  Colorado  Springs  on  May  6,  1874,  in  rooms  se- 
cured near  the  center  of  the  town.     The   first  term  continued   for  ten   weeks. 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  625 

There  were  about  eighteen  students  in  attendance.  At  the  end  of  the  term  "a 
committee  passed  thirteen  of  these  students  to  the  literary  and  scientific  fresh- 
men rank." 

In  September  the  college  began  the  work  of  the  fall  term  in  a  new  frame 
building  on  the  corner  of  Tejon  Street  and  Pike's  Peak  Avenue,  where  the  P'irst 
National  Bank  now  stands.  Afterwards  the  college  was  moved  to  the  Cumber- 
land Presbyterian  Church.  It  continued  to  occupy  rented  buildings  until  the 
completion  of  the  central  portion  of  the  first  college  building,  in  the  year  1880. 
During  the  year  1874-75  there  were  in  all  seventy-six  students,  of  whom  seven- 
teen were  of  freshman  rank.  Before  the  end  of  the  year  Professor  Edwards  re- 
signed. He  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  James  G.  Dougherty  as  president  of  the 
college,  who  continued  in  office  during  the  ensuing  year. 

It  was  possible  to  reopen  the  college  in  September,  1876,  with  Rev.  E.  P. 
Tenney,  A.  M.,  as  president,  assisted  by  Winthrop  D.  Sheldon,  A.  M.,  and  F.  W. 
Tuckerman.  During  the  frequent  absences  of  the  president  the  work  of  admin- 
istration was  ably  carried  on  by  Professor  Sheldon,  assisted  by  Prof.  Frank  H. 
Loud,  who  has  been  connected  with  the  college  from  the  year  1877  until  the 
present  time.  During  the  first  year  there  were  twenty-five  students  in  attendance, 
of  whom  seven  were  in  the  preparatory  course,  thirteen  in  the  normal  course, 
and  five  were  special  students.  There  were  no  college  students.  In  the  follow- 
ing year  there  were  sixty-six  students  in  all,  of  whom  three  were  of  college 
rank.  In  the  year  1878-79  there  were  five  college  students  out  of  a  total  attend- 
ance of  seventy. 

During  the  three  years  from  1876  to  1879  the  work  of  securing  money  for  the 
running  expenses  of  the  college  and  for  endowment  was  vigorously  carried  on 
by  President  Tenney,  and  by  the  officers  of  the  American  College  and  Educational 
Society. 

In  the  year  1880  the  central  portion  of  the  new  college  building,  for  many 
years  known  as  Palmer  Hall,  was  completed,  at  a  cost  of  $43,000,  and  the  work 
of  the  college  began  to  be  carried  on  there.  This  building,  later  enlarged  by 
the  generosity  of  General  Palmer,  remained  the  only  college  building  until  the 
erection  of  Hagerman  Hall  in  1889.  In  the  year  1881-82  there  were  122  students, 
of  whom  nine  were  of  college  rank.  In  the  year  1882  the  degree  of  B.  A.  was 
conferred  upon  Parker  S.  Hallcck  and  Frederick  W.  Tuckerman.  In  addition 
to  these  degrees,  nine  certificates  had  been  given  for  proficiency  in  assaying  and 
one  for  proficiency  in  analytical  chemistry  since  1876.  The  system  of  admitting 
graduates  of  accredited  high  schools  to  freshman  standing  was  introduced  at 
this  time,  and  the  East  Denver  high  school  was  the  first  to  be  placed  on  the  list. 

When  President  William  F.  Slocum  entered  upon  his  duties  October  i.  1888, 
the  situation  was  not  without  hopeful  features.  The  people  of  Colorado  Springs 
were  interested  in  the  college ;  there  were  generous  friends  in  the  east ;  there  was 
a  capable  financial  agent,  and  the  new  president  was  a  man  of  energy  and  finan- 
cial ability.  A  vigorous  policy  was  at  once  inaugurated.  Within  two  years  a 
ca.sh  endowment  of  $100,000  was  obtained  from  friends  in  Colorado.  In  April, 
1889,  the  Woman's  Educational  Society  was  formed  by  the  ladies  of  Colorado 
Springs,  with  Mrs.  William  F.  Sloctmi  as  president,  and  its  membership  was 
soon  over  one  hundred.    In  1891  the  girls'  residence,  Montgomery  Hall,  was  com- 

Vol.  1—40 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

,pletecl,  free  of  debt.  In  1889  Hagerman  Hall  was  erected  at  a  cost  of  $18,000 
as  a  dormitory  and  clubhouse  for  young  men.  In  the  following  year  the  library 
was  increased  to  about  seven  thousand  volumes,  and  the  Rice  and  Curran  schol- 
arships were  established  by  gifts  of  $700  and  $1,000. 

In  the  year  1891  a  gymnasium  was  erected,  largely  through  the  efforts  of  the 
students.  In  September,  1892,  a  telescope  of  4-inch  aperture  was  presented  to 
the  college  by  Henry  R.  Wolcott,  of  Denver.  In  the  following  year  was  begun 
the  erection  of  the  Wolcott  Observatory,  which  was  completed  in  June,  1894,  at 
a  cost  of  about  three  thousand  dollars.  In  the  year  1892  N.  P.  Coburn,  of  New- 
ton, Massachusetts,  gave  $50,000  for  a  college  library. 

From  1893  to  1897  Colorado  College  was  chiefly  interested  in  raising  the 
endowment  known  as  the  Pearsons'  fund.  It  originated  in  an  offer  made  by 
Dr.  D.  K.  Pearsons,  of  Chicago,  in  the  autumn  of  1892,  and  first  announced  in 
Colorado  Springs  in  January,  1893.  Doctor  Pearsons  offered  to  give  $50,000  to 
the  college  provided  that  an  additional  sum  of  $150,000  should  be  raised.  This 
sum  of  $150,000  was  finally  raised,  fully  one-half  in  the  east,  and  on  January  26, 
1897,  the  endowment  was  completed  by  the  receipt  of  $50,000  from  Doctor 
Pearsons. 

In  1897  Tillotson  Academy,  founded  at  Trinidad  in  1880  by  the  New  West 
Education  Commission,  was  united  to  Cutler  Acadeni}"  and  moved  to  Colorado 
Springs.  The  property  at  Trinidad,  valued  at  about  ten  thousand  dollars,  be- 
came the  property  of  Colorado  College. 

In  December.  1897,  Ticknor  Hall,  the  gift  of  a  friend  of  the  college,  was 
completed  at  a  cost  of  over  twenty-three  thousand  dollars.  It  is  a  fine  stone 
building  and  is  the  residence  for  young  women  of  the  college  classes. 

In  1899  was  erected  another  large  building,  the  gift  of  the  late  Willard  B. 
Perkins.  It  is  known  as  the  "Perkins  Memorial,"  and  cost  $30,000.  The  first 
floor  is  the  auditorium,  with  seating  capacity  of  over  six  hundred,  used  for  the 
religious  services  and  other  public  meetings.  This  room  contains  a  valuable  pipe 
organ,  the  gift  of  Miss  Elizabeth  Cheney,  of  Wellesley,  Massachusetts.  The 
second  story  is  occupied  by  the  department  of  fine  arts  and  the  conservatory  of 
music. 

McGregor  Hall  was  built  in  1903:  Palmer  Hall,  in  1903;  Bemis  Hall,  1908; 
the  president's  residence,  remodeled  and  enlarged  in  1903 ;  Cossitt  Memorial 
•was  built  in  1914;  the  administration  building  in  the  same  year. 

In  1903  a  school  of  engineering,  with  Dr.  Florian  Cajori  as  dean,  was  opened, 
the  first  class  graduating  in  1906.  In  1914  Cutler  Academy  was  discontinued 
and  the  building  is  now  used  for  the  engineering  courses. 

In  1914  the  department  of  business  administration  and  banking,  with  Dr. 
Warren  N.  Persons  as  dean,  was  established. 

Through  the  generosity  of  General  Palmer  and  Doctor  Bell,  who  in  1905 
presented  Manitou  Park,  a  tract  of  lO.OOO  acres  of  timber  land,  to  the  college, 
the  foundation  was  laid  for  a  school  of  forestry.  In  1906  this  department  of 
the  college  was  opened  with  Dr.  William  C.  Sturgis  as  dean. 

In  December,  1907,  the  endowment  fund  of  half  a  million  was  completed. 

Doctor  Slocum  remained  with  the  college  until  September  i.  IQ16,  when  he 
resigned.     His  successor  will  be  named  during  1918. 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  627 

COLORADO  woman's  COLLEGE 

The  year  1916  was  a  milestone  year  in  the  history  of  Colorado  Woman's  Col- 
lege. It  witnessed  the  realization  of  one  of  the  dreams  of  its  founders,  the  erec- 
tion of  the  central  section  of  the  college  building,  known  as  Administration  Hall. 

In  the  '70s  and  '80s  there  were  some  Coloradoans  who  wanted  their  daughters 
to  have  a  college  education,  but  did  not  wish  to  send  them  to  co-educational 
schools.  The  need  of  a  woman's  college  in  Colorado  was  felt,  for  only  jjarents 
possessed  of  wealth  could  afford  to  send  their  daughters  east. 

In  1886  Dr.  Robert  Cameron,  then  pastor  of  the  First  Baptist  Church  of  Den- 
ver, became  impressed  with  the  importance  of  starting  an  institution  of  higher 
learning  for  young  women  who  could  not  avail  themselves  of  the  advantages  of 
eastern  schools.  He  talked  with  others  who  agreed  with  him,  but  for  some 
time  nothing  was  definitely  accomplished  toward  carrying  out  his  idea. 

The  statement  has  been  made  that  "the  college  was  born  June  16,  1887," 
when  five  men — the  Rev.  Robert  Cameron,  the  Rev.  E.  II.  Sawyer,  the  Rev. 
E.  Nesbit,  Prof.  C.  L.  Wells  and  Hon.  W.  C.  Lothrop,  met  in  the  I'^irst  Bap- 
tist Church  of  Denver  and  took  the  initial  stej)  toward  establishing  tlie  institu- 
tion now  known  as  the  Colorado  Woman's  College. 

Baptists  contributed  over  twenty-five  thousand  dollars  to  the  first  subscrip- 
tion, taken  in  1889  and  1890.  At  that  time  the  assets  of  the  "Ladies"  College" 
amounted  to  over  one  hundred  thousand  dollars,  including  the  campus  (twenty 
acres,  valued  at  $30,000),  four  blocks  adjacent  ($20,000),  other  real  estate 
($20,000),  improvements,  pledges  and  other  giffs  obtained  by  united  effort. 

The  first  officers  of  the  Denver  Ladies'  College  Society  (organized  June  2'^, 
1887)  were:  President,  Victor  A.  Elliott;  vice  president,  Wilbur  C.  Lothrop; 
secretary,  Samuel  H.  Baker;  treasurer,  Robert  T.  McNeal.  The  first  executive 
committee  was  composed  of  seven  men:  Governor  J.  B.  Grant,  L  E.  Blake,  M. 
Spangler,  S.  H.  Baker,  L  B.  Porter,  Granville  Malcom  and  Robert  Cameron. 
Nearly  all  of  these  men  were  Baptists.  The  institution  was  chartered  Novem- 
ber 12,  1888,  with  the  title  "Colorado  Woman's  College  Society." 

In  1893  building  o])erations  at  the  college  were  entirely  suspended.  The 
project  languished  and  all  but  died  "a-borning.''  For  sixteen  years  (1893-1909) 
the  unfinished  structure  stood  idle  and  desolate,  with  windows  boarded  up. 

The  college  enterprise  was  reluctantly  abandoned  by  Doctor  Cameron,  who 
left  Denver  and  held  pastorates  in  Boston  and  Providence.  Later  he  went  to 
the  northwest  and  l>ecame  pastor  of  the  Tabernacle  liaptist  Church  in  \'^ictoria. 
British  Columbia.    He  now  lives  in  Seattle  and  edits  a  religious  magazine. 

In  1902  the  Rev.  W.  T.  Jordan,  pastor  of  the  Calvary  Bajitist  Church,  under- 
took to  clear  off  the  old  indebtedness  preparatory  to  getting  subscri])tions  to 
establish  the  college.  "Pay  off  the  debt,  calling  on  the  Ba])tists  mainly  for 
money,"  was  his  motto.  Year  by  year  the  debt  was  reduced,  and  in  1907  it  was 
practically  wiped  out.  He  was  given  effective  assistance  by  the  other  members 
of  the  executive  Gommittee — Edward  Braislin,  Granville  Malcom,  Robert  T. 
McNeal  and  F.  I.  .Smith. 

Then  the  Rev.  C.  R.  Minard.  Ralph  Voorhies,  l-'rank  I'crry  .md  Doctor  Mal- 
com began  a  campaign  for  additional  funds  to  complete  the  building  and  furnish 
it.     In  the  course  of  two  years  they  succeeded  in  gelling  $30.(xxi,  of  which  the 


628  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

Colorado  Woman's  College  Auxiliary  Association  raised  $i  1,000  for  the  furnish- 
ing of  the  college.  The  interior  of  the  south  wing  was  finished,  the  dormitories 
were  furnished  and  equipment  was  bought  for  the  recitation  rooms.  The  next 
thing  on  the  program  was  to  open  the  school,  September  7,  1909. 

The  college  once  started,  the  Baptists  with  pride  awoke  to  the  consciousness 
of  the  strategic  advantage  of  occupying  the  center  of  a  vast  territory  without  any 
other  woman's  college  of  high  rank. 

Prof.  Jay  Porter  Treat,  an  experienced  educator,  was  selected  as  president, 
and  he  was  given  a  free  hand  to  carry  out  his  ideas  of  what  a  woman's  college 
should  be.  From  the  start  it  has  been  his  aim  to  make  the  school  a  seat  of  cul- 
ture and  a  Christian  home  for  young  women.  There  are  four  departments — 
liberal  arts,  fine  arts,  Sunday  school  pedagogy,  domestic  science  and  efficiency. 

So  rapid  was  the  growth  of  the  institution  that  it  was  crowded  to  its  capacity 
within  three  years.  The  erection  of  the  middle  section  of  the  college  hall  was 
considered  imperative,  and  in  1914  a  financial  campaign  was  started  for  addi- 
tional funds  to  complete  Administration  Hall.  This  was  successful.  Dr.  A.  H. 
Stockham  of  Delta  making  a  gift  of  $10,000.  As  a  result  the  edifice  was  com- 
pleted in  1916. 

CL.-VVTOX    COLLEGE 

George  W.  Clayton  was  born  February  22,  1833,  ^t  Philadelphia,  Pennsyl- 
vania. The  patronymic  of  the  Great  Father  of  the  Republic  must  have  come 
to  him  from  the  coincidence  of  birth  date.  The  parents  of  Mr.  Clayton  main- 
tained their  residence  at  Philadelphia  throughout  their  long  lives,  and  the  chil- 
dren of  the  family  often  returned  to  the  parental  home  to  renew  the  associations 
of  childhood. 

In  this  way  all  became  familiar  with  Girard  College,  which  lias  been,  in  the 
minds  of  Philadelphians,  the  model  institution  for  boys  for  many  years.  It  is 
easy  to  trace  Mr.  Clayton's  preference  for  Girard  College  in  founding  an  insti- 
tution in  Denver. 

In  Jtily,  1859,  Mr.  Clayton  came  to  Colorado,  then  known  as  die  Pike's  Pea'K 
Country,  and  beyond  the  pale  of  organized  government. 

The  story  of  Mr.  Clayton's  subsequent  life  and  business  is  substantially  that 
of  the  development  of  "the  County  of  Arapahoe,  in  the  Territory  of  Kansas, 
known  as  Jefferson  Territory''  into  the  State  of  Colorado  and  the  City  of  Den- 
ver, as  they  grew  and  developed  during  the  forty  years  of  his  residence  therein. 

He  was  a  man  of  clear  vision  and  excellent  judgment ;  he  gave  personal  at- 
tention to  all  details  of  his  business;  he  was  truthful  and  faithful  in  every  trans- 
action. These  qualities  enabled  him  to  meet  all  vicissitudes  of  business  through 
manv  years,  and  to  succeed  in  a  large  way  where  many  failed. 

The  George  W.  Clayton  College  was  founded  under  the  provision  of  the  will 
of  the  late  George  W.  Clayton,  who  left  the  larger  part  of  his  estate  to  be  de- 
voted to  the  founding  and  maintaining  of  a  permanent  institution  within  the 
City  of  Denver,  for  the  education  and  maintenance  of  poor,  white,  male,  orplian 
children. 

The  funds  and  property  constituting  the  endowment  of  the  college  itself  are 
held  in  trust  by  the  City  and  County  of  Denver,  and  are  managed  by  the  "George 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  629 

W.  Clayton  Trust  Commission,"  consisting  of  the  mayor,  the  manager  of  rev- 
enue, and  the  president  of  the  council.  The  management  of  the  college  itself 
is  vested  in  a  board  of  trustees,  consisting  of  the  judge  of  the  District  Court  of 
the  United  States  for  the  District  of  Colorado,  the  senior  judge  of  the  District 
Court  of  Denver,  the  chief  justice  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  Colorado  (or  such 
persons  as  they  shall  appoint),  and  two  persons  appointed  by  the  mayor  of  Den- 
ver. 

The  college  is  located  in  the  northeastern  portion  of  the  city  and  is  reached 
by  the  Thirty-fourth  Avenue  car  line.  The  college  buildings  are  fifteen  in  num- 
ber ;  they  include  an  administration  building,  four  dormitories,  a  school  build- 
ing, a  power  house,  a  hospital,  a  laundry,  a  superintendent's  house,  a  farm  house 
and  barns.  The  main  group  of  ten  buildings  is  situated  upon  a  tract  of  twenty 
acres  at  Thirty-second  Avenue  and  Colorado  Boulevard.  All  of  the  buildings  are 
of  permanent,  substantial  construction,  the  architecture  being  characterized  bj 
dignity  and  beauty.  The  chief  buildings  are  constructed  of  stone,  and  are  roofed 
with  red  tiles.  The  buildings  of  the  main  group  are  heated,  lighted,  and  sup- 
plied with  hot  and  cold  water  from  the  central  power  house,  all  pipes  and  wires 
being  conveyed  through  concrete  tunnels. 

An  important  part  of  the  equipment  of  the  college  consists  of  270  acres  of 
farm  land,  adjacent  to  the  buildings.  The  water  for  the  irrigation  of  the  land 
is  obtained  through  a  pipe  line  reaching  the  Sand  Creek  overflow  some  six  miles 
distant. 

To  be  eligible  for  admission,  a  boy  must  fulfill  the  following  conditions : 

1.  He  must  be  over  six  and  not  over  ten  years  old. 

2.  He  must  be  of  white  blood  and  of  reputable  parentage. 

3.  He  must  be  poor. 

4.  He  must  be  sound  in  mind  and  body. 

5.  He  must  be  the  child  of  a  father  who  is  not  living. 

In  giving  admission,  preference  is  given  first,  to  children  born  in  and  belong- 
ing to  the  counties  of  Denver,  Adams,  and  Arapahoe;  second,  to  children  born 
in  and  belonging  to  other  counties  of  the  State  of  Colorado.  The  will  of  the 
founder  enjoins  that  care  be  taken  to  receive  no  more  boys  than  can  be  adequately 
cared  for  from  the  available  income. 

lioys  received  into  the  college  are  maintained  here  without  charge  or  cost 
to  their  mothers,  or  guardians,  until  discharged  bv  the  board  of  trustees  at  be- 
tween fourteen  and  eighteen  years  of  age  except  that  a  boy  may  be  discharged  at 
any  time  for  malconduct  or  incompetency. 

The  college  requires  that  the  legal  custody  and  control  of  the  child  shall  be 
vested  in  the  board  of  trustees  during  the  lime  that  he  is  a  jnipil  in  the  college, 
authorized  by  a  statute  of  the  State  of  Colorado.  The  purjwse  of  this  rec|uire- 
ment  is  to  give  to  the  college  ])ower  over  tlie  cliiid  connnensurate  with  the  re- 
si)onsil)iIilv  it  assumes  for  his  welfare,  thus  insuring  thai  the  ])rogress  of  his 
education  will  not  be   interrupted. 

The  development  of  the  college  farm  during  the  past  two  years  has  been  satis- 
factory.    Vegetables  sufficient  to  sii])i>ly  the  college  table  ha\-e  been  produced. 

The  dairy  and  poultry  department  h;ive  likewise  C(>ni|iletely  sn])|)lie(l  the  in- 
stitution with  iirodiicts  always  fre.sh  and  of  the  highest  (|uality.  The  dairv  herd 
has  shown  a  good  Frowth  liv  natural  increase. 


630  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

A  beginning  has  been  made  in  building  up  a  herd  of  high  class  registered 
Holsteins ;  and  it  is  expected  that  the  production  of  pure  bred  dairy  stock  will 
come  to  be  an  important  branch  of  the  farm  activity.  The  farm  is  also  now 
supplying  a  portion  of  the  meat  used  on  the  college  table. 

Practically  all  of  the  270  acres  of  farm  is  now  under  cultivation.  Experi- 
mental work  is  being  carried  on  in  the  raising  of  crops  specially  adapted  to  dry 
and  semi-humid  conditions. 

In  the  school,  instruction  in  the  common  school  branches  has  proceeded  suc- 
cessfully. 

A  committee  upon  curriculum,  appointed  by  the  board  of  trustees  is  framing 
the  course  of  instruction  which  shall  follow  the  elementary  work.  This  will 
consist  of  vocational  work  in  agricultural  tasks,  for  the  larger  number  of  pupils, 
while  some  will  be  instructed  along  commercial  and  mechanical  lines. 

While  the  institution  under  the  terms  of  the  founding  is  non-sectarian,  re- 
ligion is  not  neglected.  The  Sunday  devotional  services  and  the  daily  vesper 
services  in  each  dormitory  imbue  the  pupils  with  a  spirit  of  reverence  for  religion, 
and  constitute  a  strong  influence  toward  character  formation. 

February  22d  of  each  year  is  celebrated  as  Founder's  Day,  it  being  the  birth- 
day of  George  W.  Clayton  as  well  as  that  of  George  Washington.  The  celebration 
of  the  day  is  an  occasion  of  great  interest  to  the  boys,  and  brings  a  large  number 
of  visitors  to  the  institution. 

The  square  system  is  an  important  factor  in  the  life  of  the  boys  of  the  col- 
lege. A  square  is  a  unit  of  college  money,  the  equivalent  being  one  cent  in 
L^nited  States  money.  In  various  ways  the  boys  may  earn  squares,  mainly  by 
voluntary  extra  work.  This  currency  is  good  at  the  college  store,  where  a  stock 
is  carried  of  such  articles  as  are  in  demand  by  the  boys.  They  also  use  it  as  a 
medium  of  exchange  among  themselves.  The  ordinary  punishment  for  bad 
conduct  is  a  fine  in  squares.  A  savings  bank  is  maintained  where  squares  on 
deposit  draw  interest. 

This  system  of  college  currency  is  of  practical  convenience  and  decided  edu- 
cational value.  Very  soon  after  arriving  at  the  college  even  the  youngest  boys 
acquire  a  sense  of  quantity  that  is  surprising.  This  is  followed  by  the  develop- 
ment of  habits  of  thrift  and  foresight.  For  instance,  some  boys  do  a  good  busi- 
ness in  poultry  raising,  buying  their  feed,  and  selling  their  eggs.  Others  are 
engaged  in  other  enterprises. 

It  is  an  important  part  of  the  aim  of  the  institution  to  train  each  boy  to 
work.  When  boys  leave  the  institution,  the  energy  and  intelligence  with  which 
they  work  will  be  their  only  capital.  Therefore  each  pupil,  in  proportion  to  his 
strength  and  ability  is  required  to  participate  in  the  work  of  the  institution.  As 
soon  as  he  enters  the  new  pupil  learns  to  make  his  own  bed  and  to  clean  his  own 
quarters.  As  he  grows  older,  his  duties  increase.  At  present  with  the  oldest 
boys  only  sixteen  years  old,  a  considerable  part  of  the  work  is  done  by  them. 
It  is  planned  that  after  finishing  the  eighth  grade,  pupils  shall  study  half  of 
each  day  at  the  vocations  or  trades  to  which  they  are  assigned. 

The  boys  enjoy  a  variety  of  recreation.  The  aim  of  the  institution  is  ta 
furnish  such  recreaation.  in  quantity  and  kind,  as  will  stimulate  the  boy  to  healthy 
development.     During  the  past  two  years  the  average  health  of  the  pupils  has 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  .  631 

bfcii  high.  It  is  the  policy  of  the  institution  in  undertaking  the  care  of  the  boj' 
to  give  tirst  consideration  to  his  physical  condition. 

Upon  entrance  he  is  given  a  thorough  physical  examination  by  the  college 
physician.  Each  boy  is  weighed  and  measured  twice  a  year,  and  a  careful  record 
is  kept  of  his  growth  as  compared  with  that  of  the  average  normal  boy.  The 
teeth  are  regularly  cleaned  and  looked  after  by  the  college  dentist. 

Excellent  sanitary  conditions  are  maintained  throughout  the  institution.  The 
method  of  life  is  regular  and  hygienic.  An  abundance  of  wholesome  food  is  sup- 
plied, including  milk  from  the  college  farm.  The  boys  get  plenty  of  exercise, 
in  the  open  air.  Under  these  conditions  the  boys  grow  up  and  build  up  wonder- 
fully, and  show  great  resistance  to  disease. 


CHAPTER  XXXII 

RELIGIOUS— GENERAL— GROWTH  OF  COLORADO'S 
PROTESTANT  CHURCHES 

FIRST  SERMON  PREACHED  BV  REV.  W.  G.  FISHER TOWN   COMPANY  OFFERS  LOTS  FOR 

HOUSES  OF  WORSHIP RICHARDSON  DESCRIBES  E-ARLY   STREET  PRAYER   MEETINGS 

THE  CHURCH    CENSUS  OF    189O,  OF    I9OO,   OF    I906  AND   OF    I9IO MARVELOUS 

GROWTH THE    PROTESTANT-EPISCOPAL    CHURCH — ESTABLISHING    THE    DIOCESE 

OF    WESTERN    COLORADO THE    METHODIST-EPISCOPAL    CHURCH THE    STRUGGLE 

TO    ESTABLISH    THE    FIRST    PRESBYTERIAN    CHURCH — THE    BAPTISTS CONGREGA- 
TIONALISM   AND    ITS    GROWTH     IN    COLORADO THE    CHRISTIAN     CHURCH THE 

LUTHERAN UNITARIAN THE    REFORMED    CHURCH — CHRISTIAN     SCIENTISTS 

SEVENTH   DAY  ADVENTISTS. 

The  churches  of  Colorado  were  a  mighty  factor  in  the  early  and  later  devel- 
opment of  territory  and  state,  and  while  the  lust  for  gold  was  strong  in  those 
pioneers  of  1858  and  1859,  they  found  time  to  listen  to  and  to  heed  the  spiritual 
thoughts  that  came  from  the  lips  of  the  earliest  evangelists.  Perhaps  the  first 
sermon  ever  delivered  by  a  Christian  in  the  vicinity  of  what  is  now  Denver  was 
that  of  Rev.  W.  G.  Fisher,  who  in  the  fall  of  1858  made  a  temple  of  the  cotton- 
wood  trees  in  the  new  Town  of  Auraria  near  the  mouth  of  Cherry  Creek. 

In  January,  1859,  the  Auraria  Town  Company  offered  lots  to  the  first  four 
religious  societies  that  would  "build  a  church  or  a  house  of  worship  in  Auraria." 
It  was  some  time  before  advantage  was  taken  of  this  proposition. 

Similar  offers  were  made  by  the  offfcers  of  the  Denver  Town  Company.  Nor 
were  these  speedily  taken  up. 

Jerome  Smiley  in  his  "History  of  Denver"  reverts  to  Father  Mallet,  who 
came  into  the  region  of  Cherry  Creek  in  1739,  but  rather  as  an  explorer  than  as 
a  missionary.  He  also  refers  to  Rev.  John  Beck,  who  came  in  June,  1858,  with 
the  Russell  party,  but  never  preached. 

To  Rev.  W.  G.  Fisher  belongs  undoubtedly  the  honor  of  having  been  the  first 
man  to  preach  the  Word  of  God  in  this  section.  It  was  not  until  June,  1859,  when 
Rev.  L.  Hamilton,  a  Presbyterian  minister,  reached  Denver,  that  the  work  of 
Rev.  W.  G.  Fisher  was  supplemented.  The  first  meeting  held  in  the  Pollock  Hotel 
by  Rev.  L.  Hamilton  was  largely  attended,  and  actually  resulted  in  the  organi- 
zation of  a  church. 

The  Union  Sunday  School,  opened  on  November  6,  1859.  at  the  house  ot 
"Preachers  Fisher  and  Adriance,"  grew  from  an  initial  attendance  of  twelve  un- 
til it  was  forced  to  move  to  the  Masonic  Hall,  on  what  is  now  Eleventh  Street. 

Albert  D.  Richardson,  who  came  with  the  Greeley  party,  in  June,  1859,  saw 

632 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  633 

"several  hundred  men  in  the  open  air  attending  pubHc  rehgious  worship.  They 
were  roughly  clad,  displaying  weapons  at  their  belts,  and  represented  every  sec- 
tion of  the  Union  and  almost  every  nation  on  earth.  They  sat  upon  logs  and 
stumps,  a  most  attentive  congregation,  while  the  clergyman  upon  a  rude  log 
platform  preached  from  the  text :  'liehold,  I  bring  you  good  tidings  of  great  joy.' 
It  was  an  impressive  spectacle — that  motley  gathering  of  goldseekers  among 
the  mountains,  a  thousand  miles  from  home  and  civilization,  to  hear  the  good 
tidings  forever  old  and  yet  forever  new." 

John  L.  Dyer,  better  known  as  Father  Dyer,  a  Methodist,  one  of  the  gentlest 
and  noblest  of  the  preachers  of  territorial  days,  came  to  Colorado  June  22,  1861, 
and  went  at  once  into  the  mining  regions  to  tell  simply  and  eloquently  the  need 
of  the  kindly  deed.  On  July  18,  1861,  he  was  at  Buckskin  Joe  where  he  gathered 
the  rough  characters  of  that  region  about  him,  told  them  of  the  sweetness  of 
living  and  doing  right  and  talked  to  them  of  their  far-ofif  eastern  homes.  There 
were  always  liberal  donations  for  the  church  work  of  Father  Dyer.  .And  it  mat- 
tered not  where  he  went  in  this  region  the  doors  of  all  cabins,  even  the  doors 
of  saloons  and  gambling  hells,  were  opened  for  him  to  tell  his  story  of  the  world's 
great  need  of  kindness,  one  to  another.  He  had  great  misfortune  later  in  life, 
his  son,  Judge  Elias  F.  Dyer,  dying  at  the  hands  of  an  assassin. 

The  church  history  of  Colorado  is  best  told  by  denominations,  and  in  the 
following  pages  the  facts  narrated  are  either  written  or  supplied  by  leading  mem- 
bers of  each  sect. 

The  growth  of  the  churches  of  Colorado,  in  edifices  and  membership,  has 
been  accurately  recorded  in  the  decennial  census  returns.  Colorado  had  in  1890, 
647  church  organizations,  with  463  edifices.  These  were  valued  at  $4,743,317. 
The  communicants  numbered  86,837,  which  was  21.07  per  cent  of  the  popula- 
tion. In  1906  it  had  1,261  church  organizations  and  956  church  edifices;  church 
jjroperty  valued  at  $7,723,200,  and  205,666  communicants,  an  increase  over  1S90 
of  118,829. 

In  1910,  the  date  of  the  last  Federal  census  the  records  by  denominations 
follow : 

The  Seventh  Day  Adventists  had  thirteen  church  organizations,  two  churches, 
and  414  communicants.  Of  the  other  five  branches  of  the  Adventist  Church  none 
was  represented  in  Colorado  when  the  last  census  was  taken. 

The  so-called  "Regular"  Baptists,  whose  Colorado  history  is  narrated  in  these 
chapters,  had  in  1910,  fifty-four  organizations,  forty  church  edifices,  and  4,944 
communicants.  Of  all  the  other  l'>aptist  bodies,  the  Regular  (South),  the  Sev- 
enth Day,  Free  Will,  Original  Free  Will,  General,  Separate,  United,  Bapti.st 
Church  of  Christ,  Primitive,  Old  Two-Sce(l-in-tlic-.'~!pirit  Prcdcstinarian,  there 
was  no  representation  in  Colorado  in  1910. 

The  Plymouth  Brethren,  who  haVe  no  houses  of  worship,  had  four  organiza- 
tions in  Colorado  in  1910,  with  a  memberslii])  of  seventy.  Of  these  four  organi- 
zations eacli  belonged  to  one  of  the  four  distinct  sects  of  I'lymoutli  Brethren  in 
the  United  States. 

The  Catholics  in  1910  had  iio  organiz.'ilions  in  Coldradi).  niiiely-four  eliureli 
edifices,  and  47,111  comnnmicants. 

Tiie  Cliristadelphians.  a  religious  sect  founded  b\'  1 'r.  John  Thnmas  about 
1845,  had  two  organizations,  with  sixteen  conininuieaiUs,  in  (.'ojoi'.ido  in   iiMO. 


63-4  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

The  Christian  Scientists  in  1910  had  four  organizations  in  Colorado  and  147 
members. 

The  Christian  Union  Church  had  in  19 10  twelve  organizations  in  Colorado 
and  571  communicants. 

The  Church  Triumphant  (Schweinfurth)  had  in  1910  two  organizations  in 
Colorado,  one  church  edifice,  and  forty-one  members. 

In  1910  there  were  in  Colorado  forty-nine  Congregational  churches,  thirty- 
eight  edifices,  and  3,217  communicants. 

The  Disciples  of  Christ  also  called  Christians  had  in  1910  thirty-one  church 
organizations,  eighteen  church  edifices,  and  2,400  communicants  in  Colorado. 

Of  the  Dunkards  Colorado  in  1910  had  one  church  with  no  communicants, 
who  are  known  as  "The  Conservative  Brethren,"  and  one  church  with  seventeen 
communicants  of   "The  Progressive   Brethren." 

The  Evangelical  Association  (in  doctrine  and  polity  Methodist)  had  three 
organizations  in  Colorado  in  1910,  one  church  edifice  and  eight-seven  communi- 
cants. 

The  Friends  had  in  1910  one  church  organization,  one  edifice  and  thirty-eight 
members  in  Colorado. 

The  German  Evangelical  Synod  of  North  America  had  in  1910  two  organi- 
zations, one  edifice  and  135  communicants  in  Colorado. 

The  Orthodox  Jews  in  1910  had  in  Colorado  four  organizations,  three  church 
edifices,  and  662  members.  The  Reformed  Jews  had  one  organization,  one 
church  edifice,  and  400  members. 

The  Mormon  Church  in  1910  had  three  church  organizations  in  Colorado, 
three  edifices  and  1,640  communicants. 

The  Reorganized  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter  Day  Saints  had  in  1910 
five  organizations  in  Colorado,  one  church  edifice  and  122  members. 

There  were  in  Colorado  in  1910  twenty-one  Lutheran  Church  organizations, 
fourteen  church  buildings,  and  1,208  communicants.  Of  these,  seven  churches 
belonged  to  the  General  Synod,  seven  to  the  General  Council,  six  to  the  Synodical 
Conference,  and  one  to  the  Norwegian  Church  in  America. 

The  Amish  Mennonites  had  one  organization,  one  church  edifice  and  seventy- 
five  members  in  Colorado  in   1910. 

There  were  in  1910  ninety  Methodist  Episcopal  organizations  in  Colorado, 
with  seventy-seven  church  edifices  and  8,580  members.  The  African  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church  had  eight  organizations,  six  edifices,  and  788  members.  The 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  South,  had  in  1910,  twenty-six  church  organizations, 
sixteen  church  buildings  and  1,299  communicants.  The  Free  Methodists  in  1910 
had  twenty-two  church  organizations,  eighteen  church  edifices  and  203  communi- 
cants. The  total  of  all  Methodists  in  the  state  in  1910  was  10,870,  with  146  or- 
ganizations and  117  church  edifices. 

There  were  in  1910  in  Colorado  a  total  of  eighty-eight  Presbyterian  church 
organizations,  sixty-nine  church  edifices,  and  6,968  communicants.  The  Pres- 
byterian Church  in  the  United  States  of  America  (Northern)  had  seventy-four 
church  organizations,  fifty-six  church  edifices,  and  5,902  members.  The  Cumber- 
land Presbyterians  had  five  churches  and  231  members.  The  Welsh  Calvinistic 
Methodist  Church  had  one  church  edifice  and  156  communicants. 

The  United  Presbyterians  had  in  1910  five  church  edifices,  and  537  members. 


THE  "BAPTIST  DUG-OUT" 

The  basement  story  of  a  projected  church  edifice  in  Denver,  which  was  constructed  on 
the  northeast  comer  of  Sixteenth  and  Curtis  Streets  in  1867,  by  the  pioneer  Baptist 
organization  in  that  city.  Building  funds  having  been  exhausted  the  basement  was  roofed 
rudely  and  used  by  the  congregation  for  several  years  as  a  place  of  worship,  and  in  1872-73 
was  occupied  on  week  days  by  a  public  school.  Because  of  its  primitive  appearance  the 
structure  became  commonly  known  as  the  ' '  Baptist  Dugout. ' '  The  congregation  did  not 
complete  the  building,  but  sold  the  property  and  erected  a  church  in  another  part  of  the  city 
in  1873. 


636  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

The  Reformed  Presbyterians  had  three  organizations,  two  edifices,  and  142  mem- 
bers in  Colorado. 

The  Protestant  Episcopal  Church  in  America  had  in  1910  in  Colorado  fifty- 
two  organizations,  forty-four  church  edifices,  and  3,814  members. 

The  Reformed  Church  in  the  United  States  had  in  1910  one  church  edifice 
and  thirty-five  members  in  Colorado. 

The  Salvation  Army  had  in  1910  ten  organizations  in  Colorado,  one  hall,  and 
214  communicants. 

The  Spiritualists  had  in  1910  two  organizations,  with  275  members  m  Colorado. 

The  United  Brethren  in  Christ  had  in  Colorado  in  1910,  eighteen  church  or- 
ganizations, eight  church  edifices  and  5S5  members. 

The  Unitarians  in  1910  had  in  Colorado  four  church  organizations,  two 
edifices,  and  644  members. 

The  Universalists 'had  one  church  organization  in  Colorado  in  1910,  with 
fifteen  members. 

THE    BAPTISTS   OF    COLORADO 

The  first  Baptist  Church  in  Colorado  was  established  at  Denver,  September 
25,  i860,  with  a  membership  of  twenty-seven.  These  pioneers  called  this  first 
organization  the  Rocky  Mountain  Baptist  Church.  Elder  James  Ripley  was 
called  to  the  pastorate,  and  J.  Saxton  and  M.  A.  Clarke  were  the  first  deacons. 
Robert  S.  Roe  was  the  first  chief  clerk.  The  congregation  obtained  the  use  of 
the  courthouse  from  the  owner.  Judge  Buchanan,  free  of  charge.  The  mem- 
bers, however,  soon  scattered  into  various  camps,  and  in  1861  the  organization 
failed.  In  its  best  days,  however,  it  not  alone  sustained  the  church  but  a  Sun- 
day school  with  nearly  a  hundred  members. 

The  records  of  the  First  Baptist  Church  in  Golden  show  that  it  was  estab- 
lished about  August  i,  1863,  and  this  justly  claims  to  be  the  oldest  existing  Bap- 
tist church  in  Colorado. 

On  December  27,  1863,  the  first  meeting  of  those  interested  in  the  organiza- 
tion of  a  permanent  Baptist  Church  in  Denver  was  held,  and  a  committee  ap- 
pointed at  this  time  secured  the  United  States  court  room  on  Ferry  Street  for 
its  services.  Rev.  Walter  M.  Potter,  who  had  been  sent  to  the  territory  at  this 
time  by  the  American  Baptist  Home  Alission  Society,  officiated. 

On  May  2,  1864,  the  First  Baptist  Church  of  Denver  was  organized,  with 
the  following  members:  Rev.  Walter  M.  Potter,  Miss  Lucy  K.  Potter,  Francis 
Gallup.  Henry  C.  Leach,  Mrs.  A.  Voorhies,  Mrs.  L.  Burdsall,  Airs.  L.  Hall, 
Mrs.  A.  C.  Hall  and  Miss  E.  Throughman.  Air.  Gallup  was  the  first  deacon, 
and  Henr>'  C.  Leach  was  first  clerk  and  treasurer.  In  May,  1866,  Rev.  Ira  D. 
Clark  was  pastor,  remaining  a  year,  and  in  Alay.  1868.  Rev.  A.  M.  Arneill  be- 
came pastor,  followed  by  Rev.  Lewis  M.  Raymond.  Rev.  Ira  D.  Clark  built 
the  basement  on  the  church  lots  at  the  corner  of  Curtis  and  G  streets,  and  Rev. 
W.  Scott,  who  succeeded  Air.  Raymond,  erected  a  lecture  room  on  lots  donated 
by  Rev.  \\'alter  AI.  Potter,  the  first  pastor  of  the  church.  He  had  preempted 
320  acres  near  the  city,  and  with  his  uncle,  W.  Gaston,  of  Boston,  bought  fifty 
acres  covering  the  present  depot  grounds.  .All  of  this,  worth  in  1873  nearly  a 
hundred  thousand  dollars,  was  left  to  the  Alissinn  bodies  of  the  church. 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  637 

The  Rocky  Mountain  Baptist  Association  was  organized  September  21,  1866, 
in  the  United  States  Court  room  in  Denver,  its  first  moderator  being  Rev.  Ira 
D.  Clark.  The  Colorado  Baptist  churches  represented  and  unrepresented  at 
this  first  session  were  as  follows:  Canon  City,  membership  fifty-four;  First 
Denver,  eighteen  members;  Golden  City,  twenty-eight  members;  Denver  Zion 
(colored),  eight  members;  Central  City,  thirty-six  members;  Colorado  City, 
fifteen  members. 

At  its  session  in  1867,  with  Cheyenne  added,  its  total  membership  in  the 
state  was  180.  Mt.  \'ernon  and  Georgetown  were  organized  in  the  following 
year. 

In  1873  the  Baptist  Church  had  a  firm  hold  in  this  field.  At  Central  City  a 
$4,500  church  building  was  under  erection,  and  its  membership  had  grown  to 
fifty-four.  The  First  Baptist  Church  of  Denver  was  building  a  $12,000  struc- 
ture, and  had  a  membership  of  ninety-four.  The  Baptist  Church  in  Golden  was 
not  alone  a  commodious  brick  building,  but  had  a  tower  with  bell.  Its  member- 
ship was  twenty-two.  In  Greeley  the  largest  church  in  the  place,  built  at  a  cost 
of  $6,500,  was  occupied  by  a  Baptist  membership  of  forty. 

Laramie,  which  was  part  of  the  Colorado  district,  had  just  organized. 

Denver  Zion  had  a  good  church  building  and  seventeen  members. 

At  Georgetown,  the  membership  of  thirty-five  worshiped  in  a  leased  building. 

At  this  time  there  were  services  held  in  the  Hard  Scrabble  district,  and  on 
the  Greenhorn,  by  preachers  who  had  taken  up  farming  in  these  sections. 

Colorado  City,  Cheyenne  and  Mt.  Vernon  church  organizations  had  become 
extinct,  "owing  principally  to  the  unsettled  character  of  the  population  in  those 
places  when  the  churches  were  organized."  At  this  time  new  churches  were 
organizing  at  Boulder,  Longmont,  Evans,  Platte  Valley,  Colorado  Springs, 
Pueblo,  Fountain  and  at  Idaho  Springs.  Rev.  James  French,  who  was  then  ter- 
ritorial missionary,  announced  that  he  had  sold  for  the  owner  one  of  "the  cel- 
ebrated Idaho  springs"  and  had  earned  a  commission  of  $1,000,  which,  as  he 
said,  "I  propose  to  give  to  the  Home  Mission  Society,  to  be  designated  towards 
building  a  church  edifice  at  Idaho  Springs." 

Late  in  1872  a  new  association  of  seven  churches  was  organized  in  south- 
ern Colorado,  and  new  meetinghouses  were  building  "on  the  Cuchares,  the 
Apache,  the  Greenhorn,  the  Hard  Scrabble,  and  at  Colorado  Springs." 

The  first  meeting  of  what  was  to  be  known  as  the  Southern-Colorado  Baptist 
Association  met  in  Canon  City,  November  22,  1872,  elected  Andrew  Brown  mod- 
erator, and  was  represented  as  follows:  Canon  City,  thirty-four  members;  Col- 
orado Springs,  nineteen  members;  Fountain,  five;  Huerfano,  thirty;  New  Hope 
(on  the  Hard  Scrabble),  twenty-two;  Pueblo  and  Spanish  Peaks,  just  organiz- 
ing. 

When  this  organization  met  in  1873  at  New  Hope,  Spanish  Peaks  reported  a 
membership  of  forty-three;  Pueblo,  seventeen;  Dodson,  seven;  Monument,  five. 
The  total  membership  was  199,  and  nine  churches  comprised  the  conference.  In 
1874  the  membership  was  219. 

In  1874  the  Rocky  Mountain  Association,  with  nine  churches — at  Denver 
(2),  Golden,  Greeley,  Central  City,  Laramie,  Boulder,  Platte  Valley  and  Bear 
Canon,  had  a  total  membership  of  458.    This  figure  was  427  in  1873. 

.'\t  the  session  nf  the  Rocky  Mountain   Baptist  Association  in    187.)  a  com- 


638  -  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

nuinication  from  Gov.  John  Evans  requested  cooperation  in  the  founding  of  the 
University  of  Denver.  At  that  time  the  plan  was  to  estabhsh  a  seat  of  learning, 
with  the  support  of  "The  Protestant  Episcopal,  Methodist  Episcopal,  Presbyte- 
rian and  Baptist  churches."  The  project  was  endorsed,  but  later  the  University 
became  exclusively  a  Methodist  Episcopal  institution. 

In  1877  the  ten  churches  in  the  Rocky  Mountain  Baptist  Association  had  a 
membership  of  (131  ;  in  the  Southern  Association  there  were  fomieen  churches, 
with  a  membership  of  395. 

The  record  of  the  Baptist  churches  in  the  southern  tield  follows :  Canon  City, 
established  1865;  Fountain.  1870;  New  Hope,  1871  ;  Pueblo,  Colorado  Springs, 
Spanish  Peaks,  1872;  Monument,  1875;  Saguai;he,  1876;  Las  Vegas,  N.  M., 
1880;  Durango,  Gardner,  Gunnison  City,  1881 ;  Grand  Junction,  Salida,  Raton, 
N.  M.,  Lake  City,  1883;  Table  Rock,  1884.  In  1883  its  church  property  was 
valued  at  $29,100;  its  membership  was  613. 

In  1885  the  value  of  church  property  in  the  Rocky  Mountain  Baptist  Associa- 
tion territory  was  $162,700,  and  the  membership  was  1,319.  There  were  now  two 
churches,  the  First  and  Calvary,  in  Denver,  the  First  and  Second  in  Cheyenne, 
one  each  at  Boulder,  Fort  Collins,  Golden,  Greeley,  Laramie,  Leadville,  Loveland, 
Lone  Tree  and  Sunnyside.  The  moderators  of  the  Rocky  Mountain  Baptist 
Association  for  its  first  two  decades  had  been:  1866,  Rev.  Ira  D.  Clark;  1867, 
Rev.  Jos.  Casto;  1868,  Rev.  T.  T.  Potter;  1869,  1870,  1871,  Rev.  B.  M.  Adams; 
1872,  1874,  Rev.  S.  D.  Bowker;  1873,  Rev.  D.  F.  Safford ;  1875.  Rev.  T.  W. 
Greene;  1876,  Rev.  W.  C.  Lothrop ;  1877,  Rev.  D.  J.  Pierce;  1878,  Rev.  I.  C. 
Whipple;  1879,  1880,  1881,  R.  S.  Roe;  1882,  Rev.  J.  G.  Brown;  1883,  Rev.  C. 
M.  Jones;  1884,  Rev.  C.  L.  Ingersoll ;  1885,  Rev.  E.  N.  Elton. 

In  1884  the  Rocky  Mountain  Baptist  Union  was  formed,  with  delegates  from 
both  the  Rocky  Mountain  Baptist  Association  and  the  Southern  Colorado  Bap- 
tist Association,  as  well  as  from  the  territories  of  Wyoming.  New  Mexico  and 
Utah. 

On  July  23,  1886,  the  Gunnison  Valley  Baptist  Association  held  its  first 
meeting  in  Grand  Junction,  Saguache,  Delta,  Colorow  and  Grand  Junction  being 
represented.  Its  first  moderator  was  Rev.  Moses  A.  Clarke.  The  total  membership 
in  the  new  district  was  104.  In  1888,  Aspen,  Lake  City,  Monte  \'ista,  New  Liberty 
and  Platte  Valley  were  the  new  members. 

On  October  21,  1889.  the  first  annual  meeting  of  the  Colorado  Baptist 
State  Convention  was  held,  its  jurisdiction  now  covering  only  the  State  of  Col- 
orado. New  churches  were  organized  in  that  year  at  Coryell.  Del  Norte,  Ala- 
mosa, Santa  Clara,  W'alsenburg,  Fairview,  La  Junta  and  Denver.  New  churches 
were  built  and  dedicated  at  Sterling,  Delta,  Coryell  and  Aspen.  , 

In  i8qo  the  membership  in  the  Baptist  churches  of  Colorado  had  grown  to 
3.273,  of  which  1,989  were  in  the  Rocky  Mountain  Baptist  Association,  1,004  '" 
that  of  Southern  Colorado,  205  in  the  Gunnison  \^alley,  and  seventy-five  in  un- 
associated  churches.    The  Sunday  school  membership  was  4,246. 

On  March  25,  1890.  the  corner-stone  of  the  Colorado  Woman's  College,  a 
Baptist  educational  institution,' was  laid.  Airs.  J.  A.  Cooper,  wife  of  Governor 
Cooper,  presiding  at  the  exercises.  Among  those  who  spoke  at  this  time  were 
ex-Governor  John  Evans  and  Doctor  Slocum,  of  Colorado  College.  Rev.  W.  T. 
Jordan  was  its  first  president.  The  detailed  history  of  the  institution  is  covered 
in  Chapter  XXXI,  on  "Education." 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 


639 


On  September  i,  1896,  the  Colorado  Midland  Baptist  Association  was  organ- 
ized, with  the  following  church  representation :  Anaconda,  Colorado  City,  Col- 
orado Springs,  First  and  St.  Johns,  Cripple  Creek,  Eastonville,  Fountain,  Husted, 
Olive  Branch  and  Table  Rock. 

In  1895  the  Baptist  churches  at  Durango,  Hooper,  Lockett,  Monte  Vista, 
Mosca,  Saguache  and  Salida  formed  the  San  Luis  Valley  Baptist  Association. 
This  was  later  again  divided  and  in  1900  the  San  Luis  Association  had  churches 
at  Centerview,  Hooper,  Mosca,  .Monte  \'ista,  Salida  and  Saguache.  The  new 
South-Western  Association  had  members  at  Durango,  Pagosa  Springs,  Mancos 
and  Dolores. 

In  iQtX)  the  Colorado  .State  Baptist  Convention  comprised  six  associations. 
The  Midland  Rocky  Mountain  Association,  with  churches  at  Aull,  Beaver  Val- 
ley, Boulder,  Denver  (thirteen  churches),  Eastern,  Eaton,  Fort  Collins,  Golden. 
Greeley,  Holyoke,  Longmont,  Loveland,  Louisville,  .Sterling,  had  a  total  mem- 
bership of  3,947.     In  1912  the  churches  in  the  district  were  as  follows: 


Date  of  Or- 
Churchcs  ganization 

Arvada    1904 

.\ult 1900 

Barnum    1910 

Beaver  \'alley   1901 

Bennett 1907 

Berthoud 1904 

Beth  Eden  (Denver) 1893 

Bethel    1892 

Bijou   \alley    1908 

P>roadway   1886 

I'.nisli    191 1 

Calvary   t88i 

Capitol   Hill    1894 

Central    1891 

Cray    191 1 

Deer  Trail    1913 

Eastern 1 893 

Eaton    r9o6 

Eleventli   Avenue    1910 

Englcwood    191 1 

First    1864 

First  Swedish    1885 

Fort  Collins   

Fcrt  Morgan  1906 


Date  of  Or- 
Churches  ganization 

Fruitdale    1905 

Galilee    1888 

German     1906 

Golden    1863 

Greeley    1871 

Greeley    ( Swedish)     1906 

Holyoke    1888 

Iliff    191 1 

Johnstown    1905 

Judson    1887 

Kersey    191 2 

Lafayette    190^1 

Longmont    1890 

Louisville    1898 

Loveland    1879 

Mount  Hermon 1909 

Mount   Olivet    1891 

North    Side    1893 

Sterling    1883 

Wellington    1913 

West  Park   1912 

Wiggins    101  r 

Zion    1863 


The  value  of  church  ])roperty  in  this  association  in  1900  was  $223,273. 

In  1912  the  total  membershi])  was  6,767;  Sunday  school  enrollment.  3.891: 
value  of  church  property.  $303,300. 

The  San  Luis  Association  in  1900  comprised  churches  at  Center,  Hooper. 
Monte  \'ista,  Mosca,  Saguache,  Salida,  Monic  Vista  (German).     Its  total  mem- 


640  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

bership  was  331.  By  1912  there  were  churches  at  Del  Norte,  Ortiz  (Max.),  Ala- 
mosa, San  Acacio.     Its  total  membership  was  484. 

The  Gunnison  Valley  Association  in  1900  had  churches  at  Delta,  founded 
1899;  Grand  Junction,  founded  1899;  Gunnison,  founded  1900 ;  Hotchkiss, 
founded  1901 ;  Lake  City,  founded  1898;  Montrose,  founded  1898;  Olathe, 
Eckert,  Palisade,  Plateau  Valley,  all  founded  1900.  Its  total  church  membership 
was  522,  with  724  enrolled  in  its  Sunday  schools.  The  church  property  was  valued 
at  $20,400.  In  1912  there  were  new  churches  at  Pear  Park,  Cedaredge,  Mohna, 
Fruita,  Paonia,  Austin,  New  Castle,  Bethel  and  Coal  Creek.  Its  total  member- 
ship was  1,532. 

The  Colorado  Midland  Association  in  1900  had  churches  at  Aspen,  Anaconda, 
Colorado  City,  Colorado  Springs  (three),  Cripple  Creek,  Colorado  Springs 
(Swedish),  Fountain,  Husted,  Goldfield,  Good  Hope,  Leadville  and  Victor.  Its 
membership  was  1,550.  Its  church  property  was  valued  at  $72,600.  In  1912 
there  were  new  churches  at  Allbright,  Bethel,  Bijou,  one  more  at  Colorado 
Springs,  Flagler,  Kanza.  Prairie  Home,  Ramah,  Shiloh,  Vona.  Total  member- 
ship, about  sixteen  hundred. 

The  Southern  Baptist  Association  in  1900  had  churches  at  Canon  City,  Flor- 
ence, Fowler,  Gardner,  N.  M.,  La  Junta,  La  \'eta,  Las  Animas,  Lamar,  Peublo 
five),  Rocky  Ford  and  Trinidad.  The  membership  in  1900  was  1,602;  Sunday 
school  enrollment,  1,469.  Church  property  was  valued  at  $49,780.  By  1912 
there  were  new  churches  at  Hartman,  Holly,  Kiowa,  Ordway,  Springfield  and 
Walsenburg.  In  1912  the  membership  was  3,168;  Sunday  school  enrollment, 
2,522,     \'alue  of  church  property,  $133,870. 

The  Southwestern  Association  in  1900  had  churches  at  Chromo,  Dolores, 
Durango,  Florida,  Aztec,  N.  M.,  Pagosa  Springs,  Telluride  and  Mancos.  Its 
membership  was  318;  Sunday  school  attendance,  279.  Church  property  was 
valued  at  $6,770.  In  19 12  it  had  new  churches  at  McElmo  Canon  and  Lebanon. 
Total  membership  263. 

Unassociated  churches  numbered  seven,  with  a  membership  of  159. 

In  1917  there  were  no  Baptist  churches  in  Colorado.  These  were  divided 
by  districts  as  follows :  Baca  County,  twelve  ;  Gunnison  Valley,  fourteen  ;  Mid- 
land, twelve:  Rocky  Mountain,  thirty-six;  San  Luis  Valley,  ten;  Southern,  twenty- 
one;  Southwestern,  ten.  The  total  membership  was  as  follows:  Baca,  256; 
Gunnison  \'alley,  1.635;  Midland,  1,650;  Roclcv-  Mountain,  8,370;  San  Luis,  584; 
Southern,  3,810;  Southwestern,  300.  Total,  16,605.  Church  property  valuation 
was  $987,700.     The  Sunday  school  enrollment  was  12,015. 

THE   REFORMED  CHURCH    IN   THE   UNITED   ST.XTES 

Both  branches  of  the  Reformed  Church,  formerly  the  Dutch  and  the  German, 
are  represented  in  the  church  life  of  Colorado.  The  German  Reformed  Church 
was  organized  in  Denver  in  1890  as  a  German  church,  and  this  congregation 
erected  its  first  edifice  at  Twenty-third  and  Lawrence.  This  it  occupied  until 
1898,  when  the  German  congregation  was  discontinued  and  an  English  church 
was  organized  under  Rev.  Henry  Tesnow.  Under  him  the  present  church  build- 
ing, comer  of  Seventh  Avenue  and  Emerson  Street,  was  erected.     In   1901  he 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  641 

was  succeeded  by  the  present  pastor,  Rev.  David  H.  Fouse,  who  came  here  from 
Iowa. 

The  Christian  Reformed  Church  (Dutch)  was  organized  in  the  EngHsh  Re- 
formed Church  building  in  1907  by  a  group  of  Hollanders  from  Grand  Rapids. 
Rev.  Ivan  Dellen  was  the  first  pastor  and  is  still  in  charge  of  the  work.  They 
have  their  own  church  on  South  Emerson  Street  and  Colorado  Avenue,  and  con- 
duct a  parochial  school  and  have  also  established  the  Bethesda  Sanitarium  for 
Consumptives. 

The  only  other  Reformed  church  in  Colorado  is  one  established  by  the  so- 
called  "German"  Russians  at  Loveland.  These  are  the  descendants  of  Germans 
who  had  emigrated  to  Russia  200  years  ago  and  later  were  brought  over  to 
take  up  the  work  in  the  beet  fields  of  Colorado. 

The  total  membership  in  the  state  approximates  a  thousand. 

THE    CHRISTIAN    CHURCH 

The  Christian  churches  of  Colorado  numbered  sixty  in  1917,  with  a  further 
increase  during  the  past  year.  The  church  membership  then  was  11,344.  This 
was  an  increase  from  thirty-one  church  organizations  and  2,400  communicants 
in  1910. 

The  First  Church  of  Christ  of  Denver  was  organized  by  a  few  ardent  dis- 
ciples, among  whom  were  former  Governor  Routt  and  members  of  his  family, 
members  of  the  well-known  Brinker  family,  of  Denver,  J.  N.  Hill,  William  and 
James  Davis  and  I.  E.  Barnum. 

For  many  months  meetings  were  held  in  the  chapel  of  the  Brinker  Institute, 
which  had  been  built  in  1S80  and  which  was  later  the  Hotel  Richelieu,  and  still 
later  the  Navarre.  On  December  13,  1881,  while  still  meeting  in  the  Brinker 
Institute,  the  church  was  incorporated  as  The  Central  Christian  Church  of  Den- 
ver, with  J.  N.  Hill,  William  Davis,  James  Davis,  I.  E.  Barnum  and  John  L. 
Routt  as  incorporators.  The  membership  had  also  increased  to  such  an  extent 
that  the  Rev.  M.  D.  Todd  was,  on  September  18,  18S1,  made  pastor  of  the 
church,  and  lots  were  purchased  on  the  present  site  of  the  Majestic  Building 
for  a  permanent  church  home.  When  on  March  25,  1883,  the  church  was  dedi- 
cated its  pastor  was  Rev.  W.  B.  Craig,  and  the  dedication  sermon  was  preached 
by  Rev.  Isaac  Erretl. 

This  was  the  beautiful  home  of  the  Central  Christian  Church  until  1900,  when 
the  Majestic  Building  was  projected.  On  Faster  Sunday,  1902,  the  fine  church 
on  Lincoln  Street  and  Sixteenth  Avenue,  which  today  is  its  home,  was  dedicated. 

Both  the  Colorado  Springs  and  the  Boulder  churches  were  pioneers  in  the 
work  of  the  denomination  in  the  state. 

Much  of  the  splendid  growth  of  the  church  in  Colorado  is  due  to  the  en- 
thusiastic labors  of  the  .\merican  Christian  Missionary  Society,  of  which  Rev. 
C.  H.  Morris,  pastor  of  the  Central  Christian  Church,  is  state  president,  and 
Rev.  Charles  W.  Dean,  corresponding  secretary  and  missionary. 

In  1917  there  were  Christian  churches  in  Colorado  with  moinbcrship  as  fol- 
lows : 

V..1,    111 


642 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 


Englewood  1 50 

Las  Animas   190 

Boulder    766 

Longmont    275 

Salida    200 

Ordway    125 

Delta   215 

Paonia    208 

Denver,   Central    685 

Denver,  East  Side   234 

Denver,  Highlands   500 

Denver,  South  Broadway   550 

Denver,  43d  Avenue   130 

Denver,  West  Side 190 

Elbert    30 

Colorado  City   155 

Colorado   Springs    1,067 

Canon   City    360 

Florence    65 

Carbondale    30 

Glenwood   Springs    20 

Grand   Valley    30 

Rifle    100 

Sheridan   Lake    22 

Burlington    30 

Durango   40 

Berthoud    lOO 

Fort  Collins 363 

Loveland    301 

Trinidad   200 


Limon   72 

Atvvood     20 

Sterling     133 

Clifton    100 

Fruita    50 

Grand  Junction  960 

Palisades    94 

Craig    80 

Coventry    25 

Montrose    117 

Fort   Morgan     233 

Fowler    130 

La  Junta    ". 220 

Manzanola    124 

Rocky  Ford 290 

Swink    35 

Holyoke    86 

Lamar     118 

Pueblo,  Broadway   260 

Pueblo,  Central   484 

Pueblo,  Vineland 20 

Monte  Vista    210 

Ault    60 

Gill    47 

Greeley   607 

Severance    31 

S.  L.  W.  Ranches 65 

Windsor    107 

Total    .  11,461 


THE  PROTESTANT   EPISCOPAL   CHURCH 


The  Church  of  St.  John's  in  the  Wilderness,  of  Denver,  the  first  Protestant 
Episcopal  church  in  Colorado,  was  officially  organized  February  19,  i860,  by  the 
erection  of  a  temporary  vestry.  The  name  of  the  church  was  given  it  some 
weeks  earlier  by  William  H.  Moore,  who  had  begun  this  mission,  as  he  said, 
"seven  hundred  miles  from  the  nearest  church."  His  sister,  who  was  known  as 
Deaconess  Moore,  born  in  1830,  and  who  assisted  at  the  founding  of  the  first 
mission,  was  still  alive  and  active  in  1917. 

The  first  temporary  vestry  consisted  of  Charles  A.  Lawrence,  Thomas  L 
Bayaud,  later  its  first  senior  warden,  Amos  Steck,  soon  elected  mayor,  Samuel 
C.  Curtis,  then  postmaster,  E.  Waterbury,  Thomas  G.  Wildman,  D.  C.  Collier, 
C  E.  Cooley,  Dr.  A.  F.  Peck  and  Richard  E.  Whitsett.  On  November  6,  1861, 
St.  John's  Church  in  the  Wilderness  was  incorporated  by  legislative  enactment, 
with  the  following  incorporators :  Amos  Steck,  Benjamin  H.  Blanton,  John  S. 
Fillmore,  Oscar  D.  Cass,  Thomas  G.  Wildman,  Roswell  W.  Roath.  Henry  B. 


CO 


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so 

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644  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

Rogers,  Milton  M.  Delano,  Samuel  S.  Curtis,  Thomas  J.  Bayaud.     In  the  incor- 
poration the  church  was  legally  exempted  forever  from  taxation. 

In  the  church  records  the  first  rector,  Rev.  John  Kehler,  who  had  for  many 
years  been  rector  of  the  parish  of  Sheppardstown  in  Mrginia,  and  who  had 
reached  Denver  early  in  January,  thus  announces  this  historical  beginning  of 
Protestant  church  services  in  Colorado  under  date  January  17,  i860:  "January 
17 — We  inaugurated  our  services  in  Denver  City  in  the  Union  School  House  on 
Cherry  Creek,  McGaa  Street.  Then  and  there  doubtless  for  the  first  time  since 
the  creation  were  the  solemn  and  befitting  words  spoken :  'The  Lord  is  in  this 
Holy  Temple.     Let  all  the  earth  keep  silence  before  Him.'  " 

"Father"  Kehler,  as  he  was  ever  afifectionately  called,  resigned  the  rectorship 
June  3,  1862,  after  his  appointment  as  chaplain  of  the  First  Regiment  of  Colo- 
rado Volunteers.  After  his  term  of  service,  spent  mostly  in  the  field  in  New 
Mexico,  he  returned  to  Denver,  where  he  continued  to  reside,  much  beloved, 
and  serving  the  church,  as  his  age  and  infirmities  permitted,  until  1876,  when  he 
removed  to  Washington,  where  he  died  February  21,  1879.  From  1866  to  1876 
he  was  a  member  and  president  of  the  standing  committee. 

Bishop  Talbot,  missionary  bishop  of  the  Northwest  from  1859  to  1865,  made 
his  first  visitation  August,  1861.  He  was  surprised  and  delighted  to  find  a  flourish- 
ing parish  in  this  city  of  the  plains,  maintaining  regular  worship  in  a  rented 
building,  humble  in  character,  but  well  adapted  to  the  services  of  the  church.  He 
spent  the  entire  month  in  Denver,  and  in  the  mining  camps  of  what  were  subse- 
quently Gilpin  and  Clear  Creek  counties,  holding  service  and  preaching  in  Central 
City,  Idaho  Springs,  Spanish  Bar,  Golden,  Mountain  City,  Nevadaville,  etc.  Cen- 
tral City  was  the  only  point  at  which  in  his  judgment  a  missionary  should  then 
be  stationed. 

On  the  next  visitation  in  the  summer  of  1862  more  substantial  results  were 
accomplished.  St.  John's  Parish  had  recently  become  vacant.  By  his  advice, 
the  chapel  of  the  Southern  Methodists,  the  only  place  of  worship  in  town,  was 
purchased  and  fitted  up  for  services,  at  a  cost  of  $2,500,  of  which,  according  to 
the  bishop's  report,  the  congregation  contributed  $1,000.  It  was  consecrated  on 
Sunday,  July  20,  1862.  To  supply  the  parish  till  a  rector  could  be  found,  the 
Rev.  Isaac  A.  Hagar,  deacon,  was  called  from  Nebraska.  Mr.  Hagar,  in  addi- 
tion to  his  services  in  Denver,  officiated  occasionally  during  his  stay  at  Central 
City  and  Golden.  At  the  former,  including  surrounding  camps,  was  a  popula- 
tion of  nearly  five  thousand,  at  the  latter  about  one  hundred.  Denver  had  per- 
haps three  thousand.  The  bishop,  after  holding  several  services  and  much  per- 
sonal visiting  and  intercourse,  secured  the  organization  of  St.  Paul's,  Central 
City,  as  a  parish,  the  earnest  churchmen  of  the  place  having  obtained  subscrip- 
tions, which  guaranteed  the  full  support  of  a  clergj'man.  Soon  after  he  sent 
to  them  the  Rev.  Francis  Granger,  who  became  and  was  for  two  or  three  years 
their  rector.  The  bishop  visited  all  the  places  where  he  had  been  the  year  before, 
and  also  the  Clear  Creek  Valley  as  far  as  Empire  and  Georgetown.  He  also  made 
an  extensive  journey  to  the  South  Park,  visiting  Tarryall,  ^lontgomery,  Georgia, 
Buckskin  Joe.  California  Gulch  (on  which  is  the  present  city  of  Leadville),  and 
Breckenridge.  He  returned  by  way  of  the  Ute  Pass  and  Colorado  City,  the  first 
capital  of  the  territory,  where  he  held  services. 

In  1863,  the  bishop  made  another  visitation  occupying  the  month  of  August. 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  645 

He  brought  with  him  the  Rev.  W'm.  O.  Jai^'is,  and  appointed  him  missionary  at 
Empire,  Gold  Dust  and  Idaho — a  most  discouraging  field,  for  the  early  promise 
of  growth  was  not  realized,  and  after  a  year  of  arduous  labor,  the  missionary 
returned  to  the  east.  The  bishop  had  secured  the  Rev.  H.  B.  Hitchings  to  suc- 
ceed Mr.  Hagar  at  Denver,  in  the  autumn  of  1S62.  His  labors  had  been  so 
successful  that  it  became  necessary  to  enlarge  the  church,  giving  it  a  seating 
rapacity  of  over  three  hundred.  It  was  opened  by  the  bishop  August  i6th, 
and  on  the  sai:ie  day  Mr.  Hitchings  was  instituted  rector. 

Bishop  Talbot  was  again  in  Denver  and  officiated  on  Sunday,  November  22d, 
the  same  year,  on  his  return  from  Utah  and  Nevada.  This  was  his  last  visit, 
tmtil  the  consecration  of  Trinity  Memorial,  Denver,  September,   1875. 

The  church  was  now  firmly  established  in  the  two  most  important  centers, 
Denver  and  Central  City.  At  both  of  these,  parish  schools  were  established.  The 
two  rectors  held  occasional  services  at  Golden,  Blackhawk  and  Nevada.  Mr. 
Granger  having  resigned,  the  Rev.  A.  B.  Jennings  was  secured  for  Central  City 
in  August,  1865. 

The  Rt.  Rev.  Geo.  M.  Randall,  elected  missionary  bishop  in  October  and 
consecrated  December  28,  1865,  arrived  in  Denver  June  11,  1866.  His  jurisdic- 
tion included  Montana,  Idaho  and  Wyoming.  In  1867  Idaho  and  Montana  were 
assigned  to  Bishop  Tuttle,  and  New  Mexico  was  at  the  same  time  given  to 
Bishop  Randall.  He  entered  upon  his  work  with  great  zeal  and  enthusiasm. 
The  Rev.  Father  Kehler  and  Reverends  Hitchings  and  Jennings  were  in  the  field. 
He  brought  out  the  Rev.  Wm.  A.  Fuller,  deacon,  and  placed  him  at  Nevadaville, 
two  miles  above  Central  City. 

The  bishop  during  his  first  summer  visited  all  the  points  seen  by  his  predeces- 
sor and  a  few  others  on  the  Arkansas  and  its  tributaries.  Going  east  for  the 
winter  to  secure  men  and  means,  he  came  back  in  the  spring  with  the  "army  of 
one"  he  had  succeeded  in  "recruiting,"  the  Rev.  F.  Byrne.  He  met  on  his  way 
back  the  "first  army,"  the  Reverend  Mr.  Fuller,  returning.  This  was  the  clergy- 
man who  made  so  narrow  an  escape  from  the  Indians  when  they  attacked  the 
stage-coach  in  the  Platte  Valley.  Soon  after,  however,  1867-69,  he  secured  a 
few  additional  clergymen — the  Reverend  Lynd,  for  Golden,  Reverend  White- 
head, for  Blackhawk,  and  Reverend  Winslow,  for  Empire  and  Georgetown. 

On  April  i,  1869,  the  Reverend  Mr.  Hitchings  having  resigned,  the  bishop 
assumed  the  rectorship  of  St.  John's,  Denver. 

In  1868  and  later  the  work  was  considerably  extended.  Churches  consecrated 
were:  Christ,  Nevada,  September  17,  1867;  Emmanuel,  Empire,  September  18, 
1867;  St.  Mark's,  Cheyenne,  Augu.st  23.  1868;  Calvary.  Golden.  September  23, 
1868;  St.  Peter's,  Pueblo,  June  27,  1869;  Calvary.  Idaho,  July  15,  1869;  St. 
Matthew's,  Laramie.  September  2r,  1869;  St.  Paul's,  Littleton.  April  2.  1871; 
Grace,  Georgetow^n,  May  9.  1872;  Heavenly  Rest,  Baldwinsville.  March  29.  1873. 
Missions  were  established  at  Greeley,  Canon  City,  Ula  and  Trinidad.  In  Pueblo, 
■  Georgetown.  Cheyenne,  Central  City  and  Golden,  parish  schools  were  established 
until  the  public  schools  became  so  good  as  to  render  the  former  impracticable. 

No  sooner  had  the  bishop  entered  upon  his  work  than  he  began  to  make  plans 
for  the  establishment  of  schools  of  a  higher  grade  for  the  youth  of  both  sexes. 
In  the  autumn  of  1866  he  purchased  a  small  house  in  the  outskirts  of  Denver 
with  .'i  \icw  of  (ipcm'ng  a  girls'  school.     In  the  fdllnwing  yc:ir  this  ]i!an  was  ;iban- 


646  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

doned,  on  the  citizens  of  the  city  subscribmg  the  money  to  purchase  five  lots 
in  a  more  central  location.  On  these  he  erected  in  1867  t'^^  central  part  of  the 
old  Seventeenth  Street  Wolfe  Hail,  at  a  cost,  for  the  building  itself,  of  $18,000. 
John  D.  Wolfe  gave  most  largely  towards  the  enterprise,  and  the  school  was  called 
by  his  name.  The  bishop  with  his  family  took  up  his  residence  in  the  school  and 
opened  it  in  the  autumn  of  1868  with  seventy  pupils.  In  1873  he  added  a  wing 
costing  four  or  five  thousand  dollars. 

While  building  Wolfe  Hall  he  was  also  planning  for  a  school  for  boys  and 
young  men  who  might  be  looking  to  the  ministry.  His  purpose  was  in  1866-67 
to  accept  a  large  block  of  land  on  Capitol  Hill  in  Denver  that  had  been  offered 
him,  and  build  upon  it  a  clergy  and  bishop's  house,  a  school  for  boys  with  a 
training  school  of  theology  and  a  cathedral  chapel,  extending  the  buildings  be- 
yond the  chapel  in  the  center,  as  the  needs  should  require.  His  plan,  as  detailed 
in  his  reports  of  1866  and  1867,  was  well  conceived.  The  location  was  the 
best  possible.  In  1868,  however,  he  accepted  a  deed  for  school  purposes  of 
twelve  acres  in  the  vicinity  of  Golden  conditioned  on  a  collegiate  school  being 
maintained  thereon;  and  began  the  erection  of  a  building  seventy-two  by  thirty- 
five  feet,  two  stories  high,  with  Mansard  roof,  to  contain  living  apartments, 
schoolroom  for  thirty,  recitation  rooms  and  alcoves  for  twenty  pupils.  Mis- 
fortune seems  from  the  first  to  have  attended  the  undertaking.  On  the  early 
morning  of  Thanksgiving  Day,  November  24th,  a  terrible  hurricane  blew  off 
the  roof.  The  cost  of  building  and  rebuilding  was  $17,873.42.  On  September 
17,  1870,  the  school,  which  had  been  carried  on  by  the  Rev.  Wm.  J.  Lynd  in  a 
rented  house  in  Golden,  was  opened  on  "College  Hill"  with  appropriate  services. 

Through  the  generosity  of  Nathan  Matthews,  of  Boulder,  George  A.  Jarvis, 
Rev.  Ethan  Allen,  Rev.  Samuel  Babcock  and  others,  the  first  Matthews  Hall  was 
erected  in  1872,  and  opened  September  19th  of  that  year,  with  Rev.  R.  Harding 
in  charge  and  six  or  seven  students  for  the  theological  course.  The  Legislature 
had  voted  several  thousand  dollars  for  a  school  of  mines  as  an  adjunct  to  Jarvis 
Hall.    This  seemed  the  beginning  of  a  great  educational  center. 

_  The  schools  in  Golden  never  met  the  expectations  of  their  friends.  The 
School  of  Mines  was  in  1874  given  back  to  a  board  of  trustees  of  the  territory 
created  by  the  Legislature  to  receive  it.  The  territory  remunerated  the  church 
in  part  for  what  it  had  cost  beyond  the  sum  appropriated  from  the  territorial 
treasury. 

In  1874  ]\Iatthews  Hall  had  seven  students,  but  only  two  of  the  scholarships 
that  were  relied  on  to  support  them  could  be  secured.  There  were  no  funds  for 
the  professor's  salary.  Five  of  the  young  men  were  ordained.  The  professor 
went  east.  Thenceforth  the  few  theological  students  were  teachers  in  Jarvis 
Hall. 

On  the  4th  and  6th  of  April,  1878,  Jarvis  and  Matthews  halls  were  destroyed 
by  fire.  The  next  year,  with  the  approval  of  all  the  largest  benefactors  of  the 
schools  and  the  clergy  and  laity  in  convocation,  it  was  decided  to  remove  them ' 
to  Denver. 

In  1883  Bishop  Spalding  built  the  second  Matthews  Hall  at  Twentieth  and 
Glenarm,  and  this  was  used  for  years  as  an  Episcopal  residence.  In  18S8  the 
second  Jarvis  Hall  was  erected  in  Montclair.  When  this  was  destroyed  by  fire 
in  1901  the  few  theological  students  were  taken  care  of  at  Matthews  Hall.     In 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  647 

1917  Matthews  Hall  was  sold  by  ihe  diocese.  The  Jarvis  endowment  fund  began 
with  a  gift  of  $10,000  by  George  A.  Jarvis,  of  Brooklyn,  in  1870.  It  was  designed 
to  be  the  nucleus  for  the  theological  school  which  has  since  been  discontinued. 

The  Wolfe  Hall  fund  was  started  by  Bishop  Randall  through  gifts  obtained 
chiefly  in  Grace  Church  parish.  New  York.  The  first  building  erected  at  Seven- 
teenth and  Champa  cost  $18,000,  and  before  it  was  opened  the  cost  was  a  little 
over  thirty-seven  thousand  dollars.  The  largest  donor  was  Mr.  Wolfe,  of  Grace 
Church,  who  gave  $7,000  of  this.  Bishop  Spalding  sold  this  property  and 
with  this  as  a  nucleus  in  1888  began  the  erection  of  Wolfe  Hall  on  its  present 
site.  Jarvis  Hall  and  Wolfe  Hall  together  cost  $317,000,  and  it  was  not  long 
before  the  diocese  was  in  serious  financial  trouble.  Seth  Low  and  nine  others 
presented  the  diocese  with  $22,000  to  save  the  property. 

Miss  Anna  Wolcott  (Mrs.  Vaile)  was  placed  in  charge  of  the  Wolfe  Hall 
school  for  girls,  and  this  she  conducted  for  five  years,  when  friends  established 
her  in  what  is  now  still  conducted  as  the  "Miss  \^'olcott  School  for  Girls,"  one 
of  the  finest  institutions  of  its  kind  in  the  country'. 

Wolfe  Hall  continued  as  a  school  for  girls  until  1913,  when  it  was  discon- 
tinued. The  building  is  now  used  for  the  collegiate  school  for  boys,  and  as 
headquarters  for  the  diocesan  jurisdiction. 

In  1873  Bishop  Randall  died,  and  his  successor.  Bishop  J.  F.  Spalding,  was 
consecrated  February  27,  1874. 

In  1874  the  stone  churches  at  Central  City  and  Colorado  Springs,  costing  each 
about  ten  thousand  dollars,  were  completed,  with  Trinity  Memorial,  Denver, 
erected  in  memory  of  the  late  Bishop  Randall.  In  1875  Fort  Collins  was  per- 
manently occupied,  and  the  church  at  Greeley  built.  In  1876  Christ  Church, 
Canon  City,  was  built. 

Work  was  begun  in  North  Denver,  and  also  at  Rosita  and  church  buildings 
undertaken.  In  1877  the  church  entered  with  a  missionary  the  San  Luis  Val- 
ley and  established  services  at  Saguache,  Del  Norte,  and  Lake  City,  and  at  the 
last  two  places  secured  chapels.  Emmanuel,  West  Denver,  was  also  completed. 
In  1878  Bishop  Spalding  visited  Silver  Cliflf  and  Leadville  and  began  more  per- 
manent work  at  Boulder,  placing  a  new  missionary  in  charge.  In  1879  churches 
were  built  at  Ouray,  Silver  Cliff  and  Boulder.  In  1880  a  mission  was  planted  at 
Rico,  and  churches  built  at  Leadville  and  Manitou,  and  the  cathedral  of  Denver 
commenced.  Bishop  Spalding  had  secured  the  lots  for  the  cathedral  in  1876. 
In  1881  the  churcli  rebuilt  .-Ml  Saints,  North  Denver,  and  occupied  Durango  and 
Gunnison  and  Longmont,  and  built,  or  began  to  build,  churches,  and  had  a  mis- 
sionary at  Breckenridge  and  I'itkin.  In  1882  it  organized  at  South  Pueblo,  Ala- 
mosa, Buena  Vista  and  Alma,  and  built  in  1883  at  South  Pueblo,  Fort  Collins, 
Villa  Grove  and  .Mamosa,  and  began  work  at  .Silverton. 

The  most  important  work  of  church  building  was  the  former  Denver  Cathe- 
dral. It  was  begun  in  July.  1880.  The  corner-stone  was  laid  on  St.  Matthew's 
day,  and  the  opening  service  was  held  on  November  8,  1881.  It  was  built  of 
brick  and  stone  in  Romanesque  style,  with  porch,  nave,  transepts,  aisles  and 
chancel.  Tlie  building,  with  its  ample  grounds,  including  organ  and  gifts  of 
expensive  memorial  windows,  cost  about  one  hundred  and  fifteen  thousand  rlol- 
lars. 

Another  very  important  work  of  those  years  was  the  founding  of  St.  Luke's 


648  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

Hospital,  Denver.  A  lady  residing  in  Denver  had  bequeathed  a  small  property 
worth  $i,8oo  for  a  hospital  to  be  under  the  control  and  management  of  the  Epis- 
copal Church.  She  died  in  January,  1881.  A  sermon  in  the  cathedral  soon  after 
excited  quite  general  interest.  The  board  of  managers,  all  churchmen,  was  or- 
ganized February  12th,  and  the  hospital  was  opened  in  June  of  that  year  on  the 
north  side. 

The  new  St.  Luke's  Hospital  was  erected  on  Pearl  Street,  between  Nineteenth 
and  Twentieth  avenues,  and  the  success  in  raising  the  fund  needed  for  this  great 
diocesan  benefaction  was  due  largely  to  the  donations  and  personal  efforts  of  the 
late  Judge  Hallett,  of  the  United  States  District  Court,  and  of  the  late  Walter  S. 
Cheesman. 

The  bishops  of  the  Diocese  of  Colorado,  which  is  now  known  officially  as 
"The  Bishop  and  Chapter  of  John  the  Evangelist,  Denver,  Colorado,"  were: 
missionary  bishop,  Rt.  Rev.  George  M.  Randall,  D.  D.,  consecrated  December 
28,  1865;  died  September  21,  1873.  First  diocesan  bishop,  Rt.  Rev.  John  Frank- 
lin Spalding,  D.  D.,  consecrated  1873;  died  March  9,  1902.  Rt.  Rev.  Charles 
Sanford  Olmsted,  bishop,  consecrated  1902.  Rt.  Rev.  Irving  Peake  Johnson, 
D.  D.,  consecrated  bishop  coadjutor,  191 7.  The  institutions  founded  by  the 
diocese  are:  The  Cathedral  of  St.  John  the  Evangelist,  of  which  Rt.  Rev.  H. 
Martyn  Hart  is  dean;  St.  Stephen's  School  for  Boys  at  Colorado  Springs;  St. 
Luke's  Hospital,  Denver;  the  Home  for  Consumptives  at  Denver,  of  which 
Rev.  F.  W.  Oakes  is  superintendent ;  the  Convalescent  Home,  at  Denver,  of 
which  Mr.  V.  R.  Jones  was  president  in  1918;  the  Collegiate  School  for  Boys, 
Denver,  now  occupying  part  of  Wolfe  Hall,  which  is  also  the  office  of  the  dio- 
cese.   Rev.  G.  H.  Holoran  was  principal  of  the  school  in  1917. 

New  Mexico  was  detached  from  the  Diocese  of  Colorado  in  1881  and  grouped 
with  Arizona.  Wyoming  was  detached  in  1886  and  grouped  with  Idaho.  The 
missionary  jurisdiction  of  Colorado  was  organized  as  a  diocese  in  1885,  and  ad- 
mitted into  union  with  the  general  convention  in  1886.  In  1892  all  that  part  of 
Colorado  west  of  the  counties  of  Larimer,  Boulder,  Gilpin,  Clear  Creek,  Park, 
Lake,  Chaffee,  Saguache,  Rio  Grande  and  Conejos  was  detached  from  the  Diocese 
of  Colorado  and  made  a  missionary  jurisdiction  by  the  House  of  Bishops.  In 
1893  Bishop  Spalding  gave  up  this  part  of  his  diocese  to  the  newly-appointed 
head,  Rev.  William  Morris  Barker,  D.  D.  This  is  now  known  as  the  Missionary 
District  of  Western  Colorado. 

In  1873  the  number  of  church  families  in  Colorado  reported  was  360;  in 
1883  it  was  1,921 ;  increase,  433  per  cent.  There  were  reported  in  1873,  550 
communicants;  in  1883,  2,112 — an  increase  of  284  per  cent.  Sunday  school 
teachers  and  scholars:  In  1873  the  report  gave  658;  in  1883,  2,082— a  gain  of 
216  per  cent. 

In  1899  there  were  5,267  communicants  in  the  church.  In  1912  they  were 
6,700.  In  1917,  7,002.  In  1917  there  were  fifty-seven  rectors,  and  seventy-one 
parishes  and  missions.  From  1902  to  191 2  the  diocese  built  or  organized  twenty- 
six  churches,  seventeen  rectories  and  seven  parish  houses. 

On  May  15,  1903,  St.  John's  Cathedral  was  destroyed  by  fire,  and  within  a 
few  weeks  the  work  of  planning  a  new  cathedral  was  under  way.  In  his  "Recol- 
lections and  Reflections,"  published  in  1917,  Dean  Henry  Martyn  Hart  says: 

"We  collected  $66,000  of  the  insurance  company,  sold  the  site  for  $30,000, 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  649 

and  after  much  debate  purchased  the  block  opposite  Wolfe  Hall,  on  which  we 
built  a  Chapter  House  to  accommodate  some  of  our  congregation.  We  invited 
eight  architects,  to  whom  we  paid  $150  each,  to  supply  us  with  designs;  ten  others 
also  competed.  Tracy  and  Swartwout  of  New  York  presented  a  design  for  an 
elaborate  Gothic  cathedral. 

"When  the  designs  were  submitted  for  bids,  the  least  bid  was  $300,000 — a 
sum  far  beyond  our  reach.  The  architects  then  begged  to  be  allowed  to  design 
a  simpler  Gothic  structure  to  tit  the  same  foundations,  and  they  produced  this 
very  dignified  and  satisfactory  drawing,  entirely  changing  the  construction;  the 
weight  of  the  roof  was  born  by  the  piers — each  one  supports  200  tons  of  masonry 
— whereas  the  aisle  walls  only  supported  themselves.  In  altering  the  construction 
the  architects  did  not  sufficiently  consider  whether  the  original  foundations  of 
the  piers  would  be  sufficient  to  carry  the  extra  weight ;  the  consequence  was, 
when  the  building  had  reached  the  gutters  of  the  roof,  I  found  on  September 
5,  1909,  that  one  of  the  pillars  had  cracked.  The  whole  structure  had  to  be  taken 
down,  larger  foimdations  constructed,  and  the  fabric  reerected  at  a  loss  to  us 
of  $30,000.    Tot  seven  years  we  worshipped  in  the  Chapter  House. 

"The  Cathedral  w'as  finished  without  further  mishap  and  on  November  5, 
191 1,  we  held  in  it  our  first  service. 

"The  stone  is  Indiana  Oolite  limestone  from  the  Bedford  quarries.  The  two 
front  towers  are  100  feet  high.  The  great  tenor  bell  occupies  alone  the  east 
tower,  and  the  other  fourteen  are  himg  on  iron  girders  in  the  other.  The  tenor 
bell  can  be  swimg ;  the  rest  are  stationary. 

"The  Reredos,  which  is  unique,  represents  the  chief  personages  through 
whom  we  have  received  the  Bible.  The  central  figure  is  Giotto's  Christ.  His 
right  hand  is  raised  in  Blessing,  his  left  hand  holds  the  Book.  On  the  'north' 
side  are  eight  Old  Testament  saints ;  on  the  other  side  are  figures  of  Jerome, 
who  gave  us  the  Vulgate ;  Erasmus,  who  edited  the  Greek  New  Testament ;  Wy- 
clif,  the  translator  of  the  Saxon  Bible;  Tyndale,  the  inimitable  translator;  and 
Cranmer,  by  whose  authority  the  Bible  was  delivered  to  the  English  people.  All 
these  beautiful  figures  were  carved  in  oak  by  Josef  Mayr,  who  for  so  long  per- 
sonified the  Christus  in  the  Oberammergau  Passion  Play.  The  front  of  the 
Holy  Table  is  an  exquisite  carving  by  Peter  Rcndl,  Mayr's  son-in-law,  of  Gilbert's 
'Last  Supper.' " 

The  missionary  district  of  western  Colorado  has  had  the  following  bishops: 
Rt.  Rev.  William  Morris  Barker,  D.  D..  con.sccrated  January  25,  1S93  ;  transferred 
to  Olympia  in  1894.  The  second  bishop  was  Rt.  Rev.  Abiel  Leonard,  who  in 
1894  had  western  Colorado  added  to  his  jurisdiction  of  Nevada  and  Utah.  From 
1898  to  1907  the  jurisdiction  was  a  part  of  the  Missionary  District  of  Salt  I-ake 
City.  Rt.  Rev.  Edward  J.  Knight.  D.  D.,  was  consecrated  December  19.  1Q07, 
and  died  in  the  following  year.  Rt.  Rev.  Benjamin  Brewster,  D.  D..  was  bishop 
from  1909  until  his  transfer  to  Maine  in  1916.  .\t  present  the  missionary  bishop 
is  Rt.  Rev.  Frank  Hale  Touret,  who  lives  at  Grand  Junction.  There  were  in 
1917  fifteen  rectors,  and  forty-one  parishes  and  missions;  communicants,  1,096. 
Its  eleventh  annual  convocation  will  he  held  in  Afay  at  St.  Matthew's  Church, 
Grand  Junction. 

It  has  parishes  at  Breckenridge.  Delta.  Durango,  Glenwood  Springs,  Gr.md 
Junction,    Marble.    Meeker.    Mnntrnsc,    Oiu-;iy,    Pueblo.    Silvcrlon.    Steamboat 


650  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

Springs,  Telluride,  and  missions  at  Aspen,  Axial,  Craig,  Dillon,  Grand  Valley, 
Grand  Lake,  Gunnison,  Hayden,  Hotchkiss,  Ignacio,  Kremmling,  Kokomo,  Lake 
City,  Mancos,  Maybell,  Montezuma,  Montrose  County,  New  Castle,  Norwood, 
Oak  Creek,  Ohio  City,  Olathe,  Paonia,  Pitkin,  Placerville,  Rico,  Ridgway,  RiSe, 
Hot  Sulphur  Springs  and  Yanipa. 

The  St.  Peter's  Episcopal  Church  was  the  first  in  Pueblo  and  was  started  in 
1867.  In  this  church  was  the  first  church  bell  in  Colorado  south  of  the  Divide 
and  the  third  in  the  territory.    This  bell  was  hauled  from  Missouri  by  ox  teams. 

THE  LUTHERANS 

The  first  successful  attempt  to  organize  an  English  Lutheran  Church  in  Den- 
ver was  made  in  1884.  There  had  been  other  attempts  before  that  time  but  they 
had  proven  failures.  But  in  October  of  the  above  year  the  Home  Mission  Board 
of  the  General  Synod  sent  Rev.  P.  A.  Heilman  to  Denver  with  orders  to  organize 
a  church.  This  energetic  pastor  gathered  together  a  number  of  people  for  this 
purpose  and  held  the  first  meeting  at  the  home  of  Reverend  Doctor  Weiser,  686 
Glenarm  Street,  at  3  :oo  P.  M.,  October  19,  1884.  The  following  people  were 
present  at  this  meeting:  Reverend  and  Mrs.  Weiser,  Mrs.  Laura  Cree,  Mrs.  Mar- 
garet DeMars,  Mrs.  Jennie  Fisher,  Mrs.  L  Hildebrand,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  George 
Sheets,  Miss  L  S.  Oakland,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Middlewarth,  Mr.  Jenkins,  Dr.  J.  W. 
Exline  and  Rev.  and  Mrs.  P.  A.  Heilman.  These  together  with  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Crigler,  Jim  Tyson  and  B.  F.  Sadtler  who  were  present  the  following  Sunday 
constituted  the  charter  membership  of  the  church.  Of  these  nineteen  original 
members  of  the  church  only  one.  Miss  L  S.  Oakland  still  remains  a  member. 

The  first  sermon  to  this  newly  organized  congregation  was  preached  by 
Reverend  Heilman  in  the  Methodist  Church  on  California  Street,  Sunday  eve- 
ning, October  ig,  1884.  The  congregation  first  worshipped  in  a  hall  at  twenty- 
eighth  and  Larimer  streets.  This  hall  was  owned  by  Mr.  George  Sheets  and  was 
oiTered  free  of  rent,  fuel,  light  and  janitor  service.  In  July,  1885,  they  moved  to 
Morris  Hall  at  the  comer  of  Twenty-seventh  and  Welton  streets.  The  Sunday 
school  was  organized  October  20,  1884,  at  2  130  P.  M.  There  were  nineteen  per- 
sons present.  Rev.  P.  A.  Heilman  was  the  first  superintendent.  The  first 
church  council  consisted  of  two  elders  and  two  deacons  as  follows :  Elders,  Rev. 
R.  Weiser.  D.  D.,  and  Geo.  S.  Sheets.  Deacons,  Dr.  J.  W.  Exline  and  James 
Lyson. 

The  congregation  made  such  rapid  progress  that  it  soon  began  to  lay  plans 
for  a  church  building.  On  May  3.  1885.  the  congregation  authorized  the  selection 
of  a  site  for  this  purpose  and  the  purchase  of  three  lots.  These  were  later  se- 
cured at  Twenty-second  and  California  streets,  at  a  cost  of  $6,000.  On  October 
18,  1885,  the  corner-stone  of  the  new  church  was  laid  with  appropriate  ceremonies 
and  on  February  14,  1886,  the  first  service  was  held  in  the  lecture  room.  On 
March  21.  1886,  the  new  church  was  dedicated. 

Rev.  Dr.  C.  A.  Wilson  is  now  in  charge  of  the  congregation. 

At  present,  January,  191 8.  there  are  in  Colorado  under  the  jurisdiction  of 
the  Rocky  Mountain  Synod,  the  following  English  Lutheran  congregations: 
Boulder,  85  members :  Calhan,  37 ;  Cation  City,  75 ;  Colorado  Springs,  93 ;  Good 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  651 

Hope,  Denver,  30;  Messiah,  Denver,  176;  St.  Paul's,  Denver,  235;  Elbert,  13; 
Grand  Junction,  39;  Gypsum,  33;  Pueblo,  60;  Trinidad,  35. 

The  first  permanent  Swedish  Lutheran  Church  in  Colorado,  the  Augustana, 
was  established  in  Denver,  September,  1878.  Rev.  A.  Lindholm,  traveling  mis- 
sionary, organized  it.  There  was  a  Swedish  Lutheran  Church  established  at 
Golden  in  1877,  but  this  lapsed  after  a  few  years  and  its  members  are  now  in 
other  churches.  There  were  seven  members  in  the  first_  church,  one  of  whom, 
Miss  Mathilda  Peterson,  is  still  active  in  church  work.  The  first  church  was  built 
in  1880  at  the  corner  of  Nineteenth  and  Welton,  by  Rev.  John  Telleen,  who  re- 
mained in  the  pastorate  until  Jaiuiary,  1883.  In  July,  1884,  Rev.  G.  A.  Bran- 
delle  came  to  the  church  from  the  Augustana  Theological  Seminary  at  Rock 
Island,  Illinois.  This  was  his  first  charge  and  he  is  still  in  the  pastorate  of  the 
same  church.  Doctor  Brandelle  built  the  present  beautiful  church  edifice  at  the 
corner  of  Court  Place  and  Twenty-third  Street  in  1890.  It  was  not  dedicated 
until  1906  when  it  was  clear  of  debt,  the  last  indebtedness  having  been  paid  in 
1905.  The  total  cost  of  the  church  and  parsonage  was  $62,000.  The  Augustana 
Synod  met  in  Denser  in  that  year.  Doctor  Norelius,  head  of  the  synod,  delivering 
the  dedicatory  sermon.  The  church  now,  January  i,  1918,  has  grown  from  its 
small  beginning  of  seven  to  about  si.x  hundred  communicants.  It  was.  125  when 
Doctor  Brandelle  came  to  the  pastorate.  The  church  in  1917  built  a  missionary 
cottage  for  girls  and  an  Old  Folks  home  at  a  cost  of  .$16,000. 

The  United  Danish  Church  in  Denver  was  established  in  1893  and  has  now 
a  membership  of  no.  P.  Rasmussen,  a  theological  student,  founded  this  church 
with  six  or  seven  members.  They  have  within  the  past  few  years  built  a  fine 
church  at  Bannock  Street  and  Fifth  Avenue. 

There  are  now  fifteen  Swedish  Lutheran  churches  in  the  state,  the  Nor- 
wegians have  three.  The  Danish  also  have  three.  The  Swedish  Lutheran 
churches  in  1918  are  as  follows:  Augustana,  Denver,  founded  1878,  total  pa- 
rishioners, 692;  Bethania,  Georgetown,  founded  1880,  total  parishioners,  6;  Elim, 
Longmont.  founded  1887,  total  jjarishioners,  162;  Bethesda,  Boulder,  founded 
1892,  total  parishioners,  63;  Tabor,  Pueblo,  founded  1892,  total  parishioners, 
174;  Bethania,  Las  Animas,  founded  1894,  total  parishioners,  73;  Zion,  Idaho 
.Springs,  founded  1896,  total  parishioners,  65;  Colorado  Springs,  founded  1897, 
total  parishioners,  74;  Nebo,  Victor,  founded  in  1902,  total  parishioners,  183; 
Immanuel,  Greeley,  founded  1905,  total  parishioners,  214;  Zion,  Loveland, 
founded  1005,  total  parishioners,  129;  Bethania,  Denver,  founded  in  1908,  total 
parishioners.  226;  Fridhem,  Ault,  founded  in  1908,  total  i)arishioners,  451; 
I'.elhania,  Leadville,  founded  in  1910,  total  parishioners,  124;  Elim,  Haxtum, 
founded  in  iqio,  total  parishioners,  69. 

THE  GERMAN  I.UTHER.'VN 

President  Bucngcr  of  the  Western  District  of  the  German  Lutheran  Church 
in  1872  requested  the  Rev.  J.  Ililgendorf,  now  of  Omaha,  and  long  western  vice- 
president-general  of  the  Missouri  Synod,  to  make  an  exploration  trip  into  Colo- 
rado. Ililgendorf  ex])lored  Denver  in  quest  of  German  Lutherans,  and  found 
eleven  families  who  declared  their  willingness  to  organize  a  congregation.  Pastor 
Hilgendorf  held  a  service  with  these  people.    On  t!ie  first  of  November  Hilgendorf 


652  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

went  on  to  Pueblo.  Later  he  organized  a  church  at  WestcHffe  in  the  Wet  ^loun- 
tain  Valley. 

In  January,  1873,  Candidate  H.  Branimer  was  ordained  as  pastor  of  the  con- 
gregation in  Denver,  the  first  resident  Lutheran  pastor  in  Colorado.  On  Septem- 
ber 7,  1873,  Candidate  H.  W.  Hoemann  was  ordained  by  Pastor  Brammer  as 
pastor  of  the  congregation  in  the  Wet  Mountain  \'alley,  Fremont  County.  In  1881, 
Pastor  L.  Dornseif  became  minister  in  Denver,  and  the  Rev.  E.  Saupert  became 
pastor  at  Westclilfe.  Pastor  Dornseif  was  succeeded  in  Denver,  in  1886,  by  the 
Rev.  H.  Rauh,  and  Pastor  Saupert  by  the  Rev.  H.  J.  Mueller.  At  the  time  of  the 
organization  of  the  Kansas  district,  there  were  four  resident  pastors  in  Colorado, 
viz.,  in  addition  to  Pastors  Rauh  and  Mueller,  the  Rev.  F.  Lothringer  in  Trinidad, 
and  J.  H.  Tietjen  in  Durango.  Besides  these,  the  Reverend  Oesch  of  Nebraska 
supplied  three  mission  posts  in  northeastern  Colorado. 

There  are  today  in  the  Kansas  district  which  includes  Colorado,  over  one 
hundred  German  Lutheran  churches  with  approximately  twenty  thousand  com- 
municants. 

The  work  in  Colorado  and  in  Oklahoma  increased  to  such  an  extent  that,  upon 
request  of  the  Colorado  and  the  Oklahoma  pastoral  conferences  the  synod,  in  1909, 
established  sub-boards  in  these  two  states. 

A  sanitarium  for  tubercular  patients  in  one  of  the  German  Lutheran  Church 
establishments  near  Denver.  Over  eight  hundred  patients  have  been  received  since 
its  doors  were  opened  in  1905. 

CHRISTI.-\N  SCIENCE   IN   COLOR.\DO 

The  history  of  Colorado  and  of  Christian  Science  may  be  said  to  be  coincident 
in  that  the  first  edition  of  the  Christian  Science  text-book,  "Science  and  Health 
with  Key  to  the  Scriptures"  was  published  by  Mrs.  Eddy  but  a  few  months  prior 
to  the  admission  of  Colorado  as  a  state.  The  seed  of  the  Christian  Science  move- 
ment in  Colorado  were  sown  in  the  spring  of  1885  by  Geo.  B.  Wickersham,  and 
later  that  year  a  class  was  taught  in  the  Denver  home  of  Mrs.  Chas.  L.  Hall  by 
Bradford  Sherman  of  Chicago.  By  the  fall  of  1888  a  sufficient  number  had  thus 
become  interested  to  form  an  organization.  Meetings  were  held  in  a  private  home, 
but  soon  it  became  necessary  to  move  into  a  public  hall  to  accommodate  the  in- 
creasing number. 

In  May,  1891,  this  organization  was  incorporated  as  a  church,  some  of  the 
charter  members  being  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wm.  Griffith,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  I.  M.  Low,  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  W.  J.  Swift,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  A.  P.  Frederick,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  R.  M.  Clark, 
Mrs.  Martha  Miller,  W.  C.  Wix,  Mrs.  Frances  Mann,  Mrs.  John  R.  Smith, 
J.  H.  Miller,  Jas.  L.  Henshall,  Mrs.  R.  Mauflf,  Mrs.  M.  G.  Fulweider,  and 
Wm.  H.  Yankee.  During  the  autumn  of  that  year  the  building  of  a  church  home 
was  begun  on  Logan  Street  near  Eighteenth  Avenue,  which  was  occupied  the  fol- 
lowing year.  In  five  years  this  proved  too  small,  and  the  building  was  enlarged 
to  the  capacitv  of  the  ground  space  owned  ;  but  in  less  than  two  years  this  also  was 
filled  to  overflowing,  and  the  problem  of  providing  additional  room  again  con- 
fronted the  Denver  Christian  Scientists. 

When  the  five  lots  at  Fourteenth  Avenue  and  Logan  Street  were  purchased  in 
1899  less  than  three  dollars  was  in  the  building  fund  of  the  church,  but  soon  build- 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  653 

ing  operations  were  begun  on  an  edifice  which  cost  about  one  hundred  and  sixty 
thousand  dollars.  Although  services  were  held  therein  beginning  in  May,  1904, 
it  was  not  dedicated  until  the  fall  of  1906,  as  no  Christian  Science  Church  is  dedi- 
cated until  it  is  free  from  debt. 

Although  more  than  seventeen  hundred  people  can  be  comfortably  accommo- 
dated in  the  First  Church  edifice  the  continued  growth  of  Christian  Science  neces- 
sitated further  exi)ansion,  so  in  January,  1909,  the  Christian  Scientists  of  the  south 
side  withdrew  and  formed  Second  Church.  The  members  of  this  organization 
after  meeting  in  the  Masonic  Temple  for  some  time  were  forced  to  build  in  order 
to  secure  larger  quarters,  and  they  are  now  nicely  situated  in  a  beautiful  church 
home  on  South  Grant  Street  and  Bayaud  Avenue. 

In  the  fall  of  1909  the  Christian  Scientists  living  on  the  north  side  of  Denver 
followed  the  example  of  their  south  side  friends  and  started  an  organization, 
which  also  has  prospered  and  grown,  so  that  it  is  evident  that  their  removal  to 
the  largest  hall  in  that  section  of  the  city  will  but  temporarily  meet  the  need. 
A  beautiful  and  conveniently  located  building  site  has  been  secured,  on  which  a 
church  home  will  soon  be  erected. 

Prior  to  1895,  although  there  were  many  throughout  the  state  interested  in 
Christian  Science,  the  organized  church  activities  had  been  restricted  to  Denver, 
Colorado  Springs,  Pueblo,  Canon  City  and  Grand  Junction,  as  up  to  that  time  the 
Christian  Science  churches  were  served  by  personal  pastors.  Chief  among  these 
had  been  Capt.  John  F.  Linscott,  Rev.  L.  P.  Norcross,  and  Mrs.  Ella  Peck  Sweet, 
the  last  named  having  started  the  churches  in  Colorado  Springs,  and  Canon  City, 
where  she  preached  for  several  years,  occasionally  supplying  in  Pueblo  as  well. 

In  the  spring  of  1895  Mrs.  Eddy  ordained  the  impersonal  pastor  system,  which 
has  since  been  used  in  all  Christian  Science  organizations.  Instead  of  depending 
on  personal  preachers,  each  organization  has  two  readers  who  read  alternately 
selections  from  the  Bible  and  "Science  and  Health  with  Key  to  the  Scriptures"  by 
Mary  Baker  Eddy.  This  has  enabled  the  starting  of  many  organizations,  which 
have  steadily  grown,  until  there  are  now  forty-three  recognized  Christian  Science 
organizations  in  Colorado,  with  more  than  that  number  where  informal  meetings 
are  being  held. 

THE  CONGREGATIONAL  CHURCH 

In  November,  1859,  a  union  Sunday  school  was  established  at  the  mouth  of 
Cherry  Creek  for  both  settlements  (Denver  and  Auraria)  and  for  all  denomina- 
tions. This  may  fairly  be  called  the  beginning  of  Congregationalism  in  the  Rocky 
Mountain  region.  "During  most  of  the  jjcriod  of  this  pioneer  Sunday  school's 
existence,"  says  the  record,  "Miss  Indiana  Sopris,  who  later  became  Mrs.  Sa.  lucl 
Cushman,  served  as  assistant  to  the  superintendent."  Miss  Irene  Sopris,  who  was 
afterward  Mrs.  J.  Sidney  lirown  was  also  active  in  this  work.  Samuel  Cushman 
was  another  active  Congregatinnalisi  in  the  Union  Sunday  School  and  its  super- 
intendent for  a  considerable  time. 

It  was  no  fault  of  the  independent  congrcgationalists  that  a  church  of  this 
denominatiiin  was  not  organized.  Repeated  appeals  were  made  to  the  east  but 
without  success,  and  in  1863  when  the  subject  received  proper  attention  it  was 
found  that  more  active  churciies  had  succeeded  in  drawing  many  Denver  Congre- 


654  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

gationalists  into  their  membership.  It  was  for  this  reason  rather  than  any  other, 
that  the  hrst  Congregational  church  organized  in  Colorado  was  that  at  Central 
City,  August  22,,  1863,  long  since  lapsed;  and  the  second  was  that  at  Boulder,  July 
17,  1864. 

In  the  winter  of  1863-64,  however,  Mr.  Cushnian  had  made  an  eastern  trip 
as  far  as  Boston,  and  his  earnest  appeal  to  the  church  leaders  in  that  city  not  to 
neglect  the  Denver  field  doubtless  had  considerable  effect  in  determining  the 
foundation  of  the  church  in  that  city. 

The  organization  was  effected  through  the  aid  of  an  ecclesiastical  council  con- 
vened for  the  purpose  at  the  invitation  of  a  dozen  interested  men  and  women  of 
Denver.  The  place  was  the  People's  Theater,  at  that  time  the  principal  amuse- 
ment house  of  the  city,  located  on  the  west  side  of  Larimer  Street,  about  half 
way  between  Fourteenth  and  Fifteenth  streets,  and  as  nearly  as  can  be  detennined 
today,  on  ground  now  occupied  by  the  Schaefer  Tent  and  Awning  Company.  Rev. 
William  Crawford,  an  energetic  agent  of  the  American  Home  Missionary  Society 
and  the  first  Congregational  minister  in  Colorado  has  written  of  a  visit  made  by 
him  to  Denver  in  February,  1864.  The  town  then  had  a  population  of  5,000,  was 
a  mile  long  and  a  quarter  of  a  mile  wide,  and  "was  getting  to  be  a  stylish  place." 
Methodist,  Baptist,  Presbyterian  and  Episcopal  churches  were  already  established, 
but  Mr.  Crawford  discovered  twenty-five  Congregationalists,  mostly  ladies.  In 
population,  wealth,  resources  and  business  activity  Denver  was  surpassed  by  both 
Central  City  and  Boulder. 

In  Cktober  of  that  year,  the  advisory  council  to  establish  the  First  Congrega- 
tional Church  of  Denver  was  convened.  Its  members  were :  Rev.  Jonathan  Blan- 
chard,  of  Wheaton  College,  Illinois,  who  was  a  casual  visitor  in  the  city  while 
returning  with  his  son  from  a  trip  to  Montana ;  Rev.  Norman  !McLeod,  a  mission- 
ary of  the  American  Home  Missionarj'  Society,  stationed  in  Denver;  Rev.  William 
Craw^ford,  the  first  Congregational  minister  in  Colorado,  then  pastor  of  the  church 
in  Central  City,  which  he  had  organized  as  well  as  that  in  Boulder;  Deacon  James 
Hubbard,  representing  the  Congregational  Church  in  Boulder;  Mr.  Colton,  of  a 
Congregational  Church  in  Kansas.  The  twelve  charter  members  of  the  church 
were:  H.  A.  Goodman,  D.  G.  Peabody,  I.  J.  Stevens,  W.  N.  Ellis,  Mrs.  Eliza- 
beth Sopris,  wife  of  ex-ilayor  Richard  Sopris,  Mrs.  Melona  Ellis,  w'ife  of  W.  N. 
Ellis,  Mrs.  C.  A.  Tolles,  Mrs.  S.  W.  Trumper,  Miss  Indiana  Sopris,  later  Mrs. 
Samuel  Cushman,  Miss  Irene  Sopris,  later  Mrs.  J.  Sidney  Brown,  Miss  Isabella 
R.  Glenn  and  Miss  Ellen  Cooper. 

The  first  pastor  of  the  church  was  Rev.  Norman  McLeod,  a  home  missionary 
who  was  released  for  this  service  by  the  society  for  the  period  of  three  months. 
At  the  end  of  this  time  he  was  transferred  to  Salt  Lake  City.  Great  difficulty  was 
experienced  in  securing  his  successor,  and  it  became  necessary  for  Mr.  Crawford, 
who  was  the  Congregational  leader  of  the  region,  to  make  a  trip  east.  He  at- 
tended the  National  Council  of  Corrgregational  Churches  at  Boston,  and  after  a 
personal  appeal  to  the  young  men  at  Andover  Theological  Seminary,  three  of  the 
graduates  volunteered  to  return  to  Colorado  with  him.  One  of  these,  Rev.  G.  D. 
Goodrich,  became  the  second  pastor  of  the  Denver  church.  Mr.  Goodrich's  pas- 
torate lasted  until  March,  1867.  and  in  September  of  that  year,  Mr.  McLeod,  who 
was  the  first  pastor,  returned. 

On  December  6,  1867,  the  church  decided  to  build  a  house  of  worship.     Ser- 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  655 

vices  had  previously  been  held  in  the  district  court  room,  in  the  assembly  room 
of  the  University  of  Denver  then  known  as  the  Colorado  Seminary,  Fourteenth 
and  Arapahoe  streets,  and  in  the  partially  completed  basement  of  the  Baptist 
Church,  which  was  commonly  called  "the  dug-out,"  where  now  stands  the  America 
Theater,  Sixteenth  and  Curtis.  Two  lots  were  purchased  at  the  corner  of  Fif- 
teenth and  Curtis  streets  for  $600.  The  period  of  prosperity  was  not,  however, 
long  continued.  Mr.  McLeod  gave  lectures  and  worked  on  one  of  the  city  papers, 
but  the  combination  of  Indian  wars,  grasshoppers  and  general  hard  times  reached 
a  crisis  in  1869,  and  the  church  was  left  again  without  a  pastor  for  more  than  a 
year.  It  is  significant  of  the  vitality  of  the  church  that  in  this  period,  the  church 
building  was  completed  and  dedicated,  October  25,  1870. 

The  next  pastor  was  Rev.  Thomas  E.  Bliss,  who  was  called  from  Andover, 
Massachusetts,  January  15,  1871,  and  began  his  work  in  Denver  February  12th  of 
the  same  year.  The  early  months  of  Mr.  Bliss'  pastorate  were  among  the  uiost 
prosperous  in  the  history  of  the  church.  The  membership  increased  to  10 1.  Un- 
fortunately, however,  the  new  membership  was  not  harmonious  and  in  1872  the 
church  entered  upon  the  most  troublous  period  of  its  existence.  Irreconcilable 
differences  regarding  matters  of  church  polity  led  to  a  controversy  between  the 
pastor  and  prominent  members  of  the  church,  and  finally  resulted  in  charges 
filed  with  the  prudential  committee  against  the  pastor  and  also  against  some 
of  the  members.  On  March  8th  the  trustees  effected  a  final  settlement  by 
which  upon  payment  of  $800  in  full  of  all  demands,  Mr.  Bliss  relinquished 
all  claims  to  the  pastorate.  A  considerable  number  of  Mr.  Bliss'  sympathizers 
w'ilhdrew  from  the  church  with  him  and  organized  a  second  Congregational 
Church,  which  maintained  an  existence  for  only  a  few  months,  when  it  was  trans- 
ferred to  the  Presbyterians. 

The  next  regular  pastor  was  Rev.  J.  M.  .Sturtevant,  Jr.,  who  came  to  Denver 
from  Ottawa,  Illinois,  and  whose  father  was  at  that  time  president  of  Illinois  Col- 
lege at  Jacksonville.  The  period  of  his  pastorate  was  one  of  harmony  and  prog- 
ress. He  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  C.  C.  Salter,  who  served  as  pastor  from  Janu- 
ary, 1877,  to  October,  1879.  Mr.  Salter  is  chiefly  remembered  for  his  success- 
ful effort  in  starting  the  Second  Congregational  Church  on  the  west  side,  and  for 
his  achievement  in  clearing  the  church  property  of  debt.  The  old  church  and 
lots  at  the  corner  of  Fifteenth  and  Curtis  streets  were  sold  for  $14,500,  and 
without  waiting  for  the  arrival  of  a  new  pastor  the  church  purchased  lots  on 
Glenarm  Street,  just  west  of  the  Denver  Club  for  $5,000  and  began  the  erection 
of  a  building  which  was  completed  at  a  cost  of  $40,690. 

On  Januarj'  7,  1880,  a  call  was  extended  to  Rev.  J.  V.  Hilton  of  Ea.st  Bo.ston, 
Massachusetts,  at  a  salary  of  $2,500,  and  in  March,  1880,  Mr.  Hilton  accepted  the 
call.  While  the  new  church  was  building  services  were  held  in  Walhalla  Hall, 
which  had  been  erected  for  a  general  public  meeting  place  upon  the  foundation  of 
the  old  Baptist  dug-out,  at  the  corner  of  Sixteenth  and  Curtis  streets.  On  May 
22nd  of  that  year  the  completed  building  was  dedicated  free  from  debt.  This  was 
made  possible  very  largely  through  the  liberality  of  Messrs.  J.  S.  and  J.  F.  Brown, 
who  continued  for  many  years  among  the  staunchest  and  most  liberal  of  the 
church's  financial  supporters.  The  four  years  of  Mr.  Hilton's  pastorate  constituted 
a  period  of  great  prosperity.  Two  hundred  and  thirty  names  were  added  to  the 
roll  of  membership,  and  the  creed  and  covenant  were  considerably  simpliiied  an  1 


656  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

broadened.  Air.  Hilton  resigned  December  12,  1883,  to  take  effect  April  i,  1884, 
and  he  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  Alyron  Reed,  whose  pastorate  continued  for  more 
than  ten  years,  the  longest  in  the  history  of  the  church.  Mr.  Reed  came  to  this 
city  from  the  First  Presbyterian  Church  of  Indianapolis  and  he  was  a  dominant 
figure  not  only  in  the  church  and  in  religious  life  of  the  state,  but  in  politics  and 
industrial  matters  as  well.  It  is  impossible  even  at  this  time  to  speak  of  Mr.  Reed's 
career  without  partisanship,  for  he  was  himself  partisan.  His  ideas  were  radical 
along  many  lines  and  his  acts  were  not  less  extreme.  He  made  many  very  warm 
friends  and  many  bitter  enemies.  His  salary  was  repeatedly  raised  by  the  church 
until  it  amounted  to  $7,000  annually,  and  the  church  contributions  for  benevolent 
purposes  were  proportionately  large.  The  stormy  and  disastrous  year,  1893, 
brought  confusion  and  distress  to  almost  every  individual  and  organization  of 
the  state,  and  this  church  was  not  exempt  from  the  common  lot.  Mr.  Reed  had 
come  to  be  one  of  the  recognized  leaders  of  public  thought  and  action,  and  in  a 
time  w'hen  every  man  was  a  partisan  he  felt  it  to  be  his  duty  to  act  as  well  as 
to  speak  for  what  he  believed  to  be  the  truth.  Like  other  public  men  of  the  period 
he  was  the  victim  of  misrepresentation  and  ?buse.  His  political  and  other  public 
activities  in  addition  to  the  work  as  pastor  of  this  church  were  more  than  could 
be  carried  on  by  one  man.  On  March  14,  1894,  Air.  Reed  asked  for  a  six  weeks' 
leave  of  absence  on  account  of  failing  health,  and  on  June  6th  he  presented  his 
resignation,  which  was  accepted  a  week  later.  After  leaving  this  church  Mr. 
Reed  continued  independent  religious  work  m  Denver  for  a  number  of  years  and 
died  in  Denver  in  January,  1899.  He  was  unquestionably  one  of  the  most  ag- 
gressive and  influential  leaders  in  religious  and  political  thought  of  his  time,  and 
he  had  a  lasting  effect  not  only  upon  the  church,  but  also  upon  the  city  and  the 
state. 

Mr.  Reed's  successor  was  Dr.  John  P.  Coyle,  who  came  from  the  Congrega- 
tional Church  of  North  Adams,  Massachusetts.  At  the  beginning  of  his  pastorate 
he  attracted  the  attention  of  some  of  the  more  active  of  Mr.  Reed's  critics,  and  the 
excitement  of  this  publicity,  coupled  with  the  unaccustomed  altitude,  is  believed 
to  have  been  responsible  for  the  development  of  a  malady  of  the  heart,  from 
which  he  died  after  a  pastorate  of  about  four  months. 

From  February,  1895,  to  January,  1896,  the  church  was  without  a  regular 
pastor,  services  being  conducted  for  the  most  part  by  Chancellor  McDowell,  the 
head  of  the  University  of  Denver.  Dr.  J.  H.  Ecob,  the  tenth  pastor  of  the 
church,  came  from  Albany,  New  York.  He  remained  nearly  three  years,  and  re- 
signed in  September,  1898.  His  successor  was  Dr.  David  N.  Beach,  who  remained 
until  August  15,  1902.  The  pastorates  of  both  Doctor  Ecob  and  Doctor  Beach 
were  disturbed  by  financial  difficulties  growing  out  of  the  general  business  dis- 
turbances that  followed  the  great  panic  of  1893,  which  was  especially  injurious  to 
Denver  and  generally  throughout  the  Rocky  Mountain  region. 

The  coming  of  Rev.  J.  Monroe  Markley  from  Pittsfield.  Illinois,  may  be  fairly 
said  to  mark  the  beginning  of  a  new  era  in  the  church's  history.  He  was 
the  first  pastor  of  the  new  century.  During  his  pastorate  the  "church  home  was 
changed  from  Glenarm  Street  to  its  present  location.  On  December  27,  1905,  it 
was  voted  to  sell  the  old  building  and  lots,  from  which  $45,000  were  received. 
The  lets  at  the  corner  of  Tenth  Avenue  and  Clarkson  Street  were  purchased  for 
$7.2^0.     The  last  services  were  held  in  the  Glenarm  Street  building  on  January 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  657 

13,  1907,  and  the  same  night  it  was  destroyed  by  tire.  While  waiting  for  the 
construction  of  the  new  building,  services  were  held  in  the  Jewish  Temple  Eman- 
uel. The  corner-stone  of  the  Tenth  Avenue  Church  was  laid  March  18,  1907, 
and  the  first  service  was  held  in  the  new  building  on  November  10,  1907. 

Mr.  Markley's  pastorate  ended  by  his  resignation  on  December  22,  1907,  and 
for  exactly  four  months  the  church  was  without  a  pastor,  though  services  were 
held  regularly.  Rev.  Elbert  H.  Alford  followed  and  remained  until  Memorial 
Day,  1909. 

The  following  Sunday,  June  6,  1909,  the  pulpit  was  supplied  by  Rev.  Allan  A. 
Tanner,  of  Alton,  Illinois.  Three  days  later  the  Committee  on  Pulpit  Supply 
recommended  that  a  call  be  extended  to  Mr.  Tanner.  The  report  was  approved 
unanimously  by  church  and  congregation.  During  Mr.  Tanner's  years  of  service 
474  new  members  have  joined  it,  of  whom  400  are  now  on  the  rolls,  the  total 
membership  being  511.  Of  the  fifty-six  who  have  united  in  1917,  twenty-seven 
are  men  and  twenty-nine  women.    Dr.  Tanner  retired  from  the  pastorate  in  1917. 

The  following  is  a  complete  list  of  Congregational  churches  in  Colorado  in 
1917,  with  date  of  organization,  date  of  building  of  church,  and  members  for 
19 1 7.  The  total  membership  in  the  state  at  that  time  was  11,865;  Sunday  School 
enrollment,  12,776: 

Churches.                                                                         Church  Church 

City  or  Town.                   •                                                Organized.  Erected. 

1  Arickaree    1917  . .  •  • 

2  Arriba    1895  1909 

3  Ault • 1901  1903 

4  r.erthoud,  i  st  German 1908  .... 

5  Bethune,  German    191 1  1912 

6  Boulder 1864  1906 

7  Briggsdale,  German    1911  191 1 

9     Brighton,    Platte    Valley 1901  1879 

10  Brush,  German   1910  1910 

1 1  Bucna  \'ista 1880  1907 

12  Clark,   Elk   River 1901  1906 

13  Collbran    1902  1903 

14  Colorado  City 1901  I904 

15  Colorado  Springs,    ist 1874  1888 

16  Colorado    Springs,    2d 1889  1890 

17  Cope    191-2  191 1 

18  Cortez    ... 

19  Craig 1900  ux)0 

20  Creede 1 894  i<x>5 

21  Crested  Butte 1880  1884 

22  Cripple   Creek    1892  1897 

23  Crook,  German.  .Sterling 191 2  .... 

24  Delta,  German   I9'7  •  ■  •  • 

25  Denver,  1st    1864  iqfyj 

26  Denver.  2d 1879  1890 

27  Denver,  3d 1881  1893 

Vol.  1—4  2 


658  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

Churches.                                                                                           Church  Church 

City  or  Town.                                                                  Organized.  Erected. 

28  Denver,  Boulevard 1882  1895 

29  Denver,  Pilgrim    1883  1884 

30  Denver,  Plymouth    1884  1899 

31  Denver,  Tabernacle 1884  1901 

32  Denver,  4th   Avenue    1888  1892 

;j^  Denver,  South  Broadway  1890  1891 

34  Denver,  7th  Avenue    1890  1913 

35  Denver,  North    1891  1894 

36  Denver,  German 1894  1897 

^/  Denver,  Ohio  Avenue 1904  "      1910 

38  Denver,  Englewood    1904  1914 

39  Denver,  City  Park   1906  1910 

40  Denver,   Berkeley    1916  1917 

41  Denver,  Washington  Park   1913  .... 

42  Denver,  Union    1906  1916 

43  Denver,  Free  Evangelical   1916  1898 

44  East   Lake    1915  1915 

45  Eaton    1886  1890 

46  Eaton,  German   1907  1915 

47  Flagler    .' 1888  1914 

48  Fondis 1917  

49  Fort  Collins,  German   1904  1904 

50  Fort  Collins,  Plymouth * 1908  1909 

51  Fort  Morgan,  German 1907  1916 

52  Fountain 1904  1909 

53  Fruita    1888  1889 

54  Fruita,  German .... 

55  Genoa    1910  1907 

56  Grand  Junction   1890  1904 

57  Greeley    1870  1907 

58  Greeley,    German    1906  191 5 

59  Green  Mountain  Falls 1917  .... 

60  Grover,  German    1914  .... 

61  Hayden 1889  1893 

62  Henderson    1905  1909 

63  Joes   1916  .... 

64  Julesburg    1885  1914 

65  Keota,  German,  Pilgrim 1914  •  •  •  • 

66  Lafayette    1890  1891 

67  Longmont 1871  1894 

68  Loveland,  ist  German  1901  1915 

69  Loveland,  Zion,  German  19*54  1908 

70  Lyons    1889  1894 

71  Manitou    1878  1880 

72  Marble 191?  

73  Maybell    1901  1904 


A  CABIN  BUILT  IN  THE  SUMMER  OF  1859  AND  OCCUPIED  BY  THE  REV.  JACOB 
ADRIANCE,  A  MINISTER  OF   THE  METHODIST  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH 


660  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

Churches.                                                                                           Church  Church 

City  or  Town.                                                                   Organized.  Erected. 

74  Minturn    1917  .... 

75  Mohna 1906  1908 

76  Montrose 1885  1886 

"J"]     Montrose,  Spring  Creek 1912  .... 

78  New   Castle    1889  1890 

79  Nucla    1911  1913 

80  Paonia 1901  1912 

81  Paradox    191 1  .... 

82  Plattville.  Highland  Lake 1881  1896 

83  Proctor,  German 1912  .... 

84  Pueblo,   1st 1878  1889 

85  Pueblo,  Pilgrim    1880  1890 

86  Pueblo,  Minnequa    1902  1904 

87  Pueblo,  Irving  Place   1906  1902 

88  Raven,  Fairview   191 5  .... 

89  Redvale 1910  191 1 

90  Rico 1888  1892 

91  Rocky  Ford,  German 1906  1907 

92  Seibert 1889  1913 

93  Silt    1909  1909 

94  Silverton    1881  1881 

95  Steamboat  Springs   1889  1891 

96  Sterling,   German    191 1  .... 

97  Stratton    1888  1908 

98  Sulphur  Springs    1892  1904 

99  Telluride 1889  1889 

100  Wellington,   ist    1904  1906 

lOi  Wellington,  German 1906  1906 

102  Whitewater 1888  1895 

103  W^indsor,  German 1904  1906 

104  Yampa    1901  1901 

The  Congregational  Conference  of  Colorado  was  organized  March  10,  1868. 
Its  officers  in  1917  were:  \\^illiam  E.  Sweet,  Denver,  moderator;  Rev.  Frank  L. 
Moore.  Denver,  superintendent ;  Rev.  Joel  Harper,  registrar;  A.  D.  Moss,  Denver, 
treasurer. 

THE  SEVENTH   DAY   ADVENTISTS 

The  Seventh  Day  Adventists  established  their  first  church  in  Denver  in  1880 
at  the  corner  of  Lawrence  and  Twenty-third  streets.  Rev.  E.  R.  Jones  came  from 
California  to  serve  the  small  congregation.  Later  he  held  tent  meetings  on  the 
large-vacant  lot  at  Twenty-third  and  Welton.  In  i8qi  the  church  at  Kalamath 
and  West  Eleventh  was  purchased  from  the  Third  Congregational  Church,  and 
considerably  enlarsjed.  This  is  now  the  largest  church  in  the  Colorado  Confer- 
ence, its  membership  numbering  350.     There  are  now   (1918)   six  churches  in 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  661 

Denver,  with  a  total  membership  of  over  600.  These  are  the  First  Church,  at 
Kalamath  Street  and  Eleventh  Avenue ;  the  Second  Church,  at  East  Thirteenth 
Avenue  and  York  Street,  which  was  dedicated  March  23,  191S.  Meetings  have 
been  held  there  for  some  time,  but  the  dedication  could  not  be  held  until  the 
churcJi  was  free  from  debt.  The  Third  Church,  a  colored  congregation,  is  at 
2917  Glenarm.  The  Fourth  Church  is  a  Scandinavian  church,  at  the  corner  of 
East  Thirty-sixth  Avenue  and  High  Street.  The  fifth  church  is  the  South  Denver 
Church,  at  2303  South  Cherokee.  The  si.xth  church  is  a  North  Denver  church 
at  West  Thirtieth  Avenue  and  Perry  Street. 

In  the  Colorado  Conference,  including  Denver,  there  are  fifty-three  churches. 
The  Western  Slope  of  Colorado  is  part  of  the  Utah  Conference.  There  are  there- 
fore twelve  churches  to  be  added  to  make  the  total  for  Colorado,  sixty-five 
churches.  The  Colorado  Seventh  Day  Adventist  Conference  was  organized  in 
1883,  and  holds  yearly  sessions.  The  president  in  191 8  is  Rev.  W.  A.  Gosmer, 
of  Denver.  The  total  membership  in  1918  in  the  Colorado  Conference  is  2,517. 
This  is  over  3,000  for  the  state. 

The  Colorado  Conference  established  a  sanitarium  in  Boulder  about  twenty 
years  ago.  This  is  for  the  treatment  of  all  cases  except  tubercular.  It  is  known 
as  The  Colorado  Sanitarium. 

The  Campion  Academy,  located  three  miles  south  of  Loveland,  belongs  to  the 
denomination  and  now  has  about  150  students  of  both  sexes.  This  was  estab- 
lished about  a  decade  ago. 

At  Jarosa,  in  the  San  Luis  Valley,  the  denomination  has  an  industrial  school 
established  about  six  years  ago.  There  are  over  a  hundred  pupils,  who  in  part 
work  their  way  by  labor  on  the  farm.  The  denomination  owns  a  thousand  acres 
in  this  section. 

The  Colorado  Sanitarium  has  established  a  "health  food"  store  in  Denver  for 
the  denomination. 

When  the  Colorado  Conference  was  established  in  1883  there  were  less  than 
three  hundred  members  of  the  denomination  in  the  state.  These  were  established 
in  churches  in  Denver,  Boulder,  Longmont,  Ilillsboro  and  Loveland.  The  de- 
nomination began  its  big  organizing  w'ork  at  this  time,  and  within  a  few  years 
there  were  churches  at  all  leading  points  in  the  state. 

THE  MKTIIOIMST   i:PI.SCOP.\L  CHURCH 

Methodism  in  what  is  now  Colorado  was  filed  upon  when  Bishop  Scott,  on 
April  18,  1859,  read  out  "Pike's  Peak  and  Cherry  Creek"  as  one  of  the  appoint- 
ments to  be  supplied  by  the  Kansas  and  Nebraska  Conference,  which  was  held  at 
Omaha  in  that  year.  This  was  in  the  midst  of  the  gold  excitement  of  the  period 
when  it  was  known  that  many  thousands  were  crossing  the  plains  in  their  search 
for  the  precious  metal.  Rev.  W.  IT.  Goode  was  the  man  chosen,  for  he  had 
organized  and  was  supervising  the  work  west  of  the  Missouri  River.  Rev.  Jacob 
Adriance,  who  had  just  been  appointed  to  the  Rock  Bluffs  mission  near  Omaha, 
was  selected  as  his  associate. 

These  Methodist  pioneers  reached  Denver  June  28,  1859,  having  journeyed 
four  weeks  from  Glenwood,  Iowa,  and  at  once  put  up  notices  announcing  their 


662  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

meeting  on  the  following  Sunday.    Isaac  Haight  Beardsley,  in  his  "Echoes  from 
Peak  and  Plain,"  writes  as  follows  of  this  beginning: 

"Experience  soon  taught  them  that  the  best  way  to  get  a  crowd  was  to  sing 
it  up.  Their  first  service  was  held  July  3,  1859,  in  Pollock's  Hotel.  This  was 
a  frame  building,  one  of  the  three  or  four  only  in  the  two  towns  of  Auraria,  now 
West  Denver,  and  Denver  City.  This  house  stood  on  the  east  side  of  Eleventh 
Street,  between  \\"azee  and  Market  streets.  Brother  Goode  preached  at  11 
A.  j\I.,  and  Brother  Adriance  at  3  P.  M.  The  congregations  were  small,  the 
people  not  caring  for  these  things. 

"July  4th  they  started  for  the  'Gregory  Diggings,'  discovered  by  Green  Russell 
and  the  Georgians  in  June,  1858,  now  better  known  as  Blackhawk,  Central  City, 
and  Nevada.  They  halted  long  enough  in  Golden  City  to  hold  religious  services 
in  a  'round  tent,'  the  gamblers  stopping  their  games  for  one  hour  to  let  Goode 
preach,  but  claiming  the  next  hour. 

"They  attempted  to  dri\e  into  the  mountains  through  the  'Golden  Gate,'  which 
is  a  little  north  of  Golden  City.  The  trail  was  so  rough  that  they  were  compelled 
to  'about  face,'  and  camp  in  a  little  park  outside  of  the  mountains,  where  the 
wagon,  driver,  and  three  mules  were  left. 

"Then  they  proceeded  on  pony  and  mule  back,  'packed  to  the  full  measure  of 
comfort,'  to  the  'Gregory  Diggings,'  where  they  arrived  on  Friday,  July  8th.  Im- 
mediately they  announced  preaching  on  the  next  Sabbath,  at  10  A.  M. 

"The  streets  of  Mountain  City  were  dusty.  The  congregation  was  large  and 
attentive ;  all  men.  Goode  preached  on  the  street  to  that  mass  of  humanity  with 
great  power.  That  afternoon  at  2  o'clock  he  held  an  experience  meeting  in  a 
retired  place  on  the  rocky  seats  of  a  mountain  spur.  Oft  has  the  writer  heard 
that  'love  feast'  described  by  those  who  were  present.  Here  were  men  gathered 
from  nearly  all  lands  and  climes.  This  was  the  first  meeting  of  the  kind  ever 
held  in  the  Rocky  Mountain  region.  They  sang  the  old  hymns,  wept  over  their 
shortcomings,  and  shouted  for  joy  as  they  related  their  experiences  of  a  personal 
salvation.  So  great  was  their  'refreshing'  that  those  who  were  present  have  never 
forgotten  it.  Sad  the  thought,  the  great  majority  has  'crossed  the  range'  to  that 
land  'whence  no  traveler  returns.' 

"At  its  close  Brother  Goode  received  thirty-five  members  into  the  church. 
The  next  day,  Monday,  at  10  o'clock,  he  organized  a  Quarterly-meeting  Confer- 
ence at  the  same  place,  formed  a  charge,  embracing  the  mining  camps  in  that 
region,  and  engaged  G.  W.  Fisher,  a  local  elder,  to  supply  the  work.  This  man 
Fisher  had  preached  the  first  gospel  sermon  in  Denver,  and  had  also  preached  on 
this  identical  spot  on  a  preceding  Sabbath. 

"The  first  service,  the  first  experience  meeting,  and  the  first  Quarterly  Con- 
ference at  Central  City  were  each  held  on  the  site  where  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  now  stands. 

"Rev.  W.  H.  Goode  then  wrote  to  Doctor  Durbin,  corresponding  secretary  of 
the  Missionary  Society :  'We  have  divided  the  work  into  two  districts,  as  fol- 
lows: I.  Denver  City  and  Auraria  Mission,  embracing  the  two  places  named  in 
the  above,  with  the  country  along  the  Platte  on  both  sides,  the  country  up  Cherry 
Creek,  the  towns  at  the  base  of  the  mountains,  and  "Boulder  Diggings"  in  the 
mountains  (probably  the  region  of  Gold  Hill).  We  have  organized  in  this  field 
a   Quarterly-meeting   Conference,    consisting   of   the   preacher   in    charge,   three 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  663 

stewards,  and  one  leader.  The  membership  so  far  ascertained  and  enrolled  is 
twenty-two.  The  mission  is  under  the  charge  of  Rev.  Jacob  Adriance,  appointed 
by  Bishop  Scott.  His  postoffice  address  is  Denver,  Kansas  Territory.  The  Rocky 
Mountain  Mission  embraces  all  the  mining  regions  in  the  mountains,  except 
"Boulder  Diggings."  Here  we  have  organized  a  Quarterly  Conference,  consisting 
of  two  local  preachers,  an  exhorter,  three  stewards,  and  have  a  society  of  fifty-one 
members,  including  probationers  just  received.  I  have  employed  Rev.  G.  VV. 
Fisher  to  take  charge  of  this  mission.  The  principal  seat  of  our  permanent  labors 
will  be  in  Denver  and  Auraria.'  " 

Here  are  the  names  of  the  "Supplies"  as  taken  from  the  Kansas  Conference 
minutes  by  the  Rocky  Mountain  News  of  that  period: 

i860. — Rocky  Mount--\in  District John  M.  Chivington,  P.  E. 

Denver  and  Auraria Supplied  by  A.  P.  Allen 

Golden  City  and  Boulder Jacob  Adriance 

Mountain  City Supplied  by  Joseph  T.  Canon 

Clear  Creek,  Blue  River,  and  Colorado  City All  to  be  supplied 

1861. — Rocky  Mountain  District John  M.  Chivington,  P.  E. 

Denver  City W.  A.  Kenney 

Golden  City  and  Boulder J.  W.  Caughlin 

Central  City J.  Adriance 

Colorado  City W.  S.  Lloyd 

Tarryall   William  Howbert 

Gold  Dirt,  Mountain  City,  Nevada  and  Eureka,  Missouri  City,  South  Clear 
Creek,  Platte  River  and  Plumb  Creek,  Cafion  City,  Blue  River,  and 
San  Juan  City To  be  supplied 

1862. — Rocky  Mount.mn  District B.  C.  Dennis,  P.  E. 

Denver W.  A.  Kenney 

Golden  City  and  Boulder Charles  King 

Cafion  and  Colorado  Cities William  Howbert 

South  Park W.  S.  Lloyd 

Central  City,  California  Gulch,  South  Clear  Creek,  and  Blue  River.  .  .  . 
To  be  supplied 

2863. — Rocky  Mount.mn  District B.  C.  Dennis,  P.  E. 

Denver  City O.  A.  Willard 

Golden  City D.  M.  Petfish 

Central  City W.  H.  Fisher 

South  Park    John  L.  Dyer 

Blackhawk Charles  King 

Pueblo    William   Howbert 

Boulder,  South  Clear  Creek,  Blue  River,  California  Gulch,  and  Colorado 
City   To  be  supplied 

In  1862  they  reported  131  members,  thirty-two  probationers,  and  fourteen 
local  preachers,  and  one  church  building  worth  $200.  The  six  Sunday  schools 
had  forty-two  officers  and  teachers,  and  233  scholars  of  all  ages. 

In  his  sketches  of  the  religious  life  of  this  early  period,  published  in  the 
Rocky  Mountain  Christian  Advocate,  Rev.  John  M.  Chivington  writes  as  follows: 

"On  May  8,  iSrio.  I  arrived  at  Denver,  published  an  ajipnintincnl.  .-ind  preached 


664  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

the  following  Sunday  in  the  Masonic  Hall,  and  also  on  the  next  Sunday,  morning 
and  evening.  During  the  next  week  I  succeeded  in  securing  the  services  of  Rev. 
A.  P.  Allen,  a  supernumerary  of  the  Wisconsin  Conference  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,  as  a  supply  for  Denver.  Mr.  Allen  was  an  able  preacher,  and 
filled  the  pulpit  with  great  acceptability ;  but  as  he  was  engaged  in  secular  pursuits, 
he  did  but  little  church  work,  except  to  preach,  and  consequently  his  success  was 
not  what  it  otherwise  might  have  been.  Adriance  and  Canon  were  at  their  posts 
in  due  time,  and  heartily  engaged  in  the  work.  At  California  Gulch  I  found 
H.  H.  Johnson,  a  local  preacher  from  Kansas,  who  had  been  preaching  there,  and 
seemed  to  be  greatly  in  favor  with  the  people.  I  employed  him  as  a  supply,  organ- 
ized a  society,  held  Quarterly  Conference,  and  set  matters  to  work  in  good  shape. 

"In  June  and  July,  i860,  Rev.  William  Bradford,  of  the  Kansas  Conference, 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  South,  preached  and  set  up  the  banner  of  his 
church ;  but  he  soon  became  discouraged,  and  quit  the  field. 

"The  first  quarterly  meeting  held  at  Mountain  City  was  one  of  the  most 
extraordinary  ever  held  in  this  or  any  other  country.  There  were  present  thou- 
sands upon  thousands  of  people  from  every  State  and  Territory  in  the  Union, 
and  from  almost  every  country  of  Europe,  declaring  the  wonderful  worki  of 
God.  The  brethren  erected  a  good  hewed-log  church  on  the  ridge  between 
Nevada  and  Eureka  gulches,  and  it  was  opened  with  appropriate  services  Decem- 
ber 25,  i860.  Rev.  John  Cree,  John  W.  Stanton,  John  Reed,  J.  C.  Anderson, 
D.  S.  Green,  and  others,  were  prominent  in  the  construction  and  furnishing  of 
this  place  of  worship.  In  July  and  August  I  visited  and  held  services  in  Hamil- 
ton, Fairplay,  and  Buckskin  Joe  in  South  Park,  and  on  French  and  Georgia 
gulches,  over  the  Range,  on  the  headwaters  of  the  Blue  River;  also  in  California 
and  McNulty's  gulches,  on  the  x\rkansas  River. 

"It  is  true  Doctor  Goode  came  on  the  ground  at  the  same  time  Adriance  did; 
but  the  Doctor  returned  to  Iowa  in  six  weeks,  and  never  saw  this  work  again. 
Indeed,  it  was  not  intended,  or  expected,  that  he  should.  He  simply  came  on  a 
reconnoitering  expedition,  and  that  accomplished,  his  work  here  ended ;  while 
Mr.  Adriance  remained,  formed  a  mission  circuit,  organized  societies,  appointed 
class  leaders,  held  quarterly  conferences,  and  started  the  first  Sunday  school 
ever  organized  in  Colorado.    He  is,  indeed,  the  father  of  Methodism  in  Colorado." 

Rev.  William  Howbert,  of  the  Iowa  Conference,  accompanied  by  his  young 
son.  Irving  Howbert,  now  prominent  in  the  political  history  of  the  state,  came  to 
Denver  in  June,  i860,  and  went  at  once  to  his  district,  the  South  Park  ^Mission, 
locating  near  the  present  town  of  Como.  He  first  preached  at  Tarryall  on  July 
1st,  in  the  morning,  and  at  Hamilton  in  the  evening.  During  July  he  started 
building  the  first  IMethodist  church  in  Colorado  at  Hamilton,  a  crude,  incomplete 
log  hut,  and  organized  the  first  Methodist  classes  on  the  Pacific  Slope  in  Colorado 
at  Blue  River  and  at  Breckenridge.  He  then  went  with  Rev.  H.  H.  Johnson,  a 
local  deacon,  and  Reverend  Mann  to  the  California  Gulch  Diggings.  During  the 
summer  the  first  complete  Methodist  church  building  in  Colorado  was  erected 
about  half  a  mile  south  of  Harrison  Avenue,  Leadville.  This  has  long  since  dis- 
appeared. In  1862  his  circuit  included  Canon  City,  Colorado  City,  and  all  points 
in  the  Arkansas  Valley.  It  was  then  that  Rev.  William  Howbert  located  at  Colo- 
rado City,  going  from  there  to  preach  wherever  it  was  possible  to  get  a  congre- 
gation. 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  '  665 

In  1863  the  population  of  Canon  City  had  decamped  into  the  mountains,  and 
Presiding  Elder  Slaughter  is  said  to  have  preached  there  at  that  time  to  a  congre- 
gation of  four.  By  March,  1868,  the  Methodist  congregation  was  large  enough  to 
purchase,  alter  and  furnish  a  stone  building,  which  was  formally  dedicated  by  its 
pastor,  Rev.  George  Murray,  on  March  8,  1868,  the  first  dedication  of  a  Methodist 
church  in  the  state  outside  of  Denver. 

Of  the  introduction  of  Methodism  in  the  San  Luis  \  alley.  Doctor  Crary 
writes  that  in  May,  1873,  he  and  Dr.  John  E.  Rickards  traveled  with  mule  packs 
to  Del  Norte,  where  they  preached  in  the  new  courthouse,  the  first  Protestant 
service  ever  held  there.  Rickards  was  left  at  Del  Norte  and  organized  a  church 
there  and  at  Saguache. 

In  the  spring  of  1863  Rev.  Charles  King,  whose  charge  was  at  Boulder, 
organized  the  first  society  in  the  South  Platte  \  alley  in  the  home  of  Judge  Ham- 
mitt,  about  two  miles  south  of  what  is  now  Platteville.  A  few  weeks  prior  Rev. 
L.  B.  Stateler,  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  South,  had  preached  to  a 
large  gathering  just  opposite  Fort  Lupton.    He  was  preacher  and  freighter. 

Out  of  these  meetings  came  the  fine  churches  at  Fort  Lupton  and  Platteville. 
The  conference  of  1863  created  a  Denver  circuit,  later  called  the  Platte  River 
Circuit,  including  the  entire  Platte  \'alley,  and  Rev.  William  Antes,  who  had 
come  as  an  exhorter  from  Pennsylvania  in  1861,  was  engaged  to  cover  the  entire 
region.  The  late  Peter  Winne  writes  that  in  April,  1864,  Rev.  William  Antes 
preached  the  first  sermon  ever  heard  in  the  Poudre  Valley,  near  Island  Grove. 
He  made  his  circuit  regularly  desjiite  the  Indian  outbreak  of  1864,  and  only  the 
fleetness  of  his  horse  saved  his  life  on  several  occasions. 

The  first  religious  services  in  the  vicinity  of  Arvada  were  by  Rev  D.  W. 
Scott,  pastor  at  Golden,  in  1866. 

On  July  25,  1864,  Rev.  B.  T.  X'incent  preached  the  first  sermon  in  Georgetown 
in  the  log  hquse  occupied  by  J.  E.  Plummer.  In  1868  Rev.  George  Murray,  the 
fourth  pastor  in  the  place,  erected  an  eight-thousand-dollar  church,  which  Bishop 
Kingsbury  dedicated  June  20,  1869.  It  was  to  this  charge  that  one  of  Colorado's 
greatest  preachers.  Rev.  Isaac  Haight  Beardsley,  came  in  that  year. 

Rev.  Jacob  Adriance  formed  the  first  class  in  Golden,  February  6,  i860,  ap- 
pointing John  W.  Stanton  class  leader.  With  Reverend  Goode  he  also  supplied 
Boulder  and  a  town  on  the  "Mesa"  then  known  as  Arapahoe. 

Bishop  E.  R.  Ames  presided  over  the  first  annual  conference  of  the  ministers 
of  Colorado  Territory,  held  in  Denver  July  10,  1863.  There  were  in  attendance: 
Oliver  A.  Willard,  John  L.  Dyer,  William  H.  Fisher,  Charles  King,  B.  C.  Dennis, 
W.  B.  Slaughter,  G.  S.  Allen,  A.  P.  Allen,  William  Antes,  J.  M.  Chivington,  Wil- 
liam Howbcrt  and  T.  R.  Kendall. 

The  reports  from  the  few  organized  districts  were  in  the  main  discouraging, 
but  there  was  in  no  single  case  a  note  of  despair.  The  second  conference  was 
held  in  October,  1864,  at  Central  City,  and  the  growth,  at  least  in  enthusiasm,  was 
apparent. 

Bishop  Calvin  Kingsley  presided  over  the  third  session  of  the  Colorado  Con- 
ference, in  the  Lawrence  .'street  Ciuirch,  Denver,  June  22,  1865.  and  a  real  advance 
in  number  of  churches  and  membership  was  recorded.  Particularly  in  evidence 
were  the  new  congregations  at  Empire  City  and  what  is  now  Longmont.  The 
conference  of  1866,  I'isho])  Baker  presiding,  was  hehl  in  the  IntiMing  at   Empire 


666  .  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

City  which  John  Collom  had  bought  and  changed  from  a  saloon  into  a  church, 
and  of  which  Rev.  Charles  King  was  the  first  pastor.  The  conference  of  1867  was 
held  at  Colorado  City,  and  at  this  conference  Pueblo  was  first  represented.  Bishop 
E.  R.  Ames  presided  over  the  session. 

The  following  were  the  appointments  made  at  the  first  session  of  the  Colo- 
rado Conference  held  in  Pueblo,  in  June,  1870: 

Denver  District — B.  T.  \'incent,  P.  E. 

Laramie,  Cheyenne,  and  Greeley G.  H.  Adams  and  E.  C.  Brooks 

Denver J.  L.  Peck 

Central W.  D.  Chase 

Blackhawk  and  Arvada George  Wallace 

Georgetown   L  H.   Beardsley 

Idaho  and  Empire To  be  supplied 

Golden  City F.  C.  Millington 

Divide  Circuit John  L.  Dyer 

Ralston  and  Clear  Creek G.  W.  Swift 

Boulder  and  Valmont.  ..  .Supplied  by   G.   S.   Allen   for  a   short   time;  then  by 
R.  W.  Bosworth. 

Burlington  Circuit    Supplied  by  R.  J.  \'an  Valkenberg 

Big  Thompson  and  La  Poudre J.  R.  Moore 

Platte  Circuit Supplied  by  G.  S.  Allen 

Arkans.'^s  District — George  Murray,  P.  E.,  and  Pastor  at  Canon  City. 

Colorado  City W.  F.  Warren 

Pueblo    O.   P.   McMains 

Fairplay  and  Granite Jesse  Smith 

La  Junta  and  Elizabethtown,  N.  M Thomas  Harwood 

Trinidad Supplied  by  E.  J.  Rice 

Here  is  the  Methodist  Episcopal  record  of  membership  for  1871 : 

Cheyenne,  Laramie  and  Greeley no 

Denver    170 

Central    60 

Blackhawk   and   Arvada 30 

Georgetown    43 

Idaho  and  Empire 17 

Golden  City   34 

Divide   13 

Ralston  and  Clear  Creek 23 

Boulder  and  Valmont 39 

Burlington    City    41 

Big  Thompson  and  Cache  La  Poudre 36 

Platte  Circuit 45 

Colorado  City   63 

Caiion    City    36 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  667 

Pueblo 15 

Fairplay    and    Granite 22 

La  Junta  and  Elizabethtown 5 

Trinidad    13 

Total   815 

This  was  an  increase  over  1S70  of  226. 

The  church  property  was  valued  at  $80,000,  of  which  $25,000  was  in  Denver 
and  $20,000  in  Central  City. 

In  1S72  the  membership  had  grown  to  1,070,  and  the  churches  numbered 
twenty-three,  as  compared  with  twenty-one  in  1871. 

In  1872  the  first  German  mission  was  started  in  the  state,  and  classes  were 
organized  at  Monument,  Huerfano,  Ocate,  Peralto,  Littleton,  Plum  Creek, 
Greeley,  Evans  and  Green  City,  Cheyenne  and  Laramie,  Longmont,  Carbon, 
Ward  and  James  Creek.  In  1873  there  were  twenty-five  church  buildings  in  the 
state,  valued  at  $120,100.    The  membership  in  that  year  was  1,336. 

In  1874  the  Southern  district  had  a  membership  of  916,  and  the  Northern  of 
819,  a  total  of  1,735. 

On  August  10,  1878,  the  Colorado  Annual  Conference  of  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal Church  was  incorporated,  as  was  also  the  Colorado  Conference  Preachers 
Aid  Society. 

In  1880  the  membership  of  the  church  in  Colorado  was  2,966.  In  the  Sunday 
school  there  were  4,416  enrolled.  The  number  of  church  edifices  had  increased 
to  thirty-seven. 

In  1884  the  membership  had  grown  to  3,829;  the  churches  to  fifty-one.  In 
1889,  including  the  new  Gunnison  district,  there  were  6,448  members  in  the  church 
in  Colorado,  with  sixty  churches. 

In  1898  the  membership  was:  Denver  district,  4,092;  Greeley,  2,919;  Pueblo, 
3.383;  Rio  Grande,  2,641;  a  total  of  13,035. 

This  phenomenal  growth  continued  through  the  succeeding  years.  In  19 10 
the  membership  in  the  Denver  district  was  5,737,  with  Sunday  school  enrollment 
of  6,216;  twenty-five  churches,  and  church  property  valued  at  $636,300.  Epworth 
League  membership  in  this  district  in  1910  was  1,397. 

In  the  Denver-Northwestern  district  in  1910  the  total  membership  was  3,949- 
with  Sunday  school  enrollment  of  6,622;  thirty-eight  churches,  and  church  ])rop- 
erty  valued  at  $282,200;  Epworth  League,  1,389  members. 

In  Ihc  Greeley  district  in  1910  the  church  membership  was  7,341 ;  Sunday 
school  enrollment.  9,099;  churches,  forty-nine;  value  of  church  property,  $293,- 
100;  Epworth  League  membership,  2,403. 

In  the  Pnchlo  district  in  1910  the  membership  was  6,563;  Sunday  school  en- 
rollment, 7,784;  churches,  thirty-seven;  value  of  church  property,  $334,000; 
Epworth  League  membership,   1,900. 

In  llic  Rio  Grande  district  in  iQio  the  membership  was  5,188;  Sunday  .school 
enrollment,  7,142;  churches,  thirty-nine;  value  of  church  property.  $198,600; 
Epworth  League,  1,826. 

This  makes  a  total  church  membership  in  1910  of  28,798,  an  increase  of  715 


668  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

over    1909.      The    total   number   of   churches,    188;    value    of    church   property, 
$1,744,200. 

In  1916  the  church  membership  was  34,549,  divided  as  follows:  Colorado 
Springs  district,  6,480;  Denver,  7,678;  Grand  Junction,  4,483;  Greeley,  9,097; 
Pueblo,  6,Sii.  The  Sunday  school  enrollment  was  46,074;  the  number  of 
churches,  208. 

TRINITY  CHURCH,  DENVER 

G.  W.  Fisher,  a  carpenter,  preached  the  first  sermon  in  Denver  near  what  is 
now  Twelfth  and  Wewatta  streets,  in  February,  1859.  In  April  he  preached 
again  under  cover  of  an  unfinished  structure  where  the  Railroad  building  now 
stands. 

But  the  beginning  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  in  Colorado  dates  from 
the  arrival  of  Revs.  W.  H.  Goode  and  Jacob  Adriance.  On  x\ugust  2,  1859,  a 
Quarterly  Conference  was  held  for  the  "Auraria  and  Denver  City  Mission"  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  The  first  stewards  were  Alexander  Carter, 
Henry  Reitze  and  H.  J.  Graham. 

The  regular  weekly  services  began  on  October  30,  1859,  when  the  Rev.  G.  W. 
Fisher  administered  the  sacrament  of  the  Lord's  Supper  at  the  services  held  in 
the  first  brick  building  in  the  town,  the  Masonic  Hall,  which  stood  at  240  and  242 
Eleventh  Street,  Denver.  The  first  Union  Sunday  school  was  organized  by 
Revs.  Adriance  and  Fisher  on  November  6,  1859,  in  the  Adriance  cabin  on 
Twelfth  Street. 

The  first  actual  church  edifice  of  the  denomination  was  a  carpenter  shop  pur- 
chased from  Henry  C.  Brown  and  fitted  for  church  purposes.  In  this  in  1863 
the  first  "Rocky  Mountain"  conference  was  organized.  This  building,  which 
occupied  a  site  close  to    Cherry  Creek,  was  swept  away  in  the  flood  of  1864. 

On  July  22,  1863,  the  "First  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  of  Denver"  was 
incorporated.  Here  is  the  announcement:  "Know  all  men  by  these  presents, 
that  Mr.  John  Evans,  Hiram  Burton,  Andrew  J.  Gill,  and  John  Cree,  citizens  of 
Denver  City,  in  the  Territory  of  Colorado,  have  this  day  organized  a  religious 
society  in  said  Denver  City  under  the  name  of  'The  First  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  of  Denver,'  and  that  John  Evans,  Hiram  Burton.  John  C.  Anderson, 
John  Cree,  and  John  M.  Chivington  are  the  trustees  duly  appointed  for  said 
society.     (Signed)  John  Evans,  A.  J.  Gill,  John  Cree,  and  Hiram  Burton." 

Bishop  Ames  gave  $1,000  and  Governor  John  Evans  gave  an  even  larger  sum 
as  the  first  subscriptions  to  a  new  church  edifice  which  was  erected  at  the  corner 
of  Fourteenth  and  Lawrence  streets,  and  dedicated  February  11,  1865,  by  Rev 
George  Richardson.  The  church  cost  $21,000,  and  the  denomination  had  in 
addition  to  this  spent  $14,000  in  starting  the  new  Colorado  Seminary,  now  Denver 
Laiiversity,  the  history  of  which  appears  in  the  chapters  on  education. 

The  pastors  of  the  Lawrence  Street  Church,  later  Trinity,  have  been  from  its 
inception  to  date  as  follows : 

Jacob  Adriance,  Loudon  Taylor,  A.  P.  Allen,  S.  W.  Lloyd.  W.  A.  Kenney, 
O.  A.  Willard,  George  Richardson,  Geo.  C.  Betts,  Wm.  M.  Smith,  B.  T.  Mncent, 
J.  L.  Peck.  T.  R.  Slicer,  J.  R.  Fads,  Earl  Cranston,  David  H.  Moore,  R.  W. 
Manly,  Gilbert  De  La  Matyr,  Henry  A.  Buchtel,  W.  F.  McDowell,  Robert  Mc- 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  669 

Intyre,  Camden  M.  Cobern,  Frost  Craft,  James  S.  Montgomery,  Louis  Albert 
Banks,  Charles  B.  Wilcox  and  Charles  L.  Mead.  This  list  does  not  include 
preachers  sent  as  supplies. 

The  new  church  at  Broadway  and  Eighteenth  Avenue  was  built  during  the 
pastorate  of  Rev.  Dr.  Henry  A.  Buchtel,  and  the  name  "Trinity"  was  then  taken. 
The  edifice  was  opened  April  i,  1888,  Bishop  H.  W.  Warren  preaching  the 
opening  semion.    The  church  and  land  is  now  valued  at  over  $250,000. 

The  General  Conference  of  1884  made  Denver  the  episcopal  residence,  and 
Bishop  H.  W.  Warren,  who  had  been  elected  to  the  episcopacy  in  1880,  made 
this  his  home.  He  was  a  noted  factor  in  the  upbuilding  of  the  church  in  the 
west. 

METHODIST   EPISCOP.\L   CHURCH,    SOUTH — FREE    METHODISTS 

The  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  South,  followed  right  in  the  wake  of  its 
northern  sister  conference.  For  as  early  as  i860  Rev.  ^L  Bradford  organized  a 
.society  in  Denver,  on  the  site  of  the  present  Brock-Haflfner  building,  formerly  the 
Haist  School,  an  adjunct  of  the  University  of  Denver.  The  Civil  War  broke  into 
Doctor  Bradford's  building  project,  and  the  Episcopal  Church  then  bought  the 
property. 

In  1871  a  second  efifort  was  made,  and  a  small  house  of  worship  was  erected 
on  Arapahoe  between  Eighteenth  and  Nineteenth  streets.  Its  first  pastor  was 
Rev.  A.  A.  Morrison.  The  congregation  moved  to  Twentieth  and  Curtis,  and  in 
1888  erected  St.  Paul's,  corner  Twenty-first  and  Welton.  In  1880  the  Morrison 
Memorial  Chapel  was  erected  at  the  corner  of  Thirty-second  Avenue  and  La- 
fayette Street. 

In  1910  there  were  in  Colorado  twenty-six  church  organizations  belonging  to 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  South,  with  1,299  communicants.  In  1918  the 
records  show  a  substantial  increase. 

The  Free  Methodists,  whose  first  church  in  Colorado  was  at  the  corner  of 
Tenth  and  Champa  streets,  Denver,  were  organized  through  the  efforts  of  Rev. 
Hiram  A.  Crouch,  the  first  pastor.  The  society  later  moved  to  its  present  location. 
In  1910  the  Free  Methodists  of  Colorado  had  eighteen  church  edifices,  and  a  total 
membership  of  203. 

THE   PRESBYTERIAN    CHURCH 

The  first  Presbyterian  minister  to  awaken  the  silence  of  the  Rockies  with  the 
voice  of  the  Gospel  was  the  Rev.  Lewis  Hamilton,  of  the  Presbytery  of  St. 
Joseph,  New  School.  On  account  of  failing  health  his  congregation  at  Lima, 
Indiana,  granted  him  a  six  months'  vacation  with  full  pay.  Accepting  an  invita- 
tion to  act  as  chaplain  of  a  caravan  leaving  Lima  for  the  gold  country,  he  arrived 
in  Denver  on  June  ir,  1859,  after  twenty-nine  days  of  traveling  with  ox  teams; 
and  on  the  next  day,  June  12th.  he  preached  the  first  sermon  in  an  unfinished 
building  on  Ferry  Street,  in  what  is  now  West  Denver,  .\ftcr  the  sermon  at 
the  same  place  the  next  Sabbatli,  Horace  Greeley  .said  to  him,  "Mr.  Hamilton, 
you  should  go  into  the  mountains;  the  men  are  there."  .Acting  on  this  advice,  he 
went  to  (iregory  Gulch  and  Central  City,  where  he  preached  under  the  majestic 


670  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

pines.  Afterward  he  visited  Tarryall,  Fairplay,  and  other  points  and  then  re- 
turned to  Lima.  In  the  spring  of  i860,  in  broken  health,  he  came  again  to 
Central  City  by  way  of  Pueblo  and  Caiioa  City.  He  soon  organized  a  union 
church  into  which  he  gathered  sixty-five  members.  To  help  support  himself,  he, 
with  a  partner,  engaged  in  the  grocery  business.  About  this  time  his  son,  a  prom- 
ising young  man  of  nineteen,  died.  This  great  affliction  almost  unbalanced  his 
mind,  and  as  a  relief  he  traveled  among  the  mining  camps.  For  two  years  he 
was  chaplain  of  the  Second  Regiment,  Colorado  Volunteers,  and  after  his  army 
life  he  was  commissioned  by  the  board  as  an  itinerant  missionary.  Rev.  H.  B. 
Gage  says,  "We  venture  to  say  that  Father  Hamilton  preached  the  first  sermon 
in  more  new  localities  than  any  other  man  in  the  west."  He  was  the  first  moder- 
ator of  the  Presbytery  of  Colorado  and  also  of  the  Synod  of  Colorado.  In  1881, 
when  over  seventy  years  of  age,  he  journeyed  mostly  on  foot,  eighty  miles  over 
the  range,  crossing  the  summit  by  night  on  the  crust  of  the  snow,  to  take  up  the 
work  at  Irwin,  a  rough  mining  camp.  Here  he  built  a  church,  supposed  to  be  the 
highest  in  the  United  States  at  that  time,  10,450  feet  above  the  sea.  He  went 
east  and  obtained  money  and  a  bell  for  the  church,  and  on  his  return,  while 
changing  cars  at  South  Pueblo,  was  killed  on  December  7,  1881.  He  was  buried 
at  Cedar  Rapids,  Iowa. 

The  second  Presbyterian  minister  to  visit  this  region  was  the  Rev.  Alexander 
Taylor  Rankin,  who  arrived  in  Denver  on  July  31,  i860.  On  August  5th  he 
preached  in  the  Union  School  to  a  large  audience,  of  which  service  he  said, 
"Made  a  good  start."  After  holding  services  in  several  dififerent  places,  on  Sep- 
tember 2,  i860,  in  a  large  room  on  Larimer  Street,  he  organized  the  first  Pres- 
byterian church  in  the  Rocky  Mountain  region,  with  eight  members.  Dr.  W.  P. 
Hills  and  Daniel  Mayn  were  chosen  elders,  and  on  September  6th  six  tru^stees 
were  elected. 

On  October  14th  the  first  communion  service  was  held;  on  November  12th  a 
Bible  class  was  begun  and  on  November  29th  Mr.  Rankin  preached  what  was 
probably  the  first  Thanksgiving  sermon  in  ail  this  region.  He  visited  Colorado 
Springs,  Central  City  and  Idaho  Springs,  and  on  December  8,  i860,  after  a  stay 
of  a  little  over  four  months,  left  Denver  and  returned  to  Buffalo,  New  York. 

From  December  8,  i860,  there  was  no  Presbyterian  minister  in  Denver  until 
April  26,  1861,  when  Rev.  A.  S.  Billingsley  arrived.  He  preached  in  various 
buildings,  at  one  time  over  a  liquor  store,  concerning  which  he  writes :  "And  thus 
with  the  spirit  of  alcohol  below  and  praying  for  the  Spirit  of  God  above,  *  *  * 
hope  to  be  mighty  through  God  to  pulling  down  the  strongholds." 

On  December  15,  1861,  he  organized  the  First  Presbyterian  Church,  with 
eighteen  members.  No  reference  is  made  to  the  former  organization.  Two  elders 
were  elected,  one  of  whom,  Simon  Cort,  having  been  previously  ordained,  was 
on  the  same  day  inducted  into  office.  He  was  the  first  installed  elder  in  the 
Rocky  Mountain  region,  and  with  his  family  had  much  to  do  with  founding 
Presbyterianism  here.  The  organization  was  effected  in  International  Hall  on 
Ferry  Street. 

Mr.  Billingsley  remained  until  April,  1862.  After  preaching  for  three  months 
at  Buckskin  Joe  and  adjacent  points,  he  returned  east  and  died  in  North  Carolina 
in  1897. 

The  work  in  Denver  had  not  been  largely  successful  and  when  Rev.  Alanson 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  671 

R.  Day  arrived  on  November  2,  1862,  only  six  persons  could  be  induced  to 
identify  themselves  with  the  church. 

In  18O3  Major  Fillmore  donated  lots  on  F  Street  (now  Fifteenth)  between 
Lawrence  and  Arapahoe,  and  on  them  a  building  36  by  64  feet,  costing  $5,200,  was 
erected.  It  was  dedicated  on  January  17,  1S64,  being  the  second  Presbyterian 
church  building  in  this  region.  To  it  the  Board  of  Church  Extension,  Old  School, 
contributed  $500  aid,  and  thus  began  the  important  work  of  helping  the  churches 
to  obtain  buildings.  Mr.  Day  returned  east  in  March,  1865,  but  again  ministered 
to  the  church  during  the  winter  of  1868  and  1869.  After  this  he  labored  at  Boul- 
der \alley  Church  until  March,  1873. 

F"rom  October,  1865,  to  October,  1867,  Rev.  J.  B.  McClure  of  the  Presbytery 
of  Chicago,  Old  School,  ministered  to  the  church  under  commission  of  the 
Board  of  Domestic  Missions,  and  then  accepted  an  agency  for  the  North  Western 
Presbyterian  and  returned  to  Chicago. 

In  February,  1868,  the  Rev.  A.  Y.  i\Ioore,  of  the  Presbytery  of  Southern  In- 
diana, Old  School,  began  to  supply  the  church.  He  received  a  call  to  become 
its  pastor,  but  declined  it  and  returned  to  Indiana  in  about  three  months. 

Without  dismission  or  permission,  on  November  18,  1868,  because  they 
could  not  obtain  sufficient  aid  from  the  Old  School  Board,  the  congregation,  by  a 
majority  of  one,  "Resolved  to  place  itself  under  the  care  of  the  most  convenient 
Presbytery  connected  with  the  Presbyterian  Church,  which  is  to  hold  its  next 
general  assembly  in  the  Church  of  the  Covenant  of  New  York  City."  This 
part  of  the  congregation  took  possession  of  the  building,  obtained  a  title  to  the 
property  after  much  litigation,  by  paying  to  those  who  remained  in  the  Old 
School  branch,  $2,500.  They  were  received  into  the  Presbytery  of  Chicago  on 
August  10,  1869,  as  the  First  Presbyterian  Church  of  Denver,  New  School.  By  a 
committee  of  that  Presbytery,  the  Rev.  E.  P.  Wells,  who  had  arrived  in  Den- 
ver on  December  10,  1868,  was  installed.  The  church  was  received  from  the 
Presbytery  of  Chicago  by  the  Pre'Sbytery  of  Colorado,  on  August  16,  1870. 

The  church  became  self-supporting  in  1871,  the  name  was  changed  to  Central 
in  1874,  and  the  location  was  changed  to  Eighteenth  and  Champa  in  1876. 

At  a  congregational  meeting  held  February  14,  1888,  Messrs.  Fletcher,  Bene- 
dict and  Woodward  were  appointed  a  committee  to  secure  a  suitable  site  for  a 
new  church  and  parsonage.  Eight  lots  on  the  corner  of  Seventeenth  and  Sher- 
man avenue  were  purchased  at  a  cost  of  $40,000.  A  building  committee  consist- 
ing of  Dr.  J.  W.  Graham,  J.  G.  Kilpatrick,  J.  B.  Vroom,  Donald  Fletcher  and 
B.  F.  Woodward  was  appointed.  A  parsonage  was  erected  on  the  seventh  and 
eighth  lots  from  the  corner  at  an  expense  of  about  twenty-two  thousand  dollars. 
The  four  lots  on  the  comer  of  Eighteenth  and  Champa  were  sold  for  $130,000, 
exclusive  of  improvements.  The  church  building  and  furniture  were  sold  to  the 
Twenty-third  Avenue  Church  for  a  nominal  consideration.  Plans  for  a  new 
church  at  Seventeenth  and  Sherman  were  prepared  by  Architects  F.  E.  Edbrooke 
and  W.  A.  Marcan.  Contracts  were  awarded  to  Messrs.  William  Simpson  and 
R.  C.  Greenlee  &  Sons  for  the  new  building,  to  be  completed  on  or  before  June 
I,  1892,  at  a  cost  when  completed  and  furnished  of  $165,000.  The  New  Broad- 
way Theater  was  rented  for  .Sabbath  services  for  one  year.  The  First  Congre- 
gational Church  lecture  room  was  rented  for  mid-week  and  Sabbath  school 
services.     The   farewell   services   in   the   old   structure,   which   was   endeared   to 


672  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

many  by  sacred  and  tender  associations,  were  held  on  the  Sabbath  of  December 
28,  i8go,  and  soon  thereafter  the  building  was  carefully  taken  down  and  removed 
to  the  new  location  of  the  Twenty-third  Avenue  Church,  there  being  rebuilt  in 
the  same  form,  and  re-dedicated  to  the  same  uses  and  purposes. 

Beginning  with  eight  members  in  1861,  the  church  has  organized  two  other 
churches  from  its  membership,  viz.,  the  Twenty-third  Avenue  and  North  Pres- 
byterian churches,  and  has  aided  several  missions  in  different  parts  of  the  city. 
The  Railroad  Union  Mission  was  established  and  endowed  by  one  of  its  mem- 
bers, the  late  F.  J.  B.  Crane. 

The  Old  School  branch  of  the  congregation  was  ministered  to  by  Rev.  A.  R. 
Day  from  April,  1869,  to  April,  1870.  The  Rev.  W.  Y.  Brown  succeeded  him 
and  began  work  in  July,  1870.  He  met  with  great  success  and  built  a  church 
where  the  Equitable  building  now  stands,  the  entire  property  being  worth  $12,- 
250.  Afterwards  what  is  now  the  First  United  Presbyterian  Church,  was 
built,  and  the  congregation  removed  to  that  location.  The  different  names  of 
this  church  are  interesting:  First  Presbyterian  Churqh  of  Denver,  Westminster, 
Stuart  Re-Union,  First  Presbyterian  Church  of  Denver,  distinguished  as  First 
Presbyterian,  on  Seventeenth  Street,  Seventeenth  Street  Church  and  Capitol 
Avenue  Church,  after  which  it  was  united  with  the  First  Avenue  Church  and 
lost  its  identity  in  1899. 

The  second  church  to  be  organized  was  that  of  Central  City,  on  January  26. 

1862,  by  Father  Hamilton,  with  nine  members.  It  was  the  first  Protestant  church 
in  the  mountains.  In  the  fall  of  that  year  the  Rev.  G.  W.  Warner  of  Weedsport, 
New  York,  took  charge  of  the  work  and  remained  about  one  year.  On  February 
15,  1863,  he  organized  the  Blackhawk  Church  with  ten  members,  and  there  built 
the  first  Presbyterian  Church  building  in  the  Rocky  Mountain  region.  It  was 
dedicated  on  August  29,  1863,  free  of  debt  and  without  aid  from  the  board. 

In  the  spring  of  1864,  the  Revs.  T.  D.  Marsh  and  A.  M.  Heizer  were  ap- 
pointed by  the  board,  the  former' to  Central  City  and  the  latter  to  Blackhawk. 

Doctor  Marsh  labored  at  Central  City  until  February,  1865,  when  he  accepted 
a  call  to  Blackhawk.  He  recognized  the  need  of  a  Presbytery,  and  at  a  conven- 
tion of  Presbyterians  in  Denver,  on  January  16,  1866,  the  Presbytery  of  Colorado 
was  informally  organized,  consisting  of  three  ministers  and  four  churches.  Doctor 
Marsh  was  moderator.  Strong  resolutions  in  favor  of  union  were  adopted.  By 
it  Mr.  Marsh  was  installed  at  Blackhawk.  But  this  so-called  prehistoric  Pres- 
bytery never  met  again  and  was  not  recognized  by  the  General  Assembly,  and  the 
pastoral  relation  was  never  dissolved. 

The  next  organization  was  that  of   Boulder  ^'alley,  effected   in   September, 

1863,  by  the  Rev.  A.  R.  Day,  having  seven  members.  He  continued  to  preach 
for  them  every  alternate  Monday  evening,  until  the  summer  of  1864,  when  the 
Rev.  C.  M.  Campbell,  of  the  Presbytery  of  Allegheny  City,  took  charge  of  the 
field.  He  labored  for  this  church  for  some  two  years,  preaching  also  at  Boulder 
City  and  Upper  St.  Vrain.  The  church  was  vacant  from  October,  1866,  until 
October,  1867,  when  the  Rev.  A.  R.  Day  again  took  charge  and  continued  to  labor 
there  until  January  i,  1871.  After  this  the  Rev.  C.  M.  Campbell  again  supplied 
the  church.     A  building  was  erected  in  1864. 

At  the  end  of  ten  years.  June,  1869,  there  were  six  organized  churches:  the 
two  in  Denver,  and  one  each  in  Central  City,  Blackhawk.  Boulder  Vallev  and 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  673 

Santa  Fe,  with  a  combined  membership  of  probably  not  more  than  one  hundred 
and  fifty.  There  were  three  church  buildings,  Denver,  Blackhawk  and  Boulder 
\'alley.  There  was  but  one  organized  Presbytery,  that  of  Santa  Fe,  including  but 
a  small  part  of  the  territory. 

As  early  as  1867  the  Cumberland  Presbyterian  Church  at  Canon  City,  then 
in  charge  of  Rev.  B.  F.  Brown,  erected  the  largest  and  finest  religious  edifice  in 
southern  Colorado. 

In  1890  there  were  four  Presbyteries  in  Colorado,  those  of  Boulder,  Den- 
ver, Gunnison  and  Pueblo.  Churches  had  been  established  at  Boulder,  Boulder 
Valley,  Cheyenne,  Fossil  Creek,  Fort  Collins,  Timnath,  Greeley,  Fort  Morgan, 
Longmont,  Laramie,  Crook,  Rankin,  Rawlins,  Berthoud,  Julesburg,  Denver, 
seven  churches,  Akron,  Otis,  Blackhawk,  Idaho  Springs,  Westminster,  Littleton, 
Georgetown,  Hyde  Park,  Central  City,  Brighton,  Wray,  Laird,  Yuma,  Abbott, 
Golden,  Tabernacle,  Pitkin,  Grand  Junction,  Aspen,  Leadville,  Salida,  Glenwood 
Springs,  Ouray,  Lake  City,  Delta,  Poncho  Springs,  Irwin,  Fairplay,  Palmer 
Lake,  Monument,  Mesa,  Pueblo,  Trinidad,  Saguache,  Monte  Vista,  Valley  View, 
Colorado  Springs,  W'alsenburg,  Eaton,  Table  Rock,  Canon  City,  Huerfano,  Du- 
rango,  Antonito,  La  Luz,  Cmicero,  Las  Animas,  Silver  Cliff,  West  Cliff,  Ala- 
mosa, Del  Norte,  Rocky  Ford,  La  Junta,  El  Moro,  Eagle,  La  Veta.  In  its 
eighty  churches  there  were  the  following  number  of  communicants :  Boulder, 
1,080;  Denver,  2,449;  Gunnison,  901;  Pueblo,  2,142.  The  Presbyterian  College 
of  the  Southwest,  which  had  been  established  in  1884  at  Del  Norte,  and  the  Salida 
Academy,  established  at  Salida  in  1884,  both  received  aid  at  this  period  from  the 
General  Assembly.  In  1900  there  were  forty-seven  students  at  the  Del  Norte 
College,  and  161  at  Salida.  The  General  Assembly  was  continuing  its  work  of 
aiding  these  institutions. 

The  growth  of  the  membership  of  the  church  in  Colorado  was  gratifying. 
In  1891  it  was  6,674;  in  1892,  7,312.  In  1897  it  was  9,327;  in  1899  it  was  10.310. 
In  1910  it  had  grown  to  20,167.  In  1900  there  were  128  churches  in  the  four 
Presbyteries  which  formed  the   Synod  of  Colorado. 

In  1910  there  were  155  churches,  with  a  Sunday  school  membership  of 
20,112. 

In  1917  there  were  149  churches  in  the  Synod  of  Colorado,  and  communicants 
were  as  follows:  Boulder  Presbytery,  4,811;  Denver,  7,724;  Gunnison,  1,993; 
Pueblo,  8,216;  total,  22,744.     .Sunday  school  membership,  20,839. 

In  1899  and  in  1904  the  General  Assembly  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  the 
United  States  met  in  Denver.  In  1884  Dr.  George  P.  Hays,  of  Denver,  and  in 
1903  Dr.  Robert  F.  Coyle,  of  Denver,  were  chosen  moderators  of  the  General 
Assembly.  Dr.  R.  F.  Tinnon,  of  the  Rocky  Mountain  Synod  was  chosen  mod- 
erator of  the  Cumberland  Branch,  General  Assembly,  in  1903. 

CI-OSING    WESTMINSTER    UNIVERSITY 

On  June  8,  1891.  the  \\'estminster  University  of  Colorado  was  incorporated. 
Among  the  leading  figures  in  the  movement  were :  Rev.  T.  M.  Hopkins,  D.  D. ; 
Ben  F.  Woodward ;  E.  B.  Light,  and  J.  J.  Garver. 

Tlic  corporation  acquired  title  to  640  acres  of  land  from  Ren  D.  -Spencer  and 
H.  |.  Mayham,  of  wliich  forty  acres  were  set  apart  as  the  campus  of  the  uni- 
Vol.  I — 43 


67i  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

versity,  eighty  acres  as  the  college  farm,  and  the  remainder  plotted  into  lots  and 
blocks.  This  section  of  land  is  located  seven  miles  north  of  Denver  near  the 
station  then  known  as  Harris  on  the  Colorado  &  Southern  Railway. 

A  handsome  building  was  erected,  costing  more  than  two  hundred  thousand 
dollars,  the  funds  being  secured  from  loans  and  advances  made  by  the  estate 
of  H.  A.  W.  Tabor,  The  Sayre-Newton  Lumber  Company,  The  Colorado  Mort- 
gage &  Investment  Company,  Ltd.,  and  from  the  proceeds  of  sales  of  real  estate. 

Before  the  enterprise  was  completely  launched  the  so-called  panic  of  1893 
came  on  and  it  became  necessary  to  defer  the  plans  of  the  founders.  No  faculty 
was  organized  and  no  instruction  offered. 

On  March  14,  1903,  a  certificate  of  incorporatioin  of  The  Westminster  Uni- 
versity Corporation  was  tiled  in  the  office  of  the  secretary  of  state.  The  man- 
agement of  the  corporation  was  confided  to  twenty-four  trustees,  at  least  two- 
thirds  of  whom  ''shall  be  ministers  or  members  in  good  standing  of  some  church 
or  churches  in  connection  with  and  under  the  control  of  the  General  Assembly 
of  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  the  United  States  of  America." 

On  September  18,  1907,  the  college  was  formally  opened,  work  being  car- 
ried on  for  the  first  year  in  the  Central  Presbyterian  Church  of  Denver. 

The  deficit  was,  however,  continuous,  and  at  the  session  of  the  synod  in 
Pueblo,  October  16,  19 17,  the  college  was  officially  closed,  arrangements  having 
been  made  to  clear  the  institution  of  debt. 

THE   UNITARIAN    CHURCH 

On  May  31,  1871,  there  appeared  in  the  Denver  morning  papers  a  notice, 
which  said  that  at  three  o'clock  on  the  following  Sunday  afternoon  there  would 
be  preaching  in  the  District  Court  room,  on  Larimer  Street,  by  the  Rev.  L.  E. 
Beckwith,  Unitarian  minister  from  Boston,  and  that  all  persons  interested  in 
Liberal  Christianity  were  cordially  invited  to  be  present. 

After  the  close  of  the  services  the  congregation,  forty  or  fifty,  who  were 
mostly  strangers  to  each  other,  remained  to  introduce  themselves  to  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Beckwith  and  to  each  other,  and  it  was  then  and  there  learned  that  Mr. 
Beckwith  was  recently  graduated  from  Harvard,  had  as  yet  charge  of  no  church, 
but  was  visiting  his  parents,  who  resided  in  Denver,  and  desired,  if  practicable, 
to  establish  a  Unitarian  Society  in  Denver. 

A  meeting  was  called  early  in  June,  1871,  at  the  residence  of  D.  D.  Belden, 
to  organize  such  society. 

This  organization  was  effected  under  the  name  of  '"The  First  Unitarian  So- 
ciety of  Denver." 

The  officers  of  the  First  Unitarian  Society  then  elected  were:  Pastor,  Rev. 
L.  E.  Beckwith;  trustees,  D.  D.  Belden  (chairman),  George  C.  Beckwith,  Alfred 
Sayre.  D.  C-  Dodge,  John  L.  Dailey;  secretary,  Mrs.  William  H.  Greenwood; 
treasurer.  Col.  E.  H.  Powers. 

From  the  District  Court  room  tlie  society  went  to  the  old  Denver  Theater, 
corner  of  Lawrence  and  G  (now  Sixteenth)  streets,  where  they  continued  until 
the  summer  vacation.  Upon  their  re-assembling,  October  i,  1871,  the  school- 
room of  the  Methodist   Seminar^'    (now  Denver  University)    had  been   rented, 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  675 

but  after  holding  service  there  two  Sundays,  notice  was  received  from  the  trus- 
tees of  the  seminary  that  the  society  could  no  longer  occupy  the  room. 

Being  unable  to  secure  any  suitable  hall  or  public  room,  the  pastor  opened 
the  parlor  of  his  house  on  California  Street,  between  Seventeenth  and  Eighteenth, 
and  there  religious  services  were  first  held  October  15,  1871. 

The  number  attending  the  Unitarian  services,  during  all  these  months,  ranged 
from  thirty  to  hfty  persons. 

On  December  5,  1S71,  a  hall  was  rented  in  Crow's  Block,  on  what  was  then 
called  Holladay  Street  (later  JMarket  Street  J.  This  hall  was  occupied  during 
the  week,  through  the  winter,  by  the  House  of  Representatives  of  the  Territorial 
Legislative  Assembly.  The  door  was  covered  with  sawdust,  and  all  the  sur- 
roundings and  appointments  were  as  unchurchlike  as  possible. 

One  hundred  common  wooden  chairs  were  purchased,  and  the  small  cabinet 
organ  previously  secured  was  removed  thither,  and  in  this  bare,  unattractive  hall, 
reached  by  two  long  flights  of  stairs,  the  little  society  continued  to  struggle  for 
an  existence. 

On  May  8,  1872,  Mr.  Beckwith  resigned  his  pastorate  of  the  church  because 
of  failing  health. 

In  August,  the  Rev.  S.  S.  Hunting,  western  secretary  of  the  American  Uni- 
tarian Association,  visited  Denver  to  ascertain  the  condition  and  wishes  of  the 
little  society,  and  to  assist  in  securing  a  pastor. 

Correspondence  was  at  once  opened  with  Rev.  W.  G.  M.  Stone,  of  Berlin, 
Wisconsin,  which  resulted  in  his  accepting  the  call  made  to  him.  and  on  the 
8th  day  of  October,  1872,  he  arrived  in  Denver  and  reported  himself  in  readi- 
ness  for  the   work. 

The  committee  secured  for  Sunday,  August  30th.  at  three  o'clock  in  the  after- 
noon, the  place  then  familiarly  known  as  the  "Baptist  Dug-Out."  corner  of  Cur- 
tis and  G  (now  Sixteenth)  streets.  This  consisted  of  a  cellar  or  basement, 
mostly  underground  and  wholly  without  superstructure,  and  roofed  over  with 
common  rough  boards.  There  were  held,  with  forty  persons  present,  the  first 
religious  services  under  the  Reverend  Mr.   Stone. 

It  was,  however,  decided  by  the  committee  not  best  to  engage  this  basement 
further,  because  of  its  want  of  light  and  other  unfavorable  conditions,  but  to 
accept  the  offer  of  Messrs.  Belden  and  Powers  for  the  free  use  of  their  offices,  in 
Ruter's  Block,  in  G  Street,  which  offices  were  upon  the  ground  floor. 

There  was  organized  by  Reverend  Mr.  Stone,  on  .Sunday.  February  2,  1873, 
the  first  .Sunday  school  of  tin-  L'nitarian  Society,  with  nineteen  named  as  mem- 
bers. 

In  June.  1873,  the  society  purchased  four  lots,  corner  of  Seventeenth  and 
California  streets,  and  the  work  of  building  was  at  once  commenced.  The  build- 
ing was  of  wood,  of  Gothic  architecture,  with  stained  glass  windows  and  a  seat- 
ing capacity  of  225.  It  was  neatly  finished  and  furnished,  and  was  dedicated 
Sunday.  December  28.   1873. 

Rev.  S.  .S.  Hunting  was  present,  and  assisted,  preaching  morning  and  eve- 
ning to  a  crowded  house,  and  on  that  day,  bv  unanimous  vote,  the  name  "lenity" 
was  given  to  the  church. 

On   Sunday,  January  23,   1875,  Reverend   Mr.   Stone  resigned  the   pastorate 


676  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

of  the  church,  although  remaining  some  three  months  thereafter.  From  that 
date  until  October  27,  1878,  no  regular  pastor  occupied  the  pulpit. 

In  the  autumn  of  1878  a  call  was  sent  to  the  Rev.  Wm.  R.  Alger,  who  ac- 
cepted, and  preached  his  first  sermon  in  Denver  October  27,  1878. 

The  Rev.  R.  L.  Herbert,  having  accepted  a  call  to  Denver,  preached  his  first 
sermon  September  19,  1880. 

In  August,  1881,  Mr.  Herbert  died  suddenly.  The  payment  of  the  church 
debt  is  Mr.  Herbert's  memorial. 

From  Mr.  Herbert's  death,  in  August,  1881,  there  were  no  regular  services 
until  March  19,  1883,  when  Rev.  A.  M.  Weeks,  of  Chelsea,  Massachusetts, 
preached  his  first  sermon  in  Unity  pulpit.  His  sudden  death  occurred  January 
29,  1884,  at  the  age  of  thirty-three. 

In  July  a  call  was  extended  to  Rev.  Thomas  Van  Ness,  and  on  Sunday,  October 
13,  1884,  his  installation  took  place  at  Unity  Church.  Present  and  assisting: 
Rev.  John  Snyder,  of  St.  Louis;  Rev.  E.  Powell,  of  Topeka;  Rev.  J.  T.  Gibbs, 
of  Greeley ;  Rev.  C.  G.  Howland,  of  Lawrence. 

During  the  first  two  years  of  Mr.  Van  Ness'  pastorate,  the  steadily  increas- 
ing congregation  made  the  need  of  a  new  and  larger  church  building  more  and 
more  imperative. 

In  the  spring  of  1887  the  church  property,  corner  of  California  and  Seven- 
teenth streets,  was  sold  for  $24,000,  and  lots  purchased  at  the  corner  of  Broadway 
and  Nineteenth  Avenue  for  the  sum  of  $14,000.  Here,  on  November  9,  1886, 
was  laid,  with  appropriate  and  impressive  ceremonies,  the  corner-stone  of  the 
present  church  building.  The  building  is  of  brick,  with  red  stone  trimmings,  of 
Romanesque  architecture,  and  has  a  seating  capacity  of  920.  Besides  the  spa- 
cious entrance  hall,  and  the  beautiful  audience  room,  there  are  commodious 
Sunday  school  rooms,  parlors,  and  all  that  is  necessary  to  the  social  as  well  as 
the  religious  work  of  the  society. 

Beautiful  memorial  windows  keep  fresh  the  memory  of  their  beloved  dead. 
The  new  church  was  dedicated  September  4,  1887.  The  Revs.  Minot  J.  Savage 
and  Brooke  Hereford,  of  Boston,  were  present,  and  preached  morning  and 
evening. 

Failing  health  compelled  Mr.  Van  Ness'  resignation  October  i,  1889. 

On  November  10,  1889.  Rev.  Samuel  A.  Eliot,  son  of  President  Emeritus 
Eliot  of  Harvard,  of  Cambridge,  Massachusetts,  was  ordained  in  Unity  Church. 
Under  his  ministry  large  numbers  were  added  to  the  church,  and  the  Sunday 
school  doubled  its  numbers.  Dr.  Eliot  is  now  president  of  the  American  Unita- 
rian Association. 

Rev.  N.  A.  Haskell  succeeded  Rev.  Samuel  A.  Eliot  in  1893,  and  remained 
imtil  1895,  when  Rev.  David  Utter,  now  pastor  emeritus,  followed. 

Doctor  Utter  remained  in  active  charge  of  the  church  until  191 7,  when  Rev. 
Fred  Alban  Weil,  originally  of  Boston,  succeeded  him.  Doctor  Weil  was  for 
ten  years  at  Bellingham,  Washington. 

There  are  now  small  but  active  Unitarian  congregations  at  Pueblo,  Fort  Col- 
lins, Greeley  and  Colorado  Springs,  all  of  which  are  thriving.  The  Greeley 
church  was  founded  in  1880;  the  church  at  Colorado  Springs  in  1891 ;  that  at 
Fort  Collins  in  1897;  that  in  Pueblo  in  1898. 


CHAPTER  XXXIII 
THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  COLORADO 

AMONG   THE   PUEBLOS CHURCH    ESTABLISHED  IN   DENVER THE   FIRST    BUILDINC — 

COMING     OF     FATHERS     MACHEBEUF     AND    RAVERDY REVIVAL     OF     WORK — THE 

CATHEDRAL ST.  MARV's  ACADEMY — SISTERS  OF  LORETTO — CATHOLICISM  AT  CAL- 
IFORNIA GULCH BEGINNING  OF  THE   CHURCH   IN  OTHER   COMMUNITIES. 

The  teachings  of  Catholicism  were  perhaps  brought  to  the  Pike's  Peak  country 
many  decades  before  the  first  permanent  white  settlements  were  located.  The 
Spaniards  taught  the  principles  of  the  faith  to  the  Pueblos,  but  these  tribes,  for 
some  reasons,  failed  to  adopt  completely  the  customs  and  their  religious  rites, 
even  to  this  day,  contain  only  a  few  features  suggestive  of  the  Catholics. 

The  denomination  proper  did  not  have  birth  in  this  territory  until  about  1858, 
when  the  first  white  settlers  began  to  come  in  numbers.  Catholicism  was  the 
fourth  denomination  in  the  settlement  at  Denver,  although  the  members  erected 
the  second  church  building  in  the  village.  The  Town  Company  had  extended  to 
the  churches  the  privilege  of  obtaining  ground  upon  which  to  erect  houses  of 
worship,  and  the  Catholics  seem  to  have  been  about  the  only  ones  who  took  advan- 
tage of  this  offer,  receiving  land  which  afterwards  proved  to  be  extremely  val- 
uable. The  first  actual  record  of  the  Catholic  Church  in  Denver  is  contained  in 
the  following  excerpts  from  the  Town  Company's  books : 

"Mr.  Clancy  moved  that  a  committee  of  three  be  appointed  to  see  Mr.  Guiraud 
in  relation  to  a  Catholic  Church  and  that  said  committee  be  further  empowered 
to  reserve  grounds  for  them,  if  they  should  determine  to  build  a  church  in  Den- 
ver City." 

The  Guiraud  referred  to  in  the  above  statement  was  a  Denver  merchant,  of 
French  nativity,  and  undoubtedly  one  of  the  leaders  among  the  members  of  his 
church  and  one  who  represented  the  church  officially  in  the  community. 

Late  in  the  spring  of  i860  Rt.  Rev.  J-  B.  Miege,  bishop  of  Leavenworth, 
Kansas,  came  to  Denver  with  the  purpose  of  establishing  his  church,  the  matter  of 
the  first  lot  donation  having  been  settled  the  previous  March.  His  first  services 
were  conducted  in  Guiraud's  home,  located  on  the  southeast  corner  of  Fifteenth 
and  Market  streets.  This  was  in  June.  Immediately  afterward  he  journeyed 
out  of  Denver  and  conducted  mass  in  several  of  the  mining  camps  in  the  surround- 
ing country,  carrying  his  religion  into  many  of  these  places  for  the  first  time.  He 
found,  upon  his  return  to  Denver,  that  the  Town  Company  had  donated  to  him 
another  lot,  known  as  Block  139,  and  bounded  by  Fifteenth,  Stout,  Sixteenth  and 
California  streets.  A  church  association  was  then  organized,  with  Judge  G.  W. 
Purkins  as  president  and  arrangements  were  made  for  the  construction  of  a 
church  on  Stout  Street  near  Fifteenth.     About  this  time  Rt.  Rev.  J.  B.  Lamy, 

677 


678  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

bishop  of  Santa  Fe,  received  official  notice  that  the  Pike's  Peak  region  had  been 
united  to  his  diocese. 

The  foundation  of  the  church  building  was  laid  on  the  designated  spot  and 
the  work  of  construction  begun.  However,  this  was  in  a  period  of  financial  strain 
over  the  whole  region  and  the  subscription  lists  which  had  been  started  in  order 
10  pay  the  expenses  failed  to  accumulate  as  fast  as  expected.  The  result  was  that 
very  shortly  the  building  work  had  to  cease. 

At  this  juncture  the  Bishop  of  Santa  Fe  despatched  the  Very  Rev.  J.  P. 
Machebeuf  and  Rev.  J.  B.  Raverdy.  They  arrived  in  Denver  October  29,  i860, 
to  take  charge  of  the  Catholc  missions  in  the  Pike's  Peak  country.  Reverend 
Alachebeuf  was  the  greatest  Catholic  Colorado  ever  had;  he  is  responsible  for  the 
establishment  of  the  denomination  in  its  strength  in  practically  every  locality  in 
the  state,  and  his  efforts  and  kindly  work  have  made  a  glorious  chapter  in  thfe 
religious  history  of  the  Columbine  State.  He  passed  away  in  Denver  August  2. 
i88q,  and  was  followed  in  death  by  Father  Raverdy  on  November  i8th  of  the 
same  year.     Raverdy  had  been  vicar  general  to  Machebeuf. 

Immediately  upon  the  arrival  of  the  two  priests  the  work  of  building  the  church 
and  securing  funds  was  revived  and  the  church  pushed  toward  completion.  The 
first  religious  services  were  held  in  the  building  on  Christmas  night  in  the  year 
i860.  In  1862  an  organ,  the  first  in  Denver,  was  brought  from  St.  Louis;  also 
an  800-pound  bell,  the  first  in  the  village.  The  bell  was  suspended  in  a  wooden 
tower  in  front  of  the  church,  but  during  the  storm  on  the  night  of  December  25, 
1864,  the  tower  fell  and  the  bell  was  broken  into  pieces.  Thereupon  a  new  bell, 
weighing  2,000  pounds,  was  sent  from  St.  Louis.  Additions  were  subsequently 
made  upon  each  side  of  this  first  church  building  and  for  many  years  it  was  one 
of  the  familiar  structures  of  Denver. 

Having  acquired  a  building  site  at  the  corner  of  Colfax  Avenue  and  Logan 
Street,  the  Catholics  sold  the  Stout  Street  property  in  the  spring  of  1900,  and 
on  May  13th  of  that  year  the  last  services  were  held  in  the  old  building,  which 
had  housed  the  congregation  for  forty  years.  Plans  were  immediately  made  for 
the  raising  of  funds  for  a  new  cathedral,  but  the  work  progressed  slowly.  The 
foundation  was  laid,  but  the  lack  of  money  prevented  any  further  work.  "Then," 
writes  Rev.  William  Howlett,  the  diocesan  historian,  "on  July  26,  1908.  a  new 
rector  was  appointed  in  the  person  of  Re\'.  Hugh  L.  McMenamin.  a  young  man  of 
talent,  energy  and  courage,  who  proved  the  man  of  the  hour,  the  right  man  in  the 
right  place.  L'nder  him  new  plans  for  financing  the  undertaking  were  devised, 
subscriptions  were  actively  and  successfully  pushed,  and  the  work  of  building 
the  superstructure  begun.  It  is  not  necessary  to  enter  into  the  details  of  the  dif- 
ferent contracts,  nor  to  recount  the  personal  and  material  difficulties  inevitable 
in  such  a  stupendous  task — let  it  be  sufficient  to  say  that  Father  ]\IcMenamin  met 
every  difficulty  with  a  courage  that  conquers."  This  magnificent  church  property, 
which  is  now  completed,  stands  at  the  corner  of  Colfax  and  Logan  and  is  valued 
closely  to  $1,000,000;  it  is  a  work  of  art  and  declared  by  architectural  critics  to 
be  one  of  the  best  cathedral  types  in  the  country.  In  addition  to  the  cathedral, 
there  are  now  twenty-one  Catholic  churches  in  the  City  of  Denver. 

In  1864  the  large  frame  dwelling  of  \Mlliam  Cla\1;on.  on  the  south  side  of  Cal- 
ifornia, betvi-een  Fourteenth  and  Fifteenth  streets,  was  purchased  and  placed  in 
charge  of  three  sisters  of  the  Order  of  Loretto,  who  came  from  Kentucky  in  re- 


CHURCH  OF  THE  IMMACULATE  CONCEPTION,  DKNXER 


680  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

sponse  to  a  call  from  Father  Machebeuf  to  institute  an  academy  school  in  Denver. 
This  school  was  given  the  name  of  St.  Mary's.  The  Sisters  of  Loretto  later  con- 
structed their  academy  several  miles  southeast  of  the  city  and  now  occupy  a  com- 
modious new  building  within  the  city. 

When  the  California  Gulch  fever  broke  out  and  brought  hordes  of  men  from 
the  east  in  i860,  Father  Machebeuf  appeared  upon  the  lield  and  celebrated  the 
first  mass.  He  labored  among  the  camps,  paying  yearly  visits  to  each  and  re- 
maining for  several  weeks  at  a  time.  In  1875  Father  Robinson  of  Denver  was 
sent  to  Fairplay,  just  across  the  range,  and  one  of  the  duties  assigned  him  was  a 
monthly  visit  to  California  Gulch  and  Oro  (Leadville),  which  then  consisted  of 
only  a  few  log  cabins.  In  February,  1879,  Father  Robinson  was  despatched  to 
Leadville,  where  he  found  about  twenty-five  members,  but  so  rapidly  did  the 
congregation  increase  that  in  the  course  of  a  few  weeks  a  church  was  erected  on 
the  corner  of  East  Third  and  Spruce  streets — the  first  place  of  public  worship  in 
the  city.  The  church,  quickly  becoming  too  small,  was  abandoned  in  1879  and 
the  new  Church  of  the  Annunciation  occupied.  Father  Robinson,  who  gave 
Catholicism  its  first  life  in  Leadville,  was  also  responsible  for  the  St.  Vincent's 
Hospital  in  that  city. 

In  Boulder,  Colorado,  the  first  church  building  of  the  Catholic  Church  was  that 
of  the  Sacred  Heart,  constructed  in  the  year  1876  by  Rev.  A.  J.  Abel.  In  George- 
town the  Catholics  formed  the  basis  of  their  church  when  the  town  was  first  laid 
out;  a  building  was  early  constructed  and  named  after  "Our  Lady  of  Lourdes," 
with  Rev.  Thomas  Foley  as  the  first  rector.  Longmont  had  her  first  Catholic 
church  building  in  1882,  the  same  year  as  the  first  structure  was  put  up  in  Col- 
orado Springs.  At  Central  City  Father  Machebeuf  established  a  church  in  1872; 
an  academy  was  built  on  Gunnell  Hill  in  1874.  The  first  priest  at  Golden  was 
Rev.  Thomas  McGrath,  who  began  his  work  there  in  1871.  The  church  was  estab- 
lished at  Glenwood  Springs  in  1886  and  at  ^Manitou  in  i88g.  The  Catholics  were 
established  at  a  very  early  date  in  the  vicinity  of  Trinidad.  Its  people  have 
progressed  with  the  years  and  now  number  far  in  excess  of  other  denominations 
in  the  southern  part  of  the  state.  Sterling  first  had  a  Catholic  church,  built  of 
wood,  in  1887-8.  Rev.  Father  Howlett  was  among  the  more  prominent  of  the 
early  rectors  here.  At  Grand  Junction  Rev.  Father  Servant,  assistant  priest  at 
Gunnison,  held  the  first  ser\nces  IMarch  24,  1883,  and  on  June  7th  was  appointed 
pastor  by  Father  Machebeuf,  his  work  also  embracing  Delta,  Montrose,  Ouray  and 
the  San  Miguel  country.  The  new  church  at  Grand  Junction  was  opened  for 
services  in  April  of  the  year  1884.  The  period  of  greatest  growth  of  Catholicism 
in  Colorado  is  from  1885  until  T895 ;  in  this  decade,  at  some  time  or  other, 
church  societies  were  established  at  practically  every  community  of  importance 
in  the  state.  l^Iost  of  these  had  small  beginnings,  meetings  ordinarily  being  held 
in  the  private  residences  at  first,  but  in  nearly  everv'  case  church  structures  of  size 
and  beauty  were  soon  built.  In  a  census  of  the  different  denominations  of  the 
state  at  the  present  time,  the  members  of  the  Catholic  Church  are  found  to  be  in 
greater  numbers  than  of  any  other  one  denomination. 


CHAPTER  XXXIV 
JEWISH  CONGREGATIONS  IN  COLORADO 

ORDER  OF  b'nAI   r'RITH    ESTABLISHES   FIRST  PERMANENT  JEWISH   ORGANIZATION    IN 

COLORADO FOUNDING  OF  FIRST  CONGREGATION LIST  OF  ITS  R,\BBIS THE  LONG 

RABBINATE   OF   REV.    DR.    WILLIAM    S.    FRIEDMAN ORGANIZING    FIRST    ORTHODOX 

CONGREGATION ELEVEN   NOW  IN  ACTIVE  CHURCH   WORK THE  NATIONAL  JEW- 
ISH   HOSPITAL    FOR    CONSUMPTIVES    AND    ITS    MEMORABLE    WORK THE    JEWISH 

CONSUMPTIVES  RELIEF  SOCIETY HOW  IT  WAS  ESTABLISHED— ITS  GROWTH. 

The  first  Jewish  services  were  held  in  what  is  now  the  State  of  Colorado  in 
1859  by  a  few  of  the  early  gold-seekers  of  that  faith.  There  is,  however,  no  record 
of  these  exercises  and  those  who  came  a  few  years  later  have  merely  the  verbal 
report  that  the  holy  days  were  always  kept  by  a  group"  of  the  devout  Jews  who 
had  come  as  trail-makers  into  the  new  gold  regions. 

The  first  permanent  Jewish  organization  in  Colorado  was  Denver  Lodge, 
No.  171,  Independent  Order  B'nai  B'rith.    This  was  instituted  April  7,  1872. 

The  charter  members  were :  David  Kline,  Louis  Anfenger,  Julius  Londoner, 
Fred  Z.  Salomon,  Herman  Schayer,  A.  M.  Appel,  Samuel  Rose,  Bernhard  Berry, 
Solomon  Hexter,  I\I.  Abrams,  Phil.  Trounstine,  David  Mitchell,  Isidor  Deitsch, 
Michael  Hattenbach,  H.  I.  Weil,  Edward  Pisko,  John  Eisner,  Simon  L.  Wels, 
H.  Z.  Salomon,  Charles  Rothschild,  and  Caesar  Casper. 

The  event  took  place  at  Clark  and  Crow's  Hall,  at  Fifteenth  and  Holladay 
(now  Market)  streets.  The  first  officers  were  David  Kline,  president;  F.  Z. 
Salomon,  vice  president ;  Louis  Anfenger,  secretary ;  Phil.  Trounstine,  treas- 
urer: A.  M.  Appel,  monitor;  David  Mitchell,  assistant  monitor;  S.  L.  Wels, 
warden;  Ed.  Pisko,  guardian;  H.  Z.  Salomon,  .S.  Hexter,  and  Julius  Londoner, 
trustees ;  and  Dr.  J.  Eisner,  lecture  master. 

Two  months  later  Temple  Emanuel  was  organized,  Louis  Anfenger,  the  sec- 
retary of  the  lodge,  being  chosen  president  of  the  congregation.  The  latter  wor- 
shipped in  the  B'nai  B'rith  Hall  for  some  time,  the  lodge  paying  for  the  hall  rent 
and  Congregation  Emanuel  for  the  fuel  and  light. 

In  1874  the  congregation,  consisting  of  twenty-one  members,  considered  ways 
and  means  for  raising  funds  to  build  a  house  of  worship. 

A  fair  was  among  the  devices,  and  proved  successful.  The  Hebrew  Ladies' 
Benevolent  .Society  donated  the  carpets,  furniture  and  other  accessories,  and  the 
modest  structure  at  Nineteenth  and  Curtis  streets  was  dedicated  September  30, 

1875- 

The  members  of  the  choir,  during  the  first  years  of  the  Temple's  organization, 
almost  all  volunteered  their  services.  One  soprano  was  engaged  and  an  organist 
for  a  short  period.    Later  Miss  Seraphine  Eppstein,  now  Mrs.  Pisko,  volunteered 

681 


682  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

her  services  as  organist.  The  other  members  of  the  choir  were  Mrs.  C.  M. 
Schayer,  Mrs.  Samuel  Cole,  Mrs.  E.  Block,  and  Alessrs.  Ben  Hamburger  and 
Frank  Kratzer. 

The  following  year  Rabbi  S.  Weil  was  engaged  to  ser\e  the  congregation. 
He  established  a  religious  school,  having  sessions  both  Saturday  and  Sunday, 
being  assisted  by  volunteer  teachers.  He  ministered  to  them  a  few  years,  when 
he  was  followed  by  Rev.  Marx  Closes,  whose  occupation  of  this  pulpit  was  of 
but  short  duration,  when  he  was  succeeded  by  Rabbi  Henry  Bloch,  who  remained 
until  August.  1881. 

The  congregation  was  slowly  growing  with  the  growth  of  the  town  and  its 
home  became  too  small.  V\'hen  Dr.  M.  Elkin  arrived  in  the  fall  of  1881,  he 
found  his  congregation  making  preparations  to  move  into  a  larger  and  more 
pretentious  abode,  at  Twenty-fourth  and  Curtis  streets. 

The  building  and  lots  of  the  old  temple  were  sold,  and  later  used  by  the 
orthodox  congregation.  Ahava  Amuno.  which,  however,  was  short-lived.  A 
fair  was  held  at  Standard  Hall,  where  a  large  sum  was  raised  towards  defraying 
the  expenses  of  the  new  edifice. 

On  September  i.  1882.  the  dedication  occurred.  Dr.  H.  S.  Sonnenschein, 
then    of  St.  Louis,  came  to  Denver  to  assist  in  the  exercises. 

Rabbi  Elkin  was  succeeded  by  Dr.  Emanuel  Schreiber.  under  whose  minis- 
trations the  congregation  prospered  greatly.  Following  him  came  the  Rev. 
Mendes  De  Solla. 

Rev.  De  Solla  was  succeeded  by  Dr.  William  S.  Friedman  in  1889.  The  ar- 
rival of  this  young  Rabbi  marked  the  beginning  of  a  new  era  for  Congregation 
Emanuel.  He  infused  life  and  energy  into  an  almost  inanimate  organization. 
He  retained  a  strong  hold  upon  the  older  members  and  reached  the  young  people, 
making  of  the  temple  a  real  social  and  religious  center.  The  attendance  at  serv- 
ices was  very  large  immediatelv  after  his  coming,  and  has  not  since  that  time 
decreased,  but  has  grown  with  the  growth  of  the  community. 

The  temple  was  destroyed  by  fire  in  November,  1897.  The  congregation 
decided  not  to  rebuild  upon  the  same  site ;  but  the  location  chosen  was  at  Six- 
teenth Avenue  and  Pearl  Street,  where  the  temple  now  stands.  The  three  lots 
cost  $7,750,  and  the  building  $35,000. 

During  the  fifteen  months  that  the  congregation  was  without  a  home  they 
held  services  at  Unitv  Church,  which  was  offered  them  immediately  after  the 
disaster. 

The  new  house  of  worship  was  dedicated  January  29,  1899,  the  third  home 
occupied  by  Congregation  Emanuel.  Seven  ministers  of  various  Christian 
churches,  with  whom  Doctor  Friedman  had  frequently  exchanged  pulpits,  as- 
sisted at  this  beautiful  and  impressive  dedication,  making  it  a  fellowship  service. 
They  were  Dr.  David  L'tter.  Dr.  Claudius  B.  Spencer,  Rev.  (now  Bishop)  Wm. 
F.  McDowell,  Revs.  Barton  O.  Aylesworth.  Frank  T.  Bayley  and  David  N. 
Beach. 

From  the  time  of  his  coming  to  the  city.  Doctor  Friedman,  who  a  few  years 
ago  was  elected  rabbi  for  life,  has  identified  himself  with  all  broad  charitable 
undertakings,  both  sectarian  and  non-sectarian. 

He  was  appointed  on  the  State  Board  of  Charities  and  Corrections  shortly 
after  he  came  to  Denver  and  has  since  remained  a  member,  serving  twice  as 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  683 

president.  He  is  an  officer  of  the  State  Prison  Association.  He  has  been  iden- 
tified with  the  Associated  Charities,  having  for  many  years  served  as  one  of  its 
vice  presidents.  He  is  vice  president  of  the  State  Conference  of  Charities.  He 
is  also  vice  president  of  the  Saturday  and  Sunday  Hospital  Association.  He 
was  appointed  on  the  State  Board  of  Charities  and  Corrections  by  a  repubhcan 
governor  and  a  trustee  of  the  pubHc  library  by  a  democratic  mayor. 

He  has  been  professor  of  Hebrew  at  the  University  of  Colorado  since  1902, 
from  which  institution  he  received  the  Doctor  of  Laws  degree  in  1906. 

In  1892,  dissatisfied  with  the  manner  and  methods  of  worship  of  the  then 
existing  orthodox  congregations,  H.  Plonsky.  who  had  established  the  first  ortho- 
dox minyan  in  Denver  in  1877,  founded  Beth  Ha  Medrosh  Hagodol  Synagogue. 
With  the  aid  of  a  few  faithful  supportel's  he  rented  a  commodious  room  on 
Larimer,  between  Fourteenth  and  Fifteenth  streets.  Rabbi  Heyman  Saft,  who 
happened  to  be  in  Denver  at  the  time,  was  engaged,  and  the  congregation  soon 
gained  in  membership  and  influence.  A  leligious  school  was  established,  the 
first  orthodox  one  in  the  city,  and  did  excellent  work. 

On  December  15,  1897,  Congregation  Beth  Ha  Medrosh  Hagodol  was  incorpo- 
rated, and  the  property  of  old  Temple  Emanuel  purchased  for  $4,500.  Soon 
thereafter  the  erection  of  the  synagogue  was  begun,  and  in  1898  it  was  formally 
dedicated. 

In  1899  Rabbi  R.  Farber  was  engaged.  He  made  many  innovations,  one  of 
these  being  the  confirmation  of  boys  and  girls,  and  labored  with  success  for  about 
two  years,  when  dissensions  arose  and  he  resigned. 

On  February  16,  1902,  fire  again  damaged  the  building  and  the  synagogue 
had  to  be  rebuilt.  This  was  soon  done,  and  in  September  of  the  same  year  it 
was  rededicated  and  the  holiday  ser\ices  observed  therein. 

At  the  same  time  Rabbi  Charles  Hillel  Kauvar  was  engaged  to  fill  the  pulpit. 
He  has  served  from  that  time  to  the  present  dav  ably  and  faithfully,  and  to  the 
great  satisfaction  of  his  congregation. 

There  are  today  in  Denver  approximatelv  twelve  thousand  Jews,  most  of 
them  in  what  are  termed  orthodox  congregations.  Of  these  there  were  in  exis- 
tence in  1917  ele\en  distinct  organizations.  These  are:  Beth  Ha  Medrosh 
Hagodol,  Rev.  C.  H.  Kauvar.  Rabbi.  Twent\-fourth.  corner  Curtis  Street :  Con- 
gregation Agudas  Achini,  Idel  Idclson,  Rabbi.  \\'est  Thirteenth  Avenue,  near 
Platte  River;  Congregation  Chariot  of  Israel,  D.  Grinstein.  president.  Tenth,, 
northeast  corner  Lawrence;  Congregation  Kasher  Ahavo,  Rev.  Frank  .\.  \\Vin- 
berg.  Rabbi.  1508  Clav  Street;  Congregation  Keles  Jacob,  2715  West  1  lolden 
Place;  Congregation  Kneseth  Israel.  Rev.  David  Stein,  Rabbi,  Hooker,  south- 
east corner  West  Conejos  Place ;  Congregation  Mogen  David,  Rev.  Louis  Klavans, 
Rabbi,  West  Fourteenth  Avenue,  near  Platte  River;  Congregation  .Shomro 
Aniunoh,  IT.  TT;iyufin,  Rabl)i.  west  side  Tenth,  corner  Lawrence  Street;  Congre- 
gation Ztra  .\braham.  Rev.  S.  Halpern,  Rabbi.  2781  W.  Colfax  Avenue;  Ohavey 
Zedck  Congregation,  Twent\-eighth  Avenue,  southeast  corner  Downing  Street ; 
Tiphereth  Israel,  Dale  Court.  iiDitliwest  corner  \\V'st  Colfax  .\venue,  Rev.  A. 
Braude,  R;ibl)i.  2748  X.  Colfax  .\veiuie. 

Of  these  the  oldest  is  Shcarith  Israel,  which  is  tiie  successor  of  Congregation 
Ahnva  .\nuuinh,  organized  in  1877.  For  some  years  the  1,'ilter  society  wor- 
shipped in  the  synagogue  at   Fourteenth  and  P.lake  streets.     In    181)8  (he  builfl- 


684  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

ing  was  given  up  and  services  held  in  a  hall,  and  by  1903  the  congregation  had 
ceased  to  exist.    A  few  of  its  members  immediately  organized  Shearith  Israel. 

In  August  of  that  year,  they  purchased  a  building,  corner  of  Tenth  and 
Lawrence  streets,  and  moved  into  it  the  following  month,  before  the  holy  days. 

Agudoth  Achim  was  organized  in  1892. 

Zera  Abraham  was  organized  in  1887. 

In  the  state  there  are  now  two  strong  congregations,  one  at  Trinidad  and 
one  at  Pueblo,  with  a  smaller  organization  at  Colorado  Springs.  There  was 
also  for  a  time  a  congregation  at  Leadville,  but  this  has  long  since  gone  out  of 
existence. 

The  histor)'  of  the  National  Jewish  Hospital  for  Consumptives  dates  back 
to  that  time  when  poor  consumptives  all  over  America  began  to  flock  to  Denver. 

The  exhilarating  efifects  of  the  climate  had  been  widely  advertised,  and  its 
curative  properties   were   recommended  by  the  medical  profession. 

The  Jews  of  Denver  were  appealed  to  from  the  pulpit  of  Temple  Emanuel  to 
provide  for  the  hundreds  of  stricken  sufferers. 

So  numerous  were  the  applicants  for  aid  that  it  was  soon  found  impossible 
to  shelter  and  care  for  the  impoverished  victims  of  tuberculosis. 

A  building  of  substantial  proportions  was  constructed,  but  after  its  comple- 
tion it  could  not  be  maintained  by  the  Jews  of  Denver. 

The  Independent  Order  of  B'nai  B'rith  came  to  the  rescue.  At  a  meeting 
of  the  Grand  Lodge,  District  No.  2,  held  in  Louisville,  Ky.,  May  18,  1898,  it  was 
decided  to  endorse  the  efforts  of  establishing  a  hospital  for  consumptives  at 
Denver. 

A  provisional  Board  of  Control  was  appointed,  which  secured  as  president 
of  the  institution  Samuel  Grabfelder.  This  fortunate  choice  gave  new  en- 
thusiasm to  the  work,  and  Mr.  Grabfelder  still  continues  as  an  inspiration  to  the 
institution. 

On  December  10.   1899.  the  doors  of  the  hospital  were  opened. 

At  the  meeting  of  the  Grand  Lodge  held  in  Chicago,  April  29,  1900.  the  com- 
mittee on  charitable  and  educational  institutions,  in  their  report,  stated  as 
follows : 

"We  have  also  considered  with  care  the  existing  and  proposed  relations  be- 
tween our  Order  and  the  National  Jewish  Hospitalfor  Consumptives  located  at 
Denver,  Colo. 

"The  hospital  is  not  local,  either  to  Denver,  to  the  State  of  Colorado,  or  to 
any  portion  of  the  Union.  It  was  not  established  to  meet  a  local  condition  or  to 
gratify  local  pride. 

"We  do  not  favor  the  proposal  to  convey  the  hospital  to  the  Order  and 
bring  it  under  our  exclusive  dominion.  This  would  not  be  good  either  for  the 
hospital  or  the  Order.  But  we  do  favor  such  a  relation  between  the  two  as  will 
give  to  the  hospital  the  use  of  our  organized  machinery,  our  sanction  and  a 
substantial  financial  support." 

The  B'nai  B'rith  therefore  recommended  that  the  hospital  be  incorporated 
under  the  laws  of  Colorado. 

The  B'nai  B'rith  also  recommended,  beginning  with  January  i,  1901,  that 
the  Constitution  Grand  Lodge  shall  pay  a  per  capita  contribution. 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  685 

This  convention  requested  that  the  B'nai  B'rith  be  represented  by  one  member 
from  each  of  the  seven  districts. 

The  suggestions  of  the  Constitution  Grand  Lodge  were  incorporated  in  the 
laws  of  the  hospital,  and  the  president  of  the  Constitution  Grand  Lodge  was 
made  ex-officio  a  member  of  the  board. 

The  subvention  of  the  Constitution  Grand  Lodge  was  gradually  increased  to 
forty  cents  per  capita. 

Ever  since  the  doors  of  the  hospital  were  opened  the  presidents  of  the  B'nai 
B'rith,  Leo  N.  Levi,  Simon  Wolf,  his  successor,  and  the  present  incumbent, 
Adolph  Kraus,  have  enthusiastically  championed  the  life-saving  work  of  the 
institution. 

Without  the  encouragement  and  support  of  the  Independent  Order  of  B'nai 
B'rith,  the  National  Jewish  Hospital  for  Consumptives  might  never  have  be- 
come a  reality. 

From  one  building  with  a  capacity  of  si.xty  beds,  the  hospital  has  now  grown 
to  ten  buildings,  with  a  capacity  of  one  hundred  and  fifty. 

There  are  the  Guggenheim  Pavilion,  used  exclusively  for  men,  the  gift  of 
the  Guggenheim  Brothers ;  the  Woman's  Pavilion,  which  was  constructed  from 
the  contributions  of  Jews  throughout  the  country;  the  Adolph  Lewisohn  Chapel, 
the  gift  of  the  well-known  New  York  philanthropist;  the  Shoenberg  Memorial, 
the  gift  of  Mrs.  Joseph  E.  Shoenberg,  and  ?^lrs.  Herman  August;  the  Grab- 
felder  Medical  Building,  the  gift  of  the  president  of  the  institution ;  the  infirm- 
ary, the  dining  room,  laundry,  boilerhouse,  superintendent's  bungalow. 

Since  the  opening  of  the  hospital  3,000  patients  have  been  admitted,  from  all 
sections  of  the  country.  New  York  sends  one-third  and  Chicago  one-fifth. 
Three  hundred  patients  are  treated  annually ;  the  average  stay  in  the  hospital  is 
seven  months. 

The  patients  are  under  the  direction  of  the  superintendent,  Dr.  Saling  Simon, 
first  and  second  assistant  medical  superintendent,  the  medical  advisory  board  of 
five,  eight  nurses  and  a  staff  of  thirty  consulting  physicians. 

Ex-patients  who  remain  in  Denver  may  claim  the  treatment  of  the  hos- 
pital's externe,  who  averages  fifty  calls  a  month,  and  the  visiting  nurse,  who, 
during  the  past  year,  paid  2,476  visits. 

It  is  axiomatic  that  fresh  air,  flooded  with  sunshine,  good  food,  and  life  in 
the  open  are  the  specific  for  phthisis.  The  consumptive  who  has  the  opportunity 
of  enjoying  these  requisites  has  by  far  the  best  chance  to  recovet. 

Three-fifths  of  the  patients  admitted  to  the  hospital  have  been  discharged  as 
recovered,  or  with  disease  arrested;  one-fifth  were  greatly  improved,  the  remain- 
ing one-fifth  having  been  cases  that  were  far  advanced,  of  which  a  number 
were  discharged  as  unimproved,  and  some  died  in  the  hospital. 

A  suitable  diet  is  essential  in  the  treatment  of  tuberculosis.  Food  must  be 
varied  and  appetizing.  The  weight  charts  show  how  carefully  the  matter  of 
diet  is  considered. 

The  moral  and  mental  condition  of  the  patient  is  often  as  seriously  involved 
as  his  phvsical  state.  The  management  of  tlie  National  Jewish  Hospital  for 
Consumptives  has  stressed  this  part  of  its  work. 

While  it  has  not  been  possible  to  persuade  the  patients  to  perform  as  much 
work  as  would  perhaps  be  good  for  them,  a  number  of  the  inmates  .nre  assisting 


686  HISTORY  OF  COLOR,\DO 

in  the  work  of  the  various  departments  of  tlie  hospital,  such  as  helping  in  the 
laboratory,  in  the  library,  secretary's  office,  dining  room,  diet  kitchen  and  on 
the  grounds.  Their  experience  along  these  lines  has  been  of  great  assistance 
in  fitting  them  for  good  positions. 

^lany  patients  who  come  to  the  hospital  without  knowledge,  or  with  only 
limited  familiarity  with  the  English  language,  enjoy  the  opportunity  in  the 
Shoenberg  Memorial  Building  to  learn  to  read  and  write  the  vernacular.  They 
eagerly  accept  the  training  they  receive  in  the  school.  The  class  in  English  is 
supplemented  by  a  domestic  science  department  for  women ;  a  class  in  bookkeep- 
ing; a  tailoring  class,  where  men  who  understand  only  the  rudiments  of  their 
trade  are  instructed  in  the  more  advanced  lines  of  tailoring. 

The  library  is  the  meeting  place  of  the  patients.  It  contains  1.500  volumes 
adapted  to  the  needs  of  the  patients.  Here  they  read  and  write  and  play  games 
of  chess,  checkers,  dominoes,  etc. 

There  is  also  an  amusement  room,  where  entertainments  are  held,  and  where 
moving  pictures  are  exhibited  weekly. 

The  social  service  work  that  is  carried  on  in  the  Shoenberg  Memorial  Build- 
ing is  conducted  without  expense  to  the  institution.  Herman  August  has  en- 
dowed this  building. 

Five  years  ago  Louis  D.  Shoenberg  gave  to  the  hospital  a  farm  in  memory 
of  his  only  son,  Dudley  C.  Shoenberg.  This  farm  supplies  products  for  the 
health  of  the  patients. 

In  1814  Samuel  Grabfelder  built  and  thoroughly  equipped  the  Grabfelder 
Medical  Building.  It  includes  examination  rooms,  laboratories,  drugroom. 
X-ray  equipment,  animal  quarters  for  experimental  purposes,  and  a  medical 
library.    This  building  adds  one  of  the  greatest  units  of  efficiency  to  the  hospital. 

The  reconstructed  Infirmary  Building  was  in  1916  dedicated  as  the  William 
S.  Friedman  Building. 

The  Jewish  Consumptives'  Relief  Society,  or  J-  C.  R.  S.,  as  it  is  generally 
termed,  is  the  outgrowth  of  an  organization  promoted  by  a  little  band  of  poor 
consumptives  for  the  purpose  of  aiding  one  another  in  severe  illness  or  distress. 
It  did  not  take  the  projectors  of  this  mutual  aid  society  very  long  to  find  out 
their  inability  to  carry  out  their  program  unaided  by  outsiders.  A  mass  meeting 
was  therefore  arranged  for  December  12.  1904.  to  consider  ways  and  means  to 
help  the  numerous  indigent  consumptives  who  come  to  Colorado  to  regain  their 
health. 

\Miile  the  project  of  the  J.  C.  R.  S.  met  with  some  opposition,  as  all  under- 
takings will  in  their  initial  stages,  the  appeal  in  general  was  warmly  received, 
and  contributions  began  to  come  in.  In  a  short  time  the  trustees  of  the  society 
felt  sufficiently  encouraged  to  purchase  a  twenty-acre  tract  of  land  on  which  to 
erect  a  sanatorium. 

The  site  that  was  selected  is  located  about  a  mile  and  a  half  from  the  city 
limits  of  Denver  in  the  adjoining  county  of  Jefferson.  It  is  in  the  shadow  of 
the  foothills  and  commands  a  magnificent  view  of  the  Rocky  Alountains.  On 
this  piece  of  ground  a  small  frame  building  was  erected  at  a  cost  of  $300.  This 
wooden  shack,  some  time  since  converted  to  the  baser  use  of  a  bam,  originally 
served  as  office,  librarv.  medical  room,  dining  room  and  kitchen.     Around  this 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  687 

executive  structure  eight  tents  were  pitched.  Thus  was  inaugurated  the  work 
of  the  Jewish  Consumptives'  Relief  Society. 

The  sanatorium  was  formally  dedicated  September  4.  1904,  and  oi)cned  for 
the  reception  of  patients  a  few  days  later. 

On  January  i.  1918,  the  J.  C.  R.  S.  had  expended  $142,997.77  on  buildings 
and  equipment,  the  institution  occupying  fifty-seven  acres.  Its  capacity  was 
150.  Its  income  for  1917  w'as  $174,284.  Its  total  income  from  1904  to  1917 
was  $1,091,537.63,  practically  all  of  which  had  been  expended  on  building  en- 
largements, and  in  the  care  of  patients.  It  has  its  own  dairy  and  farm.  Its 
library  to-day  contains  4,000  volumes.     Total  cases  admitted  since   1904.  2,974. 

Dr.  Philip  Hillkowitz  is  president  of  the  society,  and  Dr.  C.  D.  .Spivak  is 
secretary,  positions  which  they  have  occupied  continuously  since  the  organiza- 
tion of  the  J.  C.  R.  S. 

The  Denver  Sheltering  House  for  Jewish  children  was  founded  in  1909,  its 
first  officers  being:  President,  Mrs.  J.  X.  Lorber;  vice  presidents,  Alilton  M. 
Schayer,  Hermann  Strauss,  S.  R.  Zwetow ;  treasurer,  Meyer  Friedman ;  record- 
ing secretary,  I.  H.  Mendelssohn.  It  now  (1918)  shelters  forty  children  and 
owns  a  block  of  ground  with  two  modern  structures.  Its  principal  officials  in 
IQ18  are:  President,  Mrs.  J.  N.  Lorber:  vice  presidents,  Mrs.  B.  Willens,  Mrs. 
S.  Friedenthal,  Mrs.  .S.  Francis ;  treasurer.  Sig.  Strauss ;  financial  secretary,  Sam- 
uel Isaacson ;  secretary,  Max  S.  Schayer. 


CHAPTER  XXXV 
WHAT  SUFFRAGE  HAS  ACCOMPLISHED 

THE  FIRST  EFFORTS  FOR  WOMAN  SUFFRAGE  IN  TERRITORIAL  LEGISLATURE — GOV'ERNOR 

MCCOOK    URGES    ADOPTION — -ADVOCATES    BECOME   ACTIVE   IN    STATEHOOD   YEAR 

FIRST  ORGANIZATION APPEAL  TO  CONSTITUTIONAL   CONVENTION CONCESSIONS 

OBTAINED EASTERN  WOMEN  TAKE  PART  IN  FIRST  CAMPAIGN THE  PROPOSITION 

DEFEATED ORGANIZING  FOR  VICTORY  IN    1893 CAUSE  LOOKED   HOPELESS — MEN 

AND   WOMEN    WHO    HELPED FIRST   VICTORY    IN    SCHOOL   ELECTION ^THE    WORK 

CROWNED  BY  DECISIVE  FAVORABLE  VOTE WAITE  ISSUES  PROCLAMATION WOMEN 

WHO  HAVE  HELPED  AS  LAW   MAKERS MEASURES  PASSED  THROUGH  THE  INFLU- 
ENCE OF  WOMEN LONG  HONOR  ROLL. 

Colorado  was  not  easily  won  over  to  the  cause  of  woman  suffrage.  The 
struggle  which  began  in  the  first  decade  of  its  history  was  marked  by  many,  and 
to  begin  with,  almost  constant  defeats.  There  was  first  of  all  a  heterogeneous 
population  the  worst  element  of  which,  fortunately,  soon  disappeared,  leaving  the 
solid  pioneers  to  carve  out  the  destiny  of  the  country. 

In  the  southern  part  of  the  state  there  was  a  large  Mexican  population,  which 
could  not  understand  the  problems  that  agitated  the  better  educated  classes  of 
the  territory.  There  was,  moreover,  a  strong  opposing  saloon  element,  which 
finally  had  to  be  caught  napping. 

In  the  Territorial  Legislature.  1868,  the  first  effort  was  made  by  former  Gov- 
ernor John  Evans  and  D.  M.  Richards,  of  Denver,  to  bring  the  matter  of  equal 
suffrage  in  Colorado  to  a  test  vote.    It  found  few  friends  at  this  early  stage. 

On  January  3,  1870,  Gen.  Edward  McCook,  then  governor  of  the  territory, 
in  his  annual  message  to  the  Legislature  used  the  following  language,  recommend- 
ing the  granting  of  the  franchise  to  women:  "Before  dismissing  the  subject  of 
franchise,  I  desire  to  call  your  attention  to  one  question  connected  with  it,  which 
vou  may  deem  of  sufficient  importance  to  demand  some  consideration  at  your 
hands  before  the  close  of  the  session.  Our  higher  civilization  has  recognized 
woman's  equality  with  man  in  all  other  respects  save  one — suffrage.  It  has  been 
said  that  no  great  reform  was  ever  made  without  passing  through  three  stages 
— ridicule,  argument  and  adoption.  It  rests  with  you  to  say  whether  Colorado 
will  accept  this  reform  in  its  first  stage,  as  our  sister  territory  of  Wyoming  has 
done,  or  in  the  last ;  whether  she  will  be  a  leader  in  the  movement  or  a  follower ; 
for  the  logic  of  a  progressive  civilization  leads  to  the  inevitable  result  of  a  uni- 
versal suffrage." 

When  the  subject  was  brought  before  the  House  and  council  it  found  its 
champions  far  more  numerous  than  when  the  first  effort  was  made,  and  it  became 
evident  immediately  that  Colorado  had  jumped  from  the  stage  of  "ridicule"  to 

688 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  689 

that  of  reasonable  argument.  Advocates  of  the  measure  then  introduced  but  not 
passed  by  the  Legislature  were  Judge  Amos  Steck,  Judge  M.  De  France,  D.  AL 
Richards  and  W'illard  Teller.  Both  Judges  Steck  and  De  France  in  presenting 
committee  reports  to  the  House  and  council  made  elaborate  arguments  favoring 
the  proposition.  Woman  suffrage  was  lost  in  the  council  chamber  by  a  majority 
of  one,  and  in  the  House  by  practically  a  two-thirds  vote  against  it.  But  it  must 
be  remembered  that  any  measure  publicly  approved  by  Governor  McCook  at  this 
time  was  bound  to  meet  with  opposition  in  the  House,  which  showed  its  un- 
friendliness to  him  in  various  ways  ;  the  anli-.McCook  faction  being  always  strong 
enough  to  defeat  any  pet  measure  advocated  by  the  governor. 

Nothing  further  was  accomplished  for  woman  suffrage  until  1876,  state- 
hood year,  and  on  January  loth,  anticipating  admission  to  statehood,  a  Terri- 
torial Woman's  Suffrage  Society  was  organized  and  an  enthusiastic  meeting  held 
in  Unity  Church,  Denver.  Its  first  officers  were  as  follows:  President,  Alida  C. 
Avery,  M.  D.,  Denver ;  vice  presidents,  Reverend  Mr.  Hosford  of  Denver,  J.  E. 
Washburn  of  Big  Thompson,  Mrs.  H.  M.  Lee  of  Longmont,  Mrs.  M.  M.  Sheetz 
of  Canon  City,  Mrs.  L.  S.  Ruhn  of  Del  Norte,  Mrs.  N.  C.  Meeker  of  Greeley, 
Willard  Teller  of  Central,  D.  ]\L  Richards  of  Denver,  J.  B.  Harrington  of  Lit- 
tleton, A.  E.  Lee  of  Boulder,  Rev.  William  Shepard  of  Canon  City ;  recording 
secretary,  Mrs.  Eunice  D.  Sewall  of  Denver ;  corresponding  secretary,  Mrs.  A. 
L.  Washburn  of  Big  Thompson;  treasurer,  Mrs.  lone  T.  Hanna  of  Denver; 
exectitive  committee,  Mrs.  W.  F.  Shields  of  Colorado  Springs,  A.  L.  Ellis  of 
Boulder,  M.  E.  Hale  of  Denver,  Mrs.  W.  A.  Wilkes  of  Colorado  Springs,  J.  K. 
Hanna  of  Denver,  Mrs.  S.  C.  Wilber  of  Greeley,  Reverend  Doctor  Crary  of 
Pueblo. 

The  organization  lost  no  time  in  making  its  appeal  to  the  constitutional  con- 
vention. The  petition  presented  was  signed  by  a  thousand  citizens  of  Colorado, 
and  other  states  also  memorialized  the  convention,  particularly  the  suffrage  as- 
sociation of  Missouri,  asking  that  the  new  constitution  make  no  distinction  on 
account  of  sex.  Judge  H.  P.  H.  Bromwell  and  Agapita  Vigil  were  the  only  two 
members  of  the  constitutional  convention  who  signed  a  report  favoring  the  grant- 
ing of  the  voting  privilege  to  women.  It  is  but  just  to  add  that  more  than  a 
majority  of  the  men  in  this  convention  were  inclined  to  favor  svift'rage  but  felt 
that  it  was  a  matter  that  should  be  referred  to  the  voters  to  decide.  But  a  con- 
cession was  made  in  granting  women  the  right  to  vote  for  school  district  officers. 

When  the  matter  came  to  a  vote  in  the  constitutional  convention,  equal  suf- 
frage was  lost  by  twenty-four  to  eight,  but  Judge  Bromwell  had  the  satisfaction 
of  securing  the  adoption  of  the  following  section  to  Article  7 :  "The  General  As- 
sembly may  at  any  time  extend  bv  law  the  right  of  suflVage  to  persons  not  herein 
enumerated,  but  no  such  law  shall  take  effect  or  be  in  force  until  ilie  same  shall 
have  been  submitted  to  a  vote  of  the  people  at  a  general  election  and  approved 
by  a  majority  of  all  the  votes'cast  for  or  against  such  law." 

This  was  the  opening  wedge,  and  it  was  an  easy  matter  for  the  few  staunch 
adherents  to  the  cause  to  bring  about  the  ado])tion  in  the  convention  of  a  reso- 
lution instructing  the  First  General  .Vsscmbly  of  the  State  of  Colorado,  which 
was  to  meet  in  1877,  to  pro\ide  a  law  whereby  the  (|ucstion  of  woman  suffrage 
l)e  submitted  to  a  vote  of  the  electors.  This  was  a  victory  wortii  achieving,  for 
it  meant  that  the  matter  would  be  before  the  ]5eople  of  the  state  within  a  year. 
Vol.  I — 44 


690  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

When  the  Woman  Suffrage  Association  held  its  annual  convention  on  Feb- 
ruary 1 8,  1877,  it  at  once  arranged  for  an  active  campaign,  and  in  order  to 
make  sure  that  the  cause  would  be  properly  presented  elected  its  strongest  ad- 
herents to  office.  The  new  list  of  men  and  women  who  had  charge  of  this  cam- 
paign was  as  follows:  President,  Alida  C.  Avery;  vice  presidents,  D.  Howe, 
Mrs.  M.  B.  Hart,  J.  E.  Washburn,  Mrs.  Emma  Aloody,  Willard  Teller,  J.  B. 
Harrington,  A.  Lee  and  N.  C.  Meeker;  recording  secretary,  Birks  Cornforth  of 
Denver;  corresponding  secretary,  Mrs.  T.  M.  Patterson;  treasurer,  Mrs.  H.  C. 
Lawson  of  Denver;  executive  committee,  D.  M.  Richards,  Mrs.  M.  F.  Shields, 
:\Irs.  M.  E.  Hale,  H.  McAUister,  Mrs.  Birks  Cornforth,  J.  A.  Dresser,  A.  J. 
Wilber,  B.  F.  Crary,  Miss  Annie  Figg,  H.  Logan,  J.  R.  Eads,  F.  M.  Ellis,  C. 
Robv,  Tvidge  Jones,  Gen.  R.  A.  Cameron,  B.  H.  Eaton,  Agapita  Vigil,  W.  B. 
Felton,  S.  C.  Charles,  J.  B.  Campbell. 

The  question,  "Shall  the  right  of  suffrage  be  extended  to  the  women  of 
Colorado  ?"•  was  a  puzzling  problem  to  many  people.  The  proposition  was  novel 
and  vexing,  and  was  the  dominating  source  of  contention  throughout  the  cam- 
paign. The  pulpit  and  press  were  divided  on  the  measure  and  the  weight  of 
influence  was  against  the  women.  Among  the  leading  champions  of  the  cause 
were  Lucy  Stone,  Henry  B.  Blackwell  and  Susan  B.  Anthony,  who  came  to  the 
aid  of  the  Colorado  women  and  wielded  a  mighty  power  in  the  field,  while  among 
the  home  leaders  were  Dr.  Alida  C.  Avery,  Mrs.  W.  W.  Campbell,  Mrs.  M.  F. 
Shields,  D.  M.  Richards,  Henry  C.  Dillon,  Rev.  B.  F.  Crary,  Mrs.  T.  M.  Patter- 
son. Col.  Henry  Logan,  Governor  John  Evans,  David  Boyd,  Miss  Laura  Hanna, 
Hon.  J.  B.  Belford,  S.  C.  Charles,  J.  A.  Dresser,  J.  R.  Eads,  Judge  H.  P.  H. 
Bromwell,  Mrs.  H.  S.  Mendenhall.  Reverend  Doctor  Ellis,  Mary  and  Lafayette 
Nichols,  Alexander  and  Emmeline  Rooney  and  others.  Miss  Matilda  Hindman 
the  noted  Eastern  advocate,  and  Miss  Lelia  Partridge  of  Philadelphia,  were 
also  efificient  aids  in  the  movement.  Miss  Hindman  having  made  a  thorough 
tour  of  the  state  at  her  own  expense. 

From  January  to  October  the  question  of  woman  suiTrage  was  a  prominent 
topic  of  discussion  throughout  the  state.  On  Wednesday,  August  15th,  an  equal 
rights  mass  meeting  was  held  in  Denver  for  the  purpose  of  organizing  a  county 
central  committee  and  for  an  informal  discussion  of  the  plans  for  the  campaign. 
The  main  speakers  were  Judge  H.  P.  H.  Bromwell,  H.  C.  Dillon  and  Governor 
John  Evans.  From  this  meeting  the  following  committee  of  seventeen  was 
appointed  to  district  the  territory  and  send  out  speakers  assigned  to  their  re- 
spective stations :  Dr.  R.  G.  Buckingham,  chairman :  Hon.  John  Evans,  Judge 
C.  W.  Miller,  Benjamin  D.  Spencer,  A.  J.  Williams,  Capt.  Richard  Sopris,  E.  B. 
Sluth,  John  Armor,  John  Walker,  J,  W.  Marlow,  Col.  W.  H.  Bright,  John  G. 
Lilly,  John  S.  ^IcCool.  J.  W.  Nesmith,  Henry  O.  Wagoner  and  Doctor  Mortimer. 

October  t,  1877,  a  mass  meeting  was  held  at  Lawrence  Street  Methodist 
Church,  in  Denver,  and  the  overflowing  audience  was  addressed  by  Lucy  Stone, 
Miss  Matilda  Hindman,  Mrs.  Campbell  and  Doctor  Avery.  The  next  day  (Sun- 
day) a  Presbyterian  minister  preached  a  sermon  on  "Woman  Suffrage  and  the 
Model  Wife  and  Mother,"  in  which  he  said,  "God  intended  woman  to  be  a  wife 
and  mother  and  the  eternal  fitness  of  things  forbade  her  to  be  anything  else.  If 
women  could  vote,  those  who  were  wives  now  would  live  in  endless  bickerings 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  691 

with  tlicir  husbands  over  poUtics,  and  those  who  were  not  wives  would  not 
marry." 

At  that  time  Mrs.  Mar)-  llrafton  Campbell  was  the  editor  of  a  column  in 
the  l\i)i.-kv  Mountain  News,  which  space  had  been  donated  by  W.  N.  Byers  for 
the  daily  use  of  the  women.  On  Monday  morning  Mrs.  Campbell  answered  the 
Reverend  Speaker  with  a  most  gracefully  written  article  which  was  at  the  same 
time  a  withering  rebuke  for  the  affront  and  an  accomplished  refutation  of  his 
vagaries  concerning  the  instability  of  the  tender  passion  in  the  heart  of  woman. 
In  concluding  her  argument  she  quoted  thus  from  "floating  literature  of  the 
day'': 

"Motherhood  is  the  natural  vocation  of  woman;  is,  indeed,  an  instinct  so 
mighty,  even  if  unconscious,  that  it  draws  women  toward  matrimony  with  a 
yearning  as  irresistible  as  that  which  pulls  the  great  sea  upon  the  land  in  blind 
response  to  the  moon." 

"If  this  be  true,"  Mrs.  Campbell  concluded,  "society  is  safe  and  women  will 
still  be  wives,  no  matter  how  much  they  may  e.xult  in  political  freedom;  no  mat- 
ter how  alluringly  individual  careers  may  open  before  them  nor  how  accessible 
the  tempting  prizes  of  human  ambition  may  become." 

The  women  and  thair  masculine  allies  continued  to  work  with  unfaltering 
energy  and  faith  to  the  end  of  the  campaign.  At  last  election  day  came  and  their 
measure  was  defeated  by  a  vote  of  10,000  for  and  20,000  against.  Discouraged, 
though  not  vanquished,  the  women  discontinued  their  organization  and  associated 
work  for  suffrage,  but,  maintaining  their  individual  convictions  and  their  pur- 
pose until  passing  years  and  the  progress  of  events  should  again  ripen  the  tield 
of  their  endeavor. 

While  the  City  of  Denver  was  from  first  to  last  the  central  source  of  activity 
in  the  suffrage  cause,  many  active  advocates  of  equal  rights  were  found  among 
the  leading  men  and  women  in  other  sections  of  the  state.  In  the  earlier  stages 
of  the  movement,  people  of  the  pioneer  Town  of  (ireeley  were  among  the  more 
advanced  co-workers  in  the  cause. 

In  April,  i8go,  Miss  Matilda  Himlman  again  came  to  Colorado  to  lecture 
and  raise  funds  in  behalf  of  the  Equal  Rights  Campaign  then  jiending  in  South 
Dakota.  The  admission  of  South  Dakota  into  the  Union  of  States  was  to  be  an 
event  of  that  year.  The  effort  of  the  women  was  to  have  the  word  "male"  ex- 
punged from  the  constitution,  so  that  woman  suffrage  become  a  constitutional 
right.  At  the  time  of  Miss  Hindman's  visit  to  Denver  there  was  no  organiza- 
tion of  the  women  and  but  little  interest  taken  in  her  mission  exce])t  by  a  few 
persons.  However,  the  women  by  w-hom  .she  was  received  made  tip  in  enthusi- 
asm what  they  lacked  in  numbers.  A  public  meeting  and  a  substantial  subscrip- 
tion list  headed  by  Mrs.  T.  M.  Patterson,  were  the  first  signs  of  a  reawakening 
interest  in  the  cause  of  woman's  suffrage.  It  was  a  part  of  Miss  Hindman's 
mission  to  urge  the  organization  of  societies  as  the  nucleus  of  a  State  Suffrage 
Association. 

The  first  meeting  was  held  at  Miss  Hindman's  room  at  the  Ricliclieu  Hotel. 
The  results  were  a  pledge  of  $too  to  the  women  of  South  Dakota  and  the  organi- 
zation of  the  Colorado  F.c|ual  ."suffrage  .Association,  with  a  membershi]i  of  only 
six, persons.  These  were  Miss  Georgiana  E.  Watson,  president:  Mrs.  Mary  P. 
Nichols,   treasurer:    Mrs.    Sliarman.    sccrctarv.      Other   ladies.    Jennie    P.    Root, 


692  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

Amy  K.  Cornwall  and  Airs.  Laverna  C.  Dwelle.  Mrs.  Nichols  collected  the  $ioo 
pledged,  besides  giving  $io  as  her  part.  It  was  Mrs.  Sharman's  endeavor  to 
have  regular  meetings  of  this  small  association  as  a  study  club  and  in  various 
ways  encourage  a  deeper  interest  in  all  matters  pertaining  to  woman's  political 
rights. 

In  this  way  the  association  was  maintained  so  far  as  its  membership  was 
concerned,  but  it  had  no  constitution  or  by-laws,  nor  was  there  a  membership 
fee,  so  that  for  a  time  its  existence  was  of  little  force.  In  May  of  the  same 
year,  Mrs.  Louisa  M.  Tyler  of  Boston  came  to  make  Denver  her  home,  bringing 
with  her  a  letter  from  Lucy  Stone,  urging  the  women  of  Colorado  to  form  a 
state  organization  as  an  auxiliary  to  the  National  Association.  Mrs.  Tyler  first 
called  upon  Mrs.  John  R.  Hanna,  by  whom  she  was  directed  to  the  new  associa- 
tion in  Denver.  Mrs.  Tyler  thereupon  attended  one  of  the  regular  meetings,  ac- 
companied by  Mrs.  Elizabeth  P.  Ensley.  both  at  once  becoming  members.  Soon 
after  this  time  the  association  was  regularly  organized,  with  constitution  and  by- 
laws, and  by  vote  attached  itself  as  an  auxiliary  to  the  national  body.  Miss 
Watson  continued  as  president  and  held  the  office  until  Mrs.  Tyler  was  elected 
president.  She  held  the  office  until  April,  1892,  when  Mrs.  A.  W.  Hogle  became 
her  successor.  In  1893,  Miss  Martha  A.  Pease  was  elected  president  and  ad- 
ministered the  affairs  of  the  campaign  of  that  year.  In  July,  1890,  Mrs.  H.  S. 
Stansbury  and  her  mother,  Mrs.  Emily  Meredith,  became  members  of  the  asso- 
ciation and  were  among  the  foremost  workers.  Mrs.  Ella  C.  Adams  was  also 
a  prominent  worker.  The  first  candidate  endorsed  by  the  association  was  Mrs. 
Harriet  Scott  Saxton,  who  was  nominated  for  the  East  Denver  High  School  Board 
in  the  spring  of  1892,  but  not  elected. 

At  the  session  of  the  Ninth  General  Assembly  (1893),  a  bill  providing  that 
the  question  of  woman  suffrage  be  submitted  to  a  vote  of  the  people  at  the 
next  general  election  was  drawn  by  J.  ^^'arner  Mills,  who  gave  his  services  free 
of  charge,  and  this  was  presented  in  the  House  by  Representative  J.  T.  Heath. 
Mrs.  Louise  M.  Tyler,  as  chairman  of  the  legislative  work,  gave  her  time  for 
nearly  three  months,  watching  over  the  destiny  of  the  bill  as  it  took  its  course 
among  the  committees  of  the  House,  while  Miss  Minnie  J.  Reynolds  gave  the 
same  devoted  attention  to  the  measure  in  the  Senate,  where  her  constant  pres- 
ence was  of  great  value.  Near  the  close  of  the  session  the  bill  passed  the 
House  by  a  small  majority  and  the  Senate  by  a  two-thirds  majority,  and  re- 
ceived Governor  Waite's  signature  without  delay.  It  is  worthy  of  note  as  a 
singular  coincidence  that  four  bills  for  woman  suffrage  were  introduced  at  that 
session  of  the  Legislature  by  different  organizations  and  without  the  knowledge 
of  the  Suffrage  Association.  Three  of  these  were  held  in  abeyance  until  the 
fate  of  the  Suffrage  Association  bill  should  be  decided. 

Thus,  the  year  1893  being  the  year  of  a  general  election,  the  women  of  Colo- 
rado, upon  the  passage  of  their  bill,  found  themselves  upon  the  eve  of  their  first 
political  campaign,  though  it  was  to  be  a  campaign  without  the  use  of  the  ballot 
by  them.  The  association  entered  the  cafnpaign  with  only  twenty-eight  members 
and  $25  in  the  treasury.  These  facts,  however,  showed  all  the  more  favorably 
the  force  and  cleverness  of  their  work  in  the  political  field.  The  foundation  of 
their  work  was  laid  within  their  society  organization,  which  was  so  powerful 
a  factor  in  the  splendid  conduct  of  the  campaign.     Auxiliary  societies  were  or- 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  693 

ganized  all  over  the  state,  and  were  in  constant  communication  with  the  state 
association. 

At  its  annual  election  of  1S93  the  State  Suft'rage  Association,  then  changed 
in  name  to  that  of  the  Non-Partisan  Equal  Suffrage  Association  of  Colorado. 
Miss  Martha  A.  Pease  of  Denver,  was  elected  president;  Mrs.  H.  S.  Stansbury, 
vice  president;  Mrs.  E.  P.  Ensley,  treasurer;  Mrs.  C.  A.  Bradley,  secretary; 
Mrs.  Louise  M.  Tyler,  chairman  of  the  executive  committee.  At  the  annual 
school  election  in  Denver  for  that  year,  Mrs.  lone  T.  Hanna  was  placed  in 
nomination  for  director  and  elected  by  a  large  majority  in  the  face  of  bitter  op- 
position. The  women  for  the  first  time  exercised  their  one  right  of  franchise 
in  full  force  and  it  was  their  votes  that  elected  Mrs.  Hanna.  This  fact  stimu- 
lated them  to  the  more  vigorous  efforts  for  their  enfranchisement  at  the  Novem- 
ber election,  and  as  a  result  of  their  activity  it  was  noticed  that  the  stale  argument 
— that  women  would  not  vote  if  they  could — was  not  once  heard  during  their  en- 
tire campaign. 

The  women  found  that  they  had  no  speakers  of  known  ability  among  the 
women,  though  later,  a  number  of  these  arose  from  their  midst;  they  had  little 
money,  no  auxiliaries,  and  as  far  as  they  knew,  few  powerful  friends  among  the 
men.  In  view  of  these  disadvantages,  they  appealed  to  the  National  American 
Woman's  Suffrage  Association  for  assistance.  It  was  known  to  the  home  as- 
sociation that  Susan  B.  Anthony,  Lucy  Stone  and  other  noted  champions  of 
woman  suffrage  would  be  in  attendance  upon  the  Woman's  Congress  at  Chicago 
in  1893.  Mrs.  H.  S.  Stansbury,  vice  president  of  the  Colorado  State  Suffrage 
Association,  attended  the  congress  for  the  purpose  of  meeting  the  leaders  of 
the  National  Association,  to  lay  before  them  the  cause  of  the  Colorado  women 
and  ask  help  in  the  campaign.  But  these  veterans  of  equal  rights,  although  they 
lent  the  aid  which  in  their  judgment  would  be  the  most  effective,  were  doubtful 
of  the  good  results.  Remembering  the  defeat  of  1877  in  Colorado,  they  had  no 
hope  that  the  verdict  would  be  changed  in  1893.  Miss  Anthony,  unable  to  realize 
the  great  change  that  had  taken  place  since  1877,  kindly,  but  in  a  vein  of  satirical 
humor,  inquired  of  Mrs.  Stansbury  if  she  had  "converted  all  those  Mexicans  out 
in  the  southern  counties."  However,  the  appeal  of  the  Colorado  women  received 
fair  consideration.  The  National  Association  having  no  money  for  missionary 
purposes,  agreed  to  send  Mrs.  Carrie  Lane  Chapman  into  the  Colorado  field. 
Mrs.  Chapman  came  in  the  midst  of  the  canii)aign,  and  her  splendid  work  con- 
tributed much  to  the  success  of  the  cause.  In  the  meantime,  Miss  Minnie  J. 
Reynolds,  chairman  of  press  work,  had  interviewed  the  editors  of  the  state,  and 
75  per  cent  of  the  newspapers  had  been  enlisted  on  the  side  of  the  woman,  while 
Mrs.  Tyler's  work  in  organizing  auxiliary  leagues  was  persistent  and  effective 
throughout  the  summer.  Late  in  August,  state  headquarters  were  opened  in  the 
Tabor  Opera  House  Block,  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Tabor  having  donated  the  free  use  of 
the  rooms  for  three  months.  Miss  1  lelen  M.  Reynolds  was  employed  as  corresjiond- 
ing  secretary  and  did  most  efiective  work  throughout  the  contest,  succeiding  Dr. 
Minnie  C.  T.  Love,  who  had  given  her  time  gratuitously,  and  opened  conmumi- 
cation  with  suffragists  all  over  the  state.  I'ntil  the  removal  to  the  o]iera  house 
was  necessitated  by  the  increasing  numbers  in  attendance,  the  association  held 
its  meetings  at  Doctor  Love's  residence  for  a  nmnber  of  months. 

In  tlie  earlv  fall,  the  City  League  of  Denver  was  organized,  with  Mrs.  John  L. 


694  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

Routt  as  president,  and  with  a  membership  of  over  one  hundred  representative 
women.  A  valuable  auxiliary  society  was  the  Young  Women's  League,  organized 
by  Miss  Mary  E.  Patterson,  Miss  Margaret  Patterson  and  Aliss  Isabel  Hill, 
and  from  this  nucleus  grew  other  leagues  of  a  similar  nature  in  the  city  and 
state.  The  ministers  preached  for  the  women,  while  the  press,  especially  the 
Denver  Republican,  the  National  Populist  and  tl>e  Rocky  Mountain  News 
wielded  a  powerful  intluence  in  their  behalf.  The  republican,  prohibitionist  and 
people's  parties  endorsed  the  measure  in  their  county  conventions  and  the  cam- 
paign became  a  regular  crusade  for  equal  suffrage  in  which  the  best  elements 
in  all  parties  participated.  Mrs.  Chapman  made  speeches  throughout  the  state, 
organizing  leagues  wherever  she  found  none,  and  all  these  leagues  were  put  in 
communication  with  headquarters  at  Denver.  An  enormous  amount  of  suf- 
frage literature  was  sent  out  from  Denver  to  all  auxiliary  branches  in  advocacy 
of  the  cause  and  giving  instructions  in  the  methods  of  procedure,  etc.,  in  prac- 
tical work.  Numerous  mass  meetings  were  held  in  Denver  and  many  prominent 
lawyers  and  politicians  put  aside  their  own  engagements  to  speak  in  the  women's 
campaign.  A  number  of  the  women  actively  engaged  in  the  work  who  now 
bear  enviable  reputations  for  their  powers  of  oratory,  became  fluent  and  effective 
speakers  during  the  contest. 

Among  outside  speakers  Mrs.  Chapman,  as  we  have  previously  mentioned, 
was  one  of  the  best  and  most  effective  workers  of  the  campaign.  Late  in  the 
fall  Mrs.  Laura  Ormiston  Chant  of  London,  added  her  aid  also  to  the  good 
cause  by  giving  two  lectures  in  Denver  (on  suffrage)  which  drew  crowded  and 
representative  audiences. 

Fortunately  for  the  success  of  the  new  measure  the  liquor  element  of  the 
state  did  not  until  nearly  the  time  of  election,  awaken  to  the  fact  that  the  equal 
suffrage  amendment  was  really  a  live  issue.  The  most  open  evidence  of  their 
hostility  was  a  circular,  widely  scattered  abroad,  wherein  much  ridicule  and 
abuse  was  cast  upon  the  upholders  of  female  suffrage.  Whatever  influence  this 
may  have  had  was  more  than  offset  by  a  dignified  manifesto  in  favor  of  suffrage 
published  in  some  of  the  leading  papers  and  signed  by  a  long  list  of  prominent 
and  influential  men  and  women. 

Mrs.  Wriglev.  state  superintendent  of  franchise  of  the  W.  C.  T.  U.,  and 
Mrs.  M.  T-  Telford,  state  vice  president,  did  efficient  work.  The  lamented  Pa- 
tience Stapleton  labored  valiantly  in  the  cause  and  greatly  endeared  herself  to 
all  the  women  in  Colorado.  Mrs.  Minnie  J.  Reynolds,  a  gifted  speaker  as  well 
as  a  fluent  writer,  was  indispensable  to  the  cause ;  so  also  was  Mrs.  H.  S.  Stans- 
bury  who,  both  by  her  pen  and  by  the  magnetic  influence  of  her  contact  with 
the  people,  wielded  a  large  influence.  It  is  to  the  combined  might  of  these  three 
talented  women  of  the  press.  Mrs.  Stapleton  writing  in  the  Denver  Republican 
and  Miss  Reynolds  and  Mrs.  Stansbury  in  the  Rocky  Mountain  News,  that 
much  of  the  credit  for  the  victory  has  been  accorded. 

Complete  returns  gave  the  total  vote  as  follows:  For,  35,698;  against,  29,461, 
showing  a  majority  of  6.237  for  woman  suffrage. 

After  the  convassing  boards  of  the  respective  counties  had  announced  the 
result  of  the  election.  Governor  Waite  issued  his  proclamation  declaring  the 
enfranchisement  of  the  women  and  Section  i  of  the  Act  submitting  the  ques- 
tion to  the  people  became  of  full  force  and  effect ;  it  read  as  follows : 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  695 

"Section  i.  That  every  female  person  shall  be  entitled  to  vote  at  all  elec- 
tions in  the  same  manner  in  all  respects  as  male  persons  are,  or  shall  be  entitled 
to  vote  by  the  constitution  and  laws  of  this  state,  and  the  same  qualification  as 
to  age,  citizenship  and  time  of  residence  in  the  state,  county,  city,  ward  and  pre- 
cinct and  all  other  qualifications  required  by  law  to  entitle  male  persons  to  vote 
shall  be  required  to  entitle  female  persons  to  vote." 

Mrs.  John  L.  Routt  was  the  first  woman  registered  in  the  state.  The  greater 
number  of  them  have  registered  and  voted  at  all  subsequent  elections.  Many 
of  them  have  become  adepts  in  the  knowledge  of  statecraft  and  political  affairs 
and  not  a  few  have  been  elected  to  ofiice,  though  as  a  rule,  the  women  who 
fought  the  battles  for  equal  suffrage  have  not  sought  public  preferment. 

February,  1894,  the  Woman's  Industrial  Legion,  a  populist  secret  order,  opened 
headquarters  in  Denver  and  organized  branch  societies  throughout  the  state. 
The  Woman's  Populist  League  of  Denver  was  their  leading  organization.  It 
continued  its  work  through  the  municipal  and  county  campaigns  of  1895,  and 
the  state  and  national  campaign  of  1896,  with  Mrs.  Alice  W.  Faulkner  as  its 
president.  In  practical  campaign  work  the  populist  women,  for  the  most  part, 
concentrated  their  efforts  with  the  men  in  the  committee  and  club  organizations 
of  the  party,  though  they  maintained  numerous  clubs  of  their  own  in  the  state. 

At  the  People's  Party  Arapahoe  County  Convention  in  September,  1894,  Mrs. 
H.  S.  Stansbury,  Mrs.  Marian  Sheridan  and  Mrs.  Nellie  E.  Matteson  of  Denver, 
were  nominated  candidates  for  the  General  Assembly  and  these  were  the  only 
legislative  nominees  among  the  women  in  the  state  by  that  party.  The  repub- 
licans nominated  Mrs.  Clara  Cressingham,  Denver ;  Mrs.  Carrie  C.  Holly,  Pueblo ; 
Mrs.  Frances  S.  Klock,  Denver,  all  of  whom  were  elected. 

In  March,  1894,  the  women,  irrespective  of  party,  performed  their  first  work 
in  the  political  field  under  appointment  as  canvassers  to  register  the  female  vote. 
The  first  woman  to  aspire  to  office  was  Miss  Carrie  West,  who  was  nominated  by 
the  republicans  for  town  clerk  of  Highlands,  then  a  suburb  of  Denver,  but  de- 
feated. 

June.  1894,  the  amnial  convention  of  the  National  Republican  League  clubs 
was  held  in  Denver.  At  that  time  there  was  no  organization  of  the  republican 
women  in  the  state.  The  republican  leaders,  realizing  the  need  of  such  organi- 
zation, selected  Mrs.  Frank  Hall,  whom  they  persuaded  to  take  charge  of  the 
woman's  department  of  the  campaign  work,  under  the  general  direction  of  the 
Republican  State  Central  Committee.  Her  first  and  most  important  duty  was 
that  of  organizing  women's  republican  clubs  in  all  the  counties  of  the  state. 

For  the  democratic  women  the  campaign  presented  a  complex  state  of  af- 
fairs. Owing  to  a  division  in  their  party,  and  the  acknowledged  possibility  of 
its  success  in  that  race,  the  women  realized  that  they  w-ere  in  an  uncertain  atti- 
tude, unorganized  and  without  leaders.  But  it  was  this  condition  that  created 
leaders  among  them,  developing  an  unknown  wealth  of  latent  talent  with  which 
they  had  been  peculiarly  endowed  for  use  in  the  time  of  need. 

The  first  democratic  women  to  take  action  upon  this  decision  were  Mrs.  Anna 
Marshall  Cochran  and  Mrs.  Mary  C.  C.  P)radford  of  Denver.  By  arrangement 
between  these  two,  the  first  meeting  of  democratic  women  was  held  at  the  resi- 
dence of  Mrs.  Bradford  in  May,  1894.  and  the  first  women's  democratic  club 
was  organized.     "The  Colorado  Women's  Democratic  Club"  was  the  name  given 


696  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

this  organization,  and  it  started  on  its  mission  with  a  membership  of  only  nine. 
Mrs.  Mary  V.  Macon  was  chosen  president,  Airs.  Anna  Marshall  Cochran,  sec- 
retary, and  Mrs.  Mary  Holland  Kincaid,  treasurer.  The  membership  of  the 
club  rapidly  increased,  and,  to  the  honor  of  its  promoters,  in  a  short  time  it  was 
accepted  by  the  National  Democratic  Committee  as  the  only  straight  democratic 
organization  in  Colorado.  By  this  authority  Mrs.  Mary  C.  C.  Bradford  was 
appointed  as  state  organizer.  Mrs.  Cochran  in  her  capacity  of  secretary,  raised 
the  necessary  funds  to  pay  the  expenses  of  the  organizer  and  started  her  upon 
her  mission.  Mrs.  Bradford  canvassed  the  state,  making  a  number  of  speeches. 
In  this  tour  she  added  to  her  reputation  the  highest  encomiums  of  the  press  for 
her  delightful  oratory  and  her  superior  reasoning  powers.  Taking  letters  from 
each  chairman  of  the  two  State  Central  committees,  wherever  she  appeared  she 
usually  succeeded  in  drawing  both  factions  to  her  meetings.  She  organized 
twelve  strong  clubs  in  the  state  and  started  them  to  work  under  her  own  instruc- 
tion. Mrs.  Cochran  was  practically  at  the  head  of  the  democratic  women's  cam- 
paign, and  she  and  her  able  assistants  did  more  than  the  men  to  reunite  the 
factions. 

Every  bill  introduced  or  urged  by  women  in  the  two  sessions  of  the  Legis- 
lature following  their  admission  to  suffrage  was  designed  for  an  improvement 
of  social  conditions.  In  the  session  of  1895  the  law  raising  the  age  of  protection 
from  sixteen  to  eighteen  years,  the  law  giving  the  mother  an  equal  right  to  her 
children,  and  the  law  creating  a  home  for  friendless  and  incorrigible  girls  were 
secured  by  the  women ;  and  they  aided  in  securing  the  home  for  dependent  chil- 
dren. The  bills  introduced  and  advocated  by  them,  but  failing  of  passage  were: 
Initiative  and  referendum,  civil  service  reform,  state  control  of  the  liquor  traf- 
fic. Guttenburg  system  of  license,  indeterminate  sentence,  the  new  primary  law, 
which  was  designed  to  abolish  the  convention  and  its  attendant  evils.  In  1897 
they  secured  the  Curfew  law.  an  appropriation  for  the  Home  for  Dependent  Chil- 
dren and  advocated  many  measures  for  the  improvement  of  domestic  and  indus- 
trial conditions. 

The  list  of  reform  legislative  measures  to  whose  establishment  the  work  of 
the  women  has  largely  contributed,  is  a  long  one,  and  in  addition  to  those  enu- 
merated, especial  mention  should  be  made  of  the  following  acts :  Establishing 
parental  or  truant  schools;  making  father  and  mother  joint  heirs  of  deceased 
child;  making  it  a  misdemeanor  to  fail  to  support  aged  and  infirm  parents;  making 
education  compulsory  for  all  children  between  the  ages  of  eight  and  sixteen  ;  other 
strict  compulsory  education  measures  and  laws  against  child  labor ;  providing 
for  the  examination  of  the  eyes,  ears,  teeth,  and  breathing  capacitv  of  school  chil- 
dren (the  bill  from  which  this  law  was  enacted  was  prepared  bv  a  woman 
physician  and  is  the  most  comprehensive  of  all  such  laws  in  existence  in  the 
United  States )  ;  requiring  lessons  in  the  public  schools  on  the  humane  treatment 
of  animals ;  prohibiting  men  from  being  supported  by  the  earnings  of  immoral 
women ;  abolishing  the  binding  out  of  girls  committed  to  the  State  Industrial 
School;  enabling  school  boards  to  pension  teachers;  requiring  the  joint  signature 
of  husband  and  wife  to  ever}-  chattel  mortgage,  sale  of  household  goods  used  by 
the  family  or  conveyance  or  mortgage  of  a  homestead ;  validating  the  wills  of 
married  women ;  factory  inspection,  requiring  three  inspectors,  one  of  whom 
shall  be  a  woman  ;  establishing  a  State  Traveling  Library  Commission  consisting 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  697 

of  women;  establishing  the  indeterminate  sentence  for  prisoners;  for  the  in- 
spection of  private  eleemosynary  institutions  by  the  State  Board  of  Charities; 
making  the  methods  of  the  sweat-box  in  connection  with  the  examination  of 
prisoners  a  felony;  requiring  that  at  least  three  of  the  six  members  of  county 
visiting  boards  shall  be  women;  a  pure  food  law;  for  tree  preservation;  prohibit- 
ing the  killing  of  doves  except  in  August;  eight  hour  law  for  women;  minimum 
wage  law;  and  mothers'  compensation  act. 

Women  have  been  nominated  for  many  positions  by  all  the  political  parties 
since  the  granting  of  suffrage.  Tliey  have  endured  the  fate  of  men  who  aspire 
to  office,  and  been  defeated  when  they  accepted  place  on  a  losing  ticket.  The 
prohibition  party  has  numbered  more  women  candidates  than  any  other  party 
— the  socialists  being  a  close  second.  Mrs.  Antoinette  A.  Hawley  was  candidate 
for  mayor  of  the  City  of  Denver  on  the  prohibition  ticket  and  "points  with  pride" 
to  the  fact  that  she  received  some  five  hundred  votes.  After  the  granting  of 
suft'rage,  the  republican  party  nominated  three  women  who  were  elected  to  the 
Legislature.  These  members  of  the  Tenth  General  Assembly  who  accepted  and 
discharged  the  highest  privileges  consequent  upon  the  duties  of  citizenship  were 
Mrs.  Frances  S.  Klock,  Mrs.  Carrie  Cressingham,  both  of  Denver,  and  Mrs. 
Carrie  Clyde  Holly  of  Pueblo.  Mrs.  Frances  S.  Klock  had  been  a  resident  of 
Denver  thirty-six  years. 

At  the  second  election  the  populist  party,  once  defeated,  but  still  numbering 
a  large  voting  contingent,  united  with  the  democrats  and  a  wing  of  the  repub- 
licans, calling  themselves  the  National  Silver  Republicans,  and  they  carried  the 
state.  Each  party  nominated  women ;  Mrs.  Evangeline  Heartz  was  selected  by 
the  populist  party  and  the  silver  republicans  nominated  two  women,  Mrs.  Martha 
A.  B.  Conine  and  Mrs.  Olive  Butler.  These  women  were  all  from  Denver,  and 
were  elected  to  the  Eleventh  General  Assembly. 

The  women  of  the  state,  with  continued  zeal,  two  years  from  this  election, 
sent  three  more  women  to  the  Twelfth  General  Assembly.  Two  were  nominated 
and  elected  to  represent  the  women  of  Arapahoe  County,  being  residents  of  Den- 
ver, and  the  third  was  elected  from  Pueblo  County.  This  member.  Dr.  Mary  F. 
Barry,  was  a  practising  physician  in  Pueblo,  where  she  had  been  previouslv  pub- 
licly honored  by  being  appointed  county  physician. 

Of  the  two  Denver  women  representatives,  Mrs.  I^'rances  S.  Lee  was  the 
youngest  woman  ever  elected  to  such  a  positioin  and  one  of  the  youngest  mem- 
bers of  the  Hou.se.  She  was  a  graduate  of  Denver  schools  and  had  been  for  a 
time  school  teacher.  She  introduced  several  bills  relating  to  the  lighting  and 
sanitation  of  school  buildings. 

Mrs.  Harriet  G.  R.  Wright,  the  other  member,  has  been  for  over  forty  years 
a  resident  of  Colorado.  Her  husband  came  in  the  days  of  "fifty-nine"  and  took 
I)art  in  many  of  the  early  enterprises  that  helped  to  build  the  linancial  future  of 
this  state. 

The  Thirteenth  General  Assembly  was  represented  by  but  one  wc.nian — Mrs. 
Evangeline  Heartz.  The  Fourteenth  General  Assembly  witnessed  the  same  con- 
dition as  the  thirteenth,  there  having  been  but  one  woman  representative.  The 
democratic  jjarty  of  Denver  nominated  and  elected  Mrs.  .Mice  M.  Ruble,  who 
was  the  lone  woman  in  that  assembly.     She  had  been  in   iS<)8  a  member  of  the 


698  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

Board  of  Control  of  the  State  Industrial  School  for  Girls  and  served  with  zeal 
and   faithfulness. 

The  Fifteenth  General  Assembly  was  without  representation  by  the  women, 
and  the  sixteenth  was  also  lacking  women  representation. 

The  Seventeenth  General  Assembly  found  Mrs.  Alma  V.  Lafferty  in  the 
House.  In  the  Eighteenth  General  Assembly  Mrs.  x\lma  \'.  Lafferty,  Mrs. 
Louise  M.  Kerwin,  Mrs.  Louise  U.  Jones  and  Mrs.  Agnes  L.  Riddle  were  in 
the  House.  In  the  Nineteenth  General  Assembly,  Mrs.  Helen  Ring  Robinson 
was  in  the  Senate  and  Mrs.  Frances  S.  Lee  and  ^Irs.  Agnes  L.  Riddle  were 
ih  the  House.  In  the  Twentieth  General  Assembly  Mrs.  Robinson  was  in  the 
Senate  and  Mrs.  Evangeline  Heartz  in  the  House.  In  the  Twenty-first  General 
Assembly  Mrs.  Riddle  was  in  the  Senate  and  Mrs.  Heartz  in  the  House. 

NUMBER  OF   WOMEN    IN    THE   GENERAL   .\SSEMRLIES   SINCE   WOMEN    RECEIXED 

SUFFR.AGE 


General    Assembly 

Number 

■    of    W 

omen 

loth 

3 

nth 

3 

1 2th 

3 

13th 

I 

14th 

I 

15th 

None 

1 6th 

None 

17th 

I 

1 8th 

4  in 

House 

19th 

2  in 

House, 

I  in  Senate 

20th 

I   in 

House, 

I  in  Senate 

2 1  St 

I   in 

House, 

I   in  Senate 

Of  those  women  who  took  active  part  in  the  campaign  of  1893  and  won  the 
victory  for  equal  rights,  there  is  a  long  list  of  unrecorded  names,  and  it  is  pos- 
sible to  perpetuate  upon  these  pages  only  the  names  of  a  few  of  the  leaders  in 
different  parts  of  the  state,  including  some  of  the  leading  men  of  those  times. 
Among  those  in  and  around  Denver  were:  Mrs.  John  L.  Routt,  president  of  the 
Denver  City  League,  and  Mesdames  T.  M.  Patterson.  N.  P.  Hill,  John  R.  Hanna, 
Rev.  William  Bayard  Craig.  Kerr  B.  Tupper,  the  Misses  Patterson  and  Miss  Hill 
of  the  Young  Women's  League ;  Mrs.  S.  M.  Casper,  Twenty-second  Avenue 
League;  Dora  Phelps  Buell  and  Mrs.  Herbert  George,  of  the  Highlands  League; 
Mrs.  J.  Eppley,  Colfax ;  Mrs.  A.  D.  Taggart,  Berkeley ;  Mrs.  Hartzell,  South  Den- 
ver; Mrs.  Margie  Gibson.  Provident  Park;  Mrs.  Hutchins,  Lower  Clear  Creek; 
Mrs.  E.  J.  Webber,  Globeville ;  Mrs.  L.  L.  Leland,  Swansea;  Mrs.  B.  C.  Chinn, 
Central;  Mrs.  H.  S.  Stansbury.  Prof.essor  Hale,  Mrs.  Hale,  Mrs.  J.  H.  Piatt,  Den- 
ver; Mrs.  E.  \V.  Middleton,  Harris;  Mrs.  Frank  Caley,  Littleton;  Miss  Lillian 
McKercher,  Young  People's  League:  Mrs.  Marion  C.  Lucas,  City  Park  League; 
Mrs.  Mabel  Chinn,  Eva  Johnson.  Ida  De  Priest,  Esther  Morris,  Lois  Allison,  Mary 
E.  Clark,  Dudley  Clark,  Richard  K.  De  Priest.  Martha  Spratlin,  W.  H.  Wade,  Al- 
berta Battles,  Henrv  O.  Wagoner,  Misses  Mattie  and  Matie  Rutherford,  Agnes 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  699 

Cuiumings,  Dora  Dean,  Mrs.  Nannie  Laur,  Col.  Irving  Hale,  Col.  liyron  L.  Carr 
and  Mrs.  Mary  Carr  of  Longliiont. 

Buena  \'ista — Mrs.  Mary  Gaft'ord,  President  E.  S.  L. ;  Mrs.  Joseph  Xewitt, 
Mrs.  Julia  Logan,  Mrs.  Ernest  Wilbur,  Miss  Flora  Kennedy,  Mrs.  Grace  Wallace, 
Mrs.  George  Wallace,  Mrs.  Jennie  Berry,  Mrs.  J.  Halsey,  Mrs.  Laura  C.  Holt- 
schneider. 

Harman,  1893 — Mesdames  Laura  A.  France,  AL  A.  Smith,  Anna  Burchard, 
Lizzie  L  Lament,  L.  A.  Walker,  L.  B.  Leonard,  Emergene  McGowan,  Sarah  J. 
Taylor,  Emma  Ingerson,  Carrie  Fluecken,  Bertha  G.  Smith,  M.  E.  Yaeger,  S. 
Fullman.  Mabel  Finnerty,  Misses  Tude,  McChesney,  Julia  L.  Wheeler,  Nellie 
Fullman,  Margaret  Compton,  Sophie  Compton,  M.  E.  Smith,  Mary  Masters, 
Irene  I.  Smith,  Kate  D.  McChesney,  Martha  A.  McChesney,  and  Messrs.  Harry 
E.  Nevin,  B.  A.  Bennett,  G.  H.  Ingersoll.  Charles  Fullman,  Fred  Smith,  Uri 
Walker,  James  Hackshaw,  C.  H.  Smith,  Joseph  H.  Richardson,  W.  C.  Barnhart, 
Norman  Clifford. 

In  other  parts  of  the  state  there  were  Mrs.  E.  M.  Tanner  of  Fort  Collins ; 
Mrs.  C.  E.  Gibbs,  Greeley;  Mrs.  Morris  E.  Dunham,  Boulder;  Ettie  \'.  Parenteau, 
Central ;  Mrs.  E.  F.  Kendall,  Silver  Plume ;  Mrs.  L.  B.  Sinton,  Mary  C.  C.  Brad- 
ford, Colorado  Springs;  Mrs.  J.  S.  Sperry  and  Doctor  Hatfield,  Pueblo;  Emma  G. 
Curtis,  Canon  City  (who  conducted  the  campaign  among  people  mainly  of  foreign 
tongue  in  a  coal  mining  district  and  secured  a  majority  of  200)  ;  Emma  Greer  and 
Dr.  S.  A,  Goff,  Louisville;  Mrs.  Roselle  Goodrich,  Red  Cliff;  Ina  Davis,  Para- 
chute ;  Miss  A.  M.  Murphy,  Fruita ;  Mrs.  H.  C.  Olney,  Gunnison ;  Lillian  Hartman 
Johnson,  Durango.  who  had  charge  of  the  work  in  the  Southwest ;  Dr.  Jessie 
Hartwell,  Salida ;  Mrs.  .S.  A.  Reddin  Jenkins,  Mosca ;  Mrs.  Hazlett.  Rico;  Mrs. 
A.  M.  Bryant,  Gilman ;  Mrs.  S.  J.  Roocroft,  Coalcreek;  Mrs.  Job  Jones,  Rock- 
dale ;  Mrs.  A.  W.  Maxfield  and  iilrs.  Emma  Simmons,  Rifle ;  Mrs.  George  Pear- 
son, New  Castle;  Miss  Mollic  Noonan,  Glenwood  Springs;  Mrs.  Reno.  Arvada ; 
Mrs.  Jessie  Caswell,  Grand  Junction;  Mrs.  Ashmead,  De  Beque ;  Mrs.  S.  M. 
Morris,  Mancos ;  Mrs.  J.  F.  Heath,  Montrose ;  Mrs.  George  A.  Burrows,  Ouray : 
Mrs.  A.  E.  McCausland.  Aspen;  Mrs.  Louise  Frybarger.  Carlton;  Mrs.  Ililla  M. 
Griffith,  \"illa  Grove;  Mrs.  M.  Hollingsworth,  Silverton ;  Dr.  J.  M.  McCoy.  Tel- 
luride ;  Mrs.  A.  Guthrie  Brown,  Breckenridge,  who,  at  an  advanced  age,  as  a  resi- 
dent of  Denver,  was  an  active  and  enthusiastic  worker  in  political  and  [jublic 
affairs  in  general;  Mrs.  J-  A.  Pritchard,  Greeley;  Mrs.  Minnie  TTovcy.  .\methyst; 
Mrs.  Fannie  McClintock,  Grand  Junction;  Mrs,  M.  E.  Tinibcrlake,  TTolynke. 

Among  the  women  of  prominence  in  the  work  of  the  Suft'rage  .\ssociation 
were  Miss  M.  A.  Pease,  the  president,  and  Mesdames  C.  A.  Bradley,  the  record- 
ing secretary;  M.  H.  Walker,  J,  B.  Belford,  Anna  Steele,  Grabing  Craise,  llattie 
E.  Fox,  Mrs.  Carrie  Lane  Chapman,  Mrs.  Jenkins  of  Cheyenne,  Carrie  Schncbele, 
Harriet  Scott-Saxton,  Eva  Hulings,  George  Phelps,  Helen  Reynolds,  Minnie 
Jay  RcyiKilds.  Georgiana  ^^''atson,  Louise  M.  Tyler,  Mrs.  Marv  P.  Nichols,  Dr. 
.'\nna  Morgan,  Mrs.  A.  J.  Frincke,  Mrs.  Anna  Marshall  Cochran,  Louise  Forest. 
Mrs.  Minerva  Roberts,  Mrs.  Alma  Lafferty,  Mrs.  Nellie  Mattcson,  Dr.  Sarah 
Calvert.  Dora  Fletcher  Noxon,  Mrs.  A.  C.  Fisk,  Mrs.  W.  .\.  L.  Cooper,  and  a 
host  of  others. 

Greeley — Prominent  in  the  camjiaign  of  1877  were  Judge  Levi  Hanna.  Mrs, 
Amanda    Hanna,    Father    Nathan    C.    Meeker,    Rosine   Meeker,    Mrs.    Marv    M. 


700  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

Gallup,  David  Boyd,  Mrs.  Sarah  Boyd,  Dr.  Anna  Marsh,  Mrs.  Eastman,  Mrs. 
Adela  Clark,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  J.  J.  Stevens,  Oliver  Howard,  Mrs.  Clemma  Howard, 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Alvin  Wilbur,  Hon.  Jared  Brush,  Florence  Haines,  Mrs.  Doctor 
Law,  S..  S.  Kennedy.  In  the  campaign  of  1893 — Senator  David  Boyd,  Mrs. 
Sarah  Boyd,  Oliver  Howard,  Mrs.  Oliver  Howard,  Mrs.  Doctor  Hawes,  Mrs. 
Jennie  N.  Pritchard,  Harry  N.  Haynes,  E.  E.  Clark,  Mrs.  H.  T.  West,  IMrs. 
Carrie  B.  Sanborn,  Mrs.  C.  E.  Gibbs. 

At  Salida,  leading  women  in  the  campaign  of  1893  were :  Mrs.  M.  O.  E.  Har- 
rington, Mrs.  Margaret  Watkins,  Miss  Jessie  Hartwell,  M.  D.,  Mrs.  E.  Ford, 
Mrs.  M.  E.  Densmore,  Mrs.  Anna  J.  Kennedy,  Mrs.  Judge  Warner,  Mrs.  Etta 
Eggleston,  Mrs.  Cynthia  Stead. 

Grand  Junction — Among  those  participating  in  the  campaign  of  1893  were: 
Mrs.  Charles  J.  Caswell,  president,  and  Mrs.  Frank  McClintock,  vice  president 
of  the  Mesa  County  Equal  Suffrage  League;  Mrs.  L.  F.  Ingersoll,  Mrs.  B.  F. 
Jay,  Mrs.  A.  R.  Wadsworth,  Mrs.  C.  F.  Caswell,  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Ashmead,  Miss 
Alice  Murphy,  Miss  Elizabeth  W'alker,  Mrs.  Margaret  Ogilvie,  Miss  Nettie 
Stockton,  Mrs.  J.  Telford,  Dr.  Ethelle  Strasser,  Mrs.  J.  L.  Vallow,  Miss  Leander 
Watkins,  Mrs.  George  Smith,  Mrs.  Edwin  Price,  Mrs.  L.  M.  Layton,  Miss  Mary 
E.  Welborn,  Mrs.  S.  C.  Buckley,  Miss  Minnie  Carlile,  Mrs.  Charles  Glessner, 
Mrs.  M.  E.  Gambling,  Mrs.  G.  L.  Gaylord,  Mrs.  Jessie  G.  Ramey,  Mrs.  Esther 
R.  Mitchell,  Mrs.  A.  J.  McCune,  Miss  Ollie  Hensel,  Miss  May  Cookingham, 
Miss  Annie  Sells.  Equally  as  many  leading  men  took  an  active  part  for  the 
women. 

Colorado  Springs — Ella  L.  C.  Dwinell,  L.  E.  Dwinell,  R.  C.  Hamlin,  Mrs. 
E.  L.  Hamlin,  Dr.  Anna  D.  Chamberlain,  Dr.  F.  C.  Chamberlain,  L.  B.  Fasser, 
Mrs.  Laura  A.  Fasser,  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Fasser,  Dr.  W.  K.  Sinton,  Mrs.  Luly  B. 
Sinton,  Mrs.  O.  S.  Stout,  Mrs.  Mary  C.  C.  Bradford,  Mrs.  Annie  E.  Wilder, 
Mrs.  M.  J.  S.  Otis,  Mrs.  Flattie  A.  Balcomb,  H.  C.  Balcomb,  ]\Irs.  C.  E.  Robert- 
son, Miss"M.  C.  Robertson.  Emily  E.  Hildreth,  Mrs.  Mary  E.  Hildreth.  Mrs.  J.  C. 
Smith,  Mrs.  A.  L.  Blake,  Mrs.  Blake. 

Colorado  City — Mrs  Alice  Finley,  Louis  W.  Cunningham,  Charles  L.  Cun- 
ningham, Mrs.  Julia  N.  Cunningham  and  Mrs.  E.  I.  Cunningham. 

Alanitou — Maude   L.    Green,   Dr.    Francis   Cooper,   Dr.    Fannie    Cooper. 

Boulder— Hon.  A.  S.  Baldwin,  Mrs.  Mary  Collie,  Mrs.  Sallie  F.  Monell. 

Durango — Mrs.  Lillian  Hartman  Johnson,  Judge  Henry  Garbonati,  Charles 
A.  Johnson,  Mrs.  Olivia  AI.  Hechtman,  Mrs.  Lizzie  Metcalfe,  Mrs.  Frank  Young. 

Silverton — 'Shs.  Emma  Hollingsworth. 

Mosca — Mrs.  S.  N.  R.  Jenkins,  F.  C.  Hitchcock. 

Cortez — Judge  A.  P.  Edmindson,  Mrs.  Perley  Wasson. 

Mancos — Mrs.  S.  M.  Morris,  president  E.  S.  L. ;  Mrs.  Marion  Wetheril,  vice 
president;  Mrs.  A.  Lemmon,  secretary;  George  M.  Carr,  treasurer;  W.  H.  Kel- 
ley,  Hon.  D.  H.  Lemmon,  Mrs.  A.  J.  Barber,  Judge  M.  T.  Morris. 

Highlands — Mrs.  Mary  C.  Woodburn,  Mrs.  Mary  Butters,  Mrs.  Emma  Olin- 
ger,  Mrs.  Hester  W.  Hartzell,  Mrs.  Ida  M.  Lesley,  Mrs.  Eva  Wheeler,  Mrs. 
Fred  Kern,  Miss  Blanch  Badger,  'Mrs.  Bertha  Corlew,  Mrs.  Bertha  Mueller, 
Mrs.  A.  G.  Channel,  Mrs.  Elizabeth  S.  Ferguson,  Mrs.  J.  W.  Jackson. 

Breckenridge — Mrs.  A.  Guthrie  Brown,  Mrs.  C.  L.  Westerman,  Mrs.  E.  G. 
Brown,  and  Mrs.  Hugh  Steele. 


CHAPTER  XXXVI 
MILITARY 

THE    CIVIL    WAR    PERIOD SENTIMENT    IN     1861 CONFEDERATE     FLAG-RAISING     IN 

DENVER — DEFEAT      OF      ENEMV      PLANS FIRST      RECRUITING PROCLAMATION 

MENACE    FROM     THE    SOL'TH — UAVLOR's    CAMPAIGN CONFEDERATE    PURPOSES 

PREPARATIONS     TO     RESIST     SIBLEY CONFEDERATE     PREPARATIONS THE     FIRST 

CONFLICT THE    FIRST    COLORADO FIRST     liATTLE    OF    LA    GLORIETA    PASS THE 

SECOND  BATTLE THE  RETREAT  AND  PURSUIT DISPOSAL  OF  THE  FIRST  COLORADO 

THE  SECOND  COLORADO  VOLUNTEER  INFANTRY OTHER  VOLUNTEER  ORGAN- 
IZATIONS  MERGER    OF    THE    SECOND    AND    THIRD    COLORADO CAREER    OF    THE 

SECOND    CAVALRY RAID    INTO    COLORADO    TERRITORY THE    SPANISH-AMERICAN 

WAR PREPARATIONS  IN  COLORADO — THE  FIRST  REGIMENT CASUALTIES — SERV- 
ICE OF  OTHER  COLORADO  TROOPS — THE  WORLD  WAR COLORADO'S  QUOTA RE- 
CRUITING  SELECTIVE  DRAFT RED  CROSS — LIllERTY  LOANS — COUNCIL  OF  NA- 
TIONAL DEFENSE OTHER  PREPARATIONS — FAREWELL  ADDRESS  BY  CAPT.   J.  C.   W. 

HALL  TO  HIS  TROOPS,   1864. 

THE  CIVIL  WAR  PERIOD 

SENTIMENT  IN    1861 

During  the  winter  of  1860-61,  preceding  the  actual  outbreak  of  hostilities  be- 
tween the  North  and  the  South,  there  arose  stong  evidences  of  divided  sentiment 
in  Denver  and  other  communities  of  Colorado  Territory.  There  must  be  taken 
into  consideration  the  fact  that  many  of  the  settlers  in  Colorado — in  the  towns 
and  mining  camps — were  from  the  South,  were  thoroughly  imbued  with  the 
southern  spirit  and  ideals,  and  naturally  symi)athized  with  the  cause  of  the  South. 
Rut  there  were  others,  from  the  North  and  in  the  majority,  who  bitterly  op])Osed 
everything  which  sn-uicked  of  the  false  aristocracy  of  the  Southern  States.  Actual 
war  between  the  states  was  considered  remote  and  not  until  the  news  of  Fort 
Sumter  came  to  Denver  did  the  pco]ilc  awaken  to  the  true  character  of  the 
situation. 

The  military  organizations  in  the  territory  were  insignificant  at  this  time.  In 
fact,  when  Governor  Gilpin  arrived  to  take  over  the  government  in  the  new 
Territory,  there  were  no  Colorado  troops  in  existence.  The  Jefifcrson  Rangers  and 
Denver  Guards,  small  militia  companies,  had  been  organized  during  the  summer 
of  i860  in  accordance  with  an  act  of  the  Legislative  Assembly  of  Jefferson  Ter- 
ritory, but  were  disbanded  before  the  end  of  the  following  winter.  .Small  forces 
of  government  troops  were  stationed  at  two  jilaccs  in  Colorado  Territory — at  Fort 
Garland,  in  the  .San  Luis  \'allc)-,  and  at  l''iiri  \\'isi'.  on  the  .Arkansas  River,  near 

701 


702  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

the  eastern  part  of  the  present  Bent  County.  The  latter  post  was  formerly  the 
trading  station  built  by  William  Bent  and  which  was  sold  to  the  Government  in 
1859;  in  the  fall  of  the  year  1861  the  name  was  changed  from  Fort  Wise  to  Fort 
Lyon,  in  memory  of  Gen.  Nathaniel  Lyon,  the  Union  leader  who  fell  at  Wilson's 
Creek,  .Missouri,  the  preceding  August. 

CONFEDER.ATE   FL.-\G-R.\IS1N'G 

Governor  Gilpin  was  a  staunch  supporter  of  the  Union,  but  the  same  could  not 
be  said  for  many  of  the  citizens.  Rebel  sympathizers  could  be  heard  on  every 
hand,  expounding  their  blatant  views  of  slavery  and  the  Southern  Confederacy. 
The  tirst  actual  demonstration  of  opposition  to  the  North  occurred  on  April  24th, 
just  a  few  days  after  the  bombardment  of  Fort  Sumter.  Upon  this  day  a  number 
of  men  raised  the  "Stars  and  Bars"  over  the  store  of  Wallingford  &  Murphy,  a 
log  building  which  stood  on  the  north  side  of  Larimer  Street,  a  short  distance 
west  of  Sixteenth  Street.  A  turbulent  crowd,  in  which  the  Union  men  were  pre- 
dominant, soon  gathered  in  front  of  the  store,  and  demanded  that  the  flag  be 
taken  down.  The  southern  adherents  were  equally  determined  that  the  flag  should 
stay.  A  general  melee  seemed  imminent.  Shortly  a  young  man  in  the  crowd, 
Samuel  ^L  Logan,  later  captain  in  the  First  Colorado  \'olunteers,  climbed  to  the 
roof  of  the  store  and  tore  the  emblem  down,  without  opposition  from  the  crowd 
assembled.  This  was  the  first  and  last  open  display  of  the  Confederate  flag  in 
Colorado  Territory,  although  it  is  said  that  a  few  small  flags  were  flown  from 
private  houses  later.  This  occurrence,  however,  brought  the  Union  spirit  out  in 
force  and  numerous  manifestations  of  loyalty  to  the  North  were  made. 

Colorado  Territory  was  placed  in  a  complicated  situation.  Territorial  govern- 
ment had  just  been  inaugurated  and  actual  administration  was  yet  in  the  formu- 
lative  state:  the  conditions  in  New  Mexico  heralded  a  Confederate  menace  from 
that  direction  ;  Indians,  covertly  watching  for  the  opportunity  to  spring  upon  the 
white  men.  roamed  the  plains  in  great  numbers;  great  distances  lay  between  the 
settlements  and  the  beginning  of  civilization  in  the  east;  and,  in  all,  many  other 
factors  contributed  to  the  feeling  of  isolation  and  uneasiness  in  the  territory. 

DEFE.AT   OF    ENEMY   PL.^NS 

Governor  Gilpin  came  to  Denver  on  Alay  29th  and  began  the  work  of  organiz- 
ing the  new  government.  In  the  next  month  he  formed  a  military  stafl:',  consisting 
of:  Richard  E.  \\'hitsitt,  adjutant-general;  Samuel  Moer,  quartermaster-general; 
John  S.  Fillmore,  paymaster ;  and  Morton  C.  Fisher,  purchasing  agent.  One  of 
the  first  moves  made  by  the  governor,  after  the  organization  of  the  staff,  was  to 
order  Fisher  to  purchase  all  the  small  ordnance  and  anmiunition  he  could  find 
among  the  people.  This  variegated  stock  of  weapons  was  not  collected  without 
opposition  from  the  Confederates.  The  latter  were  quietly  active  throughout  the 
territory,  were  engaged  in  gathering  arms  themselves,  and  were  suspected  to  be 
forming  a  mounted  force  for  the  purpose  of  raiding  Denver  or  some  other  of  the 
larger  communities.  Under  the  leadership  of  one  McKee,  a  Texan,  these  men 
advertised  freely  for  guns  and  were  becoming  more  and  more  open  and  boastful 
in  their  actions,  when  Governor  Gilpin  took  steps  to  crush  them.     He  ordered 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  703 

McKee  and  two  score  of  his  followers  arrested  and  imprisoned.    This  ended  the 
purchase  of  guns  by  the  rebel  sympathizers. 

There  were  yet  many  of  the  butternut  caste  in  Colorado  and  a  detachment  of 
them  succeeded  in  establishing  a  meeting  place  at  the  head  of  Cherry  Creek  in  the 
autumn  of  1861.  In  the  meantime,  the  First  Colorado  \'oIunteer  Regiment  had 
been  organized  and  a  number  of  these  soldiers  were  despatched  to  the  enemies' 
stronghold.  Some  of  the  latter  were  captured  and  others  escaped.  The  rebels 
fled  southward,  taking  possession  of  a  wagon  train  in  the  southeastern  part  of  the 
present  state,  but  many  of  them  were  speedily  caught  by  the  pursuing  soldiers 
and  returned  to  Denver  with  their  former  comrades.  After  a  few  weeks  of  im- 
prisonment they  were  discharged  by  the  authorities  and  threatened  with  summary 
punishment  if  they  resumed  their  disloyal  activities.  In  this  way  the  last  organized 
attempt  to  oppose  the  North  was  quelled  in  the  territory.  Those  of  southern  ideas 
and  who  wished  to  take  up  arms  against  the  Xorth  surreptitiously  departed  from 
Colorado,  individually  or  in  small  groups,  and  made  their  way  to  the  nearest  Con- 
federate army  or  community. 

FIRST    UECRl'ITINC, 

In  Jtily,  1861.  Governor  Gilpin,  with  the  cooperation  of  several  prominent 
citizens,  had  taken  steps  to  perfect  some  sort  of  military  organization.  A  request 
was  made  of  the  Washington  authorities  for  permission  to  organize  a  few  com- 
panies of  infantry  or  cavalry,  the  same  to  be  used  in  the  service  of  the  North. 
For  some  reason,  this  request  was  ignored. 

In  the  same  month  of  July,  recruiting  was  begun  near  Idaho  and  vicinity  by 
Samuel  H.  Cook,  for  service  in  a  Kansas  Regiment.  This  must  be  considered  as 
the  first  actual  recruiting  in  the  territory  for  service  in  the  cause  of  the  Union. 
When  Cook  had  nearly  completed  his  recruiting  Governor  Gilpin  persuaded  him  to 
keep  the  men  in  Colorado,  to  form  a  unit  of  the  First  Regiment  of  Volunteers. 
This  regiment  was  conceived  in  the  mind  of  the  governor,  as  he  had  decided  to 
assume  the  initiative  and  organize  a  regiment  despite  the  silence  of  Washington. 
As  governor  of  the  territon,-  he  was  vested  with  authoritv  to  raise  a  military  force 
for  the  defense  of  the  citizens. 

John  P.  Slough,  a  Denver  attorney,  by  this  time  had  received  a  commission 
from  Washington  to  enlist  two  companies  of  infantry  for  the  regular  service.  The 
original  plan  was  for  this  command  to  relieve  the  United  States  Regulars  at  Fort 
Garland,  thus  releasing  the  latter  for  work  at  the  front.  In  July  and  August, 
Go\-ernor  Gilpin  appointed  company  officers  and  ordered  the  enlistment  of  nine 
companies  which,  with  Cook's  two,  were  to  comprise  the  new  regiment.  In  the 
latter  part  of  August  he  made  additional  arrangements  for  two  more  companies, 
which  were  to  perform  the  service  intended  for  the  two  units  to  be  raised  by 
.Slough,  and  afterward  to  form  the  basis  of  the  Second  Regiment  of  Colorado 
Volunteers,  then  contemplated. 

Recruiting  offices  having  been  located  at  the  more  important  places  in  the  ter- 
ritory, by  the  end  of  September  the  quota  of  the  First  Regiment  was  practically 
filled.  John  P.  Slough  was  appointed  colonel  of  the  regiment ;  Samuel  F.  Tappan 
was  made  lieutenant-colonel ;  John  M.  Chivington,  later  of  Sand  Creek  fame, 
was   commissioned   major.     Chivington.   in   view   of   his    former   vocation   as   a 


704  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

preacher,  was  tendered  the  position  of  chaplain  at  first,  but  his  beUicose  spirit 
was  too  strong  for  such  an  office  and  he  chose  the  majorship.  The  companies 
and  their  officers,  also  places  where  recruited,  were : 

Company  A,  Capt.  Edward  W.  Wynkoop,  was  recruited  at  Denver  by  Colonel 
Slough. 

Company  B,  Capt.  Samuel  'S\.  Logan,  was  recruited  at  Central  City  by  Lieu- 
tenant-Colonel Tappan. 

Company  C,  Capt.  Richard  Sopris,  was  recruited  partly  in  Denver  and  partly 
in  the  Buckskin  Joe  district  in  the  South  Park. 

Company  D,  Captain  Downing,  was  formed  mostly  in  Denver. 

Company  E,  Capt.  Scott  J.  Anthony,  was  recruited  in  the  California  Gulch 
and  Buckskin  Joe  districts. 

Company  F,  Capt.  Samuel  H.  Cook,  was  formed  of  men  from  the  vicinity 
twenty-five  miles  west  of  Denver,  which  is  now  Clear  Creek  County. 

Company  G,  Capt.  Josiah  W.  Hambleton,  was  recruited  in  the  Clear  Creek 
district. 

Company  H,  Capt.  George  L.  Sanborn,  raised  mostly  at  Central  City. 

Company  I,  Capt.  Charles  Mailie,  a  German  company  recruited  at  Denver, 
Central  City  and  in  other  Clear  Creek  mining  towns. 

Company  K,  Capt.  Charles  P.  Marion,  recruited  mostly  in  Denver  and  Central 
City. 

Captains  Hambleton  and  Marion  were  both  cashiered  for  insubordination  in 
November  and  were  succeeded  by  Captains  William  F.  Wilder  and  Samuel  H. 
Robbins  respectively. 

Comfortable  barracks,  costing  about  $40,000,  were  constructed  on  the  east 
side  of  the  South  Platte  River,  two  and  a  half  miles  above  the  mouth  of  Cherry 
Creek,  and  here  the  regiment  was  taken  in  October.  The  encampment  was  given 
the  name  of  Camp  Weld,  in  honor  of  the  first  secretary  of  the  territory — Lewis 
Ledyard  Weld. 

Bv  the  end  of  November  two  more  companies  were  raised  at  Caiion  City,  and 
were  known  as  "Captain  'Jim'  Ford's  Independent  Company"  and  "Captain  Theo- 
dore Dodd's  Independent  Company." 

These  Colorado  soldiers  might  be  described  by  the  word  nondescript.  Regula- 
tion government  supplies  and  equipment  failed  to  arrive  for  some  time,  and  each 
man  carried  a  different  kind  of  weapon.  When  the  regulation  guns  did  arrive, 
thev  were  few  in  number  and  of  inferior  quality.  Currency  was  another  obstacle 
in  the  governor's  path.  Congress  had  not  included  in  its  appropriations  for  the 
Colorado  territorial  government  any  funds  for  military  purposes.  Governor 
Gilpin  found  it  necessary  to  resort  to  some  means  to  meet  expenses,  so  issued 
negotiable  drafts  directly  vipon  the  national  treasury,  which  were  accepted  here  as 
legal  tender.  He  was  outside  of  his  authority  in  doing  this,  but  was  not  aware 
of  it  at  the  time.  When  the  drafts  began  to  reach  Washington  the  merry  music 
began,  and  the  paper  was  all  repudiated  by  the  Government.  This  led  to  a  finan- 
cial depression  in  the  territory,  as  there  had  been  about  $375,000  worth  of  these 
drafts  issued,  and  the  feeling  against  Gilpin  became  extremely  bitter.  He  visited 
\Vashington  in  the  attempt  to  straighten  matters  out,  but  was  unsuccessful,  and 
the  question  was  finally  submitted  to  the  cabinet.  Early  in  1862  this  body  of  men 
voted  to  remove  Gilpin  from  office.  In  May,  1862,  John  Evans  succeeded  to  the 
office  of  governor  of  Colorado  Territory. 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  705 

PROCLAMATION 

In  order  to  show  the  temper  of  the  people  in  regard  to  the  conflict  being 
waged,  the  Territorial  Legislature  adopted  the  following  resolutions  the  first  of 
October : 

"Be  it  Resolved  by  the  Council  and  House  of  Representatives  of  Colorado 
Territory,  as  folloivs,  to-zidt: 

"Resolved,  That  the  deplorable  Civil  war  in  which  the  United  States  Govern- 
ment is  now  engaged,  was  brought  about  by  the  unjustifiable  and  traitorous  acts 
of  the  disunionists  at  the  South,  and  therefore  the  sole  responsibility  for  all  its 
legitimate  consequences  rests  with  them  alone. 

"Resolved,  That  all  the  resources  of  the  Country  both  in  men  and  means  to 
their  utter  exhaustion  should  be  at  once  called  out,  if  needed  to  defend  the  Na- 
tional Government,  and  to  preserve  the  integrity  of  the  Union. 

"Resolved,  That  the  pretended  right  of  secession,  as  claimed  by  some  of  the 
states  of  the  Union,  has  no  warrant  in  the  Constitution  and  is  wholly  repugnant  to 
the  principles  on  which  our  government  was  founded. 

"Resolved,  That  after  this  rebellion  shall  have  been  crushed  out,  the  supremacy 
of  the  Federal  Constitution  shall  have  been  fully  conceded,  and  the  rights  of  the 
Union  shall  have  been  amply  guaranteed,  then  there  should  be  invoked  the  same 
spirit  of  concession  and  compromise  to  perpetuate  our  institutions,  in  which  they 
were  first  conceived  and  framed. 

"Resolved,  That  the  people  of  Colorado  Territory,  utterly  ignoring  all  former 
political  classifications,  heartily  sympathize  with  the  Federal  Government  in  its 
present  contest,  approve  of  its  leading  acts,  which  have  been  necessarily  under- 
taken for  its  own  self-existence  and  self-defense,  and  pledge  themselves  to  co- 
operate to  the  full  extent  of  their  power,  in  all  constitutional  measures  which  may 
hereafter  be  adopted  toward  the  prompt  and  decisive  conclusion  of  the  war  thus 
waged  on  its  part  only  for  the  maintenance  of  the  Constitution  and  the  enforce- 
ment of  the  laws." 

Another  resolution  was  approved  on  October  29th  which  placed  confidence  in 
Governor  Gilpin  and  accorded  him  the  support  of  the  Legislature. 

In  addition  to  the  volunteer  companies  already  formed  and  which  were  enlisted 
for  the  term  of  three  years,  two  home  guard  companies,  designated  as  Nos.  I 
and  2,  were  formed  in  the  City  of  Denver.  Joseph  Ziegelmuller  was  the  captain  of 
the  first  one  and  James  W.  Iddings  of  the  second.  The  duty  of  these  troops 
kept  them  in  Denver  as  guards,  but  they  were  regularly  mustered  into  the  United 
States  service  and  mustered  out  in  the  spring  of  1862.  In  November,  three  com- 
panies of  the  First  were  taken  to  Fort  Wise  from  Camp  Weld  and  there  remained' 
during  the  winter  months,  under  command  of  the  post  officer,  Lieut.  James  M. 
Warner.  The  companies  which  had  been  raised  at  Canon  City,  recruited  by  Ford 
and  Dodd.  remained  there  until  the  close  of  the  year  for  equipment  and  muster. 

MENACE  FROM  THE  SOUTH 

Shortly  after  Texas  seceded  from  the  Government  in  March,  1861,  the  Con- 
federate authorities  in  that  state  began  to  prepare  to  take  possession  of  the 
Federal  forts  which  stood  upon  Texas  soil,  also  to  take  over  the  Territory  of  New 
Vol.  I — 4  5 


706  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

Mexico,  which  then  included  all  of  the  present  State  of  Arizona.  In  a  short 
time  all  the  Union  troops  which  had  been  stationed  in  Texas  were  withdrawn, 
leaving  many  supplies  in  the  hands  of  the  Confederates. 

Adequate  provisions  had  been  made  for  the  expected  war  by  John  B.  Floyd, 
secretary  of  war  under  President  Buchanan,  who  was  a  southern  sympathizer. 
Anticipating  the  secession  of  the  rebel  states,  he  abundantly  stocked  all  the  forts 
in  Texas  and  New  Mexico  with  provisions  and  munitions  of  war,  also  stationed 
a  greater  number  of  army  officers  than  necessary  at  the  New  Mexico  posts,  believ- 
ing that  when  the  South  withdrew  from  the  Union  these  officers  would  give  their 
services  to  the  cause  and  persuade  a  greater  part  of  the  soldiers  to  do  likewise. 
Although  many  of  the  officers  did  desert  the  blue  for  the  gray,  the  whole  force  in 
this  territory  was  not  seriously  crippled  thereby. 

Col.  William  W.  Loring,  a  North  Carolinian,  was  unwisely  placed  in  charge 
of  the  Union  army  in  New  Mexico,  with  headquarters  at  Santa  Fe.  Colonel 
Loring  bore  an  excellent  reputation  as  an  officer,  but  favored  the  southern  cause. 
He  remained  in  office  at  Santa  Fe  for  about  three  months,  doing  all  in  his  power 
to  aid  the  Confederates  in  their  plan  of  invading  New  Mexico,  then  formally 
resigned  and  joined  the  Confederate  army.  Col.  Edward  R.  S.  Canby,  an  officer 
of  unquestioned  loyalty,  succeeded  Loring  and  established  his  headquarters  at 
Fort  Craig,  on  the  Rio  Grande,  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles  above  El  Paso.  Con- 
ditions in  New  Mexico  and  Arizona  were  then  in  turmoil.  New  Mexico  was 
considered  to  be  largely  for  the  North,  but  in  the  country  now  constituting  Arizona, 
where  there  were  few  people,  rabid  southerners  were  in  the  majority.  In  a  con- 
vention held  at  Tucson  in  the  late  spring  of  '6i  the  western  half  of  New  Mexico 
was  definitely  listed  among  the  Confederate  states  and  a  delegate  to  the  Con- 
federate Congress  elected. 

Baylor's  campaign 

In  July,  1861,  Lieut. -Col.  John  R.  Baylor,  C.  S.  A.,  with  several  companies 
of  Texas  mounted  infantry  and  artillery,  invested  Fort  Bliss,  on  the  Rio  Grande 
below  El  Paso.  Here  he  left  a  detachment  and  began  to  march  up  the  Rio  Grande 
with  the  remainder  of  the  force,  carrying  with  him  a  small  field  battery.  First  he 
approached  Fort  Fillmore,  thirty-six  miles  above  El  Paso,  and  commanded  by 
Maj.  Isaac  Lynde.  The  latter  made  a  feeble  effort  to  resist  the  southern  troops, 
was  defeated,  and  abandoned  the  fort.  With  some  five  hundred  Union  troops  he 
sought  refuge  at  San  Augustin  Springs,  twenty-five  miles  northeast  of  Fort  Fill- 
more, but  Baylor  continued  the  pursuit  and  compelled  the  Union  commander  to 
lay  down  his  arms,  despite  the  wishes  of  Lynde's  under  officers  to  make  some  sort 
of  fight.  This  exhibition  of  weakness  compelled  the  evacuation  of  Fort  Thorne, 
forty  miles  up  the  river  from  Fort  Fillmore.  The  garrison  was  removed  to  Fort 
Craig.  The  Confederates,  evidently  believing  they  could  capture  Fort  Craig, 
moved  on  up  the  valley  of  the  Rio  Grande,  but  were  met  by  a  detachment  from 
the  fort  and  compelled  to  retire.  Colonel  Baylor  lost  no  time  in  proclaiming  to 
the  inhabitants  that  he  had  assumed  control  of  the  southern  half  of  New  Mexico 
in  the  name  of  the  C.  S.  A.  and  that  the  town  of  ]\Iesilla  would  be  the  seat  of 
government. 

Colonel  Canby  realized  the  distinct  menace  of  Baylor's  success  along  the  Rio 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  707 

Grande  and  immediately  began  to  assemble  all  available  Federal  troops  at  Fort 
Craig.  The  post  was  strengthened  and  enlarged  and  every  preparation  made  to 
receive  the  enemy. 

CONFEDERATE   PURPOSES 

The  vast  designs  of  the  Confederates  in  occupying  New  Mexico  were  put  into 
motion  when  Gen.  Henry  H.  Sibley  was  directed  to  invade  and  hold  all  of  New 
Mexico  Territory.  Sibley  was  a  native  of  Louisiana  and  a  West  Point  man ;  he 
won  an  enviable  reputation  in  the  Mexican  war,  and  near  the  outbreak  of  war  in 
1861  was  stationed  in  New  Mexico.  He  resigned  from  the  Federal  service  in 
May,  1861,  and  was  given  the  office  of  brigadier-general  in  the  Confederate  army, 
with  orders  to  form  a  whole  brigade  in  Texas  and  two  batteries  of  light  artillery. 
This  completed,  he  was  to  take  possession  of  all  New  Mexico,  capture  the  Federal 
supplies  and  forts,  and  drive  all  Union  troops  out.  This  done,  it  was  believed 
many  enlistments  would  be  secured  from  this  territory  and  also  Colorado. 

The  complicated  purpose  of  this  move  is  well  described  by  J.  C.  Smiley  in  the 
preface  to  AVhitford's  Colorado  Volunteers  in  the  Civil  War;  the  New  Mexico 
Campaign  in  1862,  which  was  published  by  the  Colorado  State  Historical  and 
Natural  History  Society  (1906).     This  follows: 

"The  men  in  whom  were  the  military  ability  and  the  very  bone  and  sinew  of 
the  Union  cause  in  that  campaign,  and  who  bore  the  burden  of  hardship  and 
sacrifice  in  winning  the  victory  which  abruptly  checked  and  turned  the  rising  tide 
of  Confederate  successes  in  the  southwest,  were  citizen-soldiers  of  the  Territory 
of  Colorado. 

"On  the  part  of  the  Confederates  that  campaign  meant  far  more  than  appears 
when  it  is  considered  merely  as  a  military  enterprise — as  an  ambitious  inroad  into 
a  section  of  the  national  domain  outside  the  boundaries  of  the  Southern  Confed- 
eracy. Back  of  it  was  a  political  project  of  vast  magnitude,  upon  which  enthusi- 
astic southern  leaders  had  set  their  hearts. 

"In  i860,  1861,  and  well  into  1862,  the  militant  spirit  of  disunion  was  not 
confined  to  the  slave-holding  states  of  our  country.  Disruption  of  the  old  Union 
was  boldly  advocated  among  and  favored  by  a  large  and  influential  element  of 
the  population  of  California — an  element  that  predominated  in  number  and  influ- 
ence in  the  southern  half  of  that  state.  Far-northwest  Oregon  had  many  earnest 
and  active  supporters  of  secession,  who  thought  their  interests  demanded  an  inde- 
pendent government  on  the  Pacific  Slope.  In  the  Territory  of  Utah,  which  then  , 
(until  the  spring  of  1861)  included  the  area  of  the  present  State  of  Nevada,  those 
of  its  people  of  the  Mormon  persuasion  had  been  embittered  against  the  United 
States  Government  by  reason  of  their  long-continued  embroilments  with  it,  and 
were  ready  for  any  change  in  which  immunity  from  interference  in  their  church- 
and-domcstic  afifairs  was  conceded  to  them.  The  inhabitants  of  New  Mexico  were 
divided  in  sentiment,  but  while  probably  more  than  one-half  of  them  were  for 
the  Union,  those  of  the  western  part  of  the  territory  (the  present  Arizona)  were 
almost  unanimously  against  it ;  and  the.se,  as  well  as  the  other  .sympathizers  of 
the  breaking-up  policy,  were  led  by  men  of  high  standing  among  thcni  and  of 
extreme  determination.  When  the  Territory  of  Colorado  was  organized  in  1861, 
a  large  majority  of  its  population  was  in  the  Town  of  Denver,  and  in  the  Clear 


70S  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

Creek,  the  Boulder  and  the  South  Park  mining  districts.  Perhaps  rather  more 
than  two-thirds  of  the  people  were  loyal  to  the  Union,  but  among  their  friends  and 
associates  and  neighbors  were  many  who  were  ardent  and  outspoken  for  the 
Southern  Cause.  The  first  discovery  of  gold  here  that  was  followed  by  practical 
results  had  been  made  by  Georgians  in  1858,  and  a  host  of  southern  men  had  come 
into  the  territory  in  1859  and  '60.  These  Colorado  pioneers  from  the  South  were, 
as  a  rule,  men  of  sterling  character  and  of  much  personal    popularity. 

"In  this  backward  glance  at  the  political  conditions  existing  in  Colorado,  New 
Mexico,  Utah  and  on  the  Pacific  Coast,  we  may  see  the  reasons  for  the  exuberant 
hopes  that  were  sanguinely  cherished  by  some  southern  leaders  in  1861-62.  Be- 
cause of  these  conditions  they  confidently  expected  to  split  off  from  the  Union, 
in  addition  to  the  states  which  had  already  seceded  and  formed  the  'Confederate 
States  of  America,'  these  three  territories  and  the  larger  part,  if  not  all,  of  the 
Pacific  Coast  proper.  Their  anticipations  and  plans  embraced  even  more  than  this, 
for  it  was  their  intention  to  acquire,  also,  either  with  money  or  by  force  of  arms, 
a  large  part  of  northern  Mexico,  which  was  to  be  annexed  to  the  Southern  Con- 
federacy. Maj.  Trevanion  T.  Teel,  one  of  General  Sibley's  very  efficient  officers, 
in  a  brief  account  of  the  objects  of  the  Confederate  campaign  in  New  Mexico  in 
1862  and  of  the  causes  of  its  failure,  written  and  published  about  twenty  years 
ago,  said  that  if  it  had  been  successful,  'negotiations  to  secure  Chihuahua,  Sonera 
and  Lower  California,  either  by  purchase  or  conquest,  would  be  opened ;  the  state 
of  affairs  in  Mexico  made  it  an  easy  thing  to  take  those  states,  and  the  Mexican 
President  would  be  glad  to  get  rid  of  them  and  at  the  same  time  improve  his 
exchequer.  In  addition  to  all  this,  General  Sibley  intimated  that  there  was  a 
secret  understanding  between  the  Mexican  and  Confederate  authorities,  and  that, 
as  soon  as  our  occupation  of  the  said  states  was  assured,  a  transfer  of  those  states 
would  be  made  to  the  Confederacy.  Juarez,  the  president  of  the  Republic  (so 
called),  was  then  in  the  City  of  Mexico  with  a  small  army  under  his  command, 
hardly  sufficient  to  keep  him  in  his  position.  That  date  (1862)  was  the  darkest 
hour  in  the  annals  of  our  sister  republic,  but  it  was  the  brightest  of  the  Confed- 
eracy, and  General  Sibley  thought  that  he  would  have  little  difficulty  in  con- 
summating the  ends  so  devoutly  wished  by  the  Confederate  Government.' 

"But  we  have  not  yet  reached  the  limit  of  southern  purposes  in  that  memo- 
rable campaign.  Confederate  control  of  the  gold-producing  regions  of  the  West 
then  known — Colorado  and  California — was  another  great  result  expected  from 
its  successful  issue,  and  which  figured  largely  in  the  calculations.  President 
Lincoln  held  these  sources  of  gold  supply  as  being  of  vital  importance  to  the 
Union  Cause,  as  forming  'the  life-blood  of  our  financial  credit.'  Jefferson  Davis, 
President  of  the  Southern  Confederacy,  also  comprehended  their  value  in  that  time 
of  stress,  and  hoped  to  make  them  an  acceptable  basis  of  foreign  loans  to  his 
government. 

"It  is  usually  unprofitable  to  speculate  about  what  'might  have  happened' ;  yet 
there  can  be  no  reasonable  doubt  that  if  the  Confederate  army  which  entered 
New  Mexico  at  the  beginning  of  1862  had  not  been  stopped  and  defeated  at  La 
Glorieta,  or  somewhere  else  in  that  vicinity  about  the  same  time,  our  histories  of 
the  War  for  the  Union  would  read  differently.  In  their  dreams  of  the  near 
future  some  southern  leaders  saw  their  Confederacy  extended  to  the  Pacific  Coast 
and  embracing  more  than  one-half  of  the  territory  of  the  United  States,  while  in 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  709 

those  of  others  it  formed  a  junction  and  an  aUiance  with  another  division  of  the 
old  Union — with  a  'Western  Confederacy'  having  dominion  over  all  that  part  of 
our  country  lying  west  of  the  Continental  Divide,  save  in  the  South  an  outlet  to 
the  Pacific  for  the  southern  people.  Had  General  Sibley  succeeded  in  taking 
Fort  Union,  with  its  large  stores  of  arms,  artillery  and  general  military  supplies, 
his  further  progress  before  he  could  have  been  confronted  by  an  adequate  force 
perhaps  would  have  been  over  an  easy  road  toward  fulfillment  of  the  plans  of  his 
government.  We  are  further  informed  by  Major  Teel  that  'Sibley  was  to  utilize 
the  results  of  Baylor's  successes,'  and  that  'with  the  enlistment  of  men  from  New 
Mexico,  California,  Arizona  and  Colorado,  form  an  army  which  would  effect 
the  ultimate  aim  of  the  campaign,  for  there  were  scattered  over  all  the  western 
states  and  territories  southern  men  who  were  anxiously  awaiting  an  opportunity 
to  join  the  Confederate  army.'     *     *     * 

"With  the  Pacific  Coast  in  their  possession  by  conquest,  or  with  a  free  way  to 
it  by  alliance  with  a  'Western  Confederacy,'  the  world  would  have  been  opened 
to  the  Confederates,  since  it  would  have  been  impossible  for  the  Federal  navy 
effectively  to  blockade  the  coast.  Furthermore,  the  oceans  could  have  been  made 
to  swarm  with  Confederate  cruisers  and  privateers  preying  upon  the  commerce 
of  the  Union.  An  approach  to  success  in  this  great  scheme,  with  a  prospect  of  the 
domain  of  the  United  States  becoming  broken  into  three  minor  nationalities,  prob- 
ably would  have  secured  recognition  of  the  Southern  Confederacy  from  the 
English  and  French  governments  at  once,  and  perhaps  from  others  in  Europe. 
What,  then,  might  the  consequences  have  been? 

"It  was  such  considerations  as  those  outlined  in  the  foregoing  that  induced 
Confederate  leaders  in  1861-62  to  attempt  to  establish  provisionally  a  military 
government  in  western  New  Mexico,  and  to  send  General  Sibley  forth  to  carry 
the  war  into  the  Rocky  Mountains.  Regarded  solely  from  a  military  standpoint, 
the  mere  conquest  and  occupation  of  New  Mexico,  and  even  of  Colorado  in  addi- 
tion, could  have  worked  no  advantage  of  importance  to  the  Southern  Confeder- 
acy ;  but  possession  of  both  would  have  strongly  fortified  subsequent  efforts  to 
consummate  the  greater  purposes.-  Bearing  in  mind  these  comprehensive  designs," 
we  shall  be  better  prepared  to  appreciate  the  services  rendered  the  Nation  by 
Colorado  volunteers  in  the  New  Mexico  campaign  in  1862." 

PREPARATIONS  TO  RESIST  SIBLEY 

General  Canby,  as  stated  before,  hastened  to  assemble  all  available  troops  at 
Fort  Craig,  in  order  to  meet  Sibley's  Confederates.  One  of  his  acts  during  this 
time  was  to  request  Governor  Gilpin  to  send  him  troops  from  Colorado  Territory. 
The  two  companies  recruited  by  Ford  and  Dodd  were  accordingly  sent. 

Dodd's  unit  departed  from  Caiion  City  December  7th  and  Ford's  December 
I2th.  The  troops  marched  to  Fort  Garland,  by  way  of  the  Sangre  de  Cristo  Pass, 
and  there  the  two  companies  were  mustered  into  the  United  .States  service,  as 
Companies  A  and  B  respectively,  of  the  Second  Colorado  Volunteer  Infantry. 
In  the  latter  part  of  December  Company  A  marched  to  Santa  Fe,  then  down  the 
Rio  Grande  Valley  to  Fort  Craig,  reaching  the  latter  place  in  February  Company 
B  stayed  at  Fort  Garland  until  February  4,  1862,  then  went  to  Santa  Fe,  thence 
to  Fort  Union,  arriving  March  nth. 


710  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

Volunteers  were  also  raised  in  northeastern  New  Mexico,  when  it  became 
evident  that  the  Confederates  intended  to  take  possession  of  the  territory.  An 
attempt  was  made  to  raise  five  regiments  there.  About  the  middle  of  February, 
one  of  these  regiments,  of  which  the  redoubtable  Kit  Carson  was  the  colonel,  to- 
gether with  portions  of  the  other  four  and  a  number  of  unattached  units,  came 
to  Fort  Craig  to  join  Canby. 

CONFEDERATE  PREPARATIONS 

By  the  first  of  the  year  1862  Colonel  Sibley  had  his  force  encamped  near 
Mesilla  and  Fort  Fillmore,  while  Baylor  was  quartered  at  Mesilla,  acting  as  gov- 
ernor of  the  Confederate  Territory  of  Arizona.  All  of  New  Mexico  below  the 
thirty-fourth  parallel  had  been  annexed  to  the  C.  S.  A.  on  January  21st  by  the 
Confederate  Congress  and  had  been  named  the  Territory  of  Arizona.  President 
Davis  appointed  Baylor  as  military  governor  and  also  the  commander-in-chief  of 
all  troops  therein  stationed. 

Sibley,  acting  under  instructions,  made  an  attempt  to  enlist  Mexican  volun- 
teers from  the  Rio  Grande  Valley,  but  in  this  was  not  successful.  Delegates,  or 
envoys,  were  sent  to  the  Mexican  states,  such  as  Chihuahua  and  Sonora,  to  gain 
the  good  will  of  the  people  there  toward  the  Confederacy,  and  a  detachment  of 
soldiers  was  marched  to  Tucson,  in  order  to  maintain  obedience  in  that  section 
of  Arizona  Territory.  Having  failed  to  obtain  any  appreciable  number  of  volun- 
teers from  among  the  Mexicans,  Sibley  then  placed  all  of  his  hopes  in  getting 
them  from  the  Americans  in  New  Mexico.  As  it  later  transpired,  however,  he 
was  disappointed  again. 

Sibley  followed  his  troops  from  Fort  Bliss  about  the  middle  of  January,  1862, 
bringing  with  him  some  additional  soldiers  who  had  come  from  San  Antonio. 
On  January  i6th  he  and  his  command  as  a  whole  left  Mesilla  for  Fort  Thorne, 
arriving  February  7th.  Then,  with  2,700  men,  fifteen  pieces  of  artillery  and  an 
immense  wagon  train,  he  started  on  the  northern  march — for  conquest. 

THE  FIRST  CONFLICT 

Sibley's  force  marched  up  the  west  side  of  the  Rio  Grande  and  on  February 
i6th  encamped  seven  miles  below  Fort  Craig.  He  sent  a  challenge  to  Colonel 
Canby  to  fight  him  upon  the  plain  on  the  east  side  of  the  river.  Canby  refused  to 
do  this,  although  his  report  shows  that  he  had  the  preponderance  of  man-power. 
His  report,  in  regard  to  this,  states : 

"His  (Sibley's)  force  consisted  of  Riley's  and  Green's  regiments,  five  com- 
panies of  Steele's  and  five  of  Baylor's  regiments,  Teel's  and  Riley's  batteries,  and 
three  independent  companies,  making  a  nominal  aggregate,  as  indicated  by  cap- 
tured rolls  and  returns,  of  nearly  3,000  men,  but  reduced,  it  was  understood,  by 
sickness  and  detachments,  to  about  2,600  when  it  reached  this  neighborhood. 

"To  oppose  this  force  I  had  concentrated  at  this  post  five  companies  of  the 
Fifth,  three  of  the  Seventh,  and  three  of  the  Tenth  Infantry,  two  companies  of 
the  First  and  five  of  the  Third  Cavalry,  and  a  company  of  Colorado  Volunteers 
(Dodd's).  The  New  Mexican  troops  consisted  of  the  First  Regiment  (of  which 
Carson  was  colonel),  seven  companies  of  the  Second,  seven  of  the  Third,  one  of 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  7U 

the  Fourth,  two  of  the  Fifth,  Graydon's  Spy  Company,  and  about  i,000  hastily 
collected  and  unorganized  militia,  making  on  the  morning  of  the  2ist  an  aggre- 
gate present  of  3,810." 

On  the  19th  Sibley  took  his  men  across  the  Rio  Grande  and  two  days  later 
formed  them  in  battle  array  five  miles  north  of  the  fort,  having  detoured  to  the 
east  of  Fort  Craig.  Here,  early  in  the  morning,  the  Federal  troops  sallied  out 
and  met  the  Confederates.  For  a  time  an  intensive  bombardment  was  conducted 
by  each  side,,  then  began  a  series  of  attacks  and  counter-attacks,  with  the  usual 
accompaniment  of  hand-to-hand  fighting.  The  contest  waged  fairly  even  until 
late  in  the  afternoon,  when  the  Confederates,  by  a  particularly  brilliant  charge, 
captured  the  crack  battery  of  the  Federals,  a  six-gun  unit,  and  then  the  tide 
changed.  Very  soon  the  Union  troops  were  compelled  to  retire  from  the  field 
and  return  to  Fort  Craig. 

Upon  both  sides  the  casualties  were  extremely  heavy,  taking  into  consideration 
the  number  of  men  engaged.  This  may  be  explained  by  the  fact  that  among  the 
troops  engaged  were  men  inured  to  warfare,  dead  shots  and,  in  all,  cunning 
fighters.  These  frontiersmen  were  accustomed  to  fighting  Indians  and  to  make 
every  shot  count,  so  it  was  a  case  of  diamond  cut  diamond.  Canby  reported  that 
3  of  his  officers  and  65  enlisted  men  were  killed  outright,  while  3  officers  and  157 
men  were  wounded,  some  mortally,  also  i  officer  and  34  men  were  missing.  Later 
reports,  however,  placed  the  Federal  dead  at  about  100  men.  The  Colorado  com- 
pany lost  2  killed,  2  fatally  wounded  and  26  slightly  or  severely  wounded.  Sibley 
reported  that  the  Confederate  loss  was  40  killed  and  100  wounded,  although  it  is 
believed  that  his  casualties  were  greater  than  this  figure  shows. 

After  the  conclusion  of  the  battle,  Sibley  demanded  the  unconditional  sur- 
render of  Fort  Craig,  but  Canby  refused.  Thereupon,  he  again  took  up  the  north- 
ward march.  The  Union  troops  were  left  in  the  fort,  but  their  lines  of  com- 
munication were  cut  and  they  were  otherwise  rendered  without  power  of  op- 
position. 

Sibley  himself  was  at  first  retarded  on  account  of  his  wounded,  but  many  of 
these  were  left  at  the  Village  of  Socorro.  By  the  17th  of  March  his  whole  force 
had  reached  Albuquerque.  The  small  force  of  Federal  troops  which  had  occupied 
Albuquerque  fled  to  Santa  Fe,  thence,  with  the  troops  at  Fort  Marcy  in  Santa 
Fe,  had  gone  to  Fort  Union,  taking  with  them  all  the  Federal  supplies  and  equip- 
ment which  had  been  stored  in  the  New  Mexican  capital.  These  troops  barely 
escaped  capture  by  Maj.  Charles  L.  Pyron's  Confederates,  some  five  hundred 
strong,  who  had  been  sent  ahead  of  -Sibley's  forte  and  had  taken  Santa  Fe.  After 
this  city  had  been  taken,  the  main  force  of  the  southern  army  encamped  at 
Galistfo,  about  twenty  miles  south  of  Santa  Fe.  Accompanying  the  Union  sol- 
diers in  their  hurried  exodus  from  the  city  were  the  civil  officers  of  New  Mexico, 
including  the  governor,  and  the  seat  of  administration  was  accordingly  trans- 
ferred to  Las  Vegas. 

THE    FIRST   rOT.OR.VnO 

Immediately  upon  tin-  rc'cc'i]it  of  tlic  news  at  Denver  of  Sibley's  advance  from 
Fort  P.liss,  an  attempt  was  made  to  induce  Gen.  David  Hunter,  commander  of 
Fort  Leavenworth  and  of  the  military  division  of  which  Colorado  was  a  part, 


712  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

to  order  more  of  the  Colorado  troops  to  the  assistance  of  General  Canby.  Several 
weeks  passed  by  before  any  definite  action  was  taken,  then,  on  February  lo,  1862, 
Acting  Governor  Weld  of  Colorado  Territory  received  the  following  instrtictions : 

"Send  all  available  forces  you  can  possibly  spare  to  reinforce  Colonel  Canby, 
commanding  Department  of  New  Mexico,  and  to  keep  open  his  communication 
through  Fort  Wise.  Act  promptly  and  with  all  the  discretion  of  your  latest 
information  as  to  what  may  be  necessary  and  where  the  troops  of  Colorado  can 
do  most  service." 

In  Colorado,  the  seven  companies  at  Camp  Weld  and  the  three  at  Fort  Wise 
received  this  news  with  great  enthusiasm,  and  preparations  for  departure  were 
quickly  made.  The  seven  companies  left  Denver  on  February  22d  and  those  from 
Fort  Wise  marched  out  on  March  3d,  the  two  divisions  under  orders  to  join 
forces  in  the  south  part  of  the  territory  and  proceed  to  Fort  Union  with  all 
despatch.  This  meeting  occurred  near  Trinidad.  On  the  way  down  the  south 
part  of  Raton  Pass  a  messenger  from  Fort  Union  met  them,  carrying  the  news 
of  Canby's  defeat,  and  urging  all  haste  toward  Fort  Union.  Then  forced  marches 
became  the  rule,  one  of  which  was  for  the  distance  of  sixty-seven  miles.  Arrival 
at  Fort  Union  was  made  on  the  evening  of  March  loth.  Colonel  Slough  took 
charge  of  the  post  and  made  all  preparations  to  resist  Sibley's  army  when  it 
appeared. 

On  March  22d  the  decision  was  made  and  put  into  effect  to  hunt  the  enemy 
instead  of  waiting  for  him.  Colonel  Slough  assembled  the  whole  First  Colorado, 
Ford's  company,  a  portion  of  one  company  of  the  Fourth  New  Mexico,  a  battalion 
of  regular  infantry,  three  small  detachments  of  Federal  Cavalry  and  two  light 
batteries  consisting  of  four  guns  each.  This  made  a  force  of  about  1,342  men, 
75  per  cent  of  whom  were  Colorado  volunteers.  This  army  moved  out  of  Fort 
Union  on  the  22d,  as  stated,  and  two  days  later  were  at  Bemal  Springs,  about 
fifty  miles  southwest  of  the  fort. 

The  Confederates  were,  in  tthe  meantime,  looking  forward  eagerly  to  the  cap- 
ture of  Fort  Union,  which  feat  they  considered  to  be  easy,  not  knowing  of  the 
presence  of  Colorado  troops  on  New  Mexican  soil.  Canby  and  his  men  had  been 
left  at  Fort  Craig  and  from  him  Sibley  anticipated  no  interference,  or  not  until 
he  had  his  men  safely  behind  the  walls  of  Fort  Union.  Most  of  Sibley's  troops 
were  at  Galisteo,  but  an  advance  force  was  encamped  about  thirty-five  miles 
northwest  of  Bemal  Springs,  at  the  western  end  of  La  Glorieta  Pass. 

FIRST    BATTLE   OF   LA    GLORIETA    PASS 

On  March  25th,  Major  Chivington,  of  the  First  Colorado  Regiment,  with  a 
force  of  440  infantry  and  cavalry  troops,  marched  from  Bernal  Springs  to  the 
relief  of  Santa  Fe,  where,  it  was  reported,  about  a  hundred  Confederates  were  in 
control.  On  the  25th,  while  at  a  ranch  house  owned  by  M.  Kozlowski,  half  way 
between  Bernal  Springs  and  La  Glorieta  Pass,  Chivington  first  learned  of  the 
presence  of  the  enemy  in  the  neighborhood.  Rebel  scouts  had  been  at  the  ranch 
just  before  him  and  had  gone  in  the  direction  of  the  pass.  He  immediately  sent 
out  twenty-one  of  his  men  to  capture  these  Confederates,  which  they  did  that 
night  at  the  entrance  to  the  pass,  at  a  point  known  as  Pigeon's  Ranch.  They 
were  brought  back  to  the  Union  camp  and   interrogated,  with  the   result  that 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  713 

Chivington  learned  of  Sibley's  advance  force,  consisting  of  800  men,  which  was 
encamped  at  the  eastern  end  of  the  pass.  He  ordered  the  assembly  blown  and 
shortly  the  whole  force  moved  forward,  with  the  intention  of  striking  the  enemy 
before  he  had  a  chance  to  leave. 

In  the  fore  part  of  the  afternoon  of  the  26th  the  Federals  crossed  the  top  oi 
the  pass  and  soon  afterward  entered  Apache  Caiion,  where  they  met  Sibley's 
advance  force  in  command  of  Major  Pyron.  The  latter  was  marching  to  Fort 
Union,  and  was  taken  wholly  by  surprise,  and,  although  of  superior  force,  was 
compelled  to  retreat  before  the  fire  of  the  Colorado  troops.  The  Confederates 
retired  to  a  more  favorable  position  a  mile  farther  down  the  canyon.  The  Fed- 
erals poured  a  stream  of  bullets  into  their  ranks  from  the  front  and  from  the 
mountain-sides,  finally  charging  the  gray  ranks  and  scattering  the  rebels  in  every 
direction.  A  wild  retreat  was  made  down  the  canyon  toward  their  former  campn 
ing  place,  the  dead  and  wounded,  also  eighty  prisoners,  being  left  in  Chivington's 
hands.  In  the  evening,  and  by  request  of  the  Confederate  commander,  an  armis- 
tice was  declared  to  permit  the  burial  of  the  dead  and  removal  of  the  wounded. 

Chivingston's  official  report  of  the  battle  gave  the  casualty  list  as  five  dead 
and  fourteen  wounded,  although  the  correct  figure  was  slightly  in  excess  of  this. 
Four  Colorado  men  were  killed  and  seven  wounded.  Capt.  Samuel  H.  Cook  was 
one  of  the  wounded  and  Lieut.  William  F.  Marshall  was  killed  by  the  accidental 
discharge  of  a  gun  after  the  battle  was  over.  The  Confederate  loss  was  very 
heavy. 

The  Federal  forces  returned  through  the  pass  to  the  ranch  where  they  had 
captured  the  enemy  scouts,  and  there  buried  their  dead.  On  the  27th  they 
marched  to  Kozlowski's  Ranch  and  joined  the  remainder  of  the  Federal  command 
under  Colonel  Slough,  which  had  moved  to  that  point  while  Chivington  engaged 
the  enemy  in  the  pass. 

THE  SECOND  BATTLE 

When  the  fight  in  Apache  Canon  had  just  begun,  Major  Pyron  sent  word  to 
the  remainder  of  the  Confederates  at  Galisteo,  under  Col.  William  R.  Scurry 
(Sibley  being  temporarily  absent),  asking  for  immediate  reinforcements.  In  an 
incredibly  short  time  Scurry  had  his  command  on  the  march  and  by  the  next 
morning  had  joined  Pyron  and  his  shattered  troops  at  the  western  entrance  to 
La  Glorieta  Pass,  a  distance  of  fourteen  miles  from  Galisteo.  On  the  morning 
of  the  28th  fully  1,100  Confederates  started  up  the  pass,  leaving  300  men  to 
guard  the  wagon  trains  and  supplies.  Scurry  w^as  aware  of  the  presence  of 
Federal  troops  at  Kozlowski's  Ranch,  but  anticipated  an  easy  victory  and  unin- 
terrupted progress  to  Fort  Union. 

Colonel  Slough,  having  been  apprised  of  the  approach  of  the  enemv  in  aug- 
mented force,  enacted  a  clever  piece  of  strategy.  He  and  his  officers  formulated 
a  plan  whereby  Chivington.  with  a  third  of  the  force,  was  to  ascend  the  ridge  at 
the  south  of  the  pass,  march  along  this  ridge  to  the  rear  of  the  enemy,  and  then 
descend  in  his  rear,  while  Colonel  Slough  was  to  hurl  the  larger  part  of  the 
command  directly  in  the  face  of  the  enemy.  These  two  divisions,  with  a  small 
reinforcement  from  Fort  Union,  set  out  on  the  morning  of  the  28th,  as  usual 
leaving  a  detachment  in  guard  of  the  supplies  at  the  ranch.     Slough's  men  halted 


714  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

at  Pigeon's  Ranch  for  water  and  while  resting  the  Confederate  advance  posts 
were  discovered  up  the  pass.  An  advance  was  immediately  made  and  the 
Confederate  resistance  met  within  a  half  mile.  The  following  authoritative 
account  of  the  ensuing  battle  is  taken  from  Hall's  History  of  Colorado : 

"About  lO  o'clock,  while  making  his  way  through  the  scrub  pine  and  cedar 
brush  in  the  mountains,  jNIajor  Chivington  and  his  command  heard  cannonading 
to  their  right  and  were  thereby  apprised  that  Colonel  Slough  and  his  men  had  met 
the  enemy.  At  12  o'clock  he  arrived  with  his  men  on  the  summit  of  the  mountain 
which  overlooked  the  enemy's  supply  wagons,  which  had  been  left  in  the  charge 
of  a  strong  guard  with  one  piece  of  artillery  mounted  on  an  elevation  command- 
ing the  camp  and  the  mouth  of  the  canyon.  Whh  great  difficulty  Chivington  de- 
scended the  precipitous  mountains,  charged,  took  and  spiked  the  gun,  ran  together 
the  enemy's  supply  wagons  of  commissary,  quartermaster,  and  ordnance  stores, 
set  them  on  fire,  blew  and  burnt  them  up,  bayoneted  his  mules  in  corral,  took  the 
guard  prisoners  and  reascended  the  mountain,  where  about  dark  he  was  met  by 
Lieutenant  Cobb,  aide-de-camp  on  Colonel  Slough's  staflF,  with  the  information 
that  Slough  and  his  men  had  been  defeated  and  fallen  back  to  Kozlowski's.  Upon 
the  supposition  that  this  information  was  correct,  Chivington,  under  the  guidance 
of  a  French  Catholic  priest,  in  the  intense  darkness,  with  great  difficulty  made 
his  way  with  his  command  through  the  mountains  without  a  road  or  trail,  and 
joined  Colonel  Slough  about  midnight. 

"Meanwhile,  after  Chivington  and  his  detachment  had  left  in  the  morning. 
Colonel  Slough  with  the  main  body,  proceeded  up  the  canyon,  and  arriving  at 
Pigeon's  Ranch,  gave  orders  for  the  troops  to  stack  arms  in  the  road  and  to 
supply  their  canteens  with  water,  as  that  would  be  the  last  opportunity  before 
reaching  the  further  end  of  Apache  Caiion.  While  thus  supplying  themselves 
with  water  and  visiting  the  wounded  in  the  hospital  at  Pigeon's  Ranch,  being 
entirely  off  their  guard,  they  were  suddenly  startled  by  a  courier  from  the  advance 
column  dashing  down  the  road  at  full  speed  and  informing  them  that  the  enemy 
was  close  at  hand.  Orders  were  immediately  given  to  fall  in  and  take  arms,  but 
before  the  order  could  be  obeyed  the  enemy  had  formed  battery  and  commenced 
shelling  them.  They  formed  as  quickly  as  possible,  the  colonel  ordering  Captain 
Downing  with  Company  D,  First  Colorado  Volunteers,  to  advance  on  the  left, 
and  Captain  Kerber,  with  Company  L  First  Colorado,  to  advance  on  the  right. 
Li  the  meantime  Ritter  and  Claflin  opened  a  return  fire  on  the  enemy  with  their 
batteries.  Captain  Downing  advanced  and  fought  desperately,  meeting  a  largely 
superior  force  in  point  of  numbers,  until  he  was  almost  overpowered  and  sur- 
rounded ;  when,  happily.  Captain  Wilder  of  Company  G,  of  the  First  Colorado, 
with  a  detachment  of  his  command,  came  to  his  relief,  and  extricated  him  and 
that  portion  of  his  company  not  already  slaughtered.  While  on  the  opposite  side, 
the  right.  Company  I  had  advanced  into  an  open  space,  feeling  the  enemy,  and 
ambitious  of  capturing  his  battery,  when  they  were  surprised  by  a  detachment 
which  was  concealed  in  an  arroyo,  and  which,  when  Kerber  and  his  men  were 
within  forty  feet  of  it,  opened  a  galling  fire  upon  them.  Kerber  lost  heavily ; 
Lieutenant  Baker  being  wounded,  fell  back.  In  the  meantime  the  enemy  massed, 
and  made  five  successive  charges  on  our  batteries,  determined  to  capture  them 
as  they  had  captured  Canby's  at  Valverde.  At  one  time  they  were  within  forty 
yards  of  Slough's  batteries,  their  slouch  hats  drawn  down  over  their  faces,  and 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  715 

rushing  on  with  deafening  yells.  It  seemed  inevitable  that  they  would  make  the 
capture,  when  Captain  Claflin  gave  the  order  to  cease  liring,  and  Capt.  Samuel 
Robbins,  with  his  Company  K  of  the  First  Colorado,  arose  from  the  ground  like 
ghosts,  delivered  a  galling  fire,  charged  bayonets,  and  on  the  double-quick  put 
the  rebels  to  flight. 

"During  the  whole  of  this  time  the  cavalry,  under  Captain  Howland,  was  held 
in  reserve,  never  moving  except  to  fall  back  and  keep  out  of  danger,  with  the 
exception  of  Captain  Cook's  men,  who  dismounted  and  fought  as  infantry.  From 
the  opening  of  the  battle  to  its  close  odds  were  against  Colonel  Slough  and 
his  forces ;  the  enemy  being  greatly  superior  in  numbers,  with  a  better  armament 
of  artillery,  and  equally  well  armed  otherwise.  But  every  inch  of  ground  was 
stubbornly  contested.  In  no  instance  did  Slough's  forces  fall  back  until  they  were 
in  danger  of  being  flanked  and  surrounded,  and  for  nine  hours,  without  rest  or 
refreshment,  the  battle  raged  incessantly.  At  one  time  Claflin  gave  orders  to 
double-shot  his  guns,  they  being  nothing  but  little  brass  howitzers,  and  he  counted 
'One,  two,  three,  four,'  until  one  of  his  own  carriages  capsized  and  fell  down  into 
the  gulch ;  from  which  place  Capt.  Samuel  Robbins  and  his  Company  K  extri- 
cated it  and  saved  it  from  falling  into  the  enemy's  hands. 

"Having  been  compelled  to  give  ground  all  day,  Coloned  Slough,  between 
5  and  6  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  issued  orders  to  retreat.  About  the  same  time 
General  Sibley  received  information  from  the  rear  of  the  destruction  of  his  supply 
trains,  and  ordered  a  flag  of  truce  to  be  sent  to  Colonel  Slough,  which  did  not 
reach  him,  however,  until  he  arrived  at  Koslowskie's.  A  truce  was  entered  into 
imtil  9  o'clock  the  next  morning,  which  was  afterward  extended  to  twenty-four 
hours,  and  under  which  Sibley  with  his  demoralized  forces  fell  back  to  Santa  Fe, 
laying  that  town  under  tribute  to  supply  his  forces. 

"The  29th  was  spent  in  burying  the  dead,  as  well  as  those  of  the  Confederates 
which  they  had  left  on  the  field,  and  caring  for  the  wounded.  Orders  were 
received  from  General  Canby  directing  Colonel  Slough  to  fall  back  to  Fort  Union, 
which  so  incensed  him  that  while  obeying  the  order  he  forwarded  his  resignation, 
and  soon  after  left  the  command." 

Colonel  .Slough  estimated  that  his  losses  had  been  twenty-eight  killed  and  forty 
wounded,  but  the  official  records  of  the  First  Colorado  Regiment,  of  which  one- 
third  had  been  with  Chivington  on  the  day  of  the  battle,  show  that  the  dead  of 
this  regiment  numbered  forty-three  and  the  wounded  fifty-eight.  Lieut.  Clark 
Chambers  of  Company  C  and  Lieut.  John  Baker  of  Company  I  were  among  the 
killed.  Companies  D  and  I  were  the  heaviest  losers,  the  former  with  sixteen  killed 
and  twenty  wounded  and  the  latter  with  fifteen  killed  and  fifteen  wounded.  It 
is  thought  that  the  Confederates  lost  more  men  that  the  Federals,  although  no 
■exact  statistics  of  this  are  available. 

Had  not  Canby  sent  his  foolhardy  order  to  Colonel  Slough  it  is  probable  that 
the  whole  Confederate  force  could  have  been  captured  or  scattered  by  the  Union 
men,  but  orders  from  a  superior  officer  meant  obedience  and  Slough  was  com- 
jielled  to  accede  to  them,  although  he  resigned  at  the  time  of  so  doing.  He  after- 
ward went  East  and  was  placed  in  command  of  the  Military  District  of  Alexan- 
dria, Virginia,  with  the  rank  of  brigadier  general. 

The  coup  accomplished  by  Chivington  during  the  second  battle  of  La  Glorieta 
Pass  completely  defeated  the  ambitions  of  the  Confederates  in  the  Southwest. 


716  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

Their  dreams  of  a  union  with  the  Far  West  and  the  control  of  New  Mexico  and 
Colorado  territories  were  rudely  dispelled  and  they  were  compelled  to  retreat 
ignominiously  to  Santa  Fe,  where  preparations  were  made  for  the  withdrawal  of 
the  entire  Confederate  force  from  the  Rio  Grande  Valley  to  Fort  Bliss. 

THE  RETREAT  AND  PURSUIT 

Major  Chivington  succeeded  Colonel  Slough  at  the  head  of  the  First  Colo- 
rado and  Captain  Wynkoop,  of  Company  A,  was  advanced  to  the  former's  rank 
of  major. 

Sibley  evacuated  Santa  Fe  on  April  5th  and  6th,  leaving  his  wounded  behind. 
On  the  1st,  Canby,  with  a  force  of  1,200  men,  including  Dodd's  Colorado  com- 
pany, had  advanced  up  the  Rio  Grande  Valley  from  Fort  Craig  and  had  sent  an 
order  to  Fort  Union  for  the  First  Colorado  to  join  him. 

Canby  met  the  retreating  Confederates  at  old  Albuquerque  on  the  8th,  skir- 
mished desultorily  all  day  and  then  retired  to  Tijeras,  tifteen  miles  northeast, 
leaving  the  rebels  in  possession  of  the  town.  On  the  12th  the  greater  part  of 
Sibley's  force  crossed  the  Rio  Grande  to  Los  Lunas,  twenty  miles  below,  to  wait 
for  the  others.  On  the  13th  Sibley  evacuated  Albuquerque  and  marched  down 
the  river  valley  to  Peralta,  opposite  Los  Lunas.  Canby  placed  no  obstacle  in  the 
path  of  this  movement,  which  was  as  defiant  as  it  was  daring.  On  the  evening 
of  the  same  day  the  First  Colorado  joined  Canby  at  Tijeras,  whereupon  Canby 
thought  best  to  go  in  "pursuit,"  which  he  did,  marching  down  the  east  side  of  the 
Rio  Grande  thirty-five  miles  to  a  point  within  a  short  distance  of  Sibley's  encamp- 
ment at  Peralta.  Had  Chivington  been  in  command  at  this  juncture,  it  is  reason- 
able to  suppose  that  an  immediate  attack  would  have  been  made  and  the  Con- 
federates routed,  for  they  were  distinctly  in  a  "groggy"  condition.  However, 
for  some  reason,  Canby  refused  to  attack,  claiming  that  it  was  an  unnecessary 
risk  and  that  he  cared  not  if  the  Confederates  escaped,  as  it  would  lessen  the 
drain  upon  the  provisions.  On  the  15th,  the  following  day,  Canby  made  a  slight 
advance  upon  the  enemy,  which  resulted  in  a  half-hearted  engagement  which 
lasted  until  evening.  Four  Colorado  boys  were  killed  this  day  and  many  others 
wounded. 

That  night,  under  the  very  nose  of  Canby,  Sibley  withdrew  his  men  across 
the  river  to  Los  Lunas,  thence  the  next  morning  down  the  valley.  Canby  fol- 
lowed on  the  e^st,  opposite,  side  of  the  river,  all  the  time  within  sight  of  the  re- 
treating enemy,  but  made  no  effort  to  attack,  although  his  force  was  much 
superior.  Whether  or  not  the  fact  that  Canby  and  Sibley  were  brothers-in-law 
had  anything  to  do  with  this  strange  behavior  is  left  for  the  reader  to  judge. 
Sibley  detoured  past  Fort  Craig  a  short  distance  below  Socorro,  returned  to 
the  river  thirty  miles  below  the  fort  and,  after  many  hardships  and  the  loss  of 
the  greater  part  of  his  men,  reached  Fort  Bliss  about  the  ist  of  May.  Canby 
went  only  as  far  as  Fort  Craig. 

Canby  played  a  negligible  part  in  the  campaign  against  the  Sibley  forces ;  in 
fact,  it  would  have  been  a  shorter  and  less  expensive  campaign  if  he  had  effaced 
himself  entirely.  He  worked  at  variance  with  Slough  when  actual  fighting  was 
occurring  and  when  he  had  his  chance  to  deal  a  lasting  blow  to  the  Confederates 
was  too  indiflferent,  to  use  a  polite  term,  to  take  advantage  of  his  opportunity. 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  717 

The  glory  of  expelling  the  enemy  from  New  Mexican  Territory  belongs  to  the 
gallant  Colorado  volunteers,  who  were  in  the  thickest  of  the  conflict  at  all  times 
and  suffered  heavily.  All  the  casualties  had  not  been  recorded,  but  these  ex- 
cepted, there  were  tifty-six  killed  and  ninety-one  wounded,  about  fifteen  per  cent 
of  their  total  strength.  Such  a  loss  in  proportion  in  the  great  battles  of  the  war 
— Gettysburg,  Antietani  or  Missionary  Ridge — would  have  been  beyond  belief. 

DISPOSAL  OF  THE  FIRST  COLORADO 

After  Sibley's  escape  down  the  Valley  of  the  Rio  Grande,  Canby's  men,  in- 
cluding the  First  Colorado,  were  stationed  at  Fort  Craig,  where  a  long  and 
tiresome  period  of  inactivity  was  undergone.  In  May,  1862,  Canby,  with  the 
regulars  and  the  New  Mexican  volunteers,  went  to  Santa  Fe,  Chivington  being 
left  in  charge  of  southern  New  Mexico,  with  headquarters  at  Fort  Craig.  Chiv- 
ington stood  this  irksome  duty  until  July  4th,  then  was  relieved  at  his  own  request 
and  marched  the  First  back  to  Fort  Union.  Having  arrived  at  this  post,  Chiving- 
ton obtained  leave  of  absence  and  went  to  Washington,  to  attempt  to  secure  a 
more  active  berth  for  his  "crack"  regiment.  He  asked  to  have  the  First  changed 
to  a  regiment  of  cavalry  and  also  assignment  in  one  of  the  great  eastern  armies, 
preferably  the  Army  of  the  Potomac.  His  request  was  only  partially  granted. 
In  October  the  War  Department  directed  that  the  First  Regiment,  or  the  Second 
Colorado  which  had  been  formed  early  in  the  year,  be  made  into  a  cavalry  regi- 
ment for  western  service  only,  Governor  Evans  to  select  one  of  the  two  units  for 
the  change. 

In  recognition  of  their  services,  the  First  Regiment  soldiers  were  awarded  the 
change  by  Evans,  who  ordered  Chivington  to  assemble  the  regiment  at  Colorado 
City  and  attend  to  the  details.  Cavalry  equipment  and  mounts  were  difficult  to 
obtain  and  not  until  the  first  of  January,  1863,  was  the  transformation  from  in- 
fantry to  cavalry  effected  completely.  The  regiment,  resplendent  with  new  uni- 
forms, sabres  and  pennons,  marched  into  Denver  January  13th  and  there  re- 
ceived a  joyous  and  liberal  welcome  from  the  proud  citizens. 

This  was  the  last  time  the  First  Colorado  appeared  in  service  as  a  unit.  The 
companies  were  separated  and  in  small  detachments  were  assigned  duty  in  dif- 
ferent parts  of  the  territory,  also  in  western  Kansas  and  Nebraska.  The  Indian 
dejjredations  began  about  this  time  and  it  fell  to  the  lot  of  the  brave  First  to 
guard  the  trails  and  fight  the  roving  bands  of  savages.  In  this  manner  the  First 
served  the  country  during  the  later  years  of  the  Rebellion. 

THE    SECOND    COLORADO    VOLUNTEER    INFANTRV 

It  has  been  stated  before  that  the  two  companies  of  infantry  recruited  bv 
Dodd  and  Ford  were  to  constitute  the  nucleus  of  the  proposed  Second  Regiment 
of  Colorado  Volunteers.  In  February,  1862.  Jesse  H.  Leavenworth,  son  of 
Col.  Henry  Leavenworth  for  whom  Fort  Leavenworth  was  named,  was  com- 
missioned by  the  War  Department  to  organize  the  Second  Regiment,  he  to  have 
the  ofifice  of  colonel.  Leavenworth  came  to  Denver  on  May  12,  1862.  brmging 
with  him  a  six-gun  battery  that  had  seen  service  at  Fort  Donclsoii  in  the  Cnn- 


718  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

federate  cause,  and  which  was  in  charge  of  a  few  Wisconsin  volunteer  artillery- 
men. 

Recruiting  offices  were  soon  opened  in  the  larger  communities  of  the  territory 
and  regimental  headquarters  were  established  at  Camp  Weld.  The  first  of  the 
next  month  the  following  were  appointed  captains  of  the  six  companies  in  the 
process  of  organization :  E.  D.  Boyd,  William  H.  Green,  L.  D.  Rowell,  J.  Nelson 
Smith,  S.  W.  Wagoner  and  George  West.  The  authorities  at  Washington  made 
provisions  for  the  formation  of  only  six  additional  companies,  which,  with  those 
of  Ford  and  Dodd,  would  make  only  eight  to  the  regiment;  this  error  resulting 
from  the  general  belief  of  the  department  that  there  were  four  companies  in 
Colorado  ready  to  become  part  of  the  Second  Regiment.  By  August  fully  two- 
thirds  of  the  total  strength  of  the  regiment  had  been  acquired.  Capt.  Theodore 
H.  Dodd  and  Capt.  James  H.  Ford  had  been  given  high  offices  in  the  Second,  the 
former  that  of  lieutenant  colonel  and  the  latter  major. 

The  Second  left  Camp  Weld  August  22nd  and  marched  to  Fort  Lyon,  arriving 
on  the  29th.  A  number  of  additional  volunteers,  composed  of  men  who  had  en- 
listed from  southern  Colorado  for  service  in  a  New  Alexican  regiment,  were 
sent  to  Fort  Lyon  and  entered  into  the  ranks  of  the  Second.  In  April,  1863, 
after  several  months  of  weary  camp  life,  the  Second  was  enlarged  by  the  arrival 
of  the  two  veteran  companies  under  Dodd  and  Ford. 

At  this  same  time  six  companies  of  the  Second  were  ordered  to  Fort  Leaven- 
worth, the  remainder  of  the  regiment  to  remain  at  Fort  Lyon.  The  six  com- 
panies named,  under  the  command  of  Lieutenant  Colonel  Dodd,  left  Fort  Lyon 
on  the  6th  of  April,  marching  eastward.  At  Fort  Riley,  135  miles  west  of  Fort 
Leavenworth,  Dodd  received  new  orders,  directing  him  to  go  to  Fort  Scott,  in 
the  southeastern  part  of  Kansas.  Here,  with  a  number  of  Kansas  colored  troops, 
the  companies  of  the  Second  Colorado  were  made  the  escort  of  a  huge  wagon  train 
to  Fort  Gibson,  in  the  Indian  Territory.  Upon  the  route  a  small  battle  was 
fought  with  a  mixed  force  of  Indians  and  Confederates,  led  by  Standwatie,  a 
Cherokee  Indian  with  a  brigadier  general's  commission.  Twenty-three  men  of 
the  Union  forces  were  killed  or  wounded,  while  the  enemy  lost  considerably 
more. 

Having  arrived  at  Fort  Gibson,  the  Colorado  companies  were  attached  to 
the  command  of  Gen.  James  G.  Blunt,  then  preparing  to  meet  the  Confederate 
army  under  Gen.  Douglass  H.  Cooper,  who  was  approaching  along  the  north 
side  of  the  Arkansas  River.  Cooper's  force  was  estimated  then  to  be  about  six 
thousand  of  nondescript  character — Indians,  Confederates,  renegades  and  gen- 
eral flotsam  and  jetsam  of  the  frontier.  The  Federal  army,  comprising  2,500 
men  and  twelve  pieces  of  field  artillery,  left  Fort  Gibson  and  met  Cooper's  ad- 
vance on  July  17th,  at  Honey  Springs,  near  the  mouth  of  Elk  Creek,  a  tributary 
of  the  Arkansas.  The  ensuing  battle  lasted  barely  two  hours,  but  in  that  time 
the  well-trained  and  courageous  Union  soldiers  completely  routed  the  enemy. 
Blunt  lost  seventeen  killed  and  about  fifty  wounded,  while  the  Confederates — 
and  Indians — lost  fully  150  killed  and  400  wounded.  The  supply  train  of  the 
enemy  was  bumed  by  Cooper  to  prevent  it  falling  into  the  hands  of  the  Fed- 
erals. Five  weeks  later,  General  Blunt  occupied  the  post  at  Fort  Smith,  Ar- 
kansas. 

In  the  meantime.  Colonel  Leavenworth  was  succeeded  as  colonel  of  the  Sec- 


HISTORY  OF  COLOR.\DO  719 

ond  by  Lieutenant  Colonel  Dodd.  Leavenworth,  through  a  small  technicality,  was 
dismissed  from  the  service,  but  quickly  reinstated.  However,  his  pride  caused 
him  to  resign  his  commission. 

OTHEK  VOLUNTEER  ORGANIZATIONS 

In  1862  the  organization  of  two  more  volunteer  units  in  the  Territory  of 
Colorado  was  begun.  One  of  these  was  the  Third  Regiment  of  Colorado  Volun- 
teer Infantry,  of  which  William  Larimer  was  to  be  colonel,  and  the  other  was 
a  battery  of  field  artillery,  to  be  commanded  by  William  D.  McLain.  Recruiting 
was  enthusiastically  begun  in  the  fall  of  the  year,  but  the  number  of  recruits  was 
small.  A  sufficient  number  to  form  a  few  companies,  however,  had  entered  by 
December  1st  and  these  were  taken  to  Camp  Weld,  then  having  been  renamed 
Camp  Elbert,  in  honor  of  Samuel  H.  Elbert,  then  Secretary  of  the  Territory. 
Lieut.  Col.  Samuel  S.  Curtis  had  been  appointed  to  the  regiment  and  he  assumed 
charge  of  the  camp,  with  the  task  of  whipping  the  "rookies"  into  shape.  Gen- 
eral Larimer  resigned  from  the  regiment.  No  further  enlistments  of  any  im- 
portance were  secured  and  by  the  first  of  February,  1863,  there  were  only  enough 
soldiers  for  five  companies,  A,  B,  C,  D  and  E,  under  Capts.  R.  R.  Harbour,  E.  W. 
Kingsbury,  E.  P.  Elmer,  G.  W.  Morton  and  Thomas  Moses,  Jr.,  respectively. 
An  order  had  been  received  in  January  to  proceed  to  Fort  Leavenworth,  but  de- 
lay of  supplies  and  equipment  prevented  the  start  until  March  3d.  At  this  time 
five  companies,  under  the  command  of  Lieutenant  Colonel  Curtis,  began  their 
march  down  the  Platte  to  Fort  Leavenworth,  arriving  April  23d. 

The  battery  which  was  raised  by  Captain  McLain  developed  into  a  four-piece 
organization.  Besides  the  captain,  the  officers  were :  George  S.  Eayre,  first  lieu- 
tenant ;  and  H.  W.  Baldwin,  second  lieutenant.  This  battery  was  also  sent  to 
Fort  Leavenworth  and  later  participated  in  the  military  operations  in  eastern 
Kansas  and  Missouri. 

The  five  companies  which  constituted  the  embryonic  Third  Colorado  re- 
mained at  Leavenworth  but  a  short  time.  During  the  latter  part  of  April  they 
were  despatched  to  St.  Louis  by  boat,  thence  to  Sulphur  Springs,  twenty  miles 
farther  south.  Here  they  remained  until  the  latter  part  of  May,  then  were  or- 
dered to  Pilot  Knob,  Missouri,  there  becoming  a  part  of  Schofield's  Army  of  the 
Frontier.  Lender  this  command  they  remained  during  the  summer  and  autumn 
months. 

MERGER   OF   SECOND  AND   THIRD   COLORADO 

On  October  11,  1863,  the  Second  and  Third  regiments  of  Colorado  Volun- 
teer Infantry  were  ordered  to  consolidate  into  a  new  regiment,  to  be  known  as 
the  Second  Regiment  of  Colorado  Volunteer  Cavalry.  At  this  time  the  two 
regiments  were  widely  scattered — six  companies  of  the  Second  had  been  attached 
to  General  Blunt's  command,  the  remainder  at  the  time  doing  outpost  and  guard 
duty  along  the  Arkansas  River  trails,  and  the  Third  was  a  part  of  Schofield's 
Army  of  the  Frontier. 

This  necessitated  much  delay,  consequently  it  was  not  until  the  late  fall  that 
the  two  regiments  assembled  at  St.  Louis,  as  per  orders.     In  January  following 


720  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

the  reorganization  was  accomplished  and  the  regimental  officers  chosen  were: 
James  H.  Ford,  colonel;  Theodore  H.  Dodd,  lieutenant  colonel;  Samuel  S.  Cur- 
tis, J.  Nelson  Smith  and  Jesse  L.  Pritchard,  majors.  The  companies  of  the  Sec- 
ond became  Companies  A,  B,  C,  D,  E,  F  and  G,  while  those  of  the  Third  be- 
came Companies  H,  I,  K,  L  and  M. 

CAREER  OF  THE   SECOND   CAVALRY 

Colonel  Ford's  regiment,  1,240  strong,  well  equipped  and  mounted,  was  or- 
dered to  Kansas  City  in  the  latter  part  of  January,  1864,  where  Ford  was 
placed  in  command  of  a  military  sub-district,  consisting  of  three  border  counties 
— ^Jackson,  Cass  and  Bates,  the  former  including  Kansas  City.  Under  his  com- 
mand, in  addition  to  the  Second  Colorado  Cavalry,  there  were:  a  regiment  of 
Missouri  infantry,  some  Missouri  militia  and  two  companies  of  Minnesota  in- 
fantry. Until  the  autumn  of  1864  Ford's  troops  engaged  in  combating  the  fierce 
guerillas  through  Missouri,  a  form  of  warfare  much  disliked  by  all  northern 
soldiers,  but  popular  among  certain  classes  of  Confederates. 

Both  the  Second  Colorado  Cavalry  and  McLain's  Battery  were  chosen  in 
September,  1864,  as  part  of  the  army  to  meet  Gen.  Sterling  Price's  Confederates, 
a  host  15,000  strong  which  marched  into  Missouri  with  the  intention  of  conquer- 
ing the  state.  Price's  troops  were  seasoned  veterans,  but  nevertheless  were  re- 
pulsed from  St.  Louis.  The  Confederates  then  moved  westward  to  Jefiferson 
City,  there  again  to  be  defeated.  From  Jefferson  City,  Price  marched  up  the 
Missouri  River,  with  the  purpose,  of  investing  Kansas  City  and  capturing  Fort 
Leavenworth.  Gen.  S.  R.  Curtis,  in  command  of  the  Department  of  Kansas  and 
the  Indian  Territory,  with  headquarters  at  Leavenworth,  hastened  to  assemble 
all  available  troops  at  Kansas  City  and  Independence,  and  the  Colorado  troops, 
who  had  been  assigned  under  General  Blunt,  were  stationed  at  Lexington,  Mis- 
souri. The  heavy  hand  of  Price's  army  soon  fell  upon  Blunt  and  his  small  com- 
mand. 

On  the  morning  of  October  20th,  Price's  gray-clad  men  appeared  before 
Lexington  and  quickly  attacked  the  Federal  troops.  The  latter,  fighting  desper- 
ately, held  tlie  attacking  ranks  off  until  night,  then  withdrew  from  the  position, 
which  was  rapidly  becoming  untenable,  to  the  Little  Blue  River,  six  miles  east 
of  Independence.  Here,  on  the  21st,  they  again  engaged  Price's  entire  army, 
suffering  heavy  losses.  Blunt  was  compelled  to  again  fall  back  to  the  Big  Blue 
River,  joining  the  main  army  of  General  Curtis  which  had  been  reinforced  by 
Pleasanton's  Cavalry.  This  augmented  command,  on  October  22d,  succeeded  in 
inflicting  a  severe  defeat  upon  the  Confederates,  which  was  the  beginning  of  the 
end  for  Price  and  his  army. 

By  the  end  of  the  23d  of  October,  after  a  day  of  continual  battle.  Price  began 
a  disordered  retreat  southward,  closely  followed  by  the  Union  forces.  On  the 
night  of  the  24th  he  was  attacked  in  Linn  County,  Kansas,  by  Curtis'  men,  in- 
cluding the  Colorado  companies,  and  driven  out.  The  Confederates  came  to 
bay  again  on  the  25th  at  Mine  Creek,  but  could  not  maintain  their  stand  and 
were  forced  onward. 

The  culminating  battle  occurred  on  the  28th  at  Newtonia.  a  Missouri  village 
southeast  of  Fort  Scott.     The  struggle  waged  bitterly,   with  great  losses  upon 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  721 

each  side,  until  tinally  Price's  army  was  driven  from  the  field.  He  was  pursued 
as  far  as  the  Arkansas,  when,  with  the  remnant  of  his  once  well-equipped  and 
trained  army,  he  was  permitted  to  escape  across  the  river.  The  Second  Colo- 
rado's losses  at  Newtonia  included  forty-two  men  killed  outright.  This  was 
easily  the  most  sanguinary  engagement  of  the  campaign. 

In  December,  1864,  the  Colorado  troops  which  had  participated  in  the  Price 
campaign  were  ordered  to  Fort  Riley,  Kansas,  there  to  be  assigned  to  the  service 
against  the  plains  Indians.  In  this  manner  they  continued  until  the  fall  of  1865, 
when  they  ".vere  mustered  out. 

RAID   INTO    COLORADO    TERRITORY 

The  nearest  approach  to  an  organized  Confederate  expedition  into  Colorado 
Territory  was  the  raid  by  James  Reynolds'  Texan  guerrillas  into  the  South  Park 
in  the  summer  of  1864.  Reynolds,  formerly  a  miner  in  the  South  Park,  entered 
southeastern  Colorado  with  twenty-one  renegades  in  July,  intending  to  pillage 
and  murder  indiscriminately.  The  band  avoided  Fort  Lyon,  Pueblo  and  Canon 
City,  but  proceeded  to  the  South  Park,  where  the  men  began  a  systematic  cam- 
paign of  plundering,  attacking  ranchmen,  miners  and  stage  coaches.  Reynolds 
boasted  that  he  intended  to  ravish  Denver  at  the  first  opportunity,  but  this  op- 
portunity never  came.  Colorado  citizens  began  a  determined  hunt  for  the  des- 
perado and  his  gang.  The  first  conflict  resulted  in  the  death  of  three  of  the 
band  and  the  wounding  of  Reynolds  himself,  whereupon  all  fled,  leaving  their 
supplies  and  plunder  behind.  A  few  days  later  Reynolds  and  five  of  his  men 
were  captured  near  Caiion  City,  the  others  escaping.  The  leader  and  his  men 
were  brought  to  Denver,  then  started  for  Fort  Lyon  under  military  guard.  Just 
what  happened  at  this  juncture  is  not  known  definitely,  but  can  be  guessed  with 
little  error,  for  very  shortly  the  troops  returned  to  Denver  with  the  statement 
that  Reynolds  and  his  men  had  been  shot  while  attempting  to  escape  near  the 
head  of  Cherry  Creek. 

THE    SPANISH-AMERICAN    WAR 

On  the  night  of  February  15,  189S,  the  U.  S.  Battleship  "Maine"  lay  jx-ace- 
fully  at  anchor  in  the  harlior  of  Havana,  Cuba.  Without  warning  and  with  the 
suddenness  of  a  lightning  flash  the  majestic  warrior  of  the  seas  was  destroyed, 
together  with  the  lives  of  266  of  the  American  sailors  on  board. 

Interested  the  country  had  been  in  the  events  preceding  this  disaster — watch- 
ful and  apprehensive — but  the  tragedy  in  the  Havana  Harbor  quickly  kindled 
the  fires  of  martial  excitement  and  in  Colorado,  as  in  the  whole  nation,  the  people 
prepared  for  war.  President  McKinley  appointed  a  commission  to  investigate  the 
"Maine"  explosion,  and  when  this  committee  made  its  formal  report,  which  was 
sent  to  Congress  by  the  President,  the  warlike  spirit  of  the  country  was  ex])rcssed 
in  the  determination  to  drive  Spain  out  of  the  Western  Hemisphere.  Nothing 
more  remained  but  to  declare  war,  which  was  done  by  Congress  on  April  25th. 
On  April  23d,  President  McKinley,  as  authorized  by  Congress,  issued  a  procla- 
mation calling  for  125,000  volunteers  for  two  years'  service  or  for  the  duration 

Vol.  I 4  6 


722  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

of  the  war.  Within  an  incredibly  short  time  this  number  was  secured  and  on 
May  25th  75,000  more  volunteers  were  called. 

In  Colorado  the  quota  fixed  under  the  two  calls  of  the  President  was:  one 
regiment  of  infantry,  two  troops  of  cavalry  and  one  battery  of  artillery,  consist- 
ing in  all  of  about  sixteen  hundred  men.  iMilitary  affairs  in  the  state  had  been 
at  low  ebb  for  several  years  prior  to  April,  1898,  but  when  the  first  rumors  of 
friction  between  Spain  and  America  became  current,  recruiting  was  vastly 
stimulated.  There  were  two  partial  regiments  of  infantry,  three  small  cavalry 
troops  and  the  Chaflfee  Light  Artillery  in  Colorado  and  these  forces  quickly  ap- 
proached war  strength  in  the  few  months  just  before  the  declaration  of  war. 

After  hostilities  were  in  force  Governor  Adams  issued  a  mobilization  order 
to  all  the  Colorado  troops  and  on  April  29th  they  were  assembled.  Camp  was 
made  in  Denver,  near  the  City  Park,  which  site  became  known  as  Camp  Adams, 
in  honor  of  the  governor.  Hardly  a  week  passed  before  one  full  regiment  of 
infantry,  two  troops  of  cavalry  and  a  battery  of  artillery,  which  filled  the  quota, 
were  ready  for  active  service. 

THE   FIRST  REGIMENT 

The  First  Regiment  of  Colorado  Infantry  was  mustered  into  the  service  of 
the  L^nited  States  on  the  1st  of  May,  1898.  The  field  and  staff  officers,  appointed 
by  Governor  Adams,  were : 

Irving  Hale,  of  Denver,  colonel. 

Henry  B.  McCoy,  of  Pueblo,  lieutenant  colonel. 

Cassius  M.  Moses,  of  Pueblo,  major. 

Charles  H.  Anderson,  of  Denver,  major. 

Dr.  Clayton  Parkhill,  of  Denver,  surgeon. 

Dr.  Louis  H.  Kemble,  of  Denver,  surgeon. 

Dr.  Charles  E.  Locke,  of  Denver,  assistant  surgeon. 

Alexander  McD.  Brooks,  of  Denver,  adjutant. 

William  B.  Sawyer,  of  Denver,  adjutant. 

David  L.  Fleming,  of  Leadville,  chaplain. 

There  were  twelve  companies  in  the  First  Regiment,  each  company  represent- 
ing a  group  of  towns  or  a  city.  Companies  A  and  C  were  enlisted  mostly  from 
Pueblo;  Companies  B,  E,  I  and  K  from  Denver;  Companies  F  and  L  from  Lead- 
ville; Company  G  from  Cripple  Creek;  Company  H  from  Boulder;  and  Com- 
pany M  from  Colorado  Springs.     The  company  officers  were: 

Company  A — John  S.  Stewart,  captain ;  William  F.  Dortenbach,  first  lieu- 
tenant ;   Samuel  E.  Thomas,  second  lieutenant. 

Company  B — Frank  W.  Carroll,  captain;  Charles  B.  Lewis,  first  lieutenant; 
Charles  E.  Hooper,  second  lieutenant. 

Company  C — Ewing  E.  Booth,  captain;  William  H.  Sweeney,  first  lieutenant; 
Willard  P.  Bidwell,  second  lieutenant. 

Company  D — John  A.  Taylor,  captain ;  George  Borstadt,  first  lieutenant ;  Al- 
bert J.  Luther,  second  lieutenant. 

Company  E — Kyle  Rucker,  Captain;  Clarence  W.  Lothrop,  first  lieutenant; 
Rice  W.  Means,  second  lieutenant. 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  723 

Company  F — G.  Ralph  Cunimings,  captain;  Charles  S.  Haughwout,  first  lieu- 
tenant ;  Willard  G.  Riggs,  second  lieutenant. 

Company  G — David  P.  iioward,  captain;  Thomas  C.  Brown,  first  lieutenant; 
Walter  P.   Burke,  second  lieutenant. 

Company  H — Charles  B.  Eastman,  captain ;  Charles  H.  Wilcox,  first  lieu- 
tenant ;  Fred  L.  Perry,  second  lieutenant. 

Company  I — William  R.  Grove,  captain;  Charles  H.  Hilton,  Jr.,  first  lieuten- 
ant ;  Charles  O.  Zollars,  second  lieutenant. 

Company  K — William  A.  Cornell,  captain ;  William  J.  Vannice,  first  lieuten- 
ant ;  Ralph  B.  Lister,  second  lieutenant. 

Company  L — David  P.  LaSalle,  captain ;  Cornelius  F.  O'Keefe,  first  lieu- 
tenant ;  Franklin  Ballou,  Jr.,  second  lieutenant. 

Company  M — Clyde  C.  Spicer,  captain;  Charles  H.  Sleeper,  first  lieutenant; 
James  H.  Gowdy,  second  lieutenant. 

The  First  was  a  regiment  of  picked  men  in  every  sense  of  the  word.  The 
number  of  applicants  for  enlistment  was  far  in  excess  of  the  number  desired, 
consequently  only  those  best  fitted  and  trained  for  military  life  were  accepted. 
At  first  it  was  thought  that  the  regiment  would  be  sent  to  Cuba  and  among  the 
early  orders  the  First  was  included  among  the  regiments  ordered  to  Chicka- 
mauga  Park.  Tennessee.  However,  the  Philippines  became  the  center  of  interest 
1  efore  the  regiment  moved  and  on  May  13th  orders  were  received  directing  the 
First  to  entrain  for  San  Francisco,  thence  across  the  Pacific  to  Manila. 

On  the  14th  the  regiment  marched  proudly  into  Denver,  where  a  national 
flag  was  presented  by  the  Sons  of  the  Revolution.  On  the  next  day  a  handsome 
regimental  flag,  the  gift  of  Mrs.  William  Cooke  Daniels,  was  presented  to  the 
First  with  appropriate  ceremony. 

May  17th  was  the  day  of  farewells  to  the  regiment.  The  whole  command, 
consisting  of  1,086  men,  accompanied  by  the  regimental  band,  marched  through 
the  City  of  Denver,  along  streets  black  with  cheering  crowds,  to  the  Union  Sta- 
tion. It  is  said  that  never  before,  nor  since,  has  such  a  patriotic  celebration  oc- 
curred in  Denver.  Four  trains  awaited  with  steam  up  to  carry  the  soldiers  west- 
ward, while  the  men  hurriedly  said  their  good-byes. 

The  First  arrived  at  San  Francisco  on  May  21st  and  encamped  at  Camp 
Merritt,  their  section  of  which  was  called  Camp  Hale,  in  honor  of  the  colonel. 
While  here,  orders  from  the  War  Department  directed  that  each  company  be 
recruited  to  a  strength  of  104  men,  and  accordingly  a  detachment  of  the  First 
returned  to  Denver,  obtaining  200  new  men  in  quick  time.  The  new  soldiers  ar- 
rived at  San  Francisco  June  24th.  one  week  after  the  regiment  had  sailed  for 
Manila;  one  half  of  the  detachment  followed  on  August  ist,  arriving  at  Manila 
September  ist,  and  the  remainder  started  August  21st,  were  delayed  at  Honolulu, 
and  did  not  disembark  at  the  Philippine  port  until  November  23d. 

The  main  body  of  the  First  were  landed  at  Paranaque  and  pitched  tents  at 
Camp  Dewey.  After  a  week  spent  here  the  active  work  of  the  campaign  was 
begtm.  Regimental  activities  for  a  time  consisted  mainly  of  reconnoitering,  road 
making,  trench  digging,  guard  duty,  with  a  few  skirmishes  thrown  in  for  excite- 
ment. The  First  was  ordered  to  participate  in  the  attack  upon  the  City  of 
Manila,  which  occurred  August  13th,  and  in  this  engagement  the  Colorado  boys 
conducted  themselves  brilliantly.     Late  in  the  morning  of  tliat  day,  after  some 


724  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

artillery  preparation,  Colonel  Hale  was  ordered  to  lead  his  regiment  against  the 
Spanish  fortifications  and  capture  Fort  San  Antonio.  This  was  done  in  one 
charge,  while  the  regimental  band  played  "A  Hot  Time  in  the  Old  Town  To- 
night," and  the  flag  raised  over  the  fort  by  Adjutant  Brooks,  Lieutenant  Colonel 
McCoy  and  Lieutenant  Lister  was  the  first  to  be  flown  over  the  Manila  defenses. 
Shortly  after,  Color  Serg.  Richard  Holmes  and  the  Color  Guard  raised  the  flag 
at  Malate,  a  suburb  of  Manila,  which  was  the  first  national  emblem  within  the 
city. 

The  predominant  part  played  by  the  First  Colorado  in  the  capture  of  the 
Philippine  city  led  to  several  promotions.  Colonel  Hale  was  promoted  to  the 
rank  of  brigadier  general  by  President  McKinley  and  Governor  Adams  advanced 
Lieut.  Col.  Henry  B.  McCoy  to  the  command  of  the  regiment,  while  Alaj.  Cas- 
sius  M.  Moses  became  lieutenant  colonel. 

For  several  months  afterward  the  duties  of  the  First  were  not  greatly  hazard- 
ous, consisting  of  guard  and  outpost  work,  part  of  the  time  at  Bilibid  Prison. 

In  February,  1899,  the  insurgents  under  Aguinaldo  became  troublesome  and 
the  First  became  part  of  the  force  which  captured  blockhouses  5  and  6,  also  par- 
ticipated in  the  recovery  of  the  Manila  water-reservoir,  and  the  pumping-station. 
Until  late  in  March  the  regiment  then  remained  on  guard  at  the  pumping-station, 
with  frequent  small  engagements  with  the  natives  who  were  conducting  a  guer- 
rilla warfare. 

Companies  A,  M  and  a  portion  of  E,  under  Lieutenant  Colonel  Moses,  en- 
gaged in  the  advance  toward  Malolos  on  March  25th  and  fought  bitterly  with 
the  insurgents  during  the  entire  day.  On  March  31st,  Companies  C,  D,  E  and 
G  participated  in  a  movement  against  Mariquina  and  San  Mateo,  capturing  the 
enemy  entrenchments  under  extreme  difficulties.  During  the  latter  part  of  May 
and  the  forepart  of  June,  Companies  A,  C,  F,  G.  K  and  L  were  in  the  advance 
upon  Antipolo  and  Morong,  under  General  Lawton.  The  next  expedition,  also 
under  the  command  of  the  brave  Lawton.  in  which  Colorado  troops  engaged,  was 
against  a  large  force  of  Filipinos  near  Paranaque  and  Las  Pinas.  The  American 
force,  consisting  of  about  five  thousand  men,  was  composed  of  regulars,  with  the 
exception  of  a  troop  of  Nevada  cavalry  and  Companies  B.  D,  E,  F,  I  and  M  of 
the  First  Colorado  under  Colonel  McCoy.  Several  casualties  were  inflicted  upon 
the  First  in  the  capture  of  Las  Pinas,  but  during  the  whole  of  the  fighting  the 
Colorado  soldiers  bore  a  conspicuous  part  and  received  warm  praise  for  their 
gallantry.  This  was  the  last  active  field  service  in  which  the  Colorado  men  par- 
ticipated. On  June  nth  they  went  into  camp  at  Manila,  were  assigned  to  guard 
duty  at  the  waterworks,  where  the  greater  portion  of  the  regiment  remained  un- 
til  departure   for   the   states. 

Orders  for  embarkation  were  received  July  4th  and  on  the  next  day  camp 
at  the  waterworks  was  "struck."  On  the  6th  the  regiment  marched  into  the 
City  of  Manila,  boarded  the  transport  Warren  on  the  15th,  and  sailed  on  the  i8th, 
just  one  year  after  the  troops  had  arrived  on  Philippine  soil.  The  transport 
stopped  at  Nagasaki  and  Yokohama,  Japan,  on  the  return  voyage  and  arrived 
at  San  Francisco  on  August  i6th,  there  to  be  met  by  Governor  Charles  S.  Thomas, 
Adj.  Gen.  J.  C.  Overmeyer  and  other  Colorado  men  of  prominence.  The  regi- 
ment was  mustered  out  at  the  Presidio  on  September  8th  and  reached  Denver 
on  September  14th.     In  their  home  city  the  men  were  accorded  a  gigantic  wel- 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  725 

come.  A  fund  of  $35,000  was  raised  by  popular  subscription  to  provide  for  their 
transportation  home,  in  order  that  they  might  keep  the  funds  which  had  been 
given  for  that  purpose  by  the  Government ;  new  colors  were  presented ;  addresses 
were  made  and  a  banquet  given ;  and,  as  a  fitting  reward,  subscriptions  were  raised 
to  provide  for  a  bronze  medal  for  each  soldier,  commemorative  of  their  heroic 
service  upon  foreign  soil. 

Many  changes  occurred  in  the  personnel  of  the  First  Colorado  during  the 
period  of  service.  Officers  were  changed  frequently  and  many  men  from  the 
ranks  received  commissions.  Fully  10  per  cent  of  the  regiment  had  received 
discharges  at  Manila,  preferring  to  remain  in  the  service.  Most  of  these  men 
enlisted  in  the  Thirty-Sixth  U.  S.  Volunteer  Regiment,  being  organized  at  the 
time  the  First  sailed  for  home. 

C-\SUALTIES 

One  of  the  features  of  the  First  Colorado's  war  service  is  the  fact  that  so 
few  men  died  of  disease,  a  fact  which  proves  the  excellent  physical  character 
of  the  men,  and  the  efficient  sanitary  methods  of  the  regiment.  The  list  of  those 
who  died  in  the  service,  either  from  Spanish  bullets  or  sickness,  follows : 

Aldrich,  Archie  A.,  Company  E,  died  at  Manila,  April  18,  1899,  of  wounds. 

Bell,  William  H.,  Company  C,  died  of  smallpox,  January  11,  1899. 

Bowser,  Clifford  H.,  Company  K,  died  of  wounds,  June  9,  1899. 

Bryant,  R.  M.,  Company  K,  died  of  variola,  February  25,  1899. 

Bush,  W.  H.,  Company  I,  died  of  dysentery,  March  24,  1899. 

Carlson,  Charles,  Company  L,  killed  in  action,  February  5,  1899. 

Daniel,  Elmer  E.,  unassigned,  septicaemia,  at  San  Francisco,  August  i,  1898. 

Dawson,  B.  W.,  unassigned,  died  of  remittent  malarial  fever,  at  Honolulu, 
October  24,  1898. 

Donahue,  W.  J.,  Company  F,  variola,  February  26,  1899. 

Doran,  Elmer  F.,  Company  I,  killed  in  action,  February  5,  1899. 

Downing,  Walter,  Company  L,  acute  dysentery,  November  22,   1898. 

Doxsee;  Harry  L.,  Company  C,  killed  in  action,  May  23,  1899. 

Duval,  Frank  A.,  Company  F,  died  of  wounds,  June  28,  1899. 

Falkenburg,  Harry  C,  musician,  died  of  smallpox,  January  20,  1899. 

Haviland,  Albert,  Company  F,  variola,  February  24,  1899. 

Hegewer,  Bert  C,  unassigned,  spinal  meningitis,  at  San  Francisco,  Augu.5t 
15,  1898. 

Jefferson,  W.  S.,  Company  G,  typhoid  fever,  at  San  Francisco,  November 
20,   1898. 

Lillie,  Charles,  Company  I,  acute  diarrhoea,  February  10,   1899. 

Lindsey,  Frank  B.,  Company  E,  died  at  sea  on  homeward  voyage,  August  8, 
1899. 

Loosa,  August  II.,  unassigned,  septicaemia,  at  .San  Francisco,  August  5,  1898. 

McDowell.  Harry  A.,  Company  M,  suicide,  December  4,  1898. 

McMurray,  William  S.,  Company  C,  accidentally  drowned,  November  2, 
1898. 

Neptune,  Frank  D.,  Company  H,  at  San  Francisco,  August  22,  1899. 

Phillippi,  Leonard  E.,  Company  G,  died  of  wound,  April    i.   t8oO- 


726  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

Phoenix,  Charles,  Company  I,  died  of  wound,  August  i8,   i8g8. 
Pynchon,  Edward  R.,  Company  K,  died  of  wound,  March  20,  1899. 
Ramsay,  Arthur,  Company  F,  spinal  meningitis,  February  20,   1899. 
Reisig,  Harry  J.,  Company  M,  July  14,  1899. 
Sarazin,  Norbert,  Company  B,  typhoid  fever,  October  4,  1898. 
Saunders,  David  I.,  Company  I,  smallpox,  December  20,   1898. 
Scroggs,  John  A.,  Company  A,  acute  malaria,  October  4,  1898. 
Smith,  Bernard  J.,  Company  B,  variola,  March  18,  1899. 
Springstead,  F.  E.,  Company  K,  killed  m  action,  August  i,   1898. 
Stewart,  Capt.  John  S.,  Company  A,  killed  in  action,  March  25,  1899. 
Sullivan,  Niel  C,  Company  H,  spinal  meningitis,  June  4,  1898. 
Tinnerholm,   Ivan,   Company  H,  tuberculosis,  at   sea  on  homeward  voyage, 
August  2,  1899. 

Warrington,  George  W.,  Company  F,  dysentery,  July  8,  1899. 
White,  Cass,  Company  D,  killed  in  action,  February  5,  1899. 
Whiteside,  Thomas  F.,  Company  M,  at  Manila,  March  23,  1899. 
Wise,  Walter  W.,  spinal  meningitis,  at  sea,  July  5,  1898. 

SERVICE   OF   OTHER   COLORADO   TROOPS 

As  Stated  before,  the  remainder  of  Colorado's  troops  in  the  Spanish-American 
war  consisted  of  two  organizations  of  cavalry  and  one  battery  of  artillery.  There 
were  really  three  small  cavalry  troops  in  the  state — Troop  A  at  Leadville,  and 
Troops  B  and  C  at  Denver — but  A  and  3  received  precedence  over  C  as  ranking 
organizations.  Troops  A  and  B  were  mustered  into  the  United  States  service 
on  May  6th,  the  official  date  being  given  as  May  ist,  however.  The  officers  of 
Troop  A  were:  Charles  A.  McNutt,  captain;  John  Harvey,  Jr.,  first  lieutenant; 
and  Frederick  A.  Follett,  second  lieutenant.  Troop  B  was  officered  by:  William 
G.  Wheeler,  captain;  Arthur  L.  B.  Davies,  first  lieutenant;  Francis  A.  Perry, 
second  lieutenant.  These  two  troops  were  assigned  to  the  Second  United  States 
Volunteer  Cavalry,  under  command  of  Col.  Jay  L.  Torrey.  The  Colorado  troop- 
ers left  Denver  May  30th  for  Fort  D.  A.  Russell,  near  Cheyenne,  Wyoming,  and 
became  the  ranking  troops  of  "Torrey's  Rough  Riders."  On  June  22d  the  regi- 
ment left  Fort  D.  A.  Russell  and  proceeded  to  join  the  Seventh  Army  Corps, 
under  Gen.  Fitzhugh  Lee,  at  Jacksonville,  Florida.  Arrival  was  made  June  28th 
and  camp  was  pitched  at  Panama  Park,  near  the  city.  The  regiment,  with  the 
Seventh  Corps,  was  destined  for  active  service  in  Cuba,  also  attack  upon  Havana, 
but  the  early  closing  of  the  campaign  in  that  country  prevented  the  Second  Cav- 
alry from  leaving  its  native  soil.  The  regiment  remained  in  camp  at  Jacksonville 
until  October  24,  1898,  when  it  was  mustered  out  of  the  service.  Five  men  of 
the  Colorado  contingent  died  while  in  camp ;  these  were : 

Johnson,  Ralph  S.,  Troop  B,  died  of  fever.  September  10,  1898. 

Moss,  Peter  E.,  Troop  B,  died  of  fever,  September  15,  1898. 

Nellis,  George  G..  Troop  B,  died  of  fever,  September  15,  1898. 

O'Brien,  William  J.,  Troop  B,  died  of  fever,  September  13,  1898. 

Woodhall,  Serg.  Thomas  A.,  serving  on  Colonel  Torrey's  staff,  died  of  fever, 
October  2,  1898. 

The  Colorado   Battery,   formed   from   the   Chaffee   Light   Artillery,   was   not 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  727 

mustered  into  the  United  States  service  until  July  i,  1898.  The  officers  were: 
Harry  J.  Parks,  captain;  John  G.  Locke,  first  lieutenant;  and  John  C.  Exline, 
second  lieutenant.  The  organization  was  assigned  as  Battery  A,  First  Colorado 
Volunteer  Artillery,  but  was  known  as  an  independent  battery  during  the  term 
of  service.  On  July  2,  1898,  the  battery  was  taken  to  Fort  Logan,  near  Denver, 
and  there  remained  until  August  12th,  when  it  was  transferred  to  Fort  Hancock, 
New  Jersey,  arriving  August  i6th.  Here  the  battery  stayed  until  mustered  out 
of  the  service  November  7,  1898.  No  deaths  occurred  in  Battery  A  during  this 
period. 

Two  other  young  men  of  Denver  who  met  death  in  the  service  were  Herbert 
A.  Lafferty  and  Thomas  R.  Sullivan.  Lafiferty,  a  graduate  of  West  Point  in 
February,  1898,  became  a  second  lieutenant  in  the  Seventh  U.  S.  Infantry,  served 
in  Cuba,  and  died  at  Montauk  Point,  New  York,  September  17,  1898  of  wounds 
received  at  Santiago,  Cuba.  Sullivan,  formerly  member  of  Troop  B,  Colorado 
National  Guard,  was  discharged  March  9,  1898,  and  became  first  lieutenant  in 
Company  I,  First  U.  S.  Volunteer  Engineers,  contracted  fever  in  Porto  Rico 
and  died  in  New  York  City  November  3,  1898. 

THE    WORLD    WAR 

The  story  of  Colorado's  participation  in  the  events  which  have  occurred  since 
the  United  States'  entrance  into  the  present  World  War  is  one  of  patriotism  and 
pride.  The  state  has  accomplished  great  things  in  preparation  and  has  not  only 
given  freely  of  her  youth,  but  has  given  money  continually  and  liberally.  The 
future  historian  of  the  State  of  Colorado  will  have  a  larger  and  greater  story  to 
tell  of  the  state's  share  in  the  great  struggle  overseas,  as  now  the  accomplish- 
ments have  been  directed  toward  the  war  preparations  and  other  tasks  necessary 
for  the  insurance  of  success.  In  the  columns  of  the  Rocky  Mountain  News, 
Governor  Julius  C.  Gunter  stated: 

"Colorado  is  shaped  for  war.  The  state  is  organized  to  meet  any  demand 
the  nation  may  make.  At  the  threshold  of  the  New  Year  (1918)  Colorado  faces 
the  war  problem  of  future  months  with  a  council  of  defense  in  every  county  of 
the  state.  This  means  that  our  state  is  well  advanced  in  preparation  to  bear  its 
part  and  to  do  its  share  in  all  of  the  services  President  Wilson  had  in  mind  when 
he  said :  'It  is  not  an  army  we  must  shape  and  train  for  war;  it  is  a  nation,'  and  it 
further  means  that  Colorado's  people,  zealous  to  give  their  abilities  and  resources 
to  the  cause  of  the  world's  democracy  and  liberty,  are  coordinated  and  unified 
in  organizations  that  can  quickly  and  effectively  translate  into  action  the  policies 
of  their  chief  executives,  state  and  nation.  Thus  prepared,  Colorado  will  bend 
its  energies  in  concentration  upon  the  performance  of  its  work. 

"Our  state  began  its  loyal  action  before  even  the  declaration  of  war.  First 
an  appropriation  in  the  regular  session  of  the  Legislature,  in  anticipation  of  the 
possibility  of  war.  .^gain,  on  March  29,  191 7.  four  days  before  our  President  de- 
livered his  historic  address  at  the  joint  session  of  Congress,  and  eight  days  before 
the  issuance  of  the  official  proclamation  declaring  the  existence  of  a  state  of  war 
with  Germany,  the  chief  executive  of  this  state  called  together  a  voluntary  group 
of  citizens  to  advise  and  aid  in  the  direction  of  Colorado's  war  activities.  From 
then  until  now  that  group  of  volunteers,  since  enlarged  as  conditions  have  de- 


728  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

manded,  has  been  laboring  continuously  and  zealously  to  meet  fundamental 
needs."  This  organization  is  now  known  as  the  Colorado  Council  of  Defense 
which,  with  its  auxiliary,  the  Woman's  Council  of  Defense,  has  done  such  lauda- 
ble work. 

Prior  to  the  outbreak  of  the  war  the  National  Guard  of  Colorado  was  con- 
sidered one  of  the  best  state  organizations  in  the  country.  This  body  of  men 
was  well  equipped,  well  trained  and  every  way  ready  for  instant  call  to  the  colors. 
The  state  National  Guard  aggregated  about  forty-two  hundred  men  when  mus- 
tered into  the  United  States  service  on  August  5,  1917.  The  mustering  was 
directed  at  that  time  by  Capt.  I.  L.  Hunsaker  of  the  regulars,  who  had  been  de- 
tailed by  the  War  Department  as  senior  mustering  officer  for  Colorado.  Previ- 
ously, on  July  /th,  the  troops  had  been  mobilized  by  Governor  Gunter's  orders 
and  encamped  while  awaiting  formal  muster.  By  the  close  of  the  year  prac- 
tically all  of  the  companies  and  regiments  had  been  transported  to  national  camps. 
The  First  and  Second  Regiments  of  Infantry  and  the  First  Regiment  of  Cavalry 
were  stationed  at  Camp  Kearney,  Linda  Vista,  California,  also  a  signal  corps 
company  was  there.  The  First  Battalion  of  Field  Artillery  was  despatched  to 
Camp  Mills,  Long  Island,  New  York,  there  becoming  a  part'  of  the  Sunset  Divi- 
sion. The  Field  Hospital  Company  of  the  Colorado  National  Guard  is  now  upon 
French  soil,  being  part  of  the  famous  Rainbow  Divisioin. 

Something  of  the  war  activities  of  Colorado  during  the  year  may  be  learned 
from  the  following  figures : 

Number  of  officers  and  men  of  the  Colorado  National  Guard  in  the 

United   States  service    4,250 

Number  of  Colorado  citizens  drafted  and  sent  to  the  national  camps  4,753 

Red  Cross  funds  subscribed  by  the  state $1,570,000 

Red  Cross  funds  subscribed  by  Denver  City $714,500 

Colorado's  subscription  to  First  Liberty  Loan $18,000,000 

Denver's  subscription  to  First  Liberty  Loan   $12,900,000 

Colorado's  subscription  to  Second  Liberty  Loan    $23,017,850 

Denver's  subscription   to  Second  Liberty  Loan    $14,913,600 

Total  registration  in  state  under  selective  conscription  law   83,847 

Total  registration  of   Denver    18.468 

While  Colorado  boys  are  going  to  war  to  fight  for  democracy,  echoes  come  of 
that  old  conflict  back  in  the  '60s  when  other  Colorado  boys,  some  of  them  fathers 
of  those  who  are  now  going  to  the  front,  were  fighting  for  an  undivided  nation 
and  the  right  to  open  western  America  to  the  white  man. 

A  document  of  interest  to  state  historians  has  recently  come  from  one  of 
those  who  helped  to  write  the  early  chapters  of  the  history  of  Colorado  in  war 
time.  Sylvester  Gilson,  private  of  Company  B,  Second  Colorado  Cavalry,  now 
living  in  Los  Angeles,  has  added  to  the  archives  a  copy  of  the  parting  address 
of  Capt.  J.  C.  W.  Hall  as  he  bade  his  comrades  farewell  and  retired  from  the 
service  with  the  reorganization  of  the  regiment  in  Fort  Leavenworth,  Kansas,  on 
November  15,  1864. 

Colorado  was  nearly  a  thousand  miles  from  the  seat  of  the  conflict,  isolated 
by  untracked  prairies  stretching  from  the  mountains  to  the  Mississippi,  yet  its 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  729 

troops  did  valiant  service  in  heading  off  raiding  guerrila  bands  and  played  a 
part  in  the  defense  of  St.  Louis  from  capture  by  Confederates.  The  long  hike 
those  early  day  Colorado  soldiers  took  gives  them  a  unique  place  in  the  history  of 
the  Civil  war. 

The  address  of  the  retiring  captain  in  part  recites  this  march,  but  the 
achievement  can  better  be  appreciated  when  one  considers  that  the  route  of  the 
regiment  wove  from  Denver  through  New  Mexico  to  Honey  Spnngs,  Arkansas, 
to  Fort  Gibson,  in  the  Cherokee  nation;  to  St.  Louis  and  back  to  Kansas  City 
and  Fort  Leavenworth. 

REGIMENTS  CONSOLIDATED   AS   CAVALRY   UNIT 

The  Second  and  Third  Colorado  regiments  were  filled  with  their  full  com- 
plement of  men  and  it  was  decided  to  consolidate  them  and  make  them  cavalry 
instead  of  infantry.  This  was  effected  at  Benton  Barracks,  near  St.  Louis,  and 
it  was  then  that  a  readjustment  of  the  official  roster  became  necessary  and  Cap- 
tain Hall  retired. 

James  H.  Ford  became  colonel,  T.  H.  Dodd,  lieutenant  colonel,  S.  S.  Curtis, 
J.  Nelson  Smith  and  Jesse  L.  Pritchard,  majors  of  the  new  cavalry  regiment, 
which  under  the  consolidation  became  a  regiment  of  twelve  squadrons  magnifi- 
cently mounted  and  armed.  Colonel  Ford  was  placed  in  command  of  the  district 
of  central  Missouri,  Captain  Hall  became  his  provost  marshal. 

The  troops  had  frequent  skirmishes  with  bands  of  Missouri  bushwhackers, 
the  most  harrassing  and  perilous  form  of  warfare  which  had  been  known  to  that 
time,  and  invariably  the  men  from  the  mountains  of  Colorado  acquitted  them- 
selves with  credit. 

The  address  of  their  retiring  commander  recites  some  of  their  deeds  as  gen- 
eral orders  No.  40: 

UNFLINCHING  DRAVERY  PRAISED  BY  OFFICER 

"The  captain  commanding  announces  to  the  members  of  his  company  that  he 
this  day  leaves  you  as  your  company  commander,  and  in  leaving  you  he  leaves 
a  company  which  is  a  pride  to  its  adopted  territory  and  his  pride  to  command, 
and  whose  gallantry  and  good  deportment  now  forms  a  part  of  their  country's 
history. 

"You  were  the  first  soldiers  to  leave  Colorado  in  defense  of  your  country; 
you  were  the  only  representatives  of  Colorado  at  the  battle  of  Val  Verde,  New 
Mexico,  February  21,  1862,  and  your  participation  in  that  conflict  has  been  a 
theme  of  praise. 

"You  nobly  sustained  your  reputation  in  the  different  skirmishes,  long  and 
toilsome  marches  through  snow,  wind  and  sandstorms,  in  driving  the  Te.\an  army 
from  the  soil  of  New  Mexico. 

"Your  footprints  in  the  sands  and  the  sweat  of  your  brows  while  on  the 
march  from  Fort  Union,  New  Mexico,  to  Fort  Blunt,  Cherokee  Nation,  a  dis- 
tance of  over  twelve  hundred  miles,  and  your  conduct  at  the  battle  of  Cabin 
Creek,  Cherokee  Nation,  July  t  and  2,  1863;  your  forced  inarch  and  the  unflinch- 
ing bravery  manifested  in  the  hard-fought  battle  of  Honey  .Springs,  July  17,  1863; 


730  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

the  untiring  energy-  with  which  you  performed  the  duties  of  provost  guard  and 
guarded  for  so  long  a  time  a  large  number  of  prisoners  at  Fort  Blunt,  will  long 
be  remembered. 

"Your  march  from  Fort  Blunt,  Cherokee  Nation,  to  St.  Louis,  Missouri, 
thence  across  the  state  to  Kansas  City,  Missouri,  in  the  dead  of  winter;  your 
many  toilsome  and  dangerous  scouts  after  bushwhackers  in  the  district  of  central 
Missouri;  your  efficiency  as  provost  guard  at  Kansas  City,  Missouri,  incurring 
the  love  as  soldiers  and  as  a  company  of  all  citizens  who  knew  you,  and  finally, 
•your  bravery  and  devotion  to  your  country's  cause  in  volunteering  after  the  term 
of  service  of  the  larger  portion  of  you  had  expired,  and  joining  your  regiment  in 
the  hard-fought  battles  of  Little  Blue,  Missouri,  October  21,  1864;  Big  Blue 
and  Westport,  Missouri,  October  22  and  23,  1864,  and  your  conduct  in  the  many 
skirmishes  and  night  marches  in  driving  Price's  army  with  marked  rapidity  to 
the  State  of  Texas,  and  the  cheerfulness  with  which  you  have  marched '  over 
five  thousand  miles  as  infantry,  and  performed  every  required  duty  as  infantry 
and  cavalry  soldiers,  forms  a  part  of  a  most  worthy  history. 

HEROIC   DEAD   ARE    LAUDED   FOR   SACRIFICE 

"Your  territory  honors  you,  and  it  is  with  pride  that  your  friends  speak  of 
you  as  soldiers  of  Company  B,  Second  Colorado  Cavalry.  The  price  of  your 
good  name  is  shown  in  the  records  of  your  comrades  who  have  been  wounded, 
and  who  have  laid  down  their  lives  as  a  sacrifice  to  their  country's  honor  and 
integrity,  to  the  perpetuity  of  her  institutions  and  of  the  Union. 

"The  sad  dreams  of  the  past  bring  mournfully  to  our  minds  the  names  of 
Privates  West,  Hicks,  Brown,  Woodward,  McKee,  George,  Eastland  and  Dicka- 
son  as  having  a  place  among  the  heroic  dead  of  our  commonwealth,  besides  many 
others  who  have  their  names  upon  the  list  of  those  wounded  and  maimed  for  life. 

"I  would  say  to  you,  as  a  parting  request,  remember  and  appreciate  the  com- 
pliments and  kindness  awarded  you  by  your  colonel,  James  H.  Ford,  your  com- 
manding generals,  Canby,  Carleton,  Blunt,  Curtis  and  Brown.  To  those  of 
the  company  who  are  soon  to  indulge  in  a  citizen  life,  I  would  say,  encourage 
and  uphold  the  institutions  of  our  Government,  and  encourage  a  vigorous  prosecu- 
tion of  the  war. 

"To  those  of  the  company  who  are  to  continue  in  the  service,  I  would  say, 
stand  by  the  principles  you  first  enlisted  upon,  stand  by  your  country,  and  when 
the  contest  comes  between  you  and  the  enemy  of  the  Union,  strike  and  battle 
with  will  and  determination  until  the  last  foe  has  fled  who  would  sever  and  de- 
stroy this  glorious  Union,  and  the  true  and  wise  will  sustain  you,  and  the  patri- 
otic will  honor  you." 

FORT    LOGAN 

Early  in  the  year  1887,  Henry  R.  Wolcott.  Sen.  N.  P.  Hill,  David  H.  Mofifat 
and  other  wealthy  men  proposed  to  donate  a  tract  of  land  sufficient  for  the  estab- 
lishment of  a  larjre  garrison  near  Denver.  The  real  leader  of  the  movement  was 
Maj.  \\'.  S.  Peabody,  who  acted  as  agent  for  the  men  interested  and  for  the 
Chamber  of  Commerce,  and  who  also  aided  in  drafting  the  bill  which  went  through 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  731 

the  lower  House  of  Congress.  On  February  28,  1887,  Congress  passed  an  act 
authorizing  the  secretary  of  war  to  establish  a  military  post  near  Denver;  the 
same  act  appropriated  Sioo.ooo  to  be  expended  under  the  secretary's  direction 
for  the  necessary  construction  work.  The  State  of  Colorado  was  required  to  cede 
jurisdiction  over  the  tract  of  ground  used  by  the  post.  Gen.  Phil  Sheridan  came 
to  Denver  and  selected  the  present  location  from  a  great  number  offered,  and 
after  it  had  been  accepted  by  the  War  Department,  Gen.  George  K.  Brady,  with 
two  companies  of  the  Eighteenth  Infantr)',  was  ordered  to  proceed  to  the  ground 
and  erect  temporary  quarters,  the  site  to  be  known  as  "Camp  near  the  City  of 
Denver."  In  November  of  the  same  year  (1887)  Capt.  L.  E.  Campbell,  of  the 
quartermaster's  departjuent,  was  ordered  to  Denver  to  begin  the  construction  of 
permanent  quarters.  At  the  end  of  three  years  the  post  was  an  accomplished 
fact,  and  Col.  H.  C.  Merriam,  with  six  companies  of  the  Seventh  Infantrj',  took 
possession.  For  some  time  the  post  was  called  Fort  Sheridan,  but  the  people  of 
Chicago,  Illinois,  had  given  their  post  the  name  of  Fort  Logan.  When  the  matter 
was  submitted  to  General  Sheridan  he  switched  the  titles  and  the  new  Colorado 
post  became  known  by  its  present  name — Fort  Logan. 

Fort  Logan  is  not,  at  the'present  time,  a  regular  training  post  of  the  U.  S.  A., 
although  strong  efiforts  have  been  made  to  have  it  created  as  such.  The  post  is 
used  as  a  receiving  station,  however,  for  thousands  of  enlisted  and  drafted  men, 
and  here  they  are  outfitted  and  given  some  preliminary  training  before  being 
assigned  to  permanent  training  camps. 


CHAPTER  XXXVII       . 
THE  BENCH  AND  BAR 

COLORADO    COURTS HISTORY    OF    THE    APPELLATE    COURTS,    BY    JUDGE    WILBUR    F. 

STONE — THE  PIONEER  BENCH  AND  BAR,  BY  JUDGE  WILBUR  F.  STONE — REMINIS- 
CENCES OF  THE  EARLY  BENCH  AND  BAR,  BY  C.  S.  THOMAS,  T.  J.  o'DONNELL, 
W.  H.  GABBERT,  JOHN  F.  PHILIPS  AND  E.  T.  WELLS THE  COLORADO  BAR  ASSO- 
CIATION 

COLORADO  COURTS 

The  courts  of  Colorado,  as  provided  for  and  established  by  the  state  consti- 
tution, are  the  supreme  court,  district  courts,  county  courts,  courts  of  justices 
of  the  peace  and  municipal  or  police  courts.  The  general  assembly  has  author- 
ity to  establish  whatever  other  courts  deemed  necessary. 

The  supreme  court  has  appellate  jurisdiction  only,  excepting-  that  it  may 
exercise  original  jurisdiction  in  the  issuance  of  extraordinary  writs,  such  as 
habeas  corpus,  injunction,  mandamus,  ne  exeat,  etc.,  concurrently  with  the  district 
courts. 

The  district  courts  have  original  jurisdictioin  in  all  civil  and  criminal  cases, 
with  appellate  jurisdiction  over  cases  brought  up  thereto  from  inferior  courts. 
There  are  thirteen  judicial  districts  in  the  state,  in  the  larger  of  which  there  are 
more  than  one  judge  for  the  same  district.  In  the  Denver  District,  comprising 
the  "city  and  county  of  Denver,"  there  are  five  judges  of  the  court  sitting  in  five 
several  divisons,  in  one  of  which  all  the  criminal  cases  are  tried,  each  of  the 
judges  in  turn  presiding  therein  for  a  certain  period. 

The  county  courts,  one  for  each  county,  took  the  place  of  the  county  courts 
of  the  territory,  which  were  termed  the  "probate  courts."  The  county  courts  of 
Colorado  are  courts  of  record,  with  jurisdiction  in  matters  of  probate  and  in- 
heritance of  estates,  as  well  as  limited  jurisdiction  in  most  of  other  civil  actions, 
concurrently  with  the  district  courts,  and  from  which  appeals  lie  to  the  district 
and  supreme  courts. 

Justices  of  the  peace  have  the  ordinary  jurisdiction  of  such  magistrates  in 
other  states,  with  appeals  therefrom  to  the  county  and  district  courts. 

The  constitution  fixed  the  number  of  judges  of  the  supreme  court  at  three 
and  the  length  of  a  single  term  of  office  at  nine  years.  But  in  the  case  of  those 
first  elected  upon  the  organization  of  the  state  the  three  were  to  draw  lots  re- 
spectively for  the  short  term  of  three  years,  the  middle  term  of  six  years,  and 
the  full  term  of  nine,  so  that  a  new  judge  should  come  upon  the  bench  every 
three  years.  It  also  provided  that  the  judge  thus  assigned  to  the  shortest  term 
should  preside  as  chief  justice  to  the  end  of  his  term,  and  so  on  in  succession. 

732 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  733 

The  three  supreme  judges  kept  up  with  the  docketed  cases  very  well  for  about 
ten  years,  then  the  court  became  overburdened.  To  relieve  this  congested  con- 
dition, a  commission  of  three  members  was  formed  to  aid  in  the  work,  but  this, 
however,  failed  and  was  discontinued. 

All  other  experiments  having  been  tried,  an  appellate  court  or  a  court  of  ap- 
peals was  created  to  divide  the  labor  and  this  aided  greatly  for  several  years. 
However,  it  was  then  deemed  best  to  increase  the  number  of  judges  of  the 
supreme  court.  Therefore,  after  the  adoption  of  a  constitutional  amendment  for 
that  purpose,  that  court  was,  in  1905,  enlarged  to  seven  members  and  the  court 
of  appeals  was  discontinued.  But  since  that  time  the  business  of  the  supreme 
court  had  so  increased  that  the  Eighteenth  General  Assembly  (1911)  found  it 
necessary  to  recreate  the  appellate  court  of  four  members,  to  be  appointed  by 
the  governor.  The  duration  of  this  tribunal  is  limited  to  four  years  and  its 
work  is  to  be  the  decision  of  cases  already  docketed  in  the  supreme  court,  in 
order  to  allow  the  latter  court  to  "catch  up." 

In  addition  to  the  state  courts  are  the  United  States  Courts — the  district  court 
of  Colorado  and  the  circuit  court  of  appeals  for  the  districts  embracing  the  state. 
The  judges  of  the  U.  S.  District  Court  for  Colorado  have  been :  Moses  Hallett, 
January  23,  1877,  to  May  i,  1906,  retired;  Robert  E.  Lewis,  May  i,  1906  until 
the  present  time. 

THE    APPELLATE    COURTS 

In  a  paper  read  before  the  bar  association,  January  12,  1905,  during  the 
ceremonies  attending  the  convening  of  the  reorganized  supreme  court,  Judge 
Wilbur  F.  Stone  related  the  following  facts  concerning  the  appellate  courts  of 
the  state : 

"Our  Appellate  Courts  began  with  the  organization  of  the  Territory  under 
the  organic  Act  of  Congress  of  February  28,  1861.  Forty- four  years  is  a  long 
time  in  the  lives  of  those  of  us  who  came  here  before  that  date — covering  more 
than  the  chloroform  period  of  Dr.  Osier — but  I  shall  try  to  give  you  a  so-called 
'history'  inside  of  forty  minutes ;  a  little  longer  than  the  average  divorce  trial, 
but  much  shorter  than  the  Kansas-Colorado  water  case. 

"In  the  organization  of  all  the  Western  Territories  during  a  half  century 
past  the  form  of  goverimient  provided  by  Congress  has,  with  a  few  late  excep- 
tions, been  almost  identical  in  each. 

"The  chief  judicial  department  consisted  of  three  judges,  appointed  by  the 
President  of  the  United  States,  an  attorney  (usually  called  in  the  territory  the 
'Attorney  General'),  and  a  marshal.  Inferior  courts  were  i)rovidcd  by  terri- 
torial .statutes.  The  legislature  at  its  first  .session  divided  the  territory  into  three 
judicial  districts,  and  assigned  each  judge  to  one  of  such  districts  for  the 
holding  of  courts  at  times  and  places  designated  by  statutory  provisions,  as  also 
were  fixed  the  dates  on  which  the  judges  were  to  convene  at  the  capitol  and 
hold  sessions  of  the  Supreme  Court.  These  judges  held  the  double  headed  posi- 
tion of  trying  causes  at  first  instance  in  their  respective  districts,  independent  of 
each  other,  and  then  coming  together  and,  without  change  of  stage  make-up, 
immediately  transforming  themselves  into  a  supreme  appellate  court  to  decide 
each  other's  cases  brought  up  from  their  iiisi  l^riiis  jurisdiction.     This,  then,  was 


734  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

the  first  appellate  court  of  Colorado.  Very  simple  it  was.  The  simplicity  refers 
to  the  system  and  character  of  the  court — not  the  judges. 

"Quite  anomalous,  and  one  can  fancy  it  rather  embarrassing  at  times,  when 
the  Chief  Justice  should  request  one  of  his  associates  to  retire  while  the  two 
conspired  to  reverse  the  absent  member,  and  thereafter  the  two  associates  po- 
litely hint  that  the  Chief  Justice  should  step  out — to  see  a  man — one  at  the  bar, 
for  example — while  the  two  associate  conspirators  got  even  by  taking  the  Chief 
down  a  peg  in  the  reversal  of  his  proudest  decision. 

"Some  amusing  stories  were  told  out  of  this  triangular  school,  and  tradition 
has  it  that  Judge  Belford  sometimes  used  to  cross  the  triangle  on  the  hypoth- 
enuse  and  beat  both  pitcher  and  batter  by  a  solution  in  trigonometry — in  the 
role  of  umpire  and  cube  rooter. 

"The  history  of  courts  is  more  or  less  a  history  of  their  judges,  for  courts 
are  very  much  what  the  judges  make  them.  A  court  is  not  a  mere  vehicle  into 
which  a  judge  steps,  is  carried,  and  steps  out  like  a  passenger.  Every  court 
takes  its  quality  and  complexion  from  the  judge,  and  its  influence  and  effects  are 
measured  by  the  structure  of  the  man  and  not  the  machine. 

"The  first  three  judges  of  the  territory  appointed  were  Bepjamin  F.  Hall, 
Charles  Lee  Armour  and  S.  Newton  Pettis.  The  latter  came,  saw,  was  con- 
quered, resigned  and  left  the  country  without  ever  sitting  in  court,  and  Judge 
Allan  A.  Bradford  was  appointed  successor. 

"Colorado  had  its  quota  of  experience  with  carpet-bag  appointees  in  the 
early  days,  and  complaints  were  hard  to  get  to  the  ear  of  Washington  while  the 
civil  war  was  raging  and  its  results  engrossing  administrative  attention. 

"Chief  Justice  Hall  was  a  good  man,  but  served  only  about  two  years,  and 
was  succeeded  by  Stephen  H.  Harding,  a  former  Governor  of  Utah. 

"Judge  Charles  Lee  Armour,  of  Maryland,  was  one  whom  the  irreverent 
called  a  'cuss.'  A  talented,  cranky,  inscrutable,  many-sided  tyrant.  Among  other 
peculiarities  he  required  every  one  taking  an  oath  to  swear  on  an  old,  musty 
Bible  and  kiss  the  begrimed  book,  regardless  of  the  labial  transfusion  of  pre- 
historic microbes. 

"He  became  so  unpopular  in  a  year  that,  after  petitions  for  his  removal  had 
proved  unavailing,  the  legislature  (which  then  held  sessions  annually)  redis- 
tricted  the  territory — our  first  legislative  gerrj-mander — and  assigned  him  to  a 
district  over  the  range,  consisting  of  the  two  Mexican  counties  of  Conejos  and 
Costilla,  far  from  the  madding  crowd. 

"But  with  sublime  defiance  he  refused  to  visit  his  adobe  castles  in  Spain  or 
resign  his  office,  but  smilingly  smoked  his  imported  cigars  (imported  by  bull 
train  from  Missouri),  sipped  his  toddies,  of  which  he  was  fond,  drew  his 
salar}-,  of  which  he  was  .fonder,  and  held  out  his  term  as  a  gentleman  of  elegant 
leisure. 

"Judge  Bradford  had  lived  in  the  Gregory  diggings  before  his  appointment 
and  so  was  one  of  the  Pike's  Peak  people.  He  was  a  native  of  New  England, 
having,  to  use  his  own  expression,  'escaped  from  Elaine'  when  young,  and  had 
been  raised  on  the  Western  frontiers.  A  most  remarkable  man.  and  whose 
eccentricities,  quaint  speech  and  grotesque  mannerisms  were  proverbial  during 
his  long  and  honorable  life  which  closed  a  few  years  ago  at  his  Pueblo  home. 

"Chief  Tustice  Harding  was  another  unsatisfactory  official   from  the  outside. 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  735 

"His  venalilv  and  general  unfitness  became  so  odious  that  finally  the  bar 
organized  what  would  now  be  termed  a  boycott  against  him.  Every  lawyer 
moved  a  continuance  of  his  cases,  and  if  not  granted,  refused  to  try  them  in  his 
court  from  term  to  term,  until  one  morning  the  Judge  hitched  up  a  team  and 
trekked  across  the  plains  to  the  rising  sun — literally,  his  former  home.  Rising 
Sun,  Indiana. 

"By  the  united  elTort  of  the  Bar  and  people,  in  1886,  the  then  young  Moses 
Hallet  was  appointed  Chief  Justice,  and  soon  afterwards  William  R.  Gorsline,  of 
the  Gilpin  County  Bar,  an  able  lawyer,  formerly  a  judge  in  Wisconsin,  and  uni- 
versally beloved,  was  appointed  an  associate  justice,  and  in  1871  Ebenezer  T. 
Wells  came  upon  the  bench. 

"Judge  Wells  came  here  after  being  mustered  out  of  the  army  at  the  close 
of  the  civil  war  and  entered  into  active  practice. 

"He  compiled  the  first  revision  of  our  statutes,  a  most  painstaking  and 
useful  work,  and  his  coming  upon  the  bench  was  a  welcome  acquisition. 

"Judge  Belford  came  to  the  bench  here  in  1870,  and  came  to  stay ;  he  stayed, 
became  one  of  us,  and  as  the  chanticleer  of  the  Rocky  Mountain  roost,  he  helped 
chant  the  greatness  of  our  new  West  from  the  peaks  to  the  halls  of  Congress 
on  the  Potomac. 

"From  1866,  having  a  majority  of  judges  of  our  choice,  the  courts  moved  on 
smoothly  to  the  date  of  our  admission  to  statehood. 

"From  the  organization  of  the  territory  until  its  admission  as  a  State  there 
were  only  three  Chief  Justices — Hall,  Harding  and  Hallett.  Hall  presided  from 
1 88 1  to  1883  Harding  to  1888,  and  Hallett — the  last  of  this  alliterative  line — 
sat  in  the  middle  the  last  ten  years  of  territorial  life. 

"The  Associate  Justices  who  served  in  the  same  period  were  the  following: 
Charles  Lee  Armour,  Allan  A.  Bradford,  Charles  F.  Holly,  Wm.  H.  Gale,  \Vm. 
R.  Gorsline,  Christian  S.  Eyster,  James  B.  Belford,  Ebenezer  T.  Wells  and 
Amherst  W.  Stone. 

"Judge  Hallett  was  the  youngest  in  years  and  length  of  practice  of  all  the 
early  judges  when  he  came  to  the  bench,  but  in  study  and  knowledge  of  law  he 
was  accounted  the  equal  of  any  and  the  superior  of  most. 

"Boyish  in  appearance  he  was  familiarly  called  'Moses'  by  the  older  mem- 
bers, and  his  natural  modest  shyness  suggested  the  witty  and  genial  General 
Bowen  to  always  address  him  as  'Moses  the  meek.'  I  have  been  told,  however, 
by  old  practitioners  of  his  court,  that,  like  his  illustrious  Hebraic  namesake,  the 
halo  of  meekness  which  our  judge  of  the  Federal  Court  wore  as  a  conspicuous 
crown  in  his  timorous  years,  has,  through  the  friction  of  years  and  the  habitual 
exercise  of  undivided  official  authority,  become  frayed,  faded  and  almost  in- 
visible. 

"Upon  the  admission  of  the  state  the  .'supreme  Court  under  our  constitution 
continued  to  be  the  sole  appellate  court,  as  well  as  the  court  of  last  resort,  uiUil 
the  business  of  that  court  could  no  longer  be  kept  up  without  auxiliary  remedy. 
X'^arious  plans  w-ere  discussed  by  that  Bench  and  the  Bar.  For  myself,  T  always 
favored  an  increase  of  judges  of  the  Supreme  Court  as  the  least  complex  and 
the  most  economic  system,  not  only  in  the  matter  of  expense,  but  in  efficiency  of 
accomplishment.  During  the  last  two  years  of  my  term — 1885  and  1886 — 
Judges  Beck  and  Helm   with  myself  made  earnest  efforts  to  have  the  judges 


736  '  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

increased  to  at  least  five  in  number,  but  a  coterie  of  the  political  pontiffs  of  both 
parties  at  that  time,  for  what  seemed  to  be  partisan  or  personal  motives,  set 
foot  against  and  prevented  all  steps  for  the  enlargement  of  the  Supreme  Court. 

"The  plan  of  a  Supreme  Court  Commission,  which  was  then  being  tried  in 
several  states,  was  finally  agreed  upon,  and  by  Act  of  March  7,  1887,  the  Legis- 
lative Assembly  provided  for  such  commission,  to  consist  of  three  members,  and 
A.  J.  Rising,  Thomas  Macon  and  J.  C.  Stalcup  were  appointed  as  the  first  com- 
missioners. 

"It  did  not  take  long  to  prove  that  the  work  of  the  Commission  failed  in 
giving  proper  relief.     The  work  was  not  independent  and  final. 

"The  Supreme  Court  handed  out  to  the  commissioners  certain  of  their  pend- 
ing cases.  The  commissioners  examined,  decided  and  submitted  their  opinion 
to  the  Supreme  Court. 

"The  latter  had  then  to  go  over  the  whole  case  to  determine  whether  they 
agreed  with  the  commission,  and  if  not,  they  had  then  to  make  and  write  an 
opinion  themselves.  This  involved  just  about  as  much  time  and  labor  on  the 
part  of  the  court  as  if  the  commission  had  not  existed.  In  fact,  the  function 
of  the  commission  practically  amounted  to  no  more  than  a  finding  and  report  of 
facts  and  law,  requiring  re-examination  in  every  case,  and  in  many  cases  a 
rejection  of  findings  and  a  different  decision  and  written  opinion  ab  initio. 

"Hence,  by  Act  of  April  6,  1891,  the  legislature  abolished  the  commission 
and  established  the  Court  of  Appeals,  consisting  of  three  judges,  and  possessing 
limited  appellate  jurisdiction  of  cases  tried  in  the  nis-i  prius  courts. 

"The  first  judges  of  this  court  were  George  O.  Richmond,  Gilbert  B.  Reed 
and  Julius  Bissell. 

"That  court  has  done  a  vast  amount  of  business,  and  with  results  generally 
well  approved  by  the  bar,  so  far  as  I  have  ever  heard. 

"But  it  has  failed  of  being  the  ideal  aid  in  the  division  of  appellate  business 
of  the  state,  not  from  the  fault  of  the  judges,  but  from  a  variety  of  circum- 
stances connected  with  the  respective  jurisdiction  of  the  two  appellate  courts 
and  the  friction  of  their  separate  machinery — causes  which  need  not  be  here 
discussed  since  they  have  been  long  understood  by  the  Bench  and  Bar,  and  the 
end  thereof  is  now  come. 

"Such  in  brief  is  an  imperfect  review  of  the  appellate  courts  of  the  territory 
and  state  up  to  this  date. 

"By  recent  constitutional  amendments  and  statutory  provisions  the  Court  of 
Appeals  passed  out  of  existence  yesterday,  to  be  merged  into  the  greater  Su- 
preme Court  of  to-day. 

"However  interesting  it  might  be,  there  is  not  time  on  this  occasion  to  speak 
of  the  work  and  the  debated  questions  involved  in  the  framing  of  the  judiciary 
article  of  the  constitution  by  the  judiciary  committee  of  the  constitutional  con- 
vention (of  which  committee  I  had  the  honor  to  be  chairman),  and  of  how 
much  would  have  been  incorporated  in  that  article  which  has  had  to  be  done 
since  piecemeal  by  amendment,  and  not  all  done  yet  that  ought  to  be,  had  we 
known  that  the  constitution  would  have  been  so  overwhelminglv  adopted  at  the 
election  therefor,  instead  of  being  defeated  as  was  feared  if  loaded  WMth  sup- 
posed encumbrances. 

"I  cannot  refrain  from  alluding:  to  the  character  of  the  laws  enacted  in  the 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  737 

early  sessions  of  the  territorial  legislature.  Those  laws  were  just  what  were 
needful,  no  more,  no  less;  they  were  wise  and  beneficial  and  constituted  a  solid 
basis  for  the  government  of  the  state  in  after  years.  That  the  enactment  of 
such  laws  was  due  chiefly  to  the  able  and  honorable  lawyers  of  that  day  is  a 
matter  of  history. 

"And  much  is  due  to  the  proper  interpretation  of  that  body  of  early  laws  by 
such  able  benchers  as  llallet,  Gorsline  and  Wells. 

"It  is  a  salutary  legal  adage  that  the  proper  function  of  a  court  is  not  to 
make  law,  but  to  ascertain  and  declare  what  is  the  existing  law. 

"Yet  every  lawyer  knows  that  much  law,  and  of  the  best  quality,  has  always 
had  to  be  made  in  a  certain  way  by  the  courts,  outside  the  letter  of  statutory 
enactment.  All  the  maxims  and  foundation  principles  of  law  have  come  to  us 
through  the  channels  of  the  logic,  analysis,  moral  deduction,  interpretation  and 
application  to  changing  conditions,  as  enunciated  by  the  courts  through  the 
centuries. 

"Unicjue  physical  conditions  and  property  rights  in  this  new  land  called  for 
new  laws.  Three  paramount  interests  essential  to  the  life  and  business  of  the 
citizen  and  the  state  were  found  here  orphaned  of  parental  law  for  regulation — 
mining,  irrigation  and  stock  raising — on  the  public  domain.  In  the  absence  of 
national  and  local  statutes  and  the  inapplicability  to  conditions  here  of  the 
common  law,  we  owe  primarily  to  Judge  Ilallett  the  establishment  of  the 
doctrine  of  prior  appropriation  of  public  waters,  the  most  of  the  settled  decisions 
aflfecting  mining  rights,  and  in  the  early  years  the  decisions  of  questions  arising 
out  of  damage  feasant  by  range  cattle  upon  unenclosed  crops,  before  fences 
were  required  by  statute,  and  on  unpatented  lands. 

"It  may  be  regarded  as  a  fortunate  circumstance,  too,  that  this,  our  oldest 
judge  in  service,  had  the  advantage  of  ten  years  on  the  bench  of  the  Territorial 
District  and  Supreme  Courts  during  the  formative  period  of  law  before  he  was 
appointed  to  the  Federal  District  Court  of  the  state ;  for  that  experience,  with 
his  intimate  knowledge  of  the  history  and  local  conditions  of  this  country  and 
his  sympathy  with  a  citizenship  of  which  he  has  all  his  mature  life  been  a  part, 
have  induced  much  of  the  harmony  that  has  prevailed  in  respect  of  decisions 
upon  like  questions  brought  up  for  determination  in  the  state  and  federal  courts 
respectively. 

"And  now  we  have  got  back  to  our  first  estate — a  single  appellate  court  for 
the  state. 

"I  beg  to  congratulate  this  present  enlarged  Supreme  Court,  Your  Honors, 
and  I  congratulate  the  Bar  and  the  people  of  this  enlarged  state  on  its  behalf. 
I  am  glad  that  I  have  lived  to  sec  this  culmination.  In  the  personages  of  this 
court  we  count  the  sacred  number  seven,  an  omen  which  bears  the  mind  back  to 
the  Nile,  the  Jordan,  to  the  temples  of  Athens,  to  the  seven  wise  men  of  the 
ancient  civilization — the  birthplace  of  law,  art  and  philosophy. 

"And  I  wish  to  pay  a  compliment  to  the  taste  which  has  adopted  the  innova- 
tion of  the  judicial  gown  when  sitting  en  banc.  Irrespective  of  the  form  or 
character  of  governments  or  questions  of  rank,  title  and  caste,  the  judicial  gown 
for  the  highest  courts  of  law  is  no  freak  or  meaningless  affectation.  It  has  the 
same  uses  in  our  profession  that  the  robe  of  the  officiating  priest  has  in  the 
clerical  profession.    It  shuts  out  the  differences  and  idiosyncrasies  of  the  ordinary 

Vol.  I 4  7 


738  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

garb;  all  badges  of  wealth  or  want  or  rank  of  the  individual;  the  suitor,  the 
advocate,  the  curious  onlooker,  all  see  not  John  Doe  nor  Richard  Doe,  but  behold 
only  the  judge — the  office ;  the  impartiality  and  the  dignity  of  personihed  Justice. 

"A  few  days  before  graduation  day  in  the  Law  Department  of  my  university, 
the  Dean  of  the  Faculty,  who  was  a  gentleman  of  the  old  school,  had  recently 
been  elected  to  the  institution  and  had  no  knowledge  of  the  ceremonies  there, 
asked  us  if  we  had  our  graduation  gowns  ready.  Gowns!  Xobody  had  ever 
seen  or  heard  of  such  a  thing  west  of  the  Alleghanies. 

"But  have  them  he  would ;  we  were  not  to  be  graduated  looking  like  the 
ordinary  classical  chaps. 

"It  was  a  small  town  and  nobody  could  be  found  who  could  furnish  such 
things.  Xo  tailor  would  undertake  to  make  them.  But  the  old  Judge  was  not 
to  be  baffled.  He  went  to  a  store  and  got  some  black  serge  or  alpaca,  hunted 
up  an  old  lady  who  did  plain  sewing  and  told  her  what  was  wanted.  She  did 
not  know  how.  'But,'  said  the  Judge,  'you  know  how  to  make  a  woman's  night- 
gown, don't  you?'  She  did.  'Well,  then  make  them  like  your  own  nightgown; 
a  yoke  in  the  shoulders,  but  big  open  sleeves.' 

"The  class  marched  from  a  side  door  onto  the  rostrum  in  those  fearfully 
and  wonderfullv  made  gowns  and  scared  nearly  to  death  the  Hoosier  audience 
who  gazed  upon  the  unexpected  procession  as  upon  a  troop  of  spooks  from  the 
nether  world.  \\'hen  I  had  been  out  here  in  the  Pike's  Peak  country  a  year  or 
two  I  had  an  old  trunk  shipped  to  me  by  ox  train  for  the  sake  of  some  law 
books  I  had  left  in  it,  and  on  opening  the  trunk  found  that  forgotten  gown.  I 
kept  the  treasure  until  moths  and  rust  consumed  it  and  naught  was  left  but 
the  memory  that  I  had  possessed  and  worn — though  unofficially — the  first  legal 
gown  ever  known  in  the  Rocky  Mountains. 

"This  occasion  is  to  me  deeplv  impressive.  I  confess  to  feeling  as  though 
I  had  lived  through  the  creation  of  a  world.  In  the  first  courts  ever  held  in  the 
Arkansas  valley  the  judge  sat  on  a  small  goods  box  with  a  larger  one  for  a 
table  in  front  of  him.  The  lawyers  sat  on  boards  supported  by  boxes  or  chunks 
of  wood.  The  others  squatted  on  the  dirt  floor  and  leaned  against  the  adobe 
walls. 

"The  judicial  robe  of  old  Judge  Bradford  was  oftenest  a  Mexican  blanket. 
Everv'body  smoked  tobacco  pipes  during  the  proceedings. 

"Here  now  we  are  under  the  dome  of  a  three-million-dollar  palace.  We 
tread  floors  of  marble,  and  walls  of  onyx  and  alabaster  echo  our  speech.  This 
city  and  state  are  known  in  all  the  civilized  world. 

"Looking  back  to  the  beginnings  in  the  wilderness,  happy  is  he  who  can  say 
with  the  old  Roman :    'All  of  it  I  have  seen  and  a  great  part  of  it  I  have  been.* 

"The  present  reorganization  and  amplification  of  this  court  marks  an  epoch 
in  the  history  of  our  judiciary  and  the  state. 

"This  high  Appellate  Court  is  now  more  perfectly  than  ever  equipped  to  do 
more  and  better  work  than  ever  before. 

"And  whatever  may  have  been  thought  or  said  of  other  tribunals,  the  Su- 
preme Court  of  Colorado  has  hitherto  had  the  respect  and  confidence  of  the 
people  of  the  state,  and  that  faith  should  now  be  strengthened. 

"The  security  of  the  rights  of  the  citizen,  the  stability  of  the  state,  the  per- 
petuity of  the  nation,  all  rest  upon  the  integrity  of  the  judiciary.     Laws  may 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  739 

be  made  and  laws  pass  away.  Executives  may  cume  and  go,  the  wicked  may 
oppress  and  may  flourish  for  a  time  in  their  oppression  in  the  games  of  human 
affairs,  but  to  the  wisdom,  integrity  and  potency  of  the  courts — especially  the 
courts  of  last  resort — we  must  look  for  the  results  so  strikingly  expressed  by 
those  lines  in  Festus : 

"  'Kings,  queens  and  knaves  would  trick  the  world  away 
Were  it  not  now  and  then  for  some  brave  ace.'  " 

PIO.VEER   BENCH    .\ND   EAR 

In  an  address  before  the  Colorado  Bar  Association  in  1908  Judge  Wilbur 
F.  .Stone,  newly  elected  president,  spoke  as  follows  concerning  the  early  history 
of  the  bench  and  bar  in  the  territory  and  state: 

"In  my  boyhood  I  often  heard  my  grandfather  tell  of  things  which  hap- 
pened forty  years  before,  and  I  wondered  how  he  could  remember  what  seemed 
to  me  like  stories  out  of  Plutarch's  Lives. 

"But  when  our  years  have  lengthened  to  about  the  seventieth  degree  of 
longitude  we  become  retrospective,  and  find  it  easy  to  flit  back  and  forth  on 
the  W'ings  of  memory  o\'er  forty  or  fifty  years  of  our  life's  journey — each  one 
of  us  scanning  every  mile  he  traveled,  noting  especially  the  straight  path  he 
himself  made,  and  the  many  crooks  and  turns  in  the  trail  of  his  fellows. 

"At  that  age,  too,  we  are  liable  to  become  afilicted  with  what  may  be  termed 
garritlitas  seiiectiititis,  when  loquacity  of  the  past  in  the  most  virulent  form  is 
apt  to  set  in — worse  than  cacocthrs  scribcndi. 

"The  settlers  of  Colorado  came  here  into  No-Man's  land.  The  conditions 
were  without  precedent,  save  in  the  case  of  Utah  and  California,  and  botli  Utah 
and  California  were  different.  Immediately  west  of  the  Alleghanies  migration 
and  settlement  cre])t  along  slowly,  an  agrarian  outgrowtli,  making  farms  and 
spreading,  much  hke  forest  or  vegetable  increase,  where  seeds  drojiped  from 
the  parent  stock  take  root  and  advance  from  the  outer  rim  of  contiguous  setting. 
In  such  case  the  frontier  settlers  are  always  joined  to  the  government,  laws, 
rules  and  customs  of  tlie  older  settlements,  linked  to  their  business  and  interests, 
have  their  aid  and  ])rotection  and  with  little  need  for  creative  effort. 

"Contrasting  with  such  conditions,  the  Pike's  Peak  region  was  known  only 
to  explorers,  trapjx-rs  and  Indian  traders.  Arid  in  climate  and  soil,  higli  in 
altitude,  the  pioneer  invasion  of  our  first  real  settlers  was  induced  only  by  gold,' 
the  thirst  for  which  had  been  sharpened  by  the  California  example — a  thirst  of 
mankind  reacliing  back  through  liuni;ni  history,  ages  before  llie  Cireek  Argonauts 
of  the  Cicjlden  Fleece. 

"And  so,  to  this  new  region.  ni;i]ii)cd  as  a  desert  waste,  six  luindred  miles  from 
frontier  government,  our  jiioneers  came,  not  creeping  but  marching  in  armies, 
w-ere  transplanted,  set  down  w-here  they  had  to  begin  without  existing  law  or 
government,  and  thus  left  to  their  own  creative  ahihty  and  volition. 

"The  history  of  the  beginnings  of  Colorado  is  a  most  interesting  chapter  of 
American  annals,  since  it  stands  almost  alone  as  an  example  of  the  genesis  and 
evolution  of  self-government  by  civilized  people — former  citizens  of  States,  but 


740  HISTORY  OF  COLOl^DO 

suddenly  transplanted  far  beyond  the  immediate  jurisdiction,  restraints  and  pro- 
tection of  the  laws  and  authority  of  State  or  National  Government. 

"Here,  then  began  a  school  of  law-making  and  law-administration  in  which 
every  man  took  part,  not  for  the  government  and  observance  of  others,  but  of 
themselves. 

"Think  for  a  moment  of  this  as  an  education  and  foundation  for  the  future 
citizenship  of  this  great  but  then  unborn  Commonwealth  of  Colorado,  wherein 
a  President  of  the  nation  is  next  week  to  be  named. 

"Every  mining  camp,  embryo  town  and  agricultural  settlement  became  an 
independent  democracy,  a  loyal  American  sovereignty.  The  open  air  groves  were 
the  first  legislative  and  judicial  halls.  'The  court,  the  camp,  the  field,  the  grove,' 
which  the  old  poet  named  as  'the  summit  of  life,'  we  recreated  here  on  the  crest 
of  the  Western  continent. 

"This  condition  of  peoples'  governments  existed  here  for  two  or  three  years 
before  Congress  established  the  Territory  of  Colorado. 

"The  laws  and  courts  were  simple  and  suited  to  the  immediate  needs  and 
conditions.  Appeals  were  allowed  from  the  court  to  the  people  at  large,  who 
heard  the  cause  de  novo  and  decided  it  by  a  majority  vote. 

''The  three  principal  writs  or  modes  of  procedure  were  attachment,  replevin 
and  injunction.  H  one  claimed  an  indebtedness  he  attached  the  debtor.  If  he 
claimed  the  right  of  possession  of  anything  another  fellow  had  he  replevined  it, 
and  if  he  wanted  to  prevent  another  from  doing  anything  to  his  damage,  he  en- 
joined him.  The  ancient  and  venerable  writ  of  injunction  was  at  that  time  duly 
respected  as  a  beneficent  and  necessary  remedy.  There  was  no  politics  in  it 
then,  and  nobody  was  howling  about  'government  by  injunction.'  Where  the 
plaintiff  got  judgment  he  saw  that  it  was  executed  without  stay.  (It  may  be 
added,  parenthetically,  that,  in  rare  and  desperate  cases,  when  the  plantift'  failed 
to  get  judgment  or  failed  in  its  execution,  he  executed  the  defendant.)  As  to 
the  character  and  results  of  these  people's  courts,  I  can  sum  it  all  up  by  declaring 
that,  if  their  administration  was  not  always  strictly  lazv,  it  was  rarely  ever  any- 
thing else  than  acknowledged  justice. 

"Grim  justice  was  sometimes  mixed  with  grim  humor.  A  horse  thief  had 
escaped  from  custody  at  Canon  City  one  morning,  stole  another  horse  he  saw 
hitched  on  the  street,  and  'lit  out'  down  the  road  towards  Pueblo.  Only  one 
good  horse  could  be  found  on  which  to  make  pursuit,  and  no  one  man  would 
undertake  the  job.  There  chanced  to  be  staying  there  for  a  few  days  a  well- 
known  character,  a  professional  gambler,  who  had  just  come  up  from  New 
Mexico.  He  was  called  'Gentleman  Charley,'  as  he  always  dressed  like  a  city 
clergyman,  in  a  long-tailed  black  coat,  white  shirt  and  necktie.  He  was  tall, 
soft-voiced,  self-possessed  and  the  politest,  mildest  mannered  man  ever  seen  in 
the  country  at  that  day,  but  was  supposed  to  be  a  desperate  criminal. 

"He  volunteered  to  retake  the  culprit  if  the  sheriff  would  furnish  the  horse. 
This  was  done,  and  Charley  mounted  with  a  Winchester  rifle  and  two  lariats, 
and  rode  off.  He  overtook  his  man  at  Beaver  Creek,  covered  him  with  his  gun, 
bound  him  with  one  of  the  lariats  and  hung  him  with  the  other  to  the  limb  of  a 
tree,  and  returned  to  Caiion,  leading  the  stolen  horse.  'Mr.  Sheriff,'  said  Charley, 
'here's  the  horse,  and  if  you  want  the  man  you  can  go  and  get  him.  I  tied  him 
to  a  Cottonwood  at  the  Beaver  Creek  ford,  so  he  can't  get  away  before  you 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  741 

reach  him,  but  you'd  better  take  a  wagon,  as  he  may  not  be  able  to  walk,  owing 
to  cold  feet.'  The  Sheriff  and  a  posse  drove  to  the  spot,  found  the  facts  as 
described,  and  buried  the  victim  at  the  foot  of  the  tree. 

"The  penalty  for  horse-stealing  was  death  at  that  time,  under  the  Colorado 
statutes.     Good  horses  were  scarce — and  there  were  no  automobiles. 

"This  is  no  dime-novel  story,  but  an  absolute  fact.  I  knew  'Gentleman 
Charley'  well,  and  he  was  a  character  for  a  border  romance. 
"Early  lawyers  had  some  queer  and  amusing  experiences. 
"A  bright  yoimg  lawyer  told  me  the  story  of  his  first  case  out  here.  He 
landed  at  Central,  in  'Gregory  Diggins,'  one  evening,  after  footing  it  up  there 
from  Denver,  in  i860,  dead  broke.  He  couldn't  pay  for  lodgings,  so  as  dark 
came  on  he  lay  down  supperless  to  sleep  in  a  dry  sluice  trough  in  the  gulch. 
.He  was  awakened  early  in  the  morning  by  a  miner  with  a  shovel,  who  shouted: 
'You'd  better  get  out  of  this  box,  young  man,  for  I've  turned  the  water  in,  an' 
it'll  sluice  the  dust  out  o'  ye  in  about  a  minute.'  Aleck  jumped  up,  loafed 
around  awhile,  and  then  sauntered  up  the  hill  leading  to  'Missouri  City,'  near 
Russell  Gulch,  and  being  a  Missourian  himself,  thought  he  might  find  or  make 
somt  friends  there.  Half  way  up  the  hill  he  met  a  man  in  long  miners'  boots 
coming  down  hotfooted.  Aleck  began  to  ask  him  some  questions,  but  the  man 
told  him  he  was  in  a  hell  of  a  hurry  to  hunt  up  a  lawyer  to  try  a  case  then 
waiting  for  him  up  at  Missouri  City.  Aleck's  throat  was  dry,  and  his  heart 
jumped  as  he  exclaimed:  'Why,  I'm  just  your  man;  I'm  a  lawyer  and  I'd  like 
to  try  your  case.'  The  tall  miner  looked  down  on  Aleck's  diminutive  form  and 
boyish,  grimy  face,  saying,  'You  a  lawyer?  You  look  less  like  a  lawyer  nor  any 
chap  I  ever  seed  afore.'  'Well,  I  am  one,'  says  Aleck,  in  his  desperation,  'and  a  , 
good  one,  but  I've  just  landed  here,  and  I'm  awful  hungry.'  'Well,  my  boy, 
they're  waitin  fur  me  up  there,  an'  I'll  try  ye;  if  you  git  beat  I  can  appeal  the 
case  and  git  another  lawyer.'  As  they  walked  up  the  hill,  Aleck  learned  briefly 
the  main  facts  of  the  case,  entered  the  log  cabin  where  the  miners'  court  was 
waiting,  and  proceedings  began.  Aleck  felt  that  it  was  life  or  death  for  him, 
but  he  was  gritty  and  he  cut  loose,  assumed  to  know  all  the  law  and  some  to 
spare;  inspired  by  desperation,  he  pounded  the  table — a  board  on  top  of  an 
empty  barrel — scattered  the  papers,  sawed  the  air  and  pawed  the  dirt  floor  like 
a  lassoed  steer  in  a  Texas  corral.  He  won  the  case  and  his  delighted  client  took 
him  into  a  shack,  produced  his  buckskin  dust  bag  and  the  little  weighing  scales, 
and  weighed  out  to  Aleck  for  his  services  three  ounces  of  gulch  gold.  Fifty 
dollars.  Great  God!  Aleck  had  expected  about  two  dollars  and  a  half,  Missouri- 
Jiistice-of-the-Peace  rates.  He  started  out  to  look  for  grub;  he  saw  a  sign  on 
a  little  slab  grocery,  reading,  'Frute  &  Vegitabels' ;  he  rushed  in  and  inquired 
what  kind  of  fruit  and  vegetables  they  had.  The  shopkeeper  proudly  replied : 
'Dried  apjjlcs   from   Missouri,  and   navy  beans !' 

"Aleck  went  to  Montana  in  1866  and  became  a  leading  lawyer  and  a  judge. 
"An  odd  experience  of  my  own  may  be  pardoned  mention. 
"In  the  early  sixties  I  was  Assistant  United  States  .\ttorney,  with  then  U.  S. 
Attorney  General  Sam  Urowno.  The  U.  S.  Marshal,  'Cam'  Hunt  (afterwards 
governor"),  appointed  me  also  a  special  deputy  marshal  for  convenience  in  serving 
process  up  in  Park  Coimty.  where  I  then  made  my  residence,  and  so  I  sum- 
moned jurors  and  witnesses  on  occasion  and  sometimes  served  warrants  of  arrest 


742  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

and  brought  down  prisoners  for  trial  at  Denver  and  Central  City.  At  a  term 
in  Central  I  had,  as  deputy  marshal,  brought  down  a  prisoner  not  yet  indicted. 
In  the  course  of  my  several  Poo-bah  duties  I  procured  the  indictment  by  the 
grand  jury  and  drew  the  bill — acting  for  the  U.  S.  Attorney. 

"\Mien  this  prisoner's  trial  came  on  in  course,  the  trial  jury  panel  became 
exhausted  and  the  marshal  found  it  difficult  to  get  talesmen,  fleeting  me  on 
the  street,  he  said  he  needed  me  as  a  juror.  I  protested,  but  he  said  Judge  Lee 
Armour  never  noticed  the  jurors,  and  as  Gen.  Brown  alone  would  prosecute  the 
case  in  court,  I  would  not  be  noticed  by  the  Bench,  and  the  Bar  would  wink  at 
it  as  a  good  joke.  So  I  was  sworn  in  without  questioning,  and  in  my  diversified 
capacity  as  juror,  assisted  in  returning  a  unanimous  verdict  of  guilty  upon  my 
bill,  as  attorney,  against  my  prisoner,  as  marshal.  Marshal  Hunt  never  quit 
telling  the  story  on  me  and  declaring  that  I  was  'the  handiest  official — for  a_ 
Democrat — that  the  Republican  administration  had.' 

"After  the  first  three  or  four  years  of  unfamous — if  not  infamous — carpet- 
bag judges,  during  the  Civil  War,  had  passed,  the  most  distinguished  benchers 
of  the  Territorial  period  were  Judges  Moses  Hallett,  William  R.  Gorsline, 
E.  T.  Wells,  all  of  whom  were  appointed  from  the  Colorado  Bar,  and  James 
B,  Belford.  During  the  administration  of  these  able  and  upright  jurists  the 
laws  affecting  the  new  and  peculiar  conditions  of  Colorado  received  their  best 
interpretation  and  settled  the  fundamental  structure  of  our  succeeding  state 
government  and  the  rights  of  the  people  thereunder. 

"It  was  easy  to  carry  existing  laws  from  the  Atlantic  States  across  the 
Alleghanies  and  extend  them  gradually  over  the  Ohio  and  Mississippi  \'alleys, 
where  like  conditions  prevailed,  but  here,  new  and  entirely  different  conditions, 
geographical,  climatic,  economic  and  social,  had  been  imposed  by  nature.  Irriga- 
tion, mining  and  non-agricultural  public  domain  begot  new  rights  of  person, 
property  and  business,  demanding  new  legislation,  which  in  tttrn  exacted  judicial 
interpretation,  construction,  application,  consideration  of  possible  results  and 
the  application  of  the  doctrine  and  rules  of  selection  and  adaptation. 

"In  this  work  of  building  stable  law  upon  primitive  customs,  'squatters' 
rights'  and  ex  necessitate  rei  conditions  the  able  lawyers  of  our  early  period, 
many  of  whom  were  also  members  of  the  Territorial  Legislature,  lent  their  aid 
with  zealous  energy  and  efficiency. 

"In  all  this  judicial  work  Judge  Hallett  did  the  greatest  part,  during  his 
forty  years  of  judicial  service :  an  index  of  which  is  found  in  the  first  two 
volumes  of  the  Colorado  Supreme  Court  reports,  which  he  himself  prepared  for 
publication,  and  also  in  his  decisions  as  Judge  of  the  U.  S.  District  Court. 

"Judge  Gorsline  was  an  eminently  clear-headed  judge,  of  amiable  disposition, 
whom  everybody  liked  and  respected. 

"Judge  Wells  was.  and  still  is.  the  most  painstaking  and  industrious  lawyer 
who  honors  our  profession.  He  made  the  first  revision  and  compilation  of  the 
Colorado  Statutory  Laws.  Tom  ]\Iacon  tised  to  say  that  Judge  Wells  was  the 
only  lawyer  he  ever  knew  who  could  work  fourteen  hours  a  day  every  day  in 
the  year,  and  thrive  on  it.  He  is  still  in  his  office,  and  I  never  heard  of  his 
being  sick  in  forty  years. 

"Judge  Belford  is  so  well  and  long  known  as  one  of  the  most  brilliant  men 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  743 

in  the   j)rolcssi(jn,   that  he   requires  no  analysis   of   characteristics   in   my   brief 
references  on  this  occasion. 

"The  most  noted  lawyers  of  Territorial  days  were  Gen.  Leavitt  L.  Bowen,  a 

former  Attorney  General  of  Nebraska,  a  learned  constitutional  lawyer;  J.  Bright 

Smith,  of  Pennsylvania,  a  tall,  handsoine  gentleman  of   polished  manners  and 

a  born  lawyer;  his  brother,  Ed.  L.  Smith,  a  Bar  leader;  George  W.  Purkins,  of 

Virginia,  a  cultured  lawyer  of  the  old  school,  classical  and  the  most  graceful 

and  eloquent  speaker  we  ever  had ;  Henry  M.  Teller,  our  present  Senior  United 

States  Senator,  whose  public  and  political  life  and  services  are  interwoven  with 

the  history  of  the  State  and  Nation  for  the  last  thirty  years;  James  M.  Cava- 

naugh,  a  former  Congressman  of  Minnesota,  a  tall,  elegant  fellow  whom  we  all 

called  ']im,  the  Irish  Orator';  William  S.  Rockwell,  a  former  Wisconsin  judge; 

his  brother,  Lewis  C.  Rockwell;  Willard  Teller,  brother  of  the  Senator;  Hugh 

Butler,  who  is  still  among  us.  with  his  stately  tread  and  distinguished  manners, — 

one  of  the  best  civil  law  pleaders  at  the  Bar ;  Alfred  Sayre,  the  first  law  partner 

of  Judge  Hallett.  and  for  many  years  the  leading  lawyer  in  practice  in  Denver; 

Charles  C.  Post,  of  Georgetown,  who  serxed  a  term  as  Attorney  General  of  the 

State;   Robert   S.   Morrison,  author  of  our  standard  text-book  on   mining  law; 

George  F.  Crocker,  formerly  City  Attorney  of  Chicago,  a  brilliant   lawyer,  and 

speaker    of    the    House    in    the    Territorial    Legislature    of    1862 :    Gen.    Bela 

M.  Hughes,  the  early-day  veteran  of  the  Bar,  and  of  whom   it  could  be  said : 

'None  knew   him  but   to  love   him,   and   none   named   him  but  to  praise' ;  John 

Q.  Charles,  the  most  industrious  and  studious  book  lawyer  of  all  the  old  Bar ; 

Lewis  B.  France,  the  most  critical  and  technical  pleader  of  all.  the  first  reporter 

of  our  State  Supreme  Court  Reports,  and  in  his  last  years  the  author  of  several 

charming  literary  volumes ;  Gen.  Sam.  E.  Browne,  the  first  noted  U.  S.  Attorney 

of   Colorado,   whose   rollicking  humor   and   amiable   spirit    shed    sunshine   upon 

every  one  he  met.  and  whose  daily  good  cheer  and  flowing  white  beard  on  the 

street  and  in  the  forum  will  long  Ije  missed;  X'incent  D.  Markham.  Judge  George 

W.  Miller,  Governor  Charles  S.  Thomas  and  Hon.  Thomas  M.  Patterson  were 

a  notable  quartette  of  lawyers,   famous  alike   in  the   forums  of   the  court  and 

political  life. 

'Tn  .Southern  Colorado.  George  .X.  Hinsdale.  Henry  C.  Thatcher.  George 
O.  Richmond  and  John  M.  Waldron  of  Pueblo;  Thomas  Alacon  of  Canon  City; 
Albert  W.  Archibald,  Spence  M.  Baird  and  William  G.  Blackwood  of  Trinidad ; 
Adair  Wilson  and  John  G.  Taylor  of  'the  San  Juan  country,'  were  the  most 
noted.  Hinsdale  was  a  pioneer  of  iSfjO,  of  New  England  birth,  a  graduate  of 
Michigan  University,  a  scholar,  an  able  lawyer  and  an  influential  politician  of 
the  old  school  Democratic  brand.  The  County  of  Hinsdale  and  the  Hinsdale 
public  school  of  Pueblo  ])erpetuate  his  memory.  Thatcher  was  a  member  of 
the  Constitutional  Convention  and  the  first  Chief  Justice  of  our  State  Supreme 
Court.  Richmond  was  President  of  our  first  Sui)rcnie  Court  Commission,  a 
former  adjunct  of  the  Supreme  Court. 

"John  Waldron.  who  is  yet  in  the  zenith  of  his  successful  career,  started  as  a 
boy  protege  of  mine  in  r'uelilo,  and  his  beginnings  and  progress — unknown  to 
most  of  the  Bar  now  li\  ing — deserve  a  sometime  sketch.  re]ilctc  with  the  romance 
of  real  life,  but  too  lengthy  to  be  presented  here. 

"Thomas  Macon  was  the  leader  of  the  Bar  at  Canon  Citv.  one  of  the  best 


744  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

criminal  lawyers  of  the  A\'est,  and  a  famous  advocate  in  trials  before  a  jury. 
Archibald  was  the  pioneer  lawyer  and  one  of  the  first  American  settlers  at  Trin- 
idad. Blackwood  had  been  a  judge  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  New  Mexico,  was 
a  genius  and  one  of  the  most  accomplished  and  versatile  gentlemen  I  ever 
knew;  a  lawyer,  orator,  litterateur,  actor,  musician  and  gifted  poet.  Gen.  Baird 
was  a  remarkable  man ;  was  Attorney  General  of  the  'Republic  of  Texas'  before 
it  was  annexed  and  admitted  into  the  Union  as  a  State ;  served  as  a  Confederate 
Colonel  in  the  Civil  War,  came  to  Colorado  and  settled  at  Trinidad,  where  he 
practiced  law  until  his  death.  He  spoke  Spanish  as  well  as  his  native  English, 
and  his  speeches  in  the  Spanish  tongue  were  the  most  fluent  and  eloquent  I  ever 
heard.  He  was  a  giant  in  size,  his  leonine  head  matted  with  thick,  curly  hair, 
and  his  shaggy  beard  ranked  with  that  of  the  gray  poet,  Walt  Whitman.  He 
was  known  by  all  the  Mexicans  in  New  Mexico  and  Texas  as  'Chino  Tejano' — 
Curly  Texan. 

"The  most  of  the  lawyers  I  have  rnentioned  here  were  those  who  attended 
the  courts  of  the  three  judicial  districts,  traveling  round  the  'Circuit'  as  was 
the  custom  in  the  early  days  of  the  old  West,  east  of  the  Missouri  River. 

"The  Southern  or  Third  Judicial  District  then  included  all  the  southern  half 
of  the  Territory  from  the  'Divide'  to  New  Mexico,  and  from  the  western 
boundary  of  Kansas  to  the  Utah  line.  Courts  were  held  at  Colorado  City  (later 
at  Colorado  Springs),  Cafion  City,  Pueblo,  Las  Animas,  Walsenburg,  Trinidad, 
and  over  the  mountains  at  San  Luis  de  Culebra,  Conejos,  Dei  Xorte,  and  across 
the  Continental  Divide  at  Silverton. 

"Over  this  vast  region,  larger  than  an  average  State,  the  lawyers  with  the 
judge  and  other  officials,  litigants,  witnesses,  Spanish  interpreters  and  often 
prisoners  for  trial,  traveled  from  court  to  court  in  a  motley  caravan  of  wagons, 
ambulances,  primitive  buggies,  horseback  and  muleback;  over  dusty,  sage-bush 
mesas  and  moimtain  ranges,  fording  rivers ;  in  heat,  snow,  wind  and  alkali  dust ; 
camping  out  nights  where  there  were  found  'wood,  water  and  grass' ;  fishing 
trout  in  the  mountain  streams,  occasionally  shooting  an  antelope,  cooking  their 
own  'grub,'  smoking  pipes  round  the  campfires,  singing  songs,  swapping  lies, 
sleeping  in  blankets  on  the  ground ;  then  holding  courts  within  rude  adobe  walls, 
attending  Mexican  fandangoes  at  night — dances  got  up  in  honor  of  the  Court — 
and  having  more  fun,  legal  and  unlegal.  than  the  Bench  and  Bar  have  ever  seen 
since  in  the  efifeminiate  days  of  railroads  and  fine  court  houses. 

"It  was  a  long  road  then  from  the  Cache  la  Poudre  to  the  Garden  of  the 
Gods  at  Pike's  Peak,  and  long  thence  to  the  Purgatory.  But  from  the  purlieus 
of  the  Gods  to  Purgatory  it  is  mostly  down  hill.  'Facilis  descensus  Avernum.' 
And  we  were  also  reminded  of  the  line  in  Festus,  where  the  devil  savs :  'The 
road  to  hell  needs  mending.' 

"Old  Judge  Bradford  was  the  oddest,  most  unique  and  eccentric  character  in 
the  Territory.  It  would  require  pages  to  fully  describe  him,  and  nothing  short 
of  seeing  and  hearing  him  would  picture  him.  A  most  upright  man  and  a  good 
judge,  with  a  mar\-elous  memory,  but  so  absent-minded  that  a  stranger  would 
pronounce  him  crazy.  Fat.  gross,  slovenly,  he  was  withal  the  most  ungainly  and 
awkward  man  in  person,  speech  and  mannerism  that  ever  lived.  Before  he  came 
on  the  Bench  he  was  once  in  a  case  in  a  miners'  court  at  Central  City,  when  the 
presiding  judge  made  a  decision  against  him  which  Bradford  regarded  as  wilfully 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  745 

outrageous.  He  rose  and  gazed  a  moment  at  the  judge  and  then,  in  his  inimitable 
manner,  said,  'All  I've  got  to  say  to  that  decisioin  is — I  was  about  to  say — I 
don't  know  as  I  ought  to  say  it — well,  on  the  whole,  I  guess  I  will  say — in  the 
words  of  the  poet — "O,  shame!  where  is  thy  blush?"  ' 

"When  Bradford  was  Territorial  Judge  he  was  once  called  to  hear  a  murder 
case  at  Central  City  at  the  request  of  the  Judge  of  that  District.  The  Court  was 
held  in  the  old  Langrish  Theater.  After  the  evidence  was  all  in,  a  night  session 
was  held  to  hear  the  arguments  to  the  trial  jury.  The  miners  came  in  to  hear 
Jim  Cavanaugh  make  one  of  his  famous  speeches  for  the  defense,  and  the 
house  was  packed,  galleries  and  all.  Cavanaugh  had  got  fairly  under  way  and 
soaring  into  the  clouds,  when  the  sheriff  discovered  that  the  joists  were  giving 
way  along  one  wall  and  the  main  floor  was  slowly  sinking.  To  avoid  disaster 
the  sheriff  slipped  quietly  to  the  side  of  the  judge,  and  whispering  to  him  the 
situation,  suggested  that  he  immediately  announce  a  recess  of  the  Court,  on 
account  of  his  illness  or  other  pretext,  so  that  the  house  could  be  emptied  with- 
out the  audience  knowing  of  the  danger. 

■'Judge  Bradford  suddenly  whacked  his  gavel  and  called  out:  'Mr.  Cava- 
naugh, take  your  seat.'  Jim  stopped  in  the  middle  of  one  of  his  longest  words — • 
like  'in-vul-ner-a-bil-i-ty' — and  turning  to  the  Court,  said:  'If  your  Honor 
please,  I  am  not  aware  of  having  said  anything  improper — '  '.Sit  down,  I  say!' 
again  squeaked  the  Judge.  'I  am  certain  that  I  have  neither  said  nor  done  any- 
thing to  offend  the  Court,  and  I  decline  to  be  interrupted — '  exclaimed  Jim, 
defiantly.  The  Judge  brought  his  gavel  down  again  on  the  table  and  yelled  out 
in  his  highest  falsetto  key:  'I  tell  you  to  sit  down,  Mr.  Cavanaugh;  this  is  not 
a  question  of  politeness  between  you  and  me,  Mr.  Cavanaugh ;  the  question  is 
whether  this  whole  shebang  is  going  to  hell  or  not !' 

"Some  of  the  pioneer  lawyers  tried  their  luck  in  mining,  but  with  ill  success. 
I  have  seen  them  often  in  red  flannel  shirts,  smoking  a  pipe  while  sitting  on  a 
Blackstone.  or  ruminating  under  the  green-leafed  pines.  Seldom  a  Jay  sat  on 
a  Bench,  but  one  could  Marshall  a  flock  whom  the  sun  and  desert  wind  had 
made  Ta(w)ney. 

"Judge  Hallett,  soon  after  his  arrival  here  in  the  summer  of  Txd,  went  up  to 
the  'diggins'  and  tried  a  little  mining,  with  varied  results.  One  week  he  struck 
a  streak  of  pay  dirt,  and  to  celebrate  his  luck  he  inviied  two  or  three  friends 
to  dinner  with  him  the  next  Sunday.  Moses  Hallett  was  a  youthful,  lanky  chap 
at  that  time,  rather  timid  in  nature,  not  given  to  quick  friendship,  but  was  genial 
and  companionable  with  his  select  few.  On  this  occasion  he  made  unusual  prep- 
arations to  entertain  his  guests.  Of  course,  like  all  other  miners  in  camp,  he 
bached  and  bunked  in  a  shack,  cooked  his  own  grub  and  kept  in  order  the  tin 
dishes.  He  now  replenished  his  stock  of  gulch  fruit  and  vegetables,  and  secured 
a  few  luxuries.  Among  the  latter  was  a  pound  or  two  of  unclassified  butler. 
To  keep  this  cool  and  safe,  he  put  the  butter  in  a  tin  pail  and  hung  it  on  a  pine 
limb  Saturday  night.  Sunday  noon  the  friends  arrived  and  disposed  themselves 
on  stools  and  cracker  boxes  under  the  pines.  Moses  had  fished  up  from  some 
recess  of  his  cabin  a  Sunday  suit  of  store  clothes  in  which  he  had  that  day 
arrayed  himself.  The  dinner  was  laid  out  on  a  miner's  table — a  la  nmilrc  d'hote — 
and  the  company  was  just  starting  in  to  test  the  .structure  of  the  hand-made 
biscuits,  when  Moses  thought  of  the  butter  which  he  had  forgotten  to  take  down 


746  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

in  the  morning  and  set  in  the  sluice  box.  Now  it  had  so  happened  that  the  sun 
had  been  blazing  six  hours  on  that  tin  pail,  so  that  at  this  moment  the  said 
alleged  butter  was  in  a  state  of  fluidity  a  little  below  the  boiling  point.  Hallett 
was  somewhat  rattled  when  he  grasped  the  situation,  and  climbed  on  a  three- 
legged  stool  to  grasp  the  butter.  Now  a  three-legged  stool  has  in  all  history 
played  a  leading  role  in  the  undoing  of  man — and  maids.  Moses,  reaching  high 
over  his  head,  seized  the  pail  by  the  rim,  instead  of  the  bail,  and  at  this  psycho- 
logical moment  that  stool  started  to  walk  off  backwards  on  its  three  legs.  Of 
course,  as  Moses  clung  to  the  rim  edge  of  the  pail  in  his  descent,  the  pail  turned 
bottom  side  up  before  the  bail  or  limb  broke,  and  a  cascade  of  tepid  oleoporkerino 
flooded  from  head  to  heels  the  future  Chief  Justice  of  all  this  domain.  Were 
any  remarks  made  soon  after  the  fall? 

"I  read  a  story  of  Bishop  Potter  that  may  suggest  an  answer  to  this  query. 
The  Bishop  was  fishing  with  a  friend  who  was  given  to  emphatic  language  when 
out  of  the  hearing  of  the  clergy.  After  long  waiting,  the  banker  drew  a  fine 
big  fish  out  of  the  water,  which  gave  a  flop  or  two,  freed  the  hook  and  disap- 
peared. The  fisherman  stood  still,  looked  at  the  Bishop,  then  at  the  water,  then 
at  the  far  horizon,  but  never  spoke.  Bishop  Potter  looked  at  his  friend  quiz- 
zicallv  a  minute  and  then  said :  'George,  that  is  the  most  profane  silence  I  ever 
listened  to !' 

"In  the  summer  of  1875,  Judge  Hallett,  after  holding  the  courts  in  the  San 
Luis  V'allev,  went  over  the  range  and  opened  the  first  court  at  Silverton.  A 
party  of  us  accompanied  him,  consisting  of  Adair  Wilson,  John  G.  Taylor,  Judge 
Love  and  Tom  Bowen  (afterwards  judge  of  that  district,  and  later  U.  S.  Sen- 
ator), John  W.  Henry,  George  O.  Richmond  and  myself — a  roUocking  lot  of 
legal  blades  as  ever  traxeled  the  circuit.  We  journeyed  from  Wagon  Wheel  Gap 
on  horseback,  following  the  Rio  Grande  River  up  to  its  very  source,  and  still  on 
up  the  dizzy  trail  to  the  crest  of  the  range,  where  the  first  drops  of  water  trickled 
from  the  melting  snow  banks  to  form  this  great  river ;  then  over  the  top  and 
down  Cunningham  Gulch  2,000  feet,  so  steep  that  the  horses  would  often  slide 
for  rods  on  their  haunches,  to  the  Animas  River,  on  the  Pacific  side,  where 
nestles  Silverton  in  an  emerald  basin  walled  in  by  snow-covered  peaks  as  lofty  as 
the  Alps.  The  streams  were  alive  with  trout  in  those  days,  and  Adair  Wilson 
told  us  that  when  the  most  active  trout  got  tired  of  the  monotony  of  the  Atlantic 
waters,  they  swam  up  to  the  source  of  the  river,  and  then  scaled  the  summit 
and  slid  down  to  the  Animas  and  mixed  with  their  Pacific  relations.  Adair 
swore  he  'could  prove  it,  too,  if  old  Bill  Jones  was  alive.' 

"The  Silverton  Hotel  proved  very  interesting  to  us.  The  upper  floor  was 
one  large  room  about  forty  feet  square.  Here  we  all  slept  with  about  forty 
others,  on  ha}-  mattresses  spread  on  the  floor.  The  pine  boards  of  the  floor,  laid 
down  green,  had  shrunk  so  that  there  were  cracks  between  them  an  inch  wide. 
At  night  there  was  talking  and  laughing  and  singing  and  cussing  by  the  bunch 
until  midnight.  L'nderneath  were  the  bar-room,  dining-room  and  kitchen, 
divided  by  like  boards  and  cracks,  and  the  habitues  of  that  lower  deck  prolonged 
the  bedlam  until  2  a.  m.  Adjoining  the  kitchen  was  a  corral  full  of  pack  mules 
and  burros — the  mountain  nightingales  of  the  mining  camp — and  these  raiicus 
songsters  started  a  braying  concert  at  2  and  closed  at  4  a.  ni.  An  interlude  of 
foghorn  snoring  fifteen  minutes;  and  then  the  hyena  cooks  in  the  kitchen  began 
to  pound  the  india-rubber  beefsteak  with  clubs  on  a  pile  of  loose  boards.     At 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  747 

five  the  bar-room  opened  with  a  monologue,  followed  by  a  dialogue,  and  then 
broke  into  a  chorus  of  polyglotic  omnilogues.  At  six  breakfast  for  the  mining 
gang,  and  seven  for  the  other  fellers.  Meanwhile,  there  came  up  into  our  flat, 
through  the  wide  floor  cracks,  a  cloud  of  incense  bearing  the  amalgamated  odors 
of  tobacco  smoke,  unrectified  whisky,  corned-beef  and  cabbage,  codfish,  fried 
liver  and  onions,  stale  fish  and  burning  bones  and  feathers. 

'"To  do  honor  to  the  Judge  of  the  Court,  a  corner  of  our  caravansary  had 
been  set  apart  for  his  exclusion,  screened  by  a  board  fence  about  four  feet  high, 
fitted  up  with  a  pine  bedstead  and  shuck  mattress ;  one  chair,  a  goods  box  for  a 
table,  and  a  tin  wash  pan  with  a  pail  of  water.  This  arrangement  was  so 
exclusive  of  sights  and  sounds,  that  we  didn't  laugh ;  oh  no,  I  guess  not. 

"The  rest  of  us  had  to  go  down  to  the  creek  to  wash  our  faces. 

"We  got  a  barrel  of  fun  out  of  that  historic  first  court  in  the  'San  Juan 
Country,'  and  now  when  I  go  there  on  a  Pullman  car,  I  live  over  the  old  days 
only  in  memory,  but  find  no  more  fish,  fun  and  fandangos. 

"At  one  of  Judge  Hallett's  terms  of  court  at  San  Luis  de  Culebra,  there  was 
a  funny  case,  involving  the  identity  and  ownership  of  a  jackass.  A  common 
laboring  Mexican  claimed  the  animal  as  one  he  had  raised  and  owned  from  a 
foal,  and  that  it  had  strayed  or  been  stolen  from  him.  He  had  discovered  it  in 
possession  of  an  old  gray-bearded  American,  named  Palmer,  had  replevined  it 
before  an  alcalde,  and  on  trial  was  awarded  it  as  his  own  property.  Palmer 
had  appealed  to  the  District  Court,  claiming  the  burro  as  his  own  and  bore  his 
brand — a  horseshoe  brand — and  that  he  had  raised  it  from  the  time  it  had  opened 
its  meek  eyes  upon  the  Sangre  de  Cristo  range. 

"When  the  case  came  on  in  Judge  Hallett's  court.  Palmer  employed  George 
Q.  Richmond  as  his  lawyer,  but  the  Mexican  was  poor  and  so  went  to  trial  with- 
out a  lawyer.  The  plaintifi"  and  defendant  were  the  only  witnesses,  each  swear- 
ing to  ownership,  and  the  case  rested  on  the  alleged  brand,  which  had  healed  up 
and  haired  over — if  there  ever  was  one — so  that  an  examination  of  the  jackass, 
de  occulis,  so  puzzled  the  jury,  that  they  disagreed  and  were  discharged  on  the 
last  day  of  the  term.  Richmond  was  so  disgusted  and  laughed  at  for  being 
beaten  by  the  lawyerless  Mexican  'greaser'  that  he  declined  t(j  move  for  a  new 
trial,  and  so  Jesus  Maria  Gonzales  rode  the  ass  away. 

".At  the  request  of  the  P>ar  ])resent  at  the  trial,  the  district  attornev,  aided  and 
abetted  by  the  court,  perpetrated  the  follnwing  asinine  ballad  on  this  cause 
cekbre,  which  I  ha\e  preserved  as  a  sample  result  of  the  inspiring  air  and 
Mexican  aguardiente  of  the  San  Luis  Valley — of  the  vintage  of   1S76: 

".\  I'.RAV  KR()^r  Till':  court 

''The  leading  case  in  court  this  term 
Presents  a  question  rare: 
'Tis  not  of  human  rights  or  wrongs. 
Or  flagrant  crime  laid  bare; 

"  'Tis  not  of  lands  and  tenements, 
Nor  yet  of  grain  nor  grass; 
P.ut  whether  a  horseshoe  brand  was  stamped 
L'pon  old  Palmer's — burro. 


748  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

■'The  jury  sat  all  day  and  night 
And  swore  about  that  spot ; 
For  one  declared  the  brand  in  sight, 
And  eleven  swore  'twas  not. 

■'The  Judge  discharged  the  jury,  then. 
And  let  them  homeward  pass; 
The  greaser  rode  the  donkey  oft' — 

Spurring  and  kicking  old  Palmer's — jack. 

"Over  the  hill  on  the  dusty  trail 

The  pair  did  fade  as  the  sun  did  set; 
The  donkey  switching  his  fly-brush  tail, 
The  greaser  smoking  his  cigaret. 

"Like  Balaam,  Palmer  he  did  scoff, 
And  swear  and  wail ;  alack,  alas  ! 
Sore  at  his  lawyer,  he  also  felt 
Full  sore  about  the — beast. 

"Meanwhile  George  O.,  who  felt  like — not  well, 
Was  cussing  the  loss  of  pelf — 
Out  back  of  the  doby-walled  corral 
He  was  trying  to  kick  himself.' 

"In  my  professional  experience  I  have  had  opportunity  to  compare  and  judge 
of  the  relative  ability  and  standing  of  the  Bar  and  Bench  of  the  several  States 
from  seacoast  to  seacoast,  judging  them  by  the  reported  decisions  of  their  highest 
tribunals  and  by  their  recognized  reputation,  State  and  National,  and  I  do  not 
hesitate  to  say  to  you  here,  my  brothers-in-la\  that  I  believe  Colorado  ranks  as  an 
equal  with  any  other  State,  and  is  excelled  bj  none  other  in  the  Nation.  Our 
brightest  members  have  shed  luster  on  the  pages  of  judicial  history,  and  we  have 
ample  reason  to  'point  with  pride,'  and  no  ground  to  'view  with  alarm,'  the  char- 
acter of  the  courts  and  the  legal  forum  of  our  beloved  Commonwealth. 

"Aleanwhile,  our  State  is  yet  growing.  Situate  here  on  the  crest  of  the  mid- 
continent,  where  the  rains  that  fall  and  the  snows  that  melt  on  the  Continental 
Divide  flow  alike  into  the  oceans  of  the  Occident  and  the  Orient ;  and  on  the  line 
between  North  and  the  South,  which  our  prophetic  William  Gilpin,  the  first  gov- 
ernor of  Colorado — and.  as  a  geographer,  the  American  Humboldt — designated  as 
'the  zonal  line  of  migration  from  East  to  West  around  the  earth — a  migration 
which  started  four  thousand  years  ago  from  the  Pyramids,' — this  State,  so  situate, 
and  now  in  its  fiftieth  year  of  evolution,  is  pregnant  with  the  gestation  of  new 
growth  in  manhood,  in  intellectual  and  moral  attainment,  material  resource  and 
development,  presaging  the  birth  of  years  and  years  of  prosperity  and  progress — 
so  long  as  the  sun  shines,  the  rivers  run,  the  granite  hills  endure  and  our  white- 
robed  mountains  lift  their  shining  heads  to  the  eternal  heavens  above  us." 

REMINISCENCES 

At  the  exercises  attending  the  dedication  of  the  federal  district  court  room  in 
the  new  postofiice  at   Denver,   February   21,   1916,   a   number  of   addresses   of 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  749 

reminiscent  character  were  delivered  by  prominent  early  members  of  the  bar. 
Excerpts  from  these  give  many  interesting  and  intimate  stories  of  the  early 
lawyers  and  judges  of  Colorado.  A  series  of  quotations  from  these  addresses 
follows : 

C.    S.    THOMAS 

(From  Letter  Read) 

"United  States  Senate, 
Washington,  D.  C,  2-17-16. 

"I  was  present  when  the  District  Court  for  the  new  District  of  Colorado  met 
for  the  first  time.  It  was  in  a  building  on  Larimer  between  i6th  and  17th  streets, 
with  Judge  Dundy  of  Nebraska,  presiding.  The  entire  Bar  of  the  city  was  present 
and  nearly  all  of  them  were  at  once  admitted  on  motion.  This  was  in  the  winter 
of  1876  and  1877,  some  thirty-nine  years  ago.  Shortly  afterwards  Judge  Hallett 
was  appointed  and  the  court  moved  to  an  adjoining  building.  It  then  shifted  its 
quarters  to  the  Symes  building  on  Champa  street,  and  the  change  was  duly 
observed  by  the  Bar.  Afterwards  and  about  1890,  as  I  recall,  another  removal 
took  place;  this  time  to  the  old  Gettysburg  panorama  building,  just  between  the 
present  Ideal  building  and  the  Chamber  of  Commerce.  There  it  had  real  swell 
headquarters  with  all  the  conveniences  of  adjoining  offices,  and  there  it  remained 
until  about  1894,  when  the  new  Federal  Building  was  completed,  after  eight  weary 
years  of  construction.  We  made  much  of  this  occasion  and  felt  that  the  court 
was  finally  and  securely  housed. 

"But  I  have  lived  to  see  still  another  and  for  me  the  last  and  best  change.  For 
the  new  government  building  is  as  nearly  and  commodiously  perfect  as  we  can 
hope  for.  The  court  room  is  stately,  imposing  and  appropriate.  The  library  room 
should,  and  I  hope  will  soon,  be  filled  with  books,  and  Bench  and  Bar  will  find 
themselves  settled  and  secure  for  many  years.    My  sincere  congratulations  to  both. 

"I  am  rapidly  approaching  the  scriptural  limit  of  man's  existence,  and  cannot 
therefore  hope  to  again  take  an  active  part  in  the  work  of  the  noble  profession  to 
which  we  belong.  But  I  rejoice  that  the  years  of  my  practice  were  cast  among 
such  men  as  adorned  the  Colorado  Bar  from  the  time  I  reached  man's  estate  down 
to  this  hour,  and  that  the  men  of  the  younger  generation  are  proving  themselves 
the  worthy  and  vigorous  successors  of  such  a  splendid  body  of  lawyers.  Sayre, 
Butler,  Decker,  Symes,  Benedict,  Markham,  Wolcott,  the  Tellers,  Dillon,  Belford. 
Smith,  Macon,  Yonley,  Hughes,  Hallett,  France,  Charles  Elbert,  Thatcher,  Cast, 
these  and  many  others  have  gone ;  but  these  invisible  spirits — 'that  rule  us  from 
their  urns,' — they  surely  will  be  with  you  and  breathe  their  benedictions  upon  the 
ceremony  which  marks  the  transition  of  the  United  States  District  Court  from  its 
old  to  its  new  habitation.    I  am.  My  Dear  Sir, 

Very  respectfully  your  friend, 

(Signed)       C.  S.  TnoM.\s." 

T.  .T.  o'donnell 

"The  first  session  of  this  court  and  of  that  court  which  was  its  contemporary, 
as  well  as  its  predecessor,  was  held  in  the  building  then  known  as  Ford's  Hotel, 
1626  Larimer  Street,  December  5,  1876. 


750  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

"The  event  had  been  looked  forward  to,  by  those  who  participated  in  it,  with 
an  interest  and  an  enthusiasm  far  beyond  even  that  which  animates  this  occasion. 

"Ehner  S.  Dundy,  judge  for  the  District  of  Nebraska,  presided,  but  there  was 
no  Bar.  The  genius  of  American  institutions  has  no  better  illustration  than  the 
method  by  which  the  lawyers  of  the  state  were  made  members  of  the  Bar  of  the 
courts  of  these  United  States.  Judge  Samuel  H.  Elbert,  who  had  been  elected  to 
the  Supreme  Court  of  the  state,  upon  its  admission  to  the  Union,  was  recognized 
in  his  official  capacity,  and  moved  the  admission  to  the  Bar  of  Eugene  F.  Jacob- 
son,  Alfred  Sayre,  Hugh  Butler,  Westbrook  S.  Decker,  John  W.  Jenkins,  Mitchell 
Benedict  and  Alfred  I.  Blake  as  attorneys  and  counsellors  at  law,  solicitors  in 
chancery,  and  proctors  in  admiralty.     All  these  are  historic  names  in  Colorado. 

"Law,  equity  and  admiralty  ( doubtless  it  was  then  thought  the  latter  might 
draw  unto  itself  jurisdiction  over  irrigation  ditches)  having  been  thus  started  on 
their  course,  with  the  nucleus  of  attorneys,  solicitors  and  proctors,  the  admission 
of  others  rapidly  followed  on  the  motion  of  divers  of  those  first  sworn  in. 

"That  was  not  quite  forty  years  ago,  but  of  the  men  who  signed  the  roll  that 
first  day  and  thereafter  during  the  first  month  of  this  court's  existence,  Owen  E. 
Le  Fevre,  George  Q.  Richmond.  William  C.  Kingsley.  Robert  E.  Foote,  Alfred  C. 
Phelps,  Robert  S.  Morrison  and  Clinton  Reed  only,  still  answer  at  roll-call.  The 
others,  that  brainy,  brilliant  host  of  pioneer  lawyers,  who  foregathered  on  Lari- 
mer street  in  1876,  alas,  "The  winds  have  blown  them  all  away.' 

"Judge  E.  T.  Wells  and  Ex-Senator  T.  ]\I.  Patterson  were  not  admitted  to 
this  Bar  until  the  following  year. 

"John  M.  Waldron's  name  was  added  to  the  roll  in  1879.  and  our  well  beloved 
and  hoary  friends.  James  H.  Blood  and  Gustave  C.  Bartels,  signed  up,  in  this 
order,  three  days  apart,  in  July,  1880,  the  first,  last  and  only  time  they  were  ever 
known  to  do  the  same  thing  or  anything  at  different  times. 

"Wilbur  F.  Stone  went  early  to  the  Supreme  Bench  of  the  state,  and  so  the 
name  of  the  much  esteemed  historian  of  the  pioneer  Bench  and  Bar  does  not 
appear  on  this  roll  until  many  years  later. 

"Edward  O.  Wolcott,  'of  Georgetown,"  was  admitted  here  on  the  5th  day  of 
the  court's  session.  Senator  Charles  S.  Thomas  was  admitted  December  14th,  and 
Frederick  W.  Pitkin,  afterwards  Governor  for  two  terms,  on  the  same  day.  Henry 
M.  Teller,  George  W.  Miller  and  Vincent  D.  Markham  were  enrolled  in  1877,  ^s 
was  General  Bela  M.  Hughes,  Nestor  of  the  Bar,  and  Chevalier  Bayard  of  Colo- 
rado. These  were  honored  in  their  day  and  generation  and  were  the  glory  of 
the  times  and  these  are  of  them  that  have  left  a  name  behind  them. 

"Butler,  walking  statelier  than  Rome's  Tribune,  master  of  logic  and  rhetoric, 
and  able  to  contend,  with  all  the  canniness  of  his  Scotch,  or  the  fervor  of  his 
Irish  ancestors,  as  the  cause  demanded ;  it  was  said  of  Butler  that  he  never  put 
forth  his  be.st  efforts  until  he  came  to  the  petition  for  rehearing,  and  that  if  he 
represented  the  defendant  the  case  was  never  tried  until  both  parties  were  dead, 
and  generally  not  then.  Wolcott,  like  Coriolanus,  hating  the  many-headed  mul- 
titude, but  able  to  sway  with  his  voice,  juries  and  assemblies;  Henry  M.  Teller, 
cold  as  the  icicle  on  Diana's  temple,  but  bold  as  a  lion  when  aroused  to  righteous 
wrath ;  Miller,  uncouth  and  not  too  learned,  but  with  a  fierce  and  savage  imagery 
and  posture  and  voice,'  an  inheritance  of  his  Indian  blood,  which  drove  all  before 
him. 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  751 

"There  is  a  story  of  Judge  Miller — authentic — which  I  must  tell.  Judge 
Miller  was  defending  a  man  accused  of  manslaughter,  in  the  Territorial  court 
at  Colorado  Springs.  Judge  Ilallett  was  presiding.  That  the  defendant  killed 
the  deceased  was  admitted;  the  plea  was  self-defense,  and  it  was  charged  that  the 
deceased  had  been  threatening  the  life  of  defendant  with  a  loaded  rifle.  Miller 
seized  the  rifle,  which  was  an  exhibit  in  the  case,  and  bringing  it  to  bear  upon 
the  jury,  charged,  with  a  ferocious  Indian  yell.  The  jurors,  and  everyone  else  in 
the  court  room,  except  the  judge,  instantly  became  men  of  one  mind  and  fled 
from  the  room.  Judge  Hallett  remained  upon  the  bench,  as  imperlurbaljlc  as  he 
appears  in  that  portrait  upon  the  wall.'  The  sherii?  finally  peeked  in.  Judge 
Hallett,  calling  him  to  the  bench,  said:  'Mr.  Sheriff,  will  you  see  if  you  can 
induce  the  jury  to  return  to  the  court  room  and  resume  the  consideration  of  the 
case,  and.  Sir,  you  may  promise  them  the  court's  protection.' 

"There  was  ]\Iarkham,  \'irginia  cavalier,  whose  learning  and  wit  were  seldom 
voiced  standing,  but  who  was  a  most  formidable  antagonist  with  pen  and  paper ; 
Willard  Teller,  equally  able  and,  locally,  as  well  known  as  his  more  famous 
brother;  Judge  Steck,  that  quaint  character,  pioneer  of  Cahfornia,  as  well  as 
Colorado,  whose  character  \vas  illustrated  by  an  incident  in  my  own  experience. 
He  resigned  from  the  county  bench  in  1883.  or  thereabouts,  and  took  offices  in 
the  old  Tabor  Block,  now  Nassau,  at  Sixteenth  and  Larimer  streets,  where  I  then 
had  an  office.  Coming  behind  him  as  he  w-as  stomping  along  on  the  tile  floor 
one  day,  as  was  his  custom,  talking  vigorously  to  a  man  whom  he  had  by  the 
arm,  he  said,  'The  Supreme  Court  will  reverse  it ;  the  Supreme  Court  will  re- 
verse it ;  it  is  bound  to  reverse  it.'  I  stepped  up  to  him  and  said,  'What  is  that. 
Judge  .Steck ;  one  of  your  decisions  ?'  'Yes,  and  a  most  damnably  iniquitous  de- 
cision it  was,  too,'  he  answered.  I  wish  that  judges  could  more  often  recognize 
their  limitations  before  they  leave  the  bench.     It  seems  so  easy  afterward. 

"No  reference  to  the  Bar  of  that  time  can  omit  mention  of  Major  Edward  L. 
Smith,  urbane,  soft  spoken  and  courteous,  lut  who  would  spring  with  the  quick- 
ness of  a  leopard  at  an  antagonist  off  his  guard ;  Tom  Macon,  primal  man  from 
Missouri,  who  never  willingly  ate  any  diet  more  civilized  than  corn  pone  and 
bacon,  who  could  beat  the  devil  quoting  scripture,  who  described  a  contemporary 
orator  as  placing  all  his  emphasis  on  his  prepositions,  and  who  could  grill  a  wit- 
ness until  the  lid  of  .'^atan's  cook-stove  would  seem  cool  to  the  touch. 

"Judge  John  F.  Dillon  sat  with  Judge  Dundy  the  second  and  third  days  of 
the  tcnn,  and  many  times  afterward,  and  Judge  McCrarv  and  Judge  Brewer  frc- 
cjucntly  presided  during  their  rcsi/cctivc  terms  as  Circuit  Judge. 

"The  late  Justice  Sanuiel  F.  .Miller  of  the  .'supreme  Court  frecpiently  came 
here,  in  the  old  days,  when  the  judges  of  that  august  tribunal  were  generally  ap- 
pointed with  some  reference  to  the  circuits,  and  made  periodical  visits  to  the 
one  to  which  assigned. 

"The  Union  Pacific  Railroad,  under  some  one  of  its  many  corporate  aliases, 
was  a  party  in  Cause  No.  i  on  the  docket;  No.  2  and  several  thereafter  were 
bills  brought  by  the  United  States  to  set  aside  alleged  frauds  against  the  govern- 
ment in  respect  to  public  lands.  Nothing  changes,  in  forty  years,  hut  men.  The 
grand  jury — and  I  tliink  tlie  late  Dennis  .Snlliv.in,  who  died  in  October,  was  the 
last  survivor  of  the  panel — returned  numerous  true  l)ills,  princi]ially  against 
Mexicans.     The  court   seems  to  have   taken   uj)  their  cases   under   the   maxim. 


752  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

First  in  time,  first  in  right.  Manuel  Vigil,  having  drawn  the  lowest  number  on 
the  docket,  was  tried  first,  and  acquitted  by  a  jury  of  Gringoes.  The  others  fol- 
lowed. A  careful  investigation  of  the  facts  will  lead  any  careful  man  to  the 
firm  conclusion  that  each  and  every  one  was  clearly  guilty  and  most  properly 
acquitted.  Pioneer  juries  evidently  applied  the  same  principles,  in  the  trial  of 
Mexicans,  that  tenderfoot  juries,  in  these  soft  days,  apply  upon  the  trial  of  young 
Piute  Indians. 

"The  court  continued  to  occupy  the  Larimer  street  quarters  until  May  6th, 
1884,  when  it  was  removed  to  the  old  Synies  building.  I  will  pass  that  history 
because  it  has  been  given,  with  a  few  minor  errors,  by  Senator  Thomas'  letter, 
mentioning  merely  as  a  fact,  illustrating  the  celerity  with  which  this  great  gov- 
ernment of  ours  can  be  driven — can  act  when  it  is  driven  to  it — its  capacity  for 
quick  preparedness — the  site  of  that  building  was  selected  and  its  structure  com- 
menced in  1880,  and  the  building  was  ready  for  occupancy  thirteen  years  later. 

"There  were  many  notable  cases  tried  in  that  old  Larimer  street  court  room. 
The  Leadville  apex  cases  brought  political  and  financial  fortune  to  a  number  of 
lawyers.  Judge  George  G.  Symes  came  here  in  the  '70s.  He  had  been  Terri- 
torial Judge  in  Montana.  He  formed  a  partnership  with  Judge  Decker,  and  be- 
came immediately  prominent  through  connection  with  the  litigation  over  the 
Dives-Pelican  mines  at  Georgetown.  He  espoused  the  apex  side  in  the  contro- 
versy over  the  Leadville  formation,  but  was  defeated.  He  purchased  the  corner 
on  Sixteenth  and  Champa  streets  with  his  fees,  built  a  block  and  went  to  Con- 
gress. Patterson  and  Thomas  represented  the  defense.  Both  became  rich,  and 
the  riches  of  one,  at  least,  have  continued  to  grow  ever  since.  Both,  at  times,  ran 
for  governor,  and  one  of  them  was  finally  elected  to  that  office.  Both  ran  for 
the  Senate  many  times,  and  each  of  them  was  ultimately  elected  Senator.  They 
defeated  the  apex  for  Leadville,  but  lost  it  in  Aspen.  The  Aspen  cases  were 
tried  later,  and  the  apex  side  was  espoused  by  Senator  Teller,  then  in  the  very 
zenith  of  his  power  and  influence.  C.  J.  Hughes  first  attained  prominence  in 
these  Aspen  apex  litigations  through  his  association  with  Senator  Teller,  and 
laid  the  foundation  of  his  fortune,  and  subsequent  senatorship. 

"On  the  day  this  court  opened.  Colonel  Edward  F.  Bishop,  who  had  been  a 
gallant  soldier  of  the  Union  in  the  conflict  between  the  states,  and  who  bore  the 
scars  of  that  conflict,  was  appointed  clerk  of  both  the  Circuit  and  District  Courts, 
and  his  brother,  Charles  W.,  then  a  fat  and  chubby  boy,  occupied  a  desk  in  the 
little  room  where  its  meager  records  were  to  be  written. 

"William  A.  Willard  succeeded  Colonel  Bishop  when  the  latter  resigned.  On 
the  death  of  Mr.  Willard,  Captain  Francis  W.  Tupper,  a  one-legged  veteran  of 
the  Civil  War,  was  appointed,  by  Judge  Hallett,  clerk  of  the  District  Court,  and 
Circuit  Judge  Caldwell  appointed  Captain  Robert  Bailey,  who  had  been  his  com- 
panion in  arms,  clerk  of  the  Circuit  Court. 

"Charles  W.  Bishop  became  clerk  of  the  District  Court  on  the  death  of 
Captain  Tupper  in  igoo,  and  clerk  of  the  Circuit  Court  on  Captain  Bailey's  resig- 
nation in  1906.  He  held  both  places  until  the  merger  of  the  two  courts,  Decem- 
ber 31,  IQII,  and  still  he  serves,  less  changing  than  the  law  itself,  immutable  and 
inscrutable,  but  still  believing: 

"  'Life  is  not  so  short  but  that  there  is  always  time  enough  for  courtesy.' 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  753 

"The  incumbent  is  the  eighth  marshal.  His  immediate  predecessor,  Dewey  C. 
Bailey,  served  more  than  twice  as  long  as  the  average  term  in  this  office. 

"Judge  Moses  Hallett  took  his  scat  on  this  Bench  January  23,  1877.  How 
different  the  surroundings  from  those  in  which  we  are  assembled!  The  venue  of 
that  day  is  laid  in  a  poorly  lighted,  illy  ventilated  room,  in  a  dilapidated  building. 
The  condition  of  the  furniture  is  illustrated  by  a  story  which  Judge  Hallett  told 
me  not  long  before  he  died.  It  was  shortly  after  Judge  Hallett  took  his  place  upon 
this  bench.  General  Sanmcl  E.  Brown  came  in  one  day  and  taking  his  seat  on 
one  of  the  chairs  of  the  court  room,  the  perforated  bottoms  of  which  were  held 
in  place  with  tacks,  he  quickly  discovered  that  a  tack  had  been  inverted.  Im- 
mediately arising,  and  addressing  the  court,  he  said:  'This  court  is  sharp  at  the 
wrong  end.' 

"General  Brown  was  first  Attorney  General  of  the  territory,  and  the  wag 
and  wit  of  the  Bar.  Judge  Markham  said  of  him  that  he  would  rather  get  oft' 
a  joke  than  get  a  verdict,  and  that  if  he  had  been  paid  a  dollar  apiece  for  all  the 
suits  he  had  appeared  in,  he  would  have  been  the  richest  man  in  the  world. 

"The  unique  and  extraordinary  character  who  was  first  judge  of  this  district, 
must  necessarily  occupy  the  foreground  in  any  picture  of  this  court,  for  the 
period  covered  by  this  sketch.  He  presided  here  for  thirty  years  and  thus  rounded 
cut  a  forty-year  term  upon  the  bench  in  Colorado.  Nature  is  not  sufficiently 
fecund,  in  departing  from  formula,  to  lend  reasonable  expectation  that  he  will 
be  approached,  much  less  duplicated,  within  the  century. 

"Dignified  in  bearing,  austere  in  manner,  unapproachable  in  demeanor,  frigid 
in  speech,  there  dwelt  beneath  this  cold  and  forbidding  exterior  a  heart  in  which 
the  law  of  kindness  was  as  well  known  as  was  the  law  of  the  land  in  the  head 
above.  Wlien  I  had  occasion  to  seek  his  aid.  and  that  of  others,  for  a  pioneer 
lawyer  who  was  in  distress,  he  responded  more  liberally  than  any  other  man  ap- 
proached, and  in  a  spirit  which  showed  that  an  ancient  quarrel  had  left  no  bit- 
terness. Behind  the  stern  demand  for  the  respect  due  the  judicial  office  and 
judicial  proceedings  there  dwelt  a  modesty  and  a  simplicity  which  few  were  privi- 
leged to  know  or  understand. 

"When  with  him  in  Washington  during  and  just  before  the  Cleveland  inau- 
gural of  1885,  he  was  turning  away  from  the  Bar  of  the  Supreme  Court,  because, 
on  that  day,  only  members  of  that  Bar  were  admitted  within  the  rail.  Another 
lawyer  made  known  the  position  held  by  Judge  Hallett,  which  he  himself  was 
too  modest  to  mention,  and  he  was  thereupon  immediately  seated  inside  the  rail. 
I  believe  that  was  the  first  time  he  was  ever  present  at  a  session  of  the  Supreme 
Court  of  the  United  States. 

"The  written  law  he  knew ;  the  precepts  which  are  writ  in  a  dead  language 
upon  the  lintel  of  this  building,  and  upon  these  walls,  were  living  sentiments  in 
his  heart  and  guide-posts  of  his  daily  walk. 

"To  him  this  state  owes  a  debt  hard  to  estimate  and  impossible  to  liquidate. 
It  owes  a  debt  for  lessons  in  law  enforcement,  for  Judge  Hallett -taught  rude  and 
lawless  men  respect  for  the  law,  and  for  the  tribunals  organized  to  enforce  it. 
When  first  appointed  to  the  Territorial  Bench,  he  opened  court  in  a  turbulent 
community,  only  to  find  that  a  cause  about  tc  be  tried  had  divided  the  people  into 
hostile  factions  and  armed  camps :  that  primal  passions  were  aroused,  and  that 
the  flames  of  violence  were  likely  to  break  forth  at  any  moment.    The  court  room 

Vol.  I 4  8 


754  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

bulged  with  excited  men,  each  man  a  walking  arsenal.  Judge  Hallett  talked  to 
these  men  in  that  cold,  calm,  dispassionate  way  of  his,  on  the  necessity  of 
courts ;  he  pointed  out  that  courts  could  not  perform  their  functions  unless  the 
people  would  bow  to  them  and  support  their  judgments;  he  asked  each  man  pres- 
ent to  give  up  his  arms  to  the  sheriff  and  then  adjourned  court  for  half  an 
hour.  When  the  judge  returned  to  the  bench  he  saw  piled  in  front  of  him  an 
assortment  of  weapons  which  was  not  duplicated  until  the  Austrian  troops  called 
upon  the  Alontenegrin  villagers  to  turn  over  their  implements  of  war. 

'The  same  characteristics,  illustrated  by  the  incident  last  recited,  were  at 
the  bottom  of  the  fact  that  he  so  conducted  his  court  that  the  dignity  and  order 
of  its  proceedings  attracted  national  and  international  notice.  In  doing  this,  he 
was,  doubtless,  at  times,  unnecessarily  harsh ;  he  made  many  enemies,  and  was 
much  misunderstood,  but  generally  speaking,  he  was  able  to  accomplish  the 
results  sought  by  that  amazingly  scathing  sarcasm,  of  which  he  possessed  such 
supreme  command.  The  result  was,  enough  rare  incident  and  capital  anecdote 
hangs  around  this  coi;rt  to  make  a  volume  more  prized  than  any  which  has  yet 
found  a  place  on  lawyers'  tables.  I  wish  that  my  friends,  Judge  Wells  and  Judge 
Stone,  might  collaborate  in  the  preparation  of  such  a  book,  before  all  the  good 
stories  are  distorted  or  emasculated,  as  I  find  is  being  done  when  I  hear  them 
told  by  the  generation  which  knew  not  Moses  and  the  Prophets. 

"With  masterly  genius  Judge  Hallett  conceived  the  needs  imposed  by  the  new 
conditions  found  here,  and  with  a  courage,  which  mounted  to  occasion,  he  up- 
rooted ancient  doctrines  of  the  law,  with  the  declaration  that  they  must  yield 
to  the  situation  which  confronted  the  new  civilization,  thus  disregarding  one  of 
the  maxims  inscribed  in  this  room — witness  his  sweeping  decision  abrogating  the 
law  of  riparian  rights  in  the  arid  west  (Yunker  v.  Nichols,  i  Colo.  551 ;  see,  also, 
K.  P.  Ry.  Co.  V.  Lundin,  3  Colo.  94)." 

W.    H.   GABBERT 

"When  the  Territory  of  Colorado  was  created,  able  jurists  were  appointed  to 
our  Supreme  Court  Bench.  They  were  confronted  with  new  legal  problems  and 
required  to  develop  and  apply  principles  of  law  which  had  lain  dormant  because 
conditions  in  other  jurisdictions  had  not  called  for  their  application.  How  well 
these  pioneer  jurists  performed  their  tasks  is  evidenced  by  the  fact  that  their  de- 
cisions have  not  only  been  uniformly  and  consistently  followed  by  the  Supreme 
Court  of  this  state,  but  are  recognized  as  authority  in  every  other  jurisdiction 
throughout  the  Rocky  Mountain  region. 

"The  Supreme  Court  of  the  Territory  was  organized  in  1861.  Five  years 
later,  or  nearly  fifty  years  ago.  Judge  Hallett  was  appointed  Chief  Justice  of  that 
tribunal,  and  continuously  occupied  that  position  until  the  territory  was  admitted 
as  a  state.  During  that  period  the  law  of  irrigation  and  mining  was  in  its  forma- 
tive stage,  and  the  opinions  he  rendered  on  these  subjects  have  been  of  incalcu- 
lable value.  Speaking  through  him,  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  Territory  an- 
nounced, in  efl:'ect,  in  advance  of  any  other  court  of  last  resort,  that  the  common- 
law  doctrine  of  riparian  rights  was  not  applicable  in  Colorado.  On  this  sub- 
ject, though  not  directly  connected  with  riparian  rights,  in  one  of  his  opinions, 
delivered  forty-four  years  ago,  he  said :  'In  a  dry  and  thirsty  land  it  is  necessary 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  755 

to  divert  the  waters  of  streams  from  their  natural  ehamiels  in  order  to  obtain 
the  fruits  of  the  soil,  and  this  necessity  is  so  universal  and  imperious  that  it 
claims  recognition  of  the  law.'  In  the  same  opinion  he  also  said,  '\\'hen  the  lands 
of  this  Territory  were  derived  from  the  General  Government,  ihey  were  subject 
to  the  law  of  nature,  which  holds  them  barren  until  awakened  to  fertility  by 
nourishing  streams  of  water,  and  the  j)urchasers  could  have  no  benelit  from  the 
grant  without  the  right  to  irrigate  them.' 

"These  utterances  are  of  great  historical  interest.  They  form  the  basis 
up(in  which  the  right  to  divert  water  for  beneficial  ])urposes  is  founded,  and  no 
doubt  prom]ited  the  adoption  of  our  constitutional  [jrovision  which  declares  that 
the  right  to  divert  the  unappropriated  waters  of  any  natural  stream  to  beneficial 
uses  shall  never  be  denied. 

'"Early  in  the  history  of  Colorado,  Congress  passed  a  law  to  llx  and  define 
mining  rights.  The  territorial  bench  was  called  upon  to  construe  and  apply  this 
law.  This  required  the  consideration  of  new  questions  with  respect  to  the  law 
of  real  property,  and  our  early  reports  ftirnish  precedents  on  the  subject  of 
mining  rights  which  have  been  followed  and  approved  not  only  by  the  courts  of 
last  resort  in  states  embracing  the  mountain  region  of  the  West,  but  by  the  high- 
est tribunal  in  the  land.  Foremost  in  interpreting  the  Act  of  Congress  relating  to 
mining  claims  appears  the  name  of  Jtidge  Hallett  as  Chief  Justice  of  the  territory, 
and  as  Federal  Judge  of  the  state.  In  the  text  books  and  the  reports  his  decisions 
on  the  subject  of  mining  law  are  more  frequently  referred  to  and  quoted  than 
those  of  any  other  jurist." 

JOHN   F.   PHILIPS 

'T  had  been  on  the  Federal  Bench  but  a  little  over  a  year  when  I  received  a 
note  from  Circuit  Judge  Brewer,  who  had  jtist  been  promoted  to  the  Supreme 
Bench  of  the  United  States,  stating  that  there  were  some  cases  which  had  been 
especially  assigned  for  him  to  hear  at  Denver,  but  as  he  was  soon  to  take  his 
place  on  the  Supreme  Bench,  he  wished  very  much  that  I  would  come  out  here 
and  try  them ;  that  it  would  probably  not  take  me  over  three  or  four  days.  He 
had  never  tried  a  mining  case.  With  some  misgivings,  but  in  a  spirit  of  service- 
ableness,  I  came.  I  reached  here  about  the  first  of  December,  1889.  The  first 
case,  on  the  especially  arranged  docket  for  me  to  hear,  was  that  of  Cheesman 
and  others  against  .Shreevc  and  others.  It  was  an  action  of  ejectment  for  the 
recovery  of  a  mine,  I  think  up  in  Eagle  Pass.  Charley  Hughes  represented  the 
plaintiff,  B.  F.  Montgomery  and  C.  C.  Parsons  the  defendants.  The  mining  law 
to  me  was  a  terra  incognita:  and  this  one  presented  some  questions  that  were 
new  even  to  the  experienced  mining  lawyers  engaged  in  the  case.  But  I  recalled 
what  I  heard  an  old  judge  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  Missouri  once  say :  'The  trial 
judge  should  never  give  himself  away  to  the  lawyers;  if  he  don't  know  all  the 
law  of  the  case,  he  should  keep  the  fact  to  himself.'  So.  at  the  very  outset,  T 
bluffed  Montgomery,  when  he  set  up  a  sort  of  kindergarten  in  court  to  tell  me 
all  about  the  peculiarities  of  an  ejectment  suit  in  a  mining  case,  by  reminding 
him  of  the  motto  of  the  pick-axe  on  the  dial.  'I  will  find  a  way,  or  make  one.' 

"That  trial  lasted  until  Christmas,  anrl  in  reading  over  the  other  dav  that 
charge  of  mine  to  the  jury,  reportcfl  in  the  40th  Federal.  T  was  soniewli;it  amazed 


756  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

at  my  audacious  display  of  knowledge  of  geology,  mineralogy,  apexes,  dips,  con- 
tinuity of  veins,  side-  and  end-lines.  One  would  think  that  I  was  sort  of  judicial 
vug,  endowed  with  an  insight  into  all  the  hidden  mysteries  of  these  mountains. 
But  why  shouldn't  I  have  known  and  learned  a  great  deal  about  all  these  occult 
matters?  I  had  not  only  the  assistance  of  most  learned  and  skilled  lawyers,  but 
access  to  the  well  assorted  library  of  that  able  jurist  Judge  Dixon,  of  Wisconsin, 
who  had  recently  located  in  Denver;  where  at  nights,  while  Montgomery  was  at- 
tending theatres  with  his  young  and  handsome  wife,  and  Charley  Hughes  was 
lolling  in  his  private  library  at  home  reading  the  deliverances  of  his  model  orator 
and  lawyer,  Marcus  Tullius  Cicero,  I  was  reading  every  pertinent  decision  in  the 
territorial  and  state  courts  of  Colorado,  of  California,  and  of  the  Supreme  Court 
of  the  United  States. 

"Furthermore,  as  the  quotation  from  my  opinion  just  read  by  the  chairman, 
McAllister,  states,  I  had  before  me  for  over  two  weeks  the  most  wonderful  dis- 
play of  swearing  by  expert  witnesses  I  ever  heard  or  dreamed  of.  They  were  not 
only  up  in  geology,  mineralogy,  surveying,  but  in  photography  and  assaying. 
They  swore  at  the  rate  of  fifty  dollars  per  diem,  and  to  the  very  utmost  of  their 
ability  and  all  that  was  supplemented  by  the  arts  of  photography  and  assaying. 
The  photographers  were  skilled  experts.  They  could  take  the  inside  of  a  mine 
so  as  to  make  the  roof  the  foot  and  reverse  the  sides  just  to  suit  the  side  that 
hired  them;  while  the  assayist  possessed  that  wonderful  alchemy  of  finding  gold 
or  silver  when  gold  or  silver  was  required,  or  no  gold  or  no  silver  when  they  were 
not  required ;  while  the  other  side  could  find  nothing  but  dirt  or  rotten  rocks. 
One  could  follow  the  continuity  of  a  vein  like  a  ray  of  sunbeam  extending  from 
sky  to  earth,  while  the  other  would  find  lapses  of  a  hundred  or  two  hundred  yards 
apart. 

"The  only  vein  of  humor  struck  in  that  case  was  when  an  Irishman,  fresh 
from  Cork,  was  introduced  as  a  witness.  He  had  been  watching  the  performances 
of  these  expert  witnesses,  with  the  pointer  stuck  up  against  the  photograph  of 
the  mine  displayed  on  the  wall ;  and  as  soon  as  he  was  sworn,  without  being  asked 
a  question,  he  seized  what  he  called  'that  pinter'  and  stuck  it  up  against  that 
picture,  and  turned  to  the  jury  and  said,  'Gintlemin  of  the  jury,  I  intered  dis 
yer  mine  right  thar,  and  de  furder  I  wint  in,  de  furder  I  got.'  By  this  time  pa- 
tience had  ceased  to  be  a  virtue,  and  I  said  to  the  witness,  'Take  your  seat,'  and, 
turning  to  the  lawyers,  I  said,  'Gentlemen,  this  witness  has  stated  about  the 
most  self-evident  proposition  I  have  heard  since  I  came  to  Colorado,  and  that  is, 
the  further  a  man  goes  the  further  he  gets.  I  think  I  will  now  close  this  debating 
society  among  the  witnesses,  and  you  can  proceed  to  introduce  evidence,  if  you 
have  any.'  The  jury  returned  a  verdict  for  the  defendants;  but,  under  your 
Colorado  statute,  the  plaintiff  on  certain  conditions  was  entitled  to  a  new  trial. 
Judge  Thomas,  of  the  Federal  Court  in  North  Dakota,  was  sent  down  here  to 
run  the  second  trial.  He  was  in  delicate  health,  and  the  principal  object,  I  think, 
in  sending  him  here  was  in  the  hope  that  this  electrical  atmosphere  of  yours 
would  breathe  into  his  lungs  new  life.  My  recollection  is  that  he  spent  the  most 
of  one  winter  in  trving  the  case ;  and  at  the  end  of  it  he  was  so  exhausted  that 
he  only  had  strength  enough  left  to  reach  home  in  time  to  die. 

"But  the  case  did  not  end  there.  It  seemed  to  have  as  many  lives  as  the  pro- 
verbial cat.     In  its  peregrinations  it  went  to  the  Court  of  Appeals,  and  I  think 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  757 

to  the  Supreme  Court,  and  only  got  out  of  court  a  few  years  ago,  when  all  the 
lawyers  concerned  in  it,  and  about  all  the  litigants,  had  died. 

"Another  incident,  if  somewhat  disagreeable,  connected  with  that  first  term 
of  court  I  held  here:  among  the  cases  assigned  on  the  special  docket  made  out 
by  Judge  Hallett  for  me  to  hear,  was  that  of  the  United  States  against  Harman. 
Harman  was  a  lawyer  from  Illinois,  of  some  celebrity.  He  was  indicted  for 
making  false  entries,  I  believe,  of  some  school  lands  out  here,  which  were  de- 
signed to  create  a  school  fund  for  the  benefit  of  Colorado.  He  was  convicted 
before  Judge  Hallett.  Tom  Patterson,  his  lawyer,  filed  a  motion  in  arrest  and 
for  new  trial.  Being  overruled,  an  appeal  was  taken,  which,  under  the  statute 
then,  went  to  the  Circuit  Court.  I  heard  the  argument  in  that  case,  of  evenings, 
while  I  was  trying  the  mining  case,  in  order  to  see  that  I  earned  my  pay  while 
I  was  out  here.  I  took  the  case  under  advisement,  and  after  returning  to  Kan- 
sas City,  wrote  it  up,  reversing  the  judgment  of  conviction,  on  the  ground  that, 
until  all  the  conditions  were  complied  with,  of  such  an  entry,  and  at  the  end  of 
five  years  when  the  party  might  obtain  a  patent,  it  was  not  possible  for  the  gov- 
ernment to  be  defrauded  out  of  its  property  by  a  mere  preliminary  entry,  when 
he  might  never  get  a  patent.  And  so  the  authorities  held.  I  sent  the  opinion 
and  the  papers  out  to  Judge  Hallett,  with  the  request  that  he  file  the  opinion, 
and,  to  save  me  the  trouble  and  the  government  the  expense  of  my  coming  out 
here,  to  have  made  the  formal  entry,  vacating  the  judgment,  \\hen  he  read  the 
opinion,  he  refused  to  make  the  order,  on  the  ground  that  as  I  was  only  a  District 
Judge  I  had  no  right  to  reverse  him.  It  has  always  remained  to  me  an  insoluble 
mystery  how  I  had  jurisdiction  to  hear  the  case  if  I  had  no  power  to  decide  it; 
and  I  do  not  know  whether  his  acute  mind  would  have  ever  discovered  the  in- 
firmity in  my  authority  if  I  had  affirmed  his  ruling.  Judge  Caldwell,  then  the 
Circuit  Judge,  had  to  come  out  here,  and,  holding  that,  as  I  was  assigned  to  hold 
the  Circuit  Court  in  Colorado,  I  was  invested  with  all  the  jurisdictional  powers 
of  a  Circuit  Judge,  ordered  my  finding  to  be  entered  of  record.  But  Judge  Hal- 
lett and  myself  ever  after  remained  good  friends ;  and  I  here  today  pay  to  his 
memory  the  tribute  that  he  was  an  able  jurist  and  an  honest  man.  Like  many 
men  full  of  affirmation,  there  were  in  his  mental  and  moral  makeup  some  sharp 
angles :  but  the  composite  man  was  strong  and  majestic. 

"The  last  case  I  tried  in  Denver  is  also  historic.  Just  a  short  time  before  I 
retired  from  the  bench,  in  1910.  Judge  Lewis,  another  Missouri  product  (who, 
I  am  glad  to  say,  is  reflecting  honor  l)nlh  upon  the  state  of  his  nativity  and  that 
of  his  adojition).  with  the  honeyed  words  of  Minerva  and  the  baits  of  the  Sii-cn. 
inveigled  me  into  coming  out  here  to  try  an  old  chancery  case,  which  he  said  he 
didn't  care  to  sit  in.  When  I  arrived  T  picked  up  the  papers  and  looked  at  them, 
when  I  discovered  his  true  reason  ;  there  were  about  3.000  pages  of  printed  testi- 
mony and  al)out  400  exhibits.  It  grew  out  of  the  Amethyst  mine  up  at  Battle 
Mountain.  I  liclieve,  near  Creede.  And,  curiously  enough.  MofTat.  who  was  a 
party  to  the  Cheesman  case,  was  defendant  in  this;  Charley  Hughes,  who  was 
counsel  in  the  Cheesman  case,  was  Mofl^at's  counsel  in  this.  Lie  having  gone  to 
the  Senate  of  the  United  States,  Gerald,  'a  worthy  scion  of  a  noble  sire,'  made 
the  argument  in  his  place.  One  of  the  witnesses  in  the  case  was  among  the  ex- 
pert witnesses  in  the  Cheesman  case.  So  T  ended  my  judicial  career  in  Colorado 
by  going  into  one  mine  and  coming  out  of  another.    It  took  me  ten  days  to  read 


758  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

and  digest  that  mass  of  testimony.  I  wrote  the  case  up  elaborately,  deciding  in 
favor  of  Moffat ;  and  thougfi  he  had  builded  the  railroad  from  Denver  to  Steam- 
boat Springs — a  grander  achievement  in  civil  engineering  than  that  of  the  Simp- 
Ion  Pass  of  Napoleon  Bonaparte — he  received  no  reward;  but  I  was  told  that  he 
had  printed  and  circulated  in  pamphlet  form  my  opinion,  and  died  with  the 
io  trimnphe  smile  on  his  face,  because,  as  he  said,  it  was  the  only  case  decided 
in  his  favor  in  this  jurisdiction  for  many  years. 

"Many  terms  I  sat  upon  the  Court  of  Appeals  at  this  city.  Some  of  the  best 
opinions,  at  least  to  my  satisfaction,  I  ever  wrote  were  in  cases  that  came  from 
Colorado.  This,  because  the  quality  of  the  questions  involved  was  calculated  to 
strike  up  whatever  of  tire  slumbered  in  me;  and  because  the  cases  were  well 
briefed  and  ably  argued  by  splendid  lawyers.  If  there  be  any  diamond  in  our 
mental  composition,  it  will  shine  out  by  attrition  with  superior  minds.  The  flush 
times  of  litigation  in  Colorado  furnished  a  striking  illustration  of  the  fact  that 
great  causes  make  great  lawyers,  just  as  the  prize  of  an  empire  is  apt  to  develop 
a  great  general. 

"Colorado  was  then  engaged  in  subjecting  the  vast  area  of  arid  lands  to  the 
uses  of  husbandry  by  the  process  of  irrigation.  She  was  tunnelling  the  moun- 
tains, penetrating  their  depths,  by  applied  mechanics,  to  make  them  give  up  their 
hidden  treasures  of  gold,  silver  and  coal ;  and  constructing  railroads  over  and 
along  precipitous  heights  where  the  head  today  grows  dizzy  as  you  ride  over 
them.  All  this  was  a  fruitful  source  of  litigation,  calling  into  requisition  the 
highest  intellectual  gifts,  in  adapting  old  principles  in  science,  law  and  equity  to 
meet  the  demands  of  new  conditions.  So  that  the  lawyer,  who  counseled,  ad- 
vised and  managed  such  stupendous  affairs  in  and  out  of  court,  was  stimulated 
by  the  prizes  before  him  to  the  highest  exertion  of  energy,  research,  and  endeavor. 
The  questions  he  had  to  meet  involved  a  wide  range  of  learning  and  knowledge, 
from  the  geological  conformation  of  these  mountains,  to  the  alembic  and  the 
crucible;  from  assaying  to  geometry;  demanding  the  application  of  old  princi- 
ples in  science,  common  and  statutory  law,  and  the  reach  and  compass  of  equity 
jurisprudence  to  meet  new  demands.  All  this  tended  to  make  great  lawyers,  just 
as  the  practitioner  who  indulges  in  petty  litigation,  in  the  training  of  witnesses. 
rather  than  study  of  the  law,  is  apt  to  dwarf  to  the  dimensions  of  the  shyster — 
becomes  a  scavenger  bird  instead  of  an  eagle." 

BV   E.   T.   WELLS 

The  following  reminiscences  are  taken  from  an  address  delivered  before  the 
Denver  Bar  Association  by  E.  T.  Wells  on  May  24.  1917: 

"When  our  coach  reached  Denver  in  the  evening  of  November  5th  we  drove 
to  the  Planters  House,  a  rambling  framed  aff'air  of  two  stories,  which  stood  on 
the  opposite  side  of  Blake  Street  from  the  present  American  House.  The  driver 
called  'Coach'  in  a  loud  voice,  and  in  an  instant  we  were  surrounded  by  a  crowd 
of  perhaps  fifty,  perhaps  a  hundred,  all  anxious  to  see  who  had  come,  and  hear 
the  news  from  the  states.  I  knew  someone  in  the  throng,  was  introduced  to 
every  one  else,  and  I  think  every  one  of  my  new  acquaintances  invited  me  to 
■drink. 

"On  the  next  dav  one  of  mv  new  acquaintances  called  and  escorted  me  about 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  759 

the  town,  introducing  nie  to  merchants,  bankers,  lawyers,  and  loafers.  Every- 
where I  was  greeted  like  a  long-lost  brother.  I  suppose  every  newcomer  met  a 
similar  welcome. 

■'Aly  friend  Chamberlain,  upon  whom  the  liberal  people  of  Denver  at  once 
conferred  the  title  of  General,  shared  with  me  in  all  these  courteous  attentions. 

"On  the  second  or  third  day  after  our  arrival  we  were  invited  to  a  party 
at  the  residence  of  Hon.  Cameron  Hunt.  The  ladies  and  gentlemen  whom  we 
met  at  that  assembly  were,  I  thought,  as  refined,  well  bred  and  intelligent  as 
would  be  seen  in  any  like  assembly  in  any  city  of  the  states. 

"1  regret  to  mention  that  ]Mrs.  Charles  B.  Kountze  and  Col.  D.  C.  Dodge  (now- 
deceased)  are,  so  far  as  I  can  recall,  the  only  survivors  of  the  interesting  ladies 
and  gentlemen  whom  I  met  on  that  occasion. 

"My  first  residence  was  in  Gilpin  County.  I  had  been  appointed  attorney 
of  the  Blackhawk  Gold  Alining  Company,  one  of  the  principal  institutions  of 
that  mining  center,  and  for  convenience  in  attending  to  their  affairs,  I  located 
in  that  village.  My  office  was  with  the  city  clerk,  who  was  also  a  justice  of  the 
peace,  notary  public  and  police  magistrate.  At  the  rear  of  this  office  was  a  bed- 
room, which  the  then  sole  occupant,  the  city  marshal,  was  kind  enough  to  share 
with  me.  Separated  from  this  by  a  partition  of  boards  was  the  city  calaboose. 
So  far  as  I  remember,  that  apartment  never  had  a  tenant. 

"The  bar  of  Colorado  was  then  feeble  in  number,  but  at  least  equal  in  ability 
to  tha't  of  most  similar  communities  in  the  East. 

"One  might  count  upon  the  fingers  of  his  two  hands  all  those  engaged  in 
active  practice  in  Gilpin  and  Clear  Creek;  the  number  in  Denver  was,  I  think, 
still  less ;  at  Boulder  were  two  lawyers ;  the  Hon.  Wilbur  F.  Stone  and  two  others 
were  at  Pueblo,  aUd  the  Hon.  Thomas  Macon  at  Canon  City.  I  believe  that 
Judge  Stone  and  myself  are  the  only  survivors  of  the  bar  of  that  time. 

"Among  the  bar  of  Gilpin  tTounty  was  Ellsworth  Wakeley.  He  was  some- 
what advanced  in  life,  had  been  a  judge  in  Michigan,  and  was  a  man  of  con- 
siderable learning,  though  of  rather  quaint  and  peculiar  notions.  He  thought  no 
book  published  since  the  reign  of  Charles  II  ought  to  be  accepted  as  authority. 
Perhaps  he  limited  this  condemnation  to  the  reports  of  the  mother  country,  and 
would  admit  the  authoritative  character  of  Marshall,  Kent,  Story  and  other  native 
luminaries.  On  what  grounds  he  set  this  limit  to  the  authority  of  the  English 
courts  I  think  I  never  heard. 

"His  great  deligiit  was  to  argue  a  demurrer  to  a  bill  in  chawncery,  as  he 
called  it,  or  exceptions  to  an  answer.  On  these  occasions  he  would  accumulate 
books  without  end,  arranging  them  in  the  precise  order  in  which  he  proposed  to 
refer  to  them,  and  there  wasn't  a  man  living  who  dared  to  touch  one  of  these 
books  after  he  had  comjicted  lus  arrangement. 

"He  told  many  stories,  and  had  a  habit  of  indulging  in  endless  details,  eiUcr- 
ing  into  the  avoirdupois  and  stature  of  every  character.  He  told  me  that  the 
first  time  he  ever  attended  a  court  was  in  Connecticut,  when  he  was  there  as  a 
school  boy.  There  were  three  judges,  he  said,  and  'What  do  you  think?  One 
of  those  judges  got  up  ami  o|KMK'd  the  court  with  prayer!  I  have  often  thought,' 
he  continued,  'that  Sam  Lorah  was  about  the  size  of  that  judge,  but  Lorah  is  a 
heavier  man.  Sometimes  I  think  Horace  Atkins  is  about  his  size,  but  Horace 
is  a  taller  man.    I  have  never  seen  a  man  exactly  the  size  of  that  judge  but  once. 


760  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

Seven  years  ago  I  was  going  over  to  Empire,  and  met  on  the  road  a  man  who 
was  exactly  the  size  of  that  judge.  I  had  never  seen  him  before,  and  never 
have  seen  him  since,  and  I  don't  know  who  the  h — 1  he  was,  but  I  thought  at 
the  time  he  was  exactly  the  size  of  that  judge.' 

"With  all  his  learning  Judge  Wakeley  was  never  able  to  acquire  any  con- 
siderable clientage.  He  finally  died  at  Silver  Cliff,  and  I  have  been  told  was 
buried  at  the  expense  of  his  brother  members  of  the  bar. 

"Among  other  members  of  the  bar  in  the  second  district  in  territorial  times 
were  the  Messrs.  Teller,  and  the  firm  of  Royle  &  Butler,  composed  of  Jonathan 
C.  Royle  and  the  late  Hugh  Butler.  The  elder  Teller  was  an  amiable  man  of 
very  engaging  manners  in  private  life,  but  in  a  trial  a  most  persistent  and  un- 
compromising adversary.  I  thought  him  one  of  the  most  happily  equipped  men 
for  the  profession  that  I  had  ever  known,  and  still  so  regard  him.  H  he  had 
been  content  to  remain  in  practice  he  must  have  made  very  large  accumulations. 

"Mr.  Willard  Teller  was  a  man  of  austere  manners,  but  exceedingly  fair  and 
liberal  in  practice,  always  ready  to  grant  any  favor  to  which  an  adversary  was 
fairly  entitled,  even  when  conscious  that  by  a  denial  he  might  gain  an  advantage. 

"His  reputation  was  somewhat  overshadowed  by  that  of  his  brother,  but  his 
ability  would  have  been  recognized  at  any  bar  in  the  land. 

"My  Royle  was  a  man  of  learning,  integrity  and  industry.  Few  men  could 
present  a  question  of  law  with  more  lucidity :  but  the  technicalities  of  the  com- 
mon law  pleading  were  the  bane  of  his  life,  and  I  think  it  was  his  distaste  for 
them  that  finally  induced  him  to  remove  to  Salt  Lake,  where  he  resided  and 
followed  the  law  for  many  years,  I  believe,  with  great  success. 

"Mr.  Butler  was  of  Scottish  birth  or  extraction,  and  his  intellect  was  of  the 
Scottish  type.  He  delighted  in  subtleties,  and  while  effective  in  dealing  with 
any  question  of  law,  it  seemed  to  me  that  he  preferred  the  wrong  side  to  the 
right.  His  great  joy  seemed  to  be  to  make  something  out  of  nothing;  to  give 
plausible  reasons  for  a  proposition  manifestly  unsound,  and  which  he  knew  to 
be  unsound.     The  very  difficulties  of  the  occasion  seemed  to  arouse  him. 

"Charles  C.  Post,  later  Attorney  General  of  the  state,  was  one  of  the  most 
amiable  and  worthy  of  men.  He  was  an  excellent  lawyer,  but  more  attentive  to 
the  interests  of  his  clients  than  to  his  own.  Though,  I  believe,  the  first  attorney 
to  have  settled  in  Gilpin  County,  he  accumulated  little,  and  died  in  very  modest 
circumstances. 

"The  leading  members  of  the  profession  in  Denver  were  Amos  Steck,  George 
Crocker,  John  O.  Charles,  Samuel  H.  Elbert,  Bright  Smith  and  his  brother,  Ed- 
niond  L.  Smith,  Vincent  D.  Markham  and  George  W.  Miller.  They  were  all 
men  of  learning  and  exceptional  talent,  though  in  different  lines  of  effort. 

"I  was  afterwards  associated  with  the  younger  Smith  and  with  Thomas 
Alacon,  and  cannot  refrain  from  expressing  here  my  great  regard  and  admiration 
for  them. 

"Each  of  them  was  possessed  of  that  charity  that  thinketh  no  evil.  They 
were  gentlemen  in  the  best  sense  of  the  word.    Just,  sincere,  truthful,  courteous. 

"Neither  of  them  was  a  profound  lawyer  in  the  learning  of  the  books,  but 
each  of  them  possessed  that  native  sense  of  right,  of  what  the  law  ought  to  be, 
which  is  perhaps  even  a  surer  guide  than  authority. 

"The  courts  sometimes  wander  from  the  true  path,  but  the  right  in  invariable. 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  761 

"Major  Smith  was  equally  equipped  in  all  departments  of  practice.  His 
argument  of  a  question  of  law  was  like  a  passage  from  one  of  the  opinions  of 
Benjamin  R.  Curtis  or  Jeremiah  S.  Black — so  clear  and  coherent  in  thought,  so 
felicitous  in  expression.  His  voice,  to  use  the  expression  of  another,  was  like 
a  band  of  music.  Before  a  jury  he  was  very  efiective,  and  his  management  of 
a  witness  was  a  model,  always  fair,  gentle  and  considerate  with  the  truthful,  no 
prevaricator  could  evade  him. 

"Macon  was  a  man  of  the  noblest  mold.  His  youth  was  spent  in  poverty, 
and  his  acquaintance  with  the  law  was  limited.  He  had  little  confidence  in  his 
own  opinion,  but  in  the  presentation  of  the  facts  of  the  case  he  had  very  few 
superiors. 

"The  first  case  in  which  I  had  the  fortune  to  hear  him  was  the  People  v. 
Briggs  and  McClish,  indictment  for  the  murder  of  Harrington.  The  trial  lasted 
many  days.  Macon  took  no  notes  of  the  testimony,  but  in  his  argument,  which 
I  think  occupied  something  like  five  hours,  he  missed  no  single  point  tending  to 
dissipate  the  case  made  by  the  state,  or  establish  the  innocence  of  his  clients. 

"Their  acquittal  brought  on  what  was  known  as  the  Gas  Creek  War,  in  which, 
as  I  remember,  fourteen  of  the  citizens  of  Lake  County,  among  others  the  County 
Judge,  lost  their  lives. 

"In  the  autumn  of  1865  the  bench  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  Colorado  was 
composed  of  Stephen  S.  Harding,  William  H.  Gale,  and  Charles  C.  Holly.  Judge 
Harding  had  left  the  Territory  under  something  of  a  cloud,  I  believe,  and  never 
returned.  But  his  sign  was  still  here.  He  had  occupied  a  small  frame  house 
which  stood  upon  the  corner  now  occupied  by  the  Symes  Block.  Upon  the  door 
was  a  sign  more  than  two  feet  square,  I  should  think,  painted  in  black  upon  a 
ground  of  tin,  'Stephen  S.  Harding,  Chief  Justice' — as  if  he  were  advertising 
for  business.  It  seemed  to  say,  in  the  language  of  the  crier :  'Draw  near  and 
ye  shall  be  heard  !' 

''Judge  Gale  had  arrived  here  a  few  days  in  advance  of  my  coming.  I  called 
to  pay  my  respects  at  his  room  in  the  Tremont  House,  then  perhaps  the  swell 
establishment  of  the  city. 

"I  observed  with  admiration  that  each  foot  of  his  bed  rested  in  a  pan  of 
water,  and  a  sheet  stretched  above  it,  prevented  the  approach  of  the  prowlers  of 
the  night  from  that  direction. 

"Judge  Gale  was  what  might  be  called  an  exquisite.  He  dressed  with  great 
care,  parted  his  hair  in  the  middle,  wore  an  enormous  seal  ring,  and  spoke  with 
a  lisp.  The  rules  of  the  common  law  pleading,  or  even  its  conmionest  terms, 
were  an  enigma  to  him.  1  heard  the  late  General  Sam  Brown  argue  in  the  Su- 
preme Court,  after  Judge  Gale  had  left  the  country,  an  appeal  from  one  of  his 
judgments.  'This  is  the  case,'  he  told  the  court,  'This  is  the  case  in  which,  when 
I  argued  to  the  late  Judge  of  the  First  Judicial  District,  that  the  plea  of  non 
cepit  in  replevin  did  put  in  issue  the  property  in  the  goods,  asked  me  with  won- 
derful gravity  what  I  meant  by  the  plea  of  'non -thepit — non  thcpit,  your  Honors.' 

"It  was  Judge  Gale's  habit,  it  was  said,  to  take  out  with  him  at  the  evening 
of  every  motion  day,  the  pleadings  and  papers  in  every  case  in  which  a  demur- 
rer or  motion  had  been  argued.  In  the  morning  he  returned  them  carefully 
folded  and  arranged,  and  upon  the  opening  of  court,  the  demurrer  in  the  case 
first  in  the  pile  was  sustained,  the  second  overruled,  the  third  sustained,  and  so 


762  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

to  the  end — thus  dispensing  equal  justice  to  all.  General  Sam  Brown  told  me 
that  on  one  occasion,  observing  that  the  first  paper  in  the  pile  was  a  declaration 
which  he  had  prepared,  he  dexterously  shifted  it  to  the  second  place,  and  by  this 
sleight  of  hand  averted  the  impending  defeat.  His  adversary  had  observed  his 
maneuver,  and  accused  him  of  "shuffling  the  deck  after  the  cut.' 

"The  judge  assigned  to  the  second  district,  Gilpin  and  the  adjoining  counties, 
was  Charles  F.  Holly.  He  had  not,  I  thought,  a  very  profound  acquaintance 
with  the  books,  but  seemed  conscious  of  his  deficiencies,  listened  to  counsel  with 
attention,  was  possessed  of  patience  enough  to  stock  up  two  or  three  judges,  and 
was,  withal,  as  I  read  him,  a  conscientious  man,  ready  and  anxious  to  do  justice 
without  fear,  favor  or  affection.  Undoubtedly,  if  he  had  continued  he  would 
have  proved  a  useful  and  acceptable  judge;  but  he  fell  from  grace,  was  indicted 
by  his  own  grand  jury,  and  finally  removed  from  office.  He  went  later  to  New 
Mexico,  made  and  lost  a  fortune  there,  and  died  in  great  poverty  at  Pueblo. 

"Judge  Gorsline,  who  succeeded  Judge  Holly  in  the  Second  District,  was  an 
able  lawyer  and  an  independent  and  conscientious  judge.  But  he  was  not  always 
in  good  health,  was  something  of  a  hypochondriac,  and  these  infirmities,  actual 
and  imaginary,  much  impaired  his  usefulness  on  the  district  bench — which,  during 
the  Territorial  regime,  was  the  most  important  function  of  the  judges  of  the 
Supreme  Court.  His  opinions  are  found  in  the  first  volume  of  our  reports,  and 
may  well  be  said  to  be  sound  in  law  and  felicitous  in  expression. 

"Judge  Belford,  who  succeeded  Judge  Gorsline,  was  from  Indiana,  and  like 
some  of  his  predecessors,  could  never  assimilate  the  technicalities  of  common 
law  pleading.  It  was  at  his  instance,  or  at  any  rate  largely  through  his  influence, 
that  we  were  finally  condemned  to  the  so-called  Reformed  System  of  the  Code. 
He  was  a  most  conscientious  and  just-minded  judge,  and  his  opinions  as  they 
appear  in  the  reports,  are  examples  of  happy  expression.  His  conduct  of  the 
district  courts  was  not  entirely  conmiendable.  He  had  little  regard  for  the 
decorum  of  the  occasion,  and  the  office,  and  sometimes  incurred  unjust  censure 
for  his  failure  to  remember  that  the  judge  must  not  only  be  fair  and  indifferent, 
but  must  appear  so.  He  was  devoted  to  his  friends,  and  was  sometimes  indiscreet 
in  -manifesting  his  regard  for,  and  apparently  courting  the  society  of,  those  en- 
gaged in  important  controversies  before  him.  But,  generally  speaking,  he  was 
so  esteemed  and  respected  that  these  instances  were  excused,  and  set  down  to 
a  frailty  leaning  to  virtue's  side. 

"Christian  S.  Eyester.  who  succeeded  Judge  Gale,  was  from  Pennsylvania. 
A  most  worthy  and  kindly  man.  Xo  man  had  more  personal  friends,  or  de- 
served more,  but  as  a  judge  I  believe  he  was  thought  to  be  of  too  gentle  and 
kindly  a  nature  for  the  place. 

"So  far  as  I  ever  heard,  he  never  in  a  single  instance  exercised  the  just  author- 
ity of  the  place  to  compel  the  prompt  attendance  of  any  juror  or  witness,  and 
from  this  amiable  infirmity  great  and  inexcusable  delays  ensued. 

"The  Honorable  Moses  Hallett  of  blessed  memory  was  appointed  Chief  Jus- 
tice to  succeed  Judge  Harding.  His  long  service  on  the  bench  of  the  district  and 
circuit  courts  of  the  United  States  has  made  him  almost  as  well  known  to  the 
present  generation  as  to  those  of  the  past. 

"His  district  was  the  Third,  but  he  often  held  the  district  court  in  the  Second 
District,  at  the  request  of  Judge  Gorsline,  and  for  some  four  years  I  had  the 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  763 

pleasure  to  be  frequently  before  him,  and  to  observe  his  demeanor  in  the  conduct 
of  his  office.  He  was,  in  those  years,  the  model  of  a  judge — learned,  just,  patient, 
dignified,  and  industrious.  I  have,  more  than  once,  when  some  novel  or  difficult 
question  was  presented  in  a  pending  trial,  seen  him  spend  the  noon  hour  in  some 
lawyer's  office,  searching  for  light  in  the  books  of  authority. 

"During  my  service  with  him  in  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  Territory,  I  noticed 
that  while  there  were  many  appeals  from  the  First  and  Second  Districts,  an 
appeal  from  the  Third  District  was  of  the  rarest  occurrence — so  absolute  was 
the  confidence  of  the  bar  and  suitors  of  that  district  in  his  justice,  and  the  legal 
soundness  of  his  judgment. 

"His  word  was,  in  the  minds  of  those  people,  the  end  of  the  matter. 

"When  I  think  of  the  days  of  the  past,  of  the  feeble  and  poverty-stricken 
community  which  I  found  here,  the  wilderness  which  they  occupied  and  which 
was  all  about  them,  and  the  asperities  of  nature  with  which  they  contended,  and 
compare  these  things  with  those  of  the  present,  I  am  proud  to  reflect  that  I  have 
spent  more  than  half  a  century  in  a  communit\-  exhibiting  so  many  of  the  virile 
virtues. 

"Our  profession  has  contributed  little,  directly,  to  the  material  prosperity 
of  the  present,  but  we  may  take  credit  and  rejoice  that  our  membership  has 
played  the  principal  part  in  framing  and  administering  the  laws,  without  which 
industry,  and  even  society  itself,  is  iinpossible.  A  very  large  part  of  the  frame- 
work of  our  laws  as  they  stand  now  goes  back  to  1861  and  1862,  and  is  largely 
the  work  of  Moses  Hallett  and  George  Crocker. 

"Of  later  statutes,  perhaps  the  most  important — that  regulating  the  adjudi- 
cation of  priorities  to  the  use  of  water — was  largely  the  work,  perhaps  entirely, 
of  the  late  James  M.  Freeman  of  Greeley. 

"And  the  Constitution  under  which  the  state  has  grown  and  prospered,  was 
principally  the  work  of  Stone.  Thatcher,  Bronnvell,  Beck,  Quillian,  White  and 
Pease." 

COLOR.\DO    B.\R   ASSOCI.VTIOX 

The  Colorado  Bar  .Association- was  organized  in  the  year  1897  and  incorpo- 
rated January  8,  1898.  The  call  for  organization,  issued  in  1897,  stated:  "The 
undersigned,  members  of  the  Bar  of  Colorado,  believing  that  the  organized 
action  and  influence  of  our  profession,  properly  exerted,  would  lead  to  the  cre- 
ation of  more  intimate  relations  between  its  members  than  now  exist,  and  would, 
at  the  same  time,  sustain  the  profession  in  its  proper  position  in  the  communit)' 
and  thereby  enable  il,  in  many  ways,  to  promote  the  interests  of  the  public,  do 
hereby  agree  to  unite  in  forming  a  state  association  for  such  purposes. 

"And  we  do  hereby  appoint  Hugh  Butler,  Fdward  L.  Johnson  and  Lucius  W. 
Hoyt  a  committee  to  call  a  meeting  of  the  subscribers  at  such  time  and  place  as 
may  be  designated  by  said  committee,  at  which  meeting  measures  will  be  taken 
for  the  organization  of  the  proposed  association." 

The  "undersigned"  lawyers  mentioned  above  were :  Hugh  Butler,  A.  E.  Pat- 
tisnn,  J.  C.  Helm,  A.  J.  Rising,  J.  F.  Vaile,  Westbrook  S.  Decker,  Caldwell  Yea- 
man,  A.  C.  Phelps,  Sylvester  G.  Williams.  B.  J.  Pitkin,  Fdward  L.  Johnson. 
Oscar  Renter.  W.  C.  Kingsley,  Henry  T.  Rogers,  Lewis  B.  France.  William  A. 


764  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

Aloore,  Orland  S.  Isbell,  Henry  Y.  Johnson,  George  C.  Manly,  John  H.  Denison, 
John  L.  Jerome,  John  D.  Fleming,  G.  C.  Bartels,  Charles  J.  Hughes,  Jr.,  Tyson 
S.  Dines,  A.  J.  Fowler,  Earl  AI.  Cranston,  Thomas  H.  Hood,  Piatt  Rogers,  E.  T. 
Wells,  Charles  E.  Cast,  S.  A.  Giffin,  James  H.  Blood,  Henry  C.  Charpiot,  Henry 
W.  Hobson,  Ralph  Talbot,  William  P.  Hillhouse,  Alorton  S.  Bailey,  Charles 
Cavendar,  Samuel  P.  Dale,  A.  H.  DeFrance,  Thomas  H.  Devine,  Henry  A. 
Dubbs,  John  A.  Fwing,  W.  H.  Gabbert,  D.  V.  Burns,  Charles  H.  Toll,  Lucius 
W.  Hoyt,  R.  S.  Morrison,  O.  F.  A.  Greene,  A.  T.  Gunnell,  J.  C.  Gunter,  G.  K. 
Hartenstein,  Harry  N.  Haynes,  Edward  C.  Mason,  Joseph  H.  Maupin,  William 
L.  Murfree,  Jesse  G.  Northcutt,  John  T.  Shumate,  Ed  T.  Taylor,  C.  A.  Wilkin, 
Robert  G.  Withers  and  R.  H.  \\'hitely. 

The  trustees  for  the  tirst  year  were :  Hugh  Butler,  Westbrook  S.  Decker,  Ed- 
ward L.  Johnson,  Caldwell  Yeaman,  Lucius  W.  Hoyt,  Piatt  Rogers  and  W.  C. 
Kingsley.  The  presidents  of  the  Colorado  Bar  Association  from  the  beginning 
until  the  present  time  have  been:  Hugh  Butler,  1897-98;  Charles  E.  Gast,  1898- 
99;  Caldwell  Yeaman,  1899-1900;  Moses  Hallett,  igoo-oi ;  Piatt  Rogers,  1901- 
02;  Horace  G.  Lunt,  1902-03;  Joel  F.  \'aile,  1903-04;  Luther  M.  Goddard,  1904- 
05;  Henry  T.  Rogers.  1905-06;  Julius  C.  Gunter,  1906-07;  James  W.  McCreery, 
T907-08;  Wilbur  F.  Stone,  1908-09;  Lucius  W.  Hoyt,  1909-10;  Charles  D. 
Hoyt,  1910-11;  Henry  C.  Hall.  1911-12;  Harry  N.  Haynes,  1912-13 ;  Henry 
A.  Dubbs,  1913-14;  Edw.  C.  Stimson,  1914-15;  John  D.  Fleming,  1915-16;  T.  H. 
Devine,  1916-17. 


CHAPTER  XXXVIII 
THE  MEDICAL  PROFESSION 

FIRST  DOCTORS  IN  ROCKY  MOUNTAIN  REGION EARLY  EFFORTS  TO  ORGANIZE  TER- 
RITORIAL MEDICAL  ASSOCIATION FIRST  HOSPITAL — DENVER  MEDICAL  ASSOCIA- 
TION^— ORGANIZATION  OF  TERRITORIAL  MEDICAL  SOCIETY ROSTER  OF  STATE  MED- 
ICAL   SOCIETY    PRESIDENTS EARLY    MIGRATIONS CONDITIONS     IN     1864 FIRST 

MEDICAL  LEGISLATION LEGISLATION   RELATIVE  TO   OSTEOPATHY CHIROPRACTIC 

OTHER     LEGISLATION COLORADO      MEDICAL      LIBRARY     ASSOCIATION — WOMEN 

PRACTITIONERS NATIONAL    AND    STATE    HONORS^ — GENERAL    HOSPITALS— STATE 

SANATORIA COLORADO    AS   A    HEALTH    RESORT MILITARY    RECUPERATION    CAMP 

COLORADO    DOCTORS    IN    THE    WORLD    WAR. 

FIRST  DOCTORS   IN  ROCKY   MOUNTAIN  REGION 

Dr.  John  H.  Robinson,  the  voUmteer  surgeon  who  accompanied  Lieut.  Zebu- 
Ion  M.  Pike  on  his  expedition  to  Colorado  in  the  early  years  of  the  Nineteenth 
Century,  was  probably  the  first  medical  practitioner  in  what  is  now  Colorado. 
Only  the  medicine  man,  and  perhaps  a  few  skillful  leeches  among  the  Spanish 
padres  of  the  exploration  days,  preceded  this  man,  of  whom  Pike  wrote:  "As 
a  gentleman  and  companion  in  dangers,  difficulties  and  hardships  I,  in  particular, 
and  the  expedition  generally  owe  much  to  his  exertions." 

Then  came  Dr.  Edwin  James  with  the  expedition  of  Maj.  Stephen  H.  Long 
in  1820,  who  distinguished  himself  not  only  in  his  professional  capacity  but  by 
being  the  first  person  to  ascend  Pike's  Peak.  Medical  officers  accompanied  the 
military-  expedition  of  Col.  Henry  Dodge  in  1835  and  of  Lieut.  John  C.  Fremont 
on  his  various  journeys.  Doctor  Wislizenus,  of  St.  Louis,  was  another  explorer 
of  the  earlier  period. 

I'inally,  when  the  name  "Auraria"  was  chosen  for  part  of  the  present  site 
of  Denver,  it  was  at  the  suggestion  of  Dr.  Levi  J.  Russell,  who  with  his  brothers 
had  come  from  the  Georgia  town  of  that  name  to  find  the  placer  gold  which  the 
Cherokee  Indians  had  first  located.  Doctor  Russell  had  engaged  in  medical 
practice  in  his  native  state,  Georgia,  before  coming  to  the  Far  West. 

It  is  known  that  in  the  summer  of  1846  a  Doctor  Hempstead  resided  at 
Bent's  Fort,  on  the  left  bank  of  the  .Arkansas  about  half  way  between  the  present 
towns  of  La  Junta  and  Las  Animas.  Little  is  known  of  Hempstead  outside  of 
the  information  given  by  Lieut.  J.  W.  .Albert.  U.  S.  Topographical  Engineer,  in 
his  "Examination  of  New  Mexico"  in  1846-7,  during  which  time  he  called  at 
the  fort.  He  sim|)ly  mentions  Doctor  Hempstead  as  a  resident  of  the  fort  and, 
if  this  is  correct,  this  physician  may  be  said  to  have  been  the  first  actually  to 
practice  his  profession  upon  Colorado  soil. 

765 


766  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

The  year  1859  brought  an  added  number  of  doctors  to  the  Pike's  Peak 
region.  Among  them  were :  Drs.  G.  N.  Woodward,  Samuel  Reed,  J.  W.  Lee, 
WiUing,  J.  W.  Smith,  Drake  McDowell,  W.  F.  McClelland,  A.  Steinberger,  Mc- 
Ciain,  G.  W.  Bark  and  W.  H.  Farner.  In  this  year,  also.  Dr.  E.  Fitzpatrick  was 
at  Arapahoe  City,  Drs.  C.  R.  Bissell,  A.  M.  Smith,  J.  Caste  and  J.  S.  Stone  were 
at  ^lountain  City,  the  forerunner  of  Central  City;  and  Dr.  J.  W.  McCade  was  at 
Nevada  Gulch.  Doctor  Stone  was  one  of  the  participants  in  a  duel  fought  with 
L.  W.  Bliss,  secretary  of  the  territory,  in  March,  i860,  and  was  fatally  wounded. 
Dr.  William  M.  Belt  and  Doctor  Catterson  were  located  at  Fountain  City 
(Pueblo)  early  in  the  spring  of  i860. 

When  the  '"Rocky  ^ilountain  News"  was  printed  on  April  23,  1859,  it  con- 
tained this  card:  "A.  F.  Peck,  M.  D.,  Cache  la  Poudre,  Nebraska,  where  he  may 
at  all  times  be  found  when  not  professionally  engaged  or  digging  gold." 

EARLY   EFFORTS  TO   ORG.\NIZE   TERRITORr.M,   MEDIC.\L   .XSSOCI.^TION 

Doctors  came  with  the  flood  of  gold-seekers,  and  on  June  6,  i860,  the  Jef- 
ferson Medical  Society  was  organized.  Its  first  president  was  Dr.  W.  M.  Belt; 
its  vice  president.  Dr.  Drake  McDowell;  treasurer.  Dr.  J.  J.  Saville;  secretary. 
Dr.  S.  E.  Kennedy ;  curators,  the  officers,  with  Drs.  J.  F.  Hamilton,  O.  D.  Cass 
and  S.  Rankin. 

One  of  its  resolutions  was  the  adoption  of  the  national  code  of  medical  ethics, 
and  the  second  was  a  uniform  rate  of  $3  per  visit.  But  even  though  the  code 
was  adopted  it  was  apparently  not  unprofessional  to  publish  a  "physician's  card" 
in  the  daily  paper.  Doctor  Belt.  Dr.  W.  F.  McClelland  and  Doctor  Cass  carried 
these  professional  announcements.  That  first  medical  society  meeting  was  held 
in  the  log  hut  which  was  the  office  of  Doctor  Belt.  The  organization  disintegrated 
at  the  opening  of  the  Civil  war. 

Dr.  F.  J.  Bancroft,  who  came  to  Denver  in  1865  and  probably  knew  much 
of  all  these  early  medicinal  matters,  in  his  presidential  address  before  the  eleventh 
annual  convention  of  the  Colorado  State  Medical  Society,  at  Leadville,  in  1881, 
says :  "It  was  in  Denver  in  a  rough  log  cabin,  at  the  corner  of  Sixteenth  and 
Larimer  streets  that  the  first  Colorado  medical  society  saw  the  light.  Its  rise  and 
fall  were  alike  speedy.  The  civil  strife  into  which  our  country  was  plunged  in 
1861  drew  to  itself  most  of  its  founders,  among  whom  were  Drs.  O.  D.  Cass, 
Drake  McDowell.  J.  F.  Llamilton.  Peck,  Beale  and  Saville.  These  were  led 
according  to  their  convictions  into  the  L'nion  army  or  south  to  the  Confederate 
service,  and  the  embryo  society  left  to  itself,  perished  from  inanition." 

A  second  society  was  formed  in  1868,  which  soon  died.  But  in  1871  a  per- 
manent organization  was  efifected. 

FIRST   HOSPITAL 

In  June.  i860,  a  citv  hospital  was  established  near  the  present  junction  of 
Nineteenth  and  Larimer  streets.  This  was  quite  a  distance  east  of  the  center  of 
population  and  was  due  perhaps  to  the  need  of  a  place  to  treat  contagious  dis- 
eases. Of  this  first  hospital  Dr.  J.  F.  Hamilton  was  surgeon,  and  Dr.  O.  D.  Cass 
the  physician  in  charge.  This  should  not  be  confused  with  the  Municipal  Hos- 
pital, which  Dr.  John  Eisner  established  a  few  years  later. 


HISTORY  OF  COT-ORADO  767 

111  the  city  directory  of  1866  the  following  is  a  complete  list  of  the  doctors 
and  dentists  practising  in  Denver: 

Dr.  R.  G.  Buckingham 

Doctors  McClelland  &  Strode 

Dr.  F.  J.  Bancroft 

Dr.  S.  W.  Treat 

Dr.  M.  L.  Scott 

Dr.  J.  Ermerius 

Doctor  Tossier 

Doctor  Bailey 

Doctor  Eisner 

Doctor  Rust 

Dr.  L.  L.  Adams 

Dr.  E.  C.  Gehrung 

Dr.  C.  A.  Gordon 

Dr.  W.  H.  Williams 

DENTISTS 

Dr.  C.  P.  Mofifett 
Dr.  E.  A.  Crocker 

DENVER    MEDICAL    ASSOCIATION 

On  April  4.  1871,  the  meeting  to  "reorganize  the  Denver  Medical  Associa- 
tion" was  held  in  the  office  of  Dr.  R.  G.  Buckingham.  There  were  seven  physi- 
cians in  attendance,  and  of  these  Doctors  McClelland,  Bibb  and  Heimberger 
were  chosen  to  draft  a  constitution  and  by-laws.  When  the  society  met  on  April 
II,  1871.  there  were  present  or  elected  at  this  meeting,  Doctors  Bancroft,  Wil- 
liams. Justice.  Dickinson,  Steele,  Buckingham.  Stedman,  McClelland,  Eisner, 
Heimberger.  Gehrung  and  Bibb.  Its  first  officers  were :  Dr.  R.  G.  Buckingham, 
president ;  Dr.  .V.  L.  Justice,  vice  president ;  Dr.  A.  Stedman,  recording  secre- 
tary: Dr.  W.  H.  Williams,  corresponding  secretary;  Dr.  E.  C.  Gehrung,  treas- 
urer.    Doctors  Justice,  Heimberger  and  Buckingham  were  made  censors. 

ORCANTZATION   OF  TERRITORIAL   MEDICAL   SOCIETY 

In  response  to  a  call  issued  by  the  Denver  ATedical  .Association  for  a  Terri- 
torial Medical  Convention,  representatives  of  the  medical  profession  from  dif- 
ferent parts  of  the  Territory  of  Colorado  assembled  at  the  District  Court  room  in 
IDenver  on  Tuesday,  the  19th  of  .September,  1871.  ;it  ri  o'clock  .V.  M.,  for  the 
purpose  of  organizing  a  territorial  medical  society.  Dr.  W.  F.  McClelland  called 
the  convention  to  order,  Dr.  G.  S.  McMurtrie  of  Central  City  was  elected  tempo- 
rary chairman,  and  Dr.  R.  J.  Collins  of  Georgetown,  secretary  pro  tcm. 

It  resolved  that,  for  the  purpose  of  organization,  all  regular  graduates  of 
medicine,  residents  of  the  territory,  who  acknow^ledged  fealty  to  the  code  of 
ethics  of  the  American  Medical  Association,  and  who  were  not  objected  to, 
might  become  members  of  the  association. 


768  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

The  following  are  given  as  signing:  G.  S.  McMurtrie,  Central  City;  A.  L. 
Justice,  Denver;  R.  G.  Buckingham,  Denver;  F.  J.  Bancroft,  Denver;  I.  J.  Pol- 
lok,  Georgetown;  W.  F.  McClelland,  Denver;  John  Eisner,  Denver;  E.  C.  Geh- 
rung,  Denver;  J.  S.  Dickinson,  Denver;  S.  D.  Bowker,  Central  City;  H.  C. 
Dodge,  Denver;  H.  K.  Steele,  Denver;  W.  Edmundson,  Central  City;  A.  Sted- 
man,  Denver;  W.  H.  Williams,  Denver;  A.  J.  CoUins,  Georgetown. 

The  following  officers  were  elected:  Dr.  R.  G.  Buckingham,  president;  vice 
presidents,  first.  Dr.  G.  S.  ]\IcMurtrie;  second.  Dr.  L  J.  Pollok;  third.  Dr.  W.  F. 
McClelland.  Dr.  A.  Stedman  was  elected  secretary;  Dr.  A.  J.  Collins,  assistant 
secretary;  Dr.  E.  C.  Gehrung,  treasurer,  and  Dr.  H.  C.  Dodge,  librarian. 

Drs.  Erasmus  Garrott,  Blackhawk;  T.  M.  Smith,  Laporte;  S.  C.  ToUes,  Cen- 
tral City;  Eugene  F.  Holland,  Idaho  (Springs);  William  H.  Thacker,  Denver; 
Joseph  Anderson,  Golden;  D.  Heimberger,  Denver;  Charles  F.  Neilson,  Den- 
ver, and  Dr.  P.  R.  Thombs  of  Pueblo,  also  became  members. 

The  name  of  this  organization  was  the  Colorado  Medical  Society. 

The  second  meeting  of  the  Territorial  Aledical  Society,  as  it  was  called,  in- 
stead of  the  name  given  in  the  constitution  (the  Colorado  Medical  Society),  was 
held  in  the  F  Street  First  Presbyterian  Church,  Denver,  September  24,  1872,  and 
routine  business,  medical  papers  and  reports  occupied  the  society  for  two  days. 

Dr.  W.  F.  McClelland,  of  Denver,  was  elected  president,  and  Dr.  A.  Stedman, 
Denver,  secretary. 

The  third  annual  meeting  was  held  at  the  district  court  room  in  Denver,  Oc- 
tober I  and  2,  1873.  Dr.  George  S.  McMurtrie.  Central  City,  was  elected  presi- 
dent, and  Dr.  H.  J.  Pratt,  Denver,  secretary. 

ROSTER    OF   STATE    MEDICAL    SOCIETY    PRESIDENTS 

The   following  is   a  complete   list   of   the   presidents   of   the  Territorial   and 
State  Medical  Society  since  its  organization : 
1 87 1 — Dr.  R.  G.  Buckingham,  Denver. 
1872— Dr.  W.  F.  McCleUand,  Denver. 
1873 — Dr.  George  S.  McMurtrie,  Central  City. 
1874 — Dr.  Henry  K.  Steele,  Denver. 
1875 — Dr.  William  H.  Thacker,  Denver. 
1876— Dr.  William  H.  Williams,  Denver. 
1877 — Dr.  Thomas  G.  Horn,  Colorado  Springs. 
1878 — Dr.  A.   Stedman,  Denver. 
1879 — Dr.  Boswell  P.  Anderson,  Colorado  Springs. 
1880 — Dr.  Frederick  J.  Bancroft,  Denver. 
1881 — Dr.   Harrison  A.   Lemen,   Denver. 
1882— Dr.  Pembroke  R.  Thombs,  Pueblo. 
1883— Dr.  William  R.  Whitehead.  Denver. 
18S4 — Dr.  Jesse  Hawes,  Greeley. 
1885 — Dr.  J.  Culver  Davis,  Denver. 
1886 — Dr.  John  W.  Graham.  Denver. 
1887 — Dr.  S.  Edwin  Solly,  Colorado  Springs. 
1888 — Dr.  Samuel  A.  Fisk,  Denver. 
1889— Dr.  John  W.  Collins,  Denver. 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  76'J 

1890 — Dr.  Jeremiah  T.  Eskridge,  Denver. 

1891 — Dr.  William  M.  Strickler,  Colorado  Springs. 

1892 — Dr.  William  E.  Wilson,  Denver. 

1893 — Dr.  Edmund  J.  A.  Rogers,  Denver. 

1894 — Dr.  Hubert  Work.  Pueblo. 

1895 — Dr.   I.  B.  Perkins,  Denver. 

1896 — Dr.   Robert  Levy,   Denver. 

1897 — Dr.  Lewis  K.  Lemen,  Denver. 

1898 — Dr.  William  A.  Campbell,  Colorado  Springs. 

1899 — Dr.  Joseph  N.  Hall,  Denver. 

1900 — Dr.  William  P.  Munn,  Denver. 

1901 — Dr.   Richard  W.   Corwin.   Pueblo. 

1902 — Dr.  William  W.  Grant,  Denver. 

1903 — Dr.  Thomas  H.  Hawkins,  Denver. 

1904 — Dr.  Frank  Finney,  La  Junta. 

1905 — Dr.  Horace  G.  Wetherill,  Denver. 

1906 — Dr.  Heman  R.  Bull,  Grand  Junction. 

1907 — Dr.  Herbert  B.  Whitney,  Denver. 

1908 — Dr.  Peter  J.  McHugh,  Fort  Collins. 

1909 — Dr.  Leonard  Freeman,  Denver. 

1910 — Dr.  Dill  H.  Swan,  Colorado  Springs. 

191 1 — Dr.  W'alter  A.  Jayne,  Denver. 

1912 — Dr.  John  A.  Black,  Pueblo. 

1913— Dr.  O.  M.  Gilbert,  Boulder. 

1914 — Dr.  Walter  A.  Jayne,  Denver. 

1915 — -Dr.  George  B.  Packard,  Denver. 

1916— Dr.  John  R.  Espey,  Trinidad. 

1917 — Dr.  Alexander  C.  Magruder,  Colorado  Springs. 

1918 — Dr.  Edward  Jackson,  Denver. 

There  are  now  twenty-four  constituent  societies  which  send  delegates  to  the 
State  Medical  Society  meetings.  These  organizations  are :  Boulder  County,  47 
members;  Crowley  County,  4;  Delta  County,  16;  Denver  County,  339;  El  Paso 
County,  86;  Fremont  County,  23;  Garfield  County,  12;  Huerfano  County,  12; 
Lake  County,  20;  Larimer  County,  32;  Las  Animas  County,  25;  Montrose  Coun- 
ty, 12;  Morgan  County,  8;  Northeast  Colorado.  15:  Otero  County.  18;  Prowers 
County,  13;  Pueblo  County,  62;  Routt  County,  4;  San  Juan  County,  23;  San 
Luis  Valley,  23;  Teller  County,  10;  Tri-County  (eastern),  not  given;  Weld 
County,  29. 

The  total  membership  in  the  State  Medical  Association  January  i,  1918, 
was  833. 

EARLY    MIGRATIONS 

The  migrations  of  the  physicians  of  the  early  period  of  Colorado's  history 
make  interesting  reading.  Thus  when  early  in  May,  1877,  the  population  of 
Fairplay,  sick  and  well,  had  gone  to  the  new  camp  at  Leadville,  Dr.  John  Law 
was  among  the  human  driftwood,  the  first  physician  to  locate  in  what  is  now 

Vol.  I 4  0 


770  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

the  City  of  Leadville.  He  was  made  coroner,  and  as  the  cases  were  numerous 
his  income  from  this  source  was  about  as  profitable  as  a  gold  mine.  Doctor  Law 
later  founded  St.  Luke's  Hospital  in  Leadville.  When  Georgetown  sent  much 
of  its  population  to  Leadville  Dr.  J.  Ernest  JMeiere  went  along  to  divide  business 
with  Doctor  Law.  He  never  got  over  the  migrating  fever,  and  in  1896  landed 
in  Cripple  Creek.  Among  the  early  practitioners  in  the  Leadville  district  were 
Dr.  Azar  A.  Smith,  Dr.  D.  H.  Dougan,  Dr.  J.  H.  Heron,  Dr.  W.  N.  Burdick, 
Dr.  F.  F.  D'Avignon,  Dr.  O.  H.  Simons,  Dr.  J.  J.  Crook,  Dr.  Addison  Hawkins, 
Dr.  A.  W.  Eyer,  Drs.  A.  C.  and  A.  -M.  McQean.  Dr.  H.  Steinau  was  the  first 
president  of  the  Lake  County  Medical  Association,  which  was  founded  De- 
cember 30,  1880. 

COXDITIONS   IN    1864 

Dr.  Henly  W.  Allen,  of  Boulder,  in  a  paper  written  for  Colorado  Medicine  in 
1906,  gave  a  vivid  description  of  the  conditions  under  which  medicine  was  prac- 
ticed in  Colorado  in  1864.  He  writes : 

"There  were  very  few  doctors  at  that  time  in  Colorado — at  least  in  proportion 
to  other  lines  of  professional  men.  Among  these  was  Governor  John  Evans.  I 
presume  we  all  know  he  was  at  one  time  :i  member  of  our  profession.  He  re- 
mained always  in  sympathy  with  us — even  long  after  he  left  the  chair  of  obstetrics 
in  the  Rush  Medical  College,  Chicago,  and  moved  to  Evanston.  Our  Doctor  King, 
now  superannuated,  Doctors  Buckingham,  Stedman,  Treat,  McClelland,  Eisner, 
Smith,  and  a  number  of  others  whose  names  I  do  not  just  now  recall,  were  in 
Denver.  At  Blackhawk  and  Central  City  were  Doctor  Reed,  the  Indian  mis- 
sionary, with  his  little  drug  store,  and  a  band  of  Ute  Indians  always  in  evidence 
about  his  place.  Doctor  Lincoln  was  just  across  the  street  from  him.  Dr.  H.  W. 
Allen  was  there  conducting  a  drug  store  and  practicing  medicine.  Doctors  Judd 
and  Toll  were  further  up  the  gulch  above  Gregory  Point.  I  must  not  forget  to 
say  that  that  winter  Harper  Orahood  conducted  a  drug  store  next  to  me  in  the 
same  block.  Henry  M.  Teller  was  mining  and  practicing  law  in  Central  City. 
In  Golden  City,  then  the  capital  of  the  territory,  Doctor  Kelly  was  holding  the 
fort.  I  used  to  meet  him  occasionally  for  consultation,  in  Boulder  County.  Colo- 
rado Springs,  Pueblo,  Tarryall,  Trinidad,  and  some  other  small  settlements  in  the 
southern  part  of  the  territory,  mostly  peopled  by  Mexicans  and  half-breeds,  and 
greasers,  had  one  or  more  medicine  men  who  were  more  or  less  qualified  to  prac- 
tice medicine.  Having  made  this  hasty  review  of  what  was  then  in  sight  in 
Colorado  at  large,  let  us  return  to  Boulder  County  for  a  more  detailed  account  of 
what  was  here,  and  by  what  stages  we  have  grown  to  our  present  stature.  In 
the  spring  of  1865  I  moved  from  Blackhawk  to  Boulder  County,  locating  at  the 
confluence  of  north  and  south  Boulder  creeks,  where  Valmont  afterward  stood, 
for  several  years  a  rival  of  this  city,  both  in  population  and  wealth. 

"Doctor  Hubbard  was  living  in  Boulder  and  doing  what  practice  there  was  to 
do  in  Boulder  County  from  this  city.  There  was  also  here  a  Doctor  Cluster,  but 
he  did  little  or  no  business;  also  an  eclectic,  Doctor  Bard,  lived  just  east  of  town. 
About  this  time  or  soon  after  Doctor  Yates  (father  of  the  Yates  boys)  did  a 
little  business  as  a  cancer  doctor  in  and  about  Boulder.  Doctor  Goodwin  at  this 
time  lived  on  the  St.  Vrain,  a  little  above  old  Burlington,  and  a  mile  south  of 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  771 

where  Longiiiom  now  stands,  lie  practiced  from  his  home  on  his  rancli.  Doctor 
Giirney  was  a  kind  of  peripatetic,  or  travehng  caravansery,  making  his  home 
wherever  night  overtook  him.  He  had  quite  a  large  practice,  counting  square 
miles,  over  the  whole  of  northern  Colorado.  He  will  be  remembered  by  old- 
timers  as  the  brother-in-law  of  Judd  Terrel,  the  druggist  of  Longmont.  In  the 
eastern  part  of  this  county  or  in  western  Weld  County  lived  Doctor  Jones.  He 
was  then  teaching  school  in  the  "Plum  and  Baily"  district.  He  afterward  mar- 
ried one  of  the  Baily  girls  and  opened  up  an  office  in  Longmont,  where  he  prac- 
ticed many  years  till  his  death  in  that  place.  It  was  a  pleasure  to  me  in  those 
days  to  meet  Doctor  Jones,  as  I  frequently  did  in  consultation;  also  Doctor 
:\IcLeon,  Doctor  Bowker,  '"jy;  Doctor  Chase,  '■/•/;  Doctor  Thrailkill,  '80 ;  Doctor 
W.  S.  Dyer,  '75 ;  Doctor  Hall,  '7/  ;  Doctor  Shute,  '73 ;  and  Doctor  Youtsey. 

"In  the  summer  of  1866  I  well  remember  being  a  witness  for  the  people  in  a 
poisoning  case,  which  was  taken  to  Denver,  on  a  change  of  venue  from  the  district 
court  of  Boulder  County.  I  had  made  an  analysis  of  the  stomach  contents  and 
found  strychnia.  I  was  stopping  at  the  old  Planters'  House.  In  the  morning, 
when  the  overland  stage  came  in  from  Omaha,  a  very  striking  character  alighted 
from  the  coach.  He  was  a  large,  heavy-set  man,  wearing  a  linen  duster  and  low 
jjkig  hat,  both  of  which  were  begrimed  and  covered  with  dust,  so  that  it  would 
keep  one  guessing  to  tell  the  nationality  of  this  newcomer.  This  was  Dr.  F.  J. 
Bancroft  as  he  was  first  seen  in  Denver.  He  accompanied  me  to  the  court  room 
that  afternoon  to  hear  the  evidence  in  that  case. 

"F.ver  afterward  until  Doctor  Bancroft  retired  from  professional  life  we  were 
friends.  If  he  had  an  interesting  case  he  would  invite  me  to  Denver  to  see  and 
assist  in  any  operation  which  might  be  required.  Do  not  forget  that  a  trip  to 
Denver  then  meant  a  horseback  ride  of  fiftx  miles,  with  about  even  chances  of 
losing  your  seal]).  It  was  no  jileasure  trip  of  an  hour  in  a  comfortable  railroad 
coach. 

"No  furiJicT  change  in  the  personnel  of  our  fraternity  in  the  northern  part  of 
Colorado  occurred  until  the  latter  ])art  of  '67  or  the  first  of  "68. 

"Then  came  Doctor  Groesbeck.  who  later  joined  the  Mormons,  struck  it  rich, 
and  disappeared  somewhere  in  the  great  State  of  Texas.  Then  came  Doctors 
Bond  and  Barclay,  with  the  Crcclcy  Colony.  Bond  came  to  Boulder  and  Barclay 
settled  nn  a  farm  near  where  Hygiene  is  now  located.  Later  came  Doctors  Dodge, 
\iiibrook  and  Clark,  of  the  regulars;  Brace  and  Clarke,  homeopaths;  Aerhart, 
Deering,  Rice,  homeopaths;  Bock,  eclectic;  McGraw,  from  the  placer  mines  of 
California:  Stradley,  physio-medical;  ■\Iayflcld,  the  unctuous;  Bardill,  of  Long- 
mont; Smith,  formerly  a  druggist  in  Boulder,  now  in  California;  and  perhaps 
a  few  others  down  to  1880,  Last  but  not  least  of  this  list,  in  1882,  came  Dr.  L.  M. 
Gifiin,  whose  hi.story  in  this  country  is  sufficiently  known  to  all  of  us." 

FIRST  mi!:dic.\l  i.egipl.m-ign 

In  1881  the  first  act  conlmlling  the  right  to  ]iractice  medicine  was  passed  by  the 
state  legislature.  It  provided  for  the  creation  of  a  Board  of  Medical  Examiners 
to  consist  of  nine  medical  men  representing  the  three  schools  of  medicine,  and  it 
further  provided  for  an  examination  "that  should  be  without  prejudice  or  par- 
tialitv  to  any  school  and   which   shrmld   not   include   jiuilcriii   iiicdica  and   thcra- 


772  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  . 

peutics."  The  applicant  was  to  be  examined  by  number  so  that  his  identity  might 
not  be  known  to  the  examiner,  and  no  questions  were  to  be  asked  on  treatment, 
the  answers  to  which  might  disclose  the  school  of  practice  of  the  applicant.  All 
applicants  to  practice  the  healing  art  were  required  to  appear  before  the  board, 
and  no  one  of  good  moral  character  could  be  refused  an  examination,  whether  a 
graduate  in  medicine  or  a  blacksmith. 

LEGISLATION    REL.\T1VE   TO   OSTEOPATHY 

These  general  principles  with  one  exception  held  from  that  time  to  1915,  the 
exception  being  that  in  1905  the  Legislature  provided  that  "Nothing  in  this  act  shall 
be  construed  to  prohibit  .  .  .  the  practice  of  osteopathy  when  not  prescribing 
medicine,  or  administering  drugs."  This  has  been  known  as  the  osteopathic  ex- 
emption clause,  and  by  virtue  of  it  the  osteopath  has  maintained  an  office  and 
treated  the  sick.  Under  decision  of  the  Supreme  Court  he  is  permitted  to  employ 
the  term  "Doctor"  if  used  in  connection  with  the  word  "osteopath."  Thus  the 
form,  "Doctor  Smith,  osteopath,"  becomes  legal. 

At  every  meeting  of  the  Legislature  there  was  a  determined  effort  to  strike  out 
the  exemption  clause,  but  to  no  avail.  During  this  period  strenuous  efforts  by 
the  osteopaths  to  establish  a  separate  osteopathic  board  of  examiners  have  likewise 
met  with  defeat. 

CHIROPRACTIC 

In  191 5  the  ;\Iedical  Practice  Act  was  again  amended  providing  for  the  licens- 
ing of  chiropractors,  whose  practice  was  defined  to  mean  "the  treatment  of  disease 
or  morbid  conditions  of  human  beings  by  palpation,  nerve  tracing  and  adjustment 
of  vertebrae  by  hand."  The  amendment  further  provided  that  "such  license  shall 
not  confer  upon  licentiates  the  right  to  practice  surgery  or  obstetrics,  or  to  pre- 
scribe drugs  or  to  administer  anaesthetics."  "Any  person  holding  a  license  to 
practice  chiropractic  who  shall  practice  medicine  otherwise  than  is  included  in 
the  practice  of  chiropractic,  shall  be  deemed  guilty  of  a  misdemeanor." 

In  the  act  as  finally  passed,  provisions  were  made  for  a  license  to  practice 
chiropractic,  based  upon  the  length  of  time  the  person  had  been  practicing  in 
Colorado,  and  upon  the  amount  of  schooling  he  had  had  in  preparation  therefor, 
which  preparation  includes  "proving  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  board  that  he  is  a 
graduate  of  a  school  chartered  by  the  state  in  which  it  is  located  to  teach  chiro- 
practic, which  school  requires  the  applicant  to  be  in  actual  attendance  for  not  less 
than  two  years  of  nine  months  each,  and  to  take  not  less  than  1,000  hours  of 
instruction  work  in  each  of  those  years,  in  order  to  graduate." 

OTHER    LEGISLATION 

The  bill  as  passed  in  191 5  provided  for  the  licensing  of  midwives  by  examina- 
tion, penalizing  those  who  practice  midwifery  without  a  license,  and  defining  what 
may  be  legitimatelv  done  by  midwives ;  provided  for  licensing  of  chiropodists  by 
examination,  defining  what  may  legitimately  be  done  by  them ;  defines  the  practice 
of  medicine  on  broader  general  lines  than  liad  ever  theretofore  been  laid  down. 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  773 

and  gave  the  Board   of   Examiners  wider  discretion   in   refusing  and   revolting 
licenses,  such  discretion  applying  to  all  forms  of  license. 

In  191 7  the  law  forbidding  the  splitting  of  fees  was  passed  by  the  legislature. 
This  merely  prohibits  what  amounts  in  fact  to  a  commission  for  referring  patients 
to  a  physician. 

eOLOR.MXJ    MEDICAL   LIBRARY   ASSOCI.\TION 

Dr.  Henry  Sewall  may  be  termed  the  father  of  the  Colorado  Medical  Library 
Association,  which  was  formed  April  2J,  1893,  when,  at  the  request  of  Doctor 
.Sewall,  seven  physicians  and  one  layman  met  in  the  office  of  Dr.  J.  T.  Eskridge 
and  began  the  work.  In  the  first  nine  years  of  its  existence  the  association 
gathered  approximately  $10,000  in  valuable  medical  books.  When  the  new  build- 
ing on  Court  Place  was  officially  opened  November  29,  1916,  the  library  had 
become  one  of  the  great  medical  institutions  of  the  state. 

It  has  to-day  the  complete  catalogue  of  the  library  of  the  Surgeon  General, 
so  far  as  it  has  been  published,  containing  in  round  numbers  225,000  volumes  and 
340,000  pamphlets.  These  can  now  be  obtained  for  reference  purposes  by  any 
member  physician  of  the  state  association.  It  contains  every  medical  journal 
published  in  the  world,  and  these,  too,  are  accessible  to  members  of  the  state 
association.  The  library  has  16,000  volumes  of  its  own.  A  large  assembly  hall 
for  meetings  of  the  state  association  and  of  constituent  bodies  takes  up  the  large 
space  in  the  rear  of  the  library. 

WOMEN    PRACTITIONERS 

Prior  to  1881  when  the  registration  of  women  practitioners  was  authorized  by 
legislative  enactment  in  Colorado  there  were  but  three  or  four  who  had  come  to 
the  West  to  earn  a  living  in  the  profession.  Doctor  Avery,  who  had  come  early 
in  the  '70s,  was  the  pioneer.  At  the  meeting  of  the  state  association  in  1877 
the  first  elTort  was  made  to  admit  women  to  membership.  It  was  not,  however, 
until  1881  that  Doctors  Mary  Barker  Bates,  Root,  Anderson  and  Avery  were 
admitted  to  the  county  society.  Dr.  Eleanor  Lawney  was  the  first  woman  graduate 
from  the  medical  department  of  Denver  L^niversity,  in  1877.  In  1888  Doctor 
Marquette  was  graduated  from  Gross  Medical,  and  Dr.  Rilla  Hay,  of  Pueblo, 
was  admitted  to  membership  in  the  State  Medical  Association. 

What  was  the  first  public  recognition  of  woman  in  the  practice  of  medicine 
in  the  state  was  the  appointment  of  Dr.  Mary  Barker  Bates  to  the  stafif  of  the 
Women's  and  Children's  Hospital,  about  1885. 

Since  this  time  honors  have  come  thick  and  fast,  and  most  of  the  hospitals 
of  the  state  have  women  in  staff  positions.  The  State  Medical  Society  has  further- 
more made  amends  for  its  early  coolness  by  repeatedly  electing  women  to  im- 
portant offices  in  the  organization. 

h  woman's  clinical  society,  organized  in  1896,  still  exists  with  a  considerable 
membership. 

NATIONAL   AND  STATE   HONORS 

Since  1906  the  .'\mcrican  Medical  Association  has  honored  many  Colorado 
physicians  with  appointments  to  its  various  boards.     Notable  among  these  are: 


m  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

Dr.  W.  \V.  Grant,  chairman  board  of  trustees;  Dr.  H.  T.  Pershing,  executive  com- 
mittee, section  on  nervous  and  mental  diseases  Dr.  Hubert  Work,  member  judicial 
council;  Dr.  F.  P.  Gengenbach.  secretary,  section  on  diseases  of  children;  Dr. 
G.  A.  Moleen,  secretary  and  later  chairman,  section  on  nervous  and  mental  dis- 
eases; Dr.  I.  R.  Arneill,  vice  chairman,  section  on  pharmacology  and  therapeutics; 
Dr.  Hubert  Work,  chairman  of  the  house  of  delegates. 

In  1914  Dr.  Henry  Sewall  was  elected  president  of  the  American  Climat- 
ological  Association  and  vice  president  of  the  Association  of  American  Phys- 
icians. Dr.  G.  B.  Packard  was  chosen  president  of  the  American  Orthopedic 
Association,  and  Dr.  Robert  Levy  president  of  the  Laryngological,  Rhinological 
and  Otological  Society.  Dr.  Leonard  Freetuan  was  in  1914  elected  vice  president 
of  the  Western  Surgical  Association,  and  Dr.  Gerald  Webb  president  of  the 
American  Association  of  Immunologists. 

In  igi6,  for  the  first  time  in  the  history  of  Colorado,  the  organized  medical 
profession  was  consulted  in  the  choice  of  appointments  to  the  State  Board  of 
Health.  Governor  Gunter  asked  the  county  and  state  bodies  to  present  twelve 
names,  six  republicans  and  six  democrats,  fiom  which  choice  cotild  be  made. 

In  ^lay,  1898,  the  American  Medical  Association  held  its  meeting  in  Denver, 
the  first  the  association  ever  held  in  this  region  of  the  Rockies. 

The  Colorado  State  Committee  of  National  Defense  (Medical  Section)  ap- 
pointed in  1917  is  as  follows: 

Dr.  \\'.  W.  Grant,  chairman ;  O.  M.  Shere,  secretary ;  A.  C.  McGruder.  Crum 
Epler.  John  W.  Amesse,  Thomas  E.  Carmody,  R.  W^  Corvvin,  Leonard  Freeman. 
Josiah  X.  Hall,  Edward  Jackson,  Cuthbert  Powell,  Henry  Sewall.  David  A. 
Strickler,  H.  G.  Wetherill,  S.  Poulterer  Morris,  E.  F.  Dunl'evy.  G.  ^\".  Holden, 
E.  E.  Kennedy,  C.  F.  Meader. 

GEXER.AL   HOSPIT.VLS 

The  general  hospitals  in  the  state  in  1918  are  as  follows: 

rOWX  X.AME  EST.KBLISHED      DEDS 

Alamosa,  Red  Cross 15 

.Vlamosa,  Alamosa  Hospital   1911  15 

Aspen.   Citizens'    i8go  20 

Breckenridge,   Summit  County   Hospital 10 

Boulder.  Boulder  Sanitarium   1896  100 

Boulder.  U.  of  C.  Hospital 189S  75 

Canon  City,   Fremont  County  Hospital    1885  52 

Canon  City.  Dr.  Graves'  Hospital    1900  35 

Caiion  City,  Goodloe   1908  20 

Colorado  Springs,  Beth-El   1904  75 

Colorado  Springs.  Isolater   1905  25 

Colorado  Springs.    St.    Francis 1887  150 

Cripple  Creek.  Teller  County  Hos])ital 1901  29 

Cripple   Creek,  St.  Nicholas    1893  20 

Denver,  County  Hospital    1879  50° 

Denver.  Children's    Hospital    1910  35 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  775 

TOWN  NAME  ESTABLISHED      BEDS 

Denver,  Cottage  Home   1886  15 

Denver,  Dr.  McKay's  Hospital   ... 

Denver,  Mercy    1900  150 

Denver,  !Mount    Airy    1903  20 

Denver,  Park  Avenue   1898  25 

Denver,  Sand  Creek   ... 

Denver,  St.  Anthony's 1892  250 

Denver,  Steele  Memorial    1885  75 

Denver,  St.  Joseph's    1873  234 

Denver,  St.  Luke's i88i  140 

Denver,  White  Cross   1902  10 

Del  Xorte,  St.  Joseph's 1907  30 

Delta,  Delta  Hospital    1912  10 

Durango,  Mercy   18S4  54 

Englewood,   Molkery    1901  18 

Fairplay,  Park  County  Hospital 1880  10 

Florence,    Sheridan    ... 

Fort  Collins,  Fort  Collins  Hospital 1903  25 

Fort  Collins,  Larimer  County  Hospital 1895  15 

Georgetown,  St.  Joseph's    1880  1 5 

Grand  Junction,  St.  Mary's   1895  35 

Glenwood  Springs,  Garfield  County  Hospital 1904  30 

Glenwood  Springs.  Glenwood  Springs  Sanatorium 1905  40 

Greeley,  Weld  County  Hospital 1904  26 

Greeley,  Greeley  Hospital 1904  30 

Gunnison,  Gunnison  County  Hospital 8 

Lamar,  Friends'    1908  50 

La  Junta,  City  Hospital   1906  30 

La  Junta,  La  Junta  Sanatorium  1908  67 

La  Junta,  Santa  Fe  Hospital 1884  45 

La  Junta,  Valley  Hospital   1909  12 

La  Jara,  La  Jara  Hospital 1912  4 

Leadville,  St.  Luke's  1905  15 

Leadville,  St.    \^incent's    1879  lOO 

Littleton,  Littleton  Hospital   1912  15 

Longinont.  Longmont  Hospital 1907  25 

Loveland.   Sutherland's    1898  40 

Monte  Vi.sta,  Monte  \'ista  Hospital 1913  15 

Montrose,  Montrose  Hospital   (private) 191 1  10 

Ouray,  St.  Joseph's   1884  24 

Paonia,  Paonia  Private  Hospital 1914  5 

Pueblo.  Pueblo  County  Hospital   1906  25 

Pueblo.  General 191  r  80 

Pueblo,  Minnequa    1880  216 

Pueblo,  Fairmount  fgeneran    1913  30 

Pueblo,  Quarantine    iqo-^  16 

Pueblo,  Sacred  Heart   190-^  200 


776  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

TOWN  NAME  ESTABLISHED      BEDS 

Pueblo,  St.    :\Iary's    1882  125 

Pueblo,  Woodcraft 1896  150 

Rifle,  Rifle  Sanatorium 1907  10 

Rocky  Ford,  Pollock   1906  12 

Rye,  Idylwild 1904  12 

Salida,  Denver  &  Rio  Grande  R.  R.  Co 1883  50 

Salida,  Red  Cross 1901  65 

Silverton,  Miners' 1909  22 

Steamboat  Springs,  Steamboat  Springs  Hospital 1905  15 

Telluride,  Telluride  Hospital   1890  30 

Trinidad,  St.  Raphael's 1888  125 

\'ictor.  Red  Cross 1902  21 

^^■indsor,  \\'indsor  Hospital 1909  lO 

ST.\TE    SANATORIA 

These  are  the  Sanatoria  for  tubercular  patients  in  Colorado: 

NAME  LOCATION  SUPERINTENDENT  ESTABLISHED      BEDS 

Boulder  Tubercular,  Boulder,  Dr.  H.  A.  Green 1896  100 

Eben-Ezer  Merch,  Brush,  Rev.  J.  i\Iadsen ,  1904  45 

Phoenix  Lodge,  Canon  City,  Mrs.  Nettie  G.  Sheldon 191 1  3 

Cragmore  Sanatorium,  Colorado  Springs,  M.  L.  Whitney 1905  55 

Glockner  Sanatorium,  Colorado  Springs,  Sister  Rose  Alexius.  . .  .    1889  200 

Idlewild  Sanatorium,  Colorado  Springs,  L.  L.  Shardlow 1912  10 

Xob  Hill  Lodge  Sanatorium.  Colorado  Springs,  Florence  E. 

Standish    20 

Star  Ranch  in  the  Pines,  Colorado  Springs,  Alice  L.  Witkind.  . . .    1903  60 

Sunnyrest  Sanatorium,  Colorado  Springs,  Sister  Ida  Tobschell. . .    191 1  24 

Union  Printers'  Home,  Colorado  Springs,  John  C.  Daley 1892  210 

Crawford,  Colo.  Pinons,  Crawford,  R.  W.  Southworth 191 3 

Agnes  Memorial,  Denver.  Dr.  G.  W.  Holden 1904  150 

Mrs.  Lare's  Tent  Sanitarium,  Denver,  Mrs.  M.  W.  Lare 1901  33 

National  Jewish  Hospital,  Denver,  Dr.  S.  Simon 1899  150 

Oakes  Home,  Denver.  Rev.  F.  W.  Oakes 1894  160 

Sunlight  Sanatorium.  Denver.  M.  W.  Page 1902  24 

Swedish  National  Sanatorium,  Denver,  Dr.  C.  A.  Bundsen 1908  37 

Jewish  Consumptives  Relief  Society,  Denver,  Hermann  Schwatt. .    1904  140 

L'.  S.  Naval  Hospital,  Las  Animas,  George  H.  Barber 1907  250 

Mount  Calm  Sanatorium,  Manitou,  Sister  Mary  Clare 1890  50 

Evangelical  Lutheran  Sanatorium,  Wheatridge,  Rev.  John  Schlerf   1905  36 

Modern  Woodmen  Sanatorium,  Colorado  Springs,  J.  S.  Rutledge  1909  230 

COLORADO   AS   A    HEALTH    RESORT 

It  is  to  the  medical  fraternitv  that  Colorado  owes  the  continued  exploitation 
of  its  wonderful  climate  as  a  remedy  for  tuberculosis  and  kindred  diseases. 
Among  the  most  important  developments  along  these  lines  are  the  humidity  charts 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  777 

of  the  late  Doctor  Denison.     The  following  is  a  condensation  of  these  important 
contributions  to  the  curative  powers  of  the  Colorado  climate: 

Winter  Denver  St.  Louis  Chicago  '  Cincinnati     Phila.  New  York 

Relative  humidity   ....      57  85  72  78  81  "]•] 

Absolute  humidity    ...      10  16  10  20  17  20 

^  Isotherm  about  5°  lower  than  that  of  Denver. 

Spring  Denver  St.  Louis  Chicago  -  Cincinnati     Phila.  New  York 

Relative  humidity 56  81  64  67  75  68 

Absolute  humidity    ...      20  35  20  30  31  24 

^  Isotherm  about  5°  lower  than  that  of  Denver. 

Summer  Denver  St.  Louis  ^  Chicago  Cincinnati  *    Phila.  New  York 

Relative  humidity 51  75  71  64  83  69 

Absolute  humidity    .  .  ■     i7  66  52  59  75  57 

^  *  Seasonal  temperature  about  5°  higher  than  that  of  Denver. 

.•\utumn  Denver  .St.  Louis  '•  Chicago  Cincinnati "  Phila.  '  New  York 

Relative  humidity  ....      50  71  6g  64  83  69 

Absolute  humidity    ...      19  ij  29  },■]  39  33 

'  "  "  Seasonal  temperature  5  to  7°  higher  than  that  of  Denver. 

Dr.  C.  T.  Williams  on  ''Aero-therapeutics,"  in  the  Lumleian  Lectures  in  1893, 
says  concerning  Colorado :  "With  regard  to  the  actual  results  of  the  climate  it 
undoubtedly  produces  great  improvement  in  75  per  cent  of  the  cases  of  phthisis 
generally,  and  in  43  per  cent  it  causes  more  or  less  complete  arrest  of  the  tuber- 
culous process." 

.M1LIT.\RV  RECUPERATION  C.-\MP 

Colorado  was  during  19 18  selected  by  the  federal  government  as  the  location 
for  a  "recuperation"  camp,  and  a  total  of  nearly  a  million  dollars  is  to  be  expended 
in  its  establishment.  The  site  selected  is  on  what  is  known  as  the  Gutheil  farm 
at  Aurora,  a  suburb  lying  just  east  of  Denver.  To  this  point  all  soldiers  who, 
during  service,  become  afflicted  with  tuberculosis  or  can  be  benefited  by  the  climate 
are  to  be  sent  for  restoration.  The  citizens  of  Denver  subscribed  the  sum  of 
$150,000  in  order  to  purchase  the  land  for  the  government.  At  this  writing  it  is 
believed  that  the  government  will  depart  from  its  original  purpose  of  making 
this  a  hosi)ital  of  i.ooo  beds  for  strictly  tubercular  ])atients  and  erect  the  hospital 
to  accommodate  5.000  beds,  the  plan  being  to  make  the  institution  of  reconstructive 
character,  where  new  and  interesting  processes  will  be  used  to  rehabilitate  wounded 
soldiers  and  make  them  fit  for  civilian  callings. 

C0I.OR.\D0   DOCTORS    I.V    WORLD   W.\R 

The  following  is  a  complete  roster  up  to  March  i,  19 18,  of  all  Colorado 
physicians  who  have  volunteered  for  medical  service  in  the  army  of  the  United 
States : 

Canon  City — Hart  Goodlee. 

Cedaredge — Louis  Clifton  Belton. 

Colorado   Springs — Lloyd   Raymond    Allen,    George   Wm.    Bancroft.   James 


7'/8  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

Horace  Brown,  Brunett  A.  Filmer,  Alexius  Mador  Forster,  Henry  Williamson 
Hoagland,  Tom  Ray  Knowles,  Philip  Albert  Loomis,  Alexander  C.  Magruder, 
Homer  Clifton  ]\Ioses,  George  Laird  Sharp,  Charles  F.  Stough,  Gerald  Nertram 
Webb. 

Delagua — Edwin  Dalp  Burkhard. 

Del  Norte — Arthur  Blaine  Gjellum,  Harry  C.  Miller. 

Delta — Wintield  Scott   Clelland. 

Denver — James  Rae  Arneil,  Wm.  Mathews  Bane,  Amos  L.  Beagler,  Wm. 
Calvin  Kennerdell,  Mordecai  R.  Bren,  Alpha  J.  Campbell,  Fred  Howard  Car- 
penter, Phillips  Maurice  Chase,  Charles  Bernard  Dorset,  William  Edmundson, 
Ray  Lawrence  Drinkwater.  Charles  Arthur  Ellis,  William  Chris  Finnofif,  Harmon 
Lonzo  Fowler,  Harold  Gould  Garwood,  William  W.  Grant,  Josiah  Newhall  Hall, 
Eugene  Hattis,  John  Claudius  Herrick,  Arthur  Junius  Holmquist,  Thomas  ]\Iayes 
Hopkins,  Louis  Hough.  Clarence  B.  Ingram,  Jr.,  Walter  Addison  Jayne,  Samuel 
Fosdick  Jones,  William  Wiley  Jones,  Robert  Lapinski  Kaegel,  Wallace  Gaw  Kent, 
Robert  Levy,  Arthur  Jackson  Markley,  Henry  Richardson  McGraw,  Francis 
Hector  McNaught.  Bert  Menser,  George  Kingsley  Olmsted,  Robert  C.  Packard, 
Cyrus  Long  Pershing,  Cuthbert  Powell,  Charles  Andrew  Powers,  Miller  E.  Pres- 
ton. \\'illiam  Alexander  Sedwick,  Harry  Summers  Shafer.  Carl  Wilson  Slusser, 
Arthur  William  Stahl.  Chaimcey  Eugene  Tennant.  Thomas  John  West,  William 
\\'.  Williams. 

Durango — Aleck  Franklin  Hutchinson. 

Englewood — Hubert  Greiger. 

Floresta — Fred  Foster  Stocking. 

Fort  Collins — Curtis  Atkinson,  Albery  Whipple  Rew. 

Fort  Logan — John  William  Amesse,  John  R.  Hall. 

Fort  Morgan — Elw}'n  Ray  Clarke. 

Frederick — James  Harold  Leyda. 

Gibsonburg — Albert  Griffith  Eyestone. 

Golden — John  P.  Kelh-,  Earl  Wallace  Kemble. 

Glenwood  Springs — William  W.  Frank. 

Grand  Junction — James  ]\Ielville  Shields.  .Arthur  George  Taylor. 

Greeley — Oscar  F.  Broman,  Edwin  Winslow  Knowles. 

Hayward — Charles  John  Harbeck. 

Henderson — Albert  West  ■\Ietcalf,  Jr. 

Hotchkiss — W.  Claude  Copeland,  Walter  Haines  Lewis. 

Ideal — Jesse  Daniel  Wilson. 

Ignacio — Gerry  Sanger  Driver. 

Kremmling — Justin  John  Young. 

La  Junta — Ernest  G.  Edwards. 

Grand  Junction — Frank  Noble  Stiles. 

Ludlow — Walter  Leigh  Barbour. 

Billiken — Carl  Campbell  Fuson. 

Olathe — Charles  Edwin  Lackwood. 

Ouray — Lawrence  Clark  Cook. 

Pyrolite — William  Benjamin  Lewis. 

Pueblo — Elridge  Stevens  Adams.  Charles  Walker  Streamer,  Charles  Wm. 
Thompson,  Philip  Work. 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  779 

Rocky  Ford — Gary  R.  Pollock. 

Somerset — James  Richard  Earle. 

Sopris — Arthur  Ernest  Gill. 

Stoneham — Floyd  Glinton  Turner. 

Strong — Aubert  Durnell. 

Telluride — James  W'illboarn  Sylvester  Cross. 

Trinidad — John  R.  Espey,  Caleb  W.  Presnall. 

Walden — Charles  H.  Fiecher. 

Windsor — Paul  S.  Wagner. 

Woodmen — Harry  Toulmin  Lay. 

Boulder — Cyrus  Watt  Foley. 

Colorado  Springs — Lewis  Hugh  McKinnie. 

Denver — Alexander  Bismark  Terrell,  Leonard  Green  Crosby,  Samuel  F.  Jones, 
Nicholas  Anderson  Wood. 

Fort  Morgan — Robery  Craig  Bowie. 

Golden — Joseph  Robinson  Hood. 

Paonia — Augustus  Frederick  Erich. 

Denver — Edward  Francis  Dean,  Ranulj)h  Hudston,  Oliver  Lyons,  Harold 
George  Macomber,  Lewis  Marshall  \'an  Meter. 

Grand  Junction — Charles  Wesley  Reed. 

Johnstown — Orien  Asbury  Grantham. 

Lamar — Clyde  Thomas  Knuckley. 

Silver  Plume — William  Elizabeth  Drisdale. 

.Steamboat  Springs — Frank  Joy  Blackmer. 

Victor — Charles  Edward  Elliott. 

Trinidad — Frederick  Joseph  Peiree. 

Buena  Vi.sta — ^'ictor  B.  Ayers,  Angus  Alexander  >racLennen. 

Cheyenne  Wells — Carleton  Orr  Booth. 

Craig — Morrow  Duncan   Brown. 

Crawford — Oscar  Allen  Duncan. 

Denver — George  Wm.  liancroft,  P.enjamin  William  Carlson,  Harold  Gould 
Garwood,  William  .Vrthur  McGugan.  William  Roberts. 

Grand  Valley — Fred  Henry  Miller. 

Hotchkis.s — W.  Claude  Copcland. 

La  Junta — Harvey  Ellsworth    Hall. 

Ordway — Charles  Alexander  Roberts. 

Pueblo — Eugene  Harold  Brown. 

Segundo — Ortus  Fuller  Adams. 

Colorado  Springs — Omer  Rand  Gillrll,  Edgar  Marcella  Marbourg. 

Delta — Earlscourt  Grant  .Shaffer. 

Florence — Vardncv  Anion  Huttnn 

Denver — .Mljert  ^\'arner  Dcwc\-.  William  Donaldson  Fleming.  Horace  G. 
Wctherill.  .Xugustine  Santini  Cecchini,  George  Bennette  Lewis,  Joseph  Brcnald 
Salberg.  Elbert  Byron  Swerdfeger. 

McClave — Edward  King  Lawrence. 

Oak  Creek — Josejih  Aloysius  Kellv,  Tnlian  C.  Kennedv. 

Ordway — James  Edgar  Jeffery. 

Plateau  Citv — William  \'icli(r  Watson. 


780  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

Pueblo — John  Frederick  Howard. 

Trinidad — Archibald  Joseph  Chisholm. 

Colorado  Springs — Louis  Gordon  Brown,  \\'ill  Howard  Swan. 

Denver — Harold  Emerson  Farnworth. 

Longmont — Samuel  Byrd  McFarland,  Vivian  Russel  Pennock,  Willard  Justin 
White. 

Pueblo — Thomas  A.  Stoddard. 

Salida — Charles  Stephen  Phalen. 

Sugar  City — Charles  Waxham. 

Denver — Raymond  Earl  Feebler,  Arthur  James  Offerman,  Harry  Silsby 
Finney. 

Central  City — Clarence  Mauritz  Froid. 

Colorado  Springs — Louis  Gordon  Brown. 

Lamar — Lanning  Elbridge  Likes. 

Pueblo — Thomas  A.  Stoddard. 

Salida — C.  Rex  Fuller. 

Steamboat  Springs — ^^'illian■l  Kernaghan. 


CHAPTER  XXXIX 
THE  PRESS  OF  COLORADO 

BRINGING  THE    FIRST   PRINTING    PRESS  TO   THE    NEW    GOLD   REGION GREELEY    VISITS 

THE    CAMP THE     FIRST     EXTRA — BVERS     SECURES     CONTROL     OF     THE     NEWS 

CHANGES  IN   CONTROL PATTERSON   BECOMES  EDITOR THE  TIMES  IS  FOUNDED 

THE    REPUBLICAN THE    TRIBUNE PIONEER     PUBLICATIONS     IN     THE     MINING 

CAMPS FOUNDING  THE  CHIEFTAIN   AT   PUEBLO — THE   STAR-JOURNAL — THE   BE- 
GINNING OF  COLORADO  SPRINGS  NEWSPAPERS ON  THE  WESTERN  SLOPE IN  THE 

SAN   LUIS  VALLEY IN  THE  ARKANSAS  VALLEY — NEWSPAPERS  OF  THE  PLAINS — 

GREELEY  TRIBUNE FOR't   COLLINS   PUBLICATIONS GUNNISON's   PAPERS OTHER 

COUNTY  AND  CITY  PUBLICATIONS. 

FIRST  PRINTING  PRESS  IN  GOLD  REGION 

Gold  dust  and  little  nuggets  carried  in  goose  quills  liy  miners  returning  from 
Colorado  by  way  of  Omaha  to  the  East  were  the  inspiration  for  Denver's  first 
newspaper. 

W.  N.  Byers,  then  a  resident  of  the  little  village  of  Omaha,  saw  the  gold, 
talked  with  the  miners  and  became  impressed  with  the  importance  of  the  Rocky 
Mountain  region.  In  1858  he  had  heard  the  reports  from  the  Pike's  Peak  country 
and  had  decided  to  set  out  for  the  new  Eldorado  at  once,  but  was  prevented  by 
an  accidental  gunshot  wound  that  almost  proved  fatal.  In  the  meantime,  being 
familiar  with  the  Platte  River  route  to  the  West,  and  having  encountered  several 
men  who  had  returned  from  Pike's  Peak,  in  the  autumn  of  1858  he  prepared  and 
published  his  Pike's  Peak  Guide. 

One  day  in  the  winter  of  1858  someone  who  entered  Byers'  office  in  Omaha 
suggested  that  it  would  be  a  good  idea  to  take  a  printing  press  to  the  new  coun- 
try and  print  the  news  of  the  discoveries  at  the  point  where  the  discoveries 
were  made. 

Byers  was  instructed  to  purchase  the  press  and  the  necessary  material.  .'\1- 
though  he  was  wholly  inexperienced  as  a  newspaper  editor  and  publisher,  Byers 
resolved  to  join  in  the  enterprise.  He  went  to  the  Town  of  Bellevue,  nine  miles 
south  of  Omaha,  and  at  that  time  larger  than  Omaha,  and  there  bought  a  print- 
ing press.  Carting  it  to  Omaha,  he  made  a  test  of  it  and  found  that  it  worked 
satisfactorily.  Some  of  the  type  was  set  up  and  two  pages  were  prin'cd.  Every- 
thing was  in  .shape  so  that  a  paper  could  be  printed  without  difificulty  when  the 
proprietors  had  selected  a  settlement  in  which  to  publish  their  paper. 

Associated  with  Byers  in  the  enterprise  was  Thomas  Gibson.  They  were  ac- 
companied by  John  I..  Dailey,  an  experience.d  practical  printer,  who  afterward 
became  one  of  the  proprietors.     Dr.  George  C.  Moncll  of  Omaha  had  an  interest 

781 


782  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

in  the  venture,  but  he  disposed  of  it  before  the  party  arrived  in  Denver.  He 
returned  to  Omaha,  while  all  the  others  proceeded  toward  the  goal  of  their  am- 
bition. 

Thomas  Gibson,  the  active  partner  of  Byers,  was  from  Fontanelle,  Nebraska. 
Those  who  accompanied  the  outfit  were  W.  N.  Byers,  Thomas  Gibson,  John  L. 
Dailey,  Robert  L.  Sumner,  Edward  C.  Sumner,  I.  Sansom,  P.  W.  Case,  L.  A. 
Curtice,  James  Creighton  and  his  brother,  Harry  Creighton,  Harry  Gibson,  H. 
E.  Turner  and  "Pap"  Hoyt. 

BYEES'  JOURNEY   WEST 

In  an  address  delivered  at  a  meeting  of  the  Colorado  pioneers  in  1899  Byers 
gave  the  following  account  of  the  journey: 

"We  left  Omaha  on  the  eighth  of  March  about  the  time  the  frost  had  begun 
coming  out  of  the  ground.  We  encountered  a  great  many  difificulties,  but  on  the 
last  day  of  March  we  reached  the  banks  of  the  Platte  River,  opposite  Fort  Kear- 
ney. 

"I  was  wagon  boss,  and  I  used  a  little  ingenuity  in  distributing  my  train  along 
the  road,  apprehending  that  my  party  might  object  to  crossing  the  stream,  which 
was  then  running  high,  if  an  opportunity  to  confer  was  given.  So  I  got  the  first 
wagon  into  the  water  before  the  drivers  of  the  others  had  a  chance  to  protest. 
I  had  learned  never  to  camp  on  the  near  side  of  a  stream.  The  others  were 
very  indignant,  but  I  pushed  them  all  in  successfully  without  giving  them  a  chance 
to  compromise ;  whereupon  each  became  still  more  opposed  to  the  proceedings. 

"The  heaviest  wagon  got  into  a  sink-hole  of  quicksand  and  we  did  not  reach 
the  other  bank  until  dark.  There  was  no  road  on  the  other  side,  but  we  man- 
aged to  get  through  the  night.  If  we  had  not  crossed  the  river  that  evening  we 
would  have  been,  as  matters  turned  out,  delayed  several  days,  for  the  next  morn- 
ing the  river  was  full  of  floating  ice  that  did  not  disappear  for  nearly  a  week. 

"We  located  a  camp  at  St.  Vrain  so  as  to  give  some  of  the  men  a  chance  to 
prospect.  I  then  went  on  in  advance  and  reached  Denver  April  17th,  finding  the 
people  were  a  good  deal  more  anxious  about  the  arrival  of  the  newspaper  than 
had  been  reported. 

"At  the  beginning  of  the  second  day  I  sent  a  messenger  on  horseback  to  hurry 
up  the  train,  and  two  days  later  it  arrived.  One  of  the  wagons  stuck  in  Cherry 
Creek  at  Blake  Street,  so  we  did  not  get  across  until  after  nightfall.  I  immedi- 
ately drove  over  to  the  little  ofifice  I  had  secured.  Old  Uncle  Dick  Wooton  had 
built  a  log  cabin  which  contained  a  little  attic,  and  this  he  had  ofifered  to  me. 
There  we  set  up  our  press  and  began  setting  type. 

FIRST    PAPER    IN    TERRITORY 

"We  improvised  a  shelter  under  the  roof  to  protect  the  press.  This  was  a 
sort  of  tent.  The  clapboard  roof  of  the  building  was  covered  with  snow,  which, 
as  it  melted,  ran  through  upon  us.  Before  the  first  issue  of  the  paper  was  made 
a  little  dodger  was  struck  oflF  for  a  man  who  had  lost  a  horse  and  a  dog. 

"This  was  the  first  printing  dope  in  this  territory. 

"Now,  there  was  another  paper  came  out  that  same  evening  called  the  Cherry 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  783 

Creek  Pioneer!  When  i  was  at  Fort  Kearney  1  heard  that  a  man  named  Mer- 
rick liad  preceded  us  by  some  days.  He  did  nothing  until  we  arrived' and  then 
he  became  very  anxious  to  print  a  paper,  too.  He  got  a  log  cabin  and  started  to 
work.  The  result  was  to  get  out  a  paper  the  same  evening.  The  citizens  con- 
stituted themselves  a  committee  to  see  which  of  us  got  out  the  tirst. 

''The  consensus  of  opinion  was  tliat  we  came  out  twenty  minutes  ahead  of 
the  other.  This  paper  of  Merrick's  was  issued  only  once.  The  next  day  lie 
hunted  up  my  partner  and  sold  his  outfit  for  some  flour  and  bacon." 

It  was  the  news  of  another  enterprise  that  prompted  liyers  to  such  haste  from 
Fort  Kearney  to  Denver.  Someone  who  had  come  up  from  the  South  told  of  an 
outfit  bound  for  Denver  from  St.  Joseph.  After  that  it  was  a  race  for  the  goal, 
and  J.  L.  Merrick  won  the  race  without  knowing  it.  He  arrived  in  Denver  on 
April  I3lh,  and  rested  on  his  laurels  until  rudely  awakened  on  the  morning  of 
April  17th  by  the  information  that  rival  publishers  had  entered  the  settlement. 

Again  a  race  began,  but  this  time  Merrick  was  the  loser.  An  interesting  fea- 
ture of  the  contest  was  the  posting  of  bets  among  the  gamblers  on  the  outcome. 
From  Uncle  Dick  W'ooton's  "palatial"  store  building  they  hurried  to  Merrick's 
cabin  and  back  again.  They  urged  on  the  contestants  to  accelerate  their  work, 
jested,  drank  ''Taos  lightning,"  and  enjoyed  the  affair  immensely. 

\\'hen  Byers  rode  into  Auraria,  on  the  west  bank  of  Cherry  Creek,  he  en- 
countered discouragements  that  would  have  daunted  a  less  determined  pioneer. 
Hard  times  had  come  upon  the  settlement.  Easterners  who  had  rushed  to  Colo- 
rado, consumed  with  the  gold  fever,  became  disheartened  when  they  found  what 
mining  meant.  The  result  was  an  exodus  almost  as  large  as  had  been  the  influx 
of  gold-seekers  a  few  months  before. 

The  enterprise  had  been  launched  for  the  purpose  of  apprising  the  world 
of  the  new  discoveries.  The  returning  Easterners  told  pitiful  tales  of  woe,  and 
were  so  blue  that  they  represented  conditions  much  worse  than  they  really  were. 
Byers,  however,  had  seen  the  gold  in  the  goose  quills,  and  had  heard  the  other 
side  of  the  story  from  miners  who  had  succeeded. 

In  spite  of  the  business  depression  he  founded  his  paper,  and  it  succeeded 
from  the  start,  altliough  it  passed  through  strenuous  times  in  its  early  career. 

■fHl-:   FIRST    EXTR.\ 

Colorado's  first  and  most  important  extra  edition  of  a  newspaper  advertised 
authoritatively  to  the  world  Colorado's  gold  discoveries.  It  was  issued  soon  after 
the  founding  of  The  News,  and  was  one  of  the  most  notable  events  in  the 
history  of  Colorado  up  to  that  time. 

Horace  Greeley,  the  celebrated  editor  of  the  New  York  Tribune;  lUnrv  \'il- 
lard  of  the  Cincinnati  Commercial,  and  A.  D.  Richardson,  the  noted  correspon- 
dent, wlio  afterward  wrote  "Beyond  the  Mississippi,"  and  who  worked  for  a 
time  on  The  Rocky  Mountain  News,  visited  Denver  and  the  gold  camps  and 
signed  a  statement  verifying  the  reports,  then  greatly  discredited  in  tlie  F.ast,  that 
substantial  gold  strikes  had  been  made  in  Colorado. 

The  statement  appeared  in  an  extra  edition  of  The  Rocky  Mountain  News 
published  on  Saturday,  June  11,  1859.  It  appeared  on  brown  wrapping  paper 
for  lack  of  news  print. 


GENEEAL  WILLIAM  LARIMER'S  CABIN.  BUILT  IN  THE  CLOSING  DAYS  OF 

NOVEMBER,  1858 


A  BUILDIXd    1:i;K(  TED  IN  NOVEMBER,  1859,  BY  THE  OWNERS  OF  THE  ROCKY 

MOUNTAIN  NEWS,   AND   WHICH   WAS   THE   HOME   OF   THAT 

NEWSPAPER  UNTIL  LATE  IN  AUGUST,  1860 

From  a  photograph  maile  in   1900. 

(Reproductions  from  pictures  of  some  of  Denver's  pioneer  buildings. ) 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  785 

Describing  the  trip  to  the  gold  region  that  resulted  in  the  famous  extra,  Rich- 
ardson says: 

"From  Denver  to  the  foot  of  the  range  seemed  only  a  stone's  throw,  but  we 
found  it  fifteen  miles.  The  only  well-defined  spur  is  Table  Mountain,  which 
rises  500  or  600  feet  from  the  valley  with  symmetric  stone  walls.  It  looked  down 
upon  two  little  tents,  then  the  only  dwellings  for  miles;  but  in  the  intervening 
years  it  has  seen  a  thriving  and  promising  manufacturing  town  under  the  broad 
mountain  shadow. 

"At  its  base  we  found  Clear  Creek,  greatly  swollen,  so  we  left  the  coach, 
saddled  the  mules  and  rode  them  through  the  stream  amid  a  crowd  of  emigrants, 
who  sent  up  three  hearty  cheers  for  Horace  Greeley.  The  road  was  swarming 
with  travelers.  In  the  distance  they  were  clambering  right  up  a  hill  as  abrupt  as 
the  roof  of  a  cottage. 

"It  seemed  incredible  that  any  animal  less  agile  than  a  mountain  goat  could 
reach  the  summit ;  yet  this  road,  only  five  weeks  old,  was  beaten  like  a  turnpike ; 
and  far  above  us  toiled  men,  mules  and  cattle,  pigmies  upon  the  Alps.  Wagons 
carrying  less  than  half  a  ton  were  drawn  up  by  twenty  oxen,  while  those  de- 
scending dragged  huge  trees  in  full  branch  and  leaf  behind  them  as  brakes. 

"We  all  dismounted  to  ascend,  except  Mr.  Greeley,  still  so  lame  that  his  over- 
taxed mule  was  compelled  to  carry  him. 

"Mr.  Greeley,  Henry  \'illard  and  myself  spent  two  days  in  examining  the 
gulches  and  in  conversing  with  the  workmen  engaged  in  running  the  sluices. 
Most  of  the  companies  reported  to  us  that  they  were  operating  successfully. 
Then  we  joined  in  a  detailed  report,  naming  the  members  of  each  company  and 
their  former  places  of  residence  in  'the  states'  (that  any  who  desired  might  learn 
their  reputation  for  truthfulness),  and  added  their  statements  to  the  number  of 
men  they  were  employing  and  the  average  yield  of  their  sluices  per  day.  We 
endeavored  to  give  the  shadows  as  well  as  the  lights  of  the  picture,  recounting  the 
hardship  and  perils  of  the  long  journey,  and  the  bitter  disappointment  experienced 
by  the  unsuccessful  many;  and  earnestly  warning  the  public  against  another  gen- 
eral and  ill-advised  rush  to  the  mines.  Little  time  is  required  to  learn  the  great 
truth  that  digging  gold  is  about  the  hardest  way  upon  earth  to  ol)tain  it;  that  in 
this,  as  in  other  pursuits,  great  success  is  very  rare. 

"The  report  was  widely  copied  throughout  the  country  as  the  first  specific,  dis- 
interested and  trustworthy  account  of  the  newly-discovered  placers." 

It  was  this  that  received  its  first  publication  in  Colorado's  first  extra.  The 
statement  was  published  to  the  exclusion  of  almost  everything  else  with  the  fol- 
lowing prefatory  note  by  Mr.  Byers : 

"We  are  indebted  to  the  kindness  of  Mr.  Williams  of  the  Leavenworth  and 
Pike's  Peak  Express  for  the  following  report  from  Messrs.  Greeley,  Richardson 
and  Villard,  which  will  give  satisfaction  to  the  public  mind,  and  at  once  set  at 
rest  the  cry  of  'humbug'  reiterated  by  the  returning  emigration  from  this  region. 
The  names  of  the  gentlemen  signed  to  this  report  are  sufficient  to  give  it  credence 
without  further  comment  from  us,  and  the  indefatigable  exertions  of  Mr.  Wil- 
liams to  get  it  before  the  public  are  commendable." 

The  printer  who  set  up  this  statement  for  the  extra  was  Gen.  George  West, 
who  later  became  proprietor  of  the  Golden  Transcript.  Concerning  its  pulilication. 
General  West  wrote  to  Curator  Ferril  of  the  Colorado  State  Historical  Society: 

Vol.  I 50 


786  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

"According  to  my  recollection,  it  was  June  lOth  (Saturday)  that  it  was  printed, 
but  it  might  have  been  dated  the  next  day.  My  party  had  just  arrived  from  across 
the  plains,  and  about  noon  were  pulling  through  the  sand  of  Cherry  Creek  at  the 
Blake  Street  crossing,  twenty  or  thirty  teams  of  us,  when  we  heard  a  shout  from 
a  man,  standing  on  a  little  foot-bridge  which  crossed  the  creek  at  that  point.  It 
proved  to  be  old  man  Gibson  of  The  News.  'Hey,  there !'  he  ejaculated,  'are  there 
any  printers  in  this  crowd  ?' 

'T  told  him  there  were  two  or  three  of  us.  He  then  asked  us  to  go  into  camp 
and  come  up  and  set  up  an  extra  for  him. 

"As  we  were  uncertain  about  what  we  were  going  to  do,  even  now  that  we  had 
reached  Pike's  Peak,  we  concluded  to  do  as  he  requested.  Bill  Summers,  Mark 
Blunt,  late  of  Pueblo,  and  I  went  to  the  office,  then  located  in  a  one  and  a  half- 
story  log  cabin  on  Ferry  Street,  now  Eleventh  Street,  where  we  found  Horace 
Greeley,  A.  D.  Richardson  and  Henry  Villard,  who  had  just  returned  from  the 
mountains,  and  The  News  wanted  to  publish  their  report  in  an  extra.  We  then 
buckled  to,  set  it  up  and  worked  off,  I  believe,  500  copies  on  the  old  Washington 
hand  press.    For  this  we  received  five  pennyweight  of  gold  dust." 

The  difficulties  in  obtaining  news,  even  for  a  weekly  paper,  in  1859,  can  well 
be  imagined.  The  telegraph  lines  ended  at  St.  Joseph,  Missouri,  and  the  mails 
were  transmitted  to  Denver  by  stage  with  exasperating  irregularity.  Moreover, 
the  private  stage  company  at  one  time  charged  as  much  as  twenty-five  cents  for 
the  transportation  of  every  letter.  Reference  has  been  made  to  the  difficulty  of 
obtaining  white  paper  and  to  the  fact  that  the  famous  Greeley  extra  was  printed 
on  brown  wrapping  paper. 

When  the  Leavenworth  and  Pike's  Peak  Express  Company  began  operations 
the  postmaster  at  Leavenworth  received  instructions  from  Washington  to  deliver 
all  the  mail  matter  from  the  Pike's  Peak  region  to  the  company  as  long  as  the 
coaches  would  carry  it  across  the  plains  free  of  expense  to  the  Government.  This 
gave  the  express  company  and  its  successor  a  monopoly  in  handling  the  mail  that 
continued  until  midsummer  of  i860. 

NEWS  BECOMES  A  DAILY 

On  August  27,  i860,  The  Rocky  Mountain  News  became  a  daily  paper.  Early 
in  November  it  began  publishing  telegraphic  news,  the  first  newspaper  service  of 
that  kind  received  in  Denver.  These  dispatches  did  not  come  all  the  way  through 
by  wire,  for,  as  has  been  stated,  no  telegraph  wires  were  nearer  Denver  than  500 
miles. 

The  first  dispatch  with  the  news  of  Lincoln's  election  left  St.  Joseph  by  pony 
express  on  the  afternoon  of  November  8th,  and  was  published  in  The  News  No- 
vember 13th. 

This  service  was  continued  in  1861  from  the  westward-moving  terminus  of 
the  overland  telegraph  until  the  wires  connected  Denver  with  the  outside  world. 

The  difficulties  of  conducting  a  newspaper  were  principally  those  incident  to 
the  delays  in  getting  supplies  and  news  from  the  outside  world  in  the  days  of 
the  stage  coach  and  pony  express.  In  1859  the  nearest  postoffice  was  at  Fort 
Laramie.  220  miles  to  the  north,  and  mails  from  that  point  arrived  in  Denver  but 
once  or  twice  a  month. 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  787 

On  May  j,  1859,  the-  founders  of  The  News  sent  a  special  messenger  to  Fort 
Laramie  and  after  many  hardships  and  much  suffering  he  returned  with  a  mule 
that  carried  a  heavy  load  of  messages,  letters  and  newspapers.  Thus  were  the 
first  "exchanges"  brought  to  the  News  office  and  they  supplied  all  the  important 
news  of  the  great  world  beyond. 

Frank  A.  Root,  author  of  "The  Overland  Stage  to  California,"  who  was  mes- 
senger in  charge  of  the  express  business  and  an  agent  of  the  postofifice  department 
in  the  '60s  to  look  after  the  transportation  of  the  mails  across  the  plains  to  the 
mountains  and  to  California,  recalls  some  interesting  facts  concerning  The  News 
in  war  times.    In  his  book  he  writes : 

"I  was  a  regular  subscriber  to  The  News  dtiring  the  most  of  1864  and  remem- 
ber the  paper  as  plainly  as  if  it  were  only  yesterday.  A  few  times  it  came  out 
printed  on  tissue,  with  only  a  few  short  columns.  This  was  after  the  Indians  had 
placed  an  embargo  on  all  commerce  of  the  plains  over  the  Platte  \^alley  route  for 
300  miles,  and  for  at  least  two  or  three  weeks  business  of  every  kind  along  the 
line  was  at  a  standstill — practically  paralyzed. 

"When  The  News  was  being  regularly  issued  as  a  daily  and  the  Pacific  tele- 
graph had  reached  a  point  one  hundred  miles  west  of  Fort  Kearney,  the  reports 
were  taken  ofT  at  Cottonwood  Springs ;  and  still  later,  at  old  Julesburg,  one  hun- 
dred miles  farther  west,  and  still  tw-o  hundred  miles. east  of  Denver,  but  for  a 
time  the  nearest  point  where  news  was  received  by  wire — nearly  forty-eight  hours 
away." 

On  July  12,  i860,  a  series  of  murders  and  outrages  began  in  Denver.  The 
first  act  of  violence,  the  one  that  led  directly  to  the  historic  attack  on  The  News 
office,  was  the  shooting  of  Stark,  a  Mexican  negro,  by  Charles  Harrison,  a  noto- 
rious gambler  and  desperado.  No  arrest  was  made.  The  negro  died  of  his  wounds 
on  July  2 1  St. 

The  next  act  in  (he  sanguinary  drama  was  that  of  James  A.  Gordon,  who  shot 
Frank  O'Neill,  a  barkeeper.  A  few  days  aftcrw-ard  the  desperado  fired  at  one 
of  his  own  kind,  but  missed.  A  few  hours  later  Gordon  set  upon  John  Gantz, 
another  barkeeper,  knocked  him  dow-n.  held  him  by  the  hair,  and  shot  him  through 
the  head  after  snapping  his  revolver  ineffectually  four  times. 

The  Law  and  Order  League  got  into  action  immediately,  but  Gordon  escaped 
to  New  Mexico.  A  month  later  he  was  arrested  by  .ShcrifT  Middaugh.  brought 
back  to  Denver,  tried  by  a  people's  court  and  hanged. 

The  Rocky  Mountain  News,  in  its  issue  of  July  25th,  denounced  these  and 
other  outrages  and  was  especially  trenchant  in  its  condemnation  of  Harrison  for 
his  unprovoked  murder  of  Stark. 

For  several  days  the  outlaws  and  thugs  brooded  in  rage  over  the  excoriation. 
On  July  31  St,  headed  by  the  notorious  Carroll  Wood,  thcv  attacked  The  News 
office,  fully  armed.  Being  wli(ill\-  imprepared  for  the  assault,  the  employes  were 
unaljle  to  resist  and  the  desperadoes  seized  P)yers  and  took  him  to  the  Criterion 
saloon  to  account  to  Harrison. 

The  riii<,'leader,  dcsjiile  his  vicious  ch;ir;icler.  was  a  man  of  more  ])rudence 
than  his  associates,  and  his  intelligence  probably  forewarned  him  of  the  doom  that 
awaited  the  outlaw  band.  At  one  time  he  had  been  a  Mason  and  he  recognized 
P)yers  as  a  member  of  the  society. 

Leading  the  editor  .-iw.'iy  from  the  furious  desperadoes,  who  wcri'  flourishing 


788  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

revolvers  and  making  terrible  threats,  he  conducted  him  to  a  rear  room  of  the 
saloon  on  the  pretense  of  settling  with  him  alone.  As  quickly  as  possible  Harrison 
let  Byers  out  of  a  back  door  and  a  few  minutes  later  raised  a  hue  and  cry  that  his 
prisoner  had  escaped. 

\\'hen  The  Xews  became  a  daily  paper,  a  lively  journalistic  contest  was  in- 
augurated. Thomas  Gibson  had  established  the  Rocky  Alountain  Herald.  The 
war  of  the  rebellion  soon  began;  news  was  exciting,  and  the  mining  communities 
were  eager  to  receive  information  as  quickly  as  possible.  Both  newspapers,  at 
great  cost,  established  and  maintained  pony  express  lines  to  Central  City,  Black- 
hawk  and  other  points,  and  employed  many  agents  and  carriers.  To  sustain  such 
a  service  it  was  necessary  to  charge  a  high  price  for  the  paper,  which  was  sold  to 
the  subscribers  for  S24  a  year. 

Daily,  weekly  and  frequently  tri-weekly  papers  were  issued  to  catch  the  moun- 
tain mails. 

The  News  scarcely  had  weathered  the  financial  storm  caused  by  the  fire  of 
1863.  which  swept  away  a  large  part  of  its  patronage,  when  a  new  disaster  befell 
it.  The  Cherry  Creek  flood  of  May  19.  1864,  washed  away  The  News  building, 
which  had  been  constructed  in  the  bed  of  the  creek  so  as  to  cause  no  ill  feeling 
among  the  people  of  the  rival  towns  of  Auraria  and  Denver. 

After  the  flood  no  paper  was  printed  by  the  Xews  for  more  than  a  month,  but 
on  June  27,  1864.  publication  was  resumed,  Byers  and  Dailey  having  bought  the 
Commonwealth  newspaper  and  plant. 

In  i86h  a  new  building  was  erected  for  the  News  at  36<5  Larimer  Street,  and 
in  1870  with  the  advent  of  the  railroad  it  became  a  morning  newspaper,  the  first 
issue  run  oft  on  new  presses  and  with  new  equipment  appearing  early  in  June  of 
that  year.  In  this  year  also  Mr.  Byers  became  sole  proprietor,  having  bought  out 
the  interest  of  John  L.  Dailey.  In  1876  the  Rocky  Mountain  Xews  Printing  Com- 
pany was  organized,  Mr.  Byers  owning  practically  all  of  the  stock. 

In  ]\Iay,  1878.  the  town  and  state  were  surprised  to  learn  of  the  sale  of  the 
entire  plant  to  ^\'.  A.  H.  Loveland,  who  at  once  changed  it  from  a  republican  to 
a  democratic  daily,  enlarging  it  in  July,  1879,  to  an  eight  page  form.  On  January 
I.  1880,  the  new  companv  began  the  publication  of  the  Leadville  Democrat,  Love- 
land  having  been  persuaded  to  undertake  the  new  venture  by  John  Arkins,  then 
his  managing  editor  in  Denver.  In  1881  the  Democrat  was  sold  by  Loveland.  In 
June,  1880,  John  Arkins  bought  a  third  interest  in  the  Xews,  and  on  March  15, 
1886,  the  entire  Loveland  holding  was  taken  over  by  John  Arkins,  James  M.  Bur- 
nell  and  Maurice  Arkins. 

P.\TTEESOX  BECOMES   EDITOR 

On  August  9,  1890,  Thomas  M.  Patterson,  a  leader  in  the  party,  and  one  of 
the  most  prominent  attorneys  in  the  state,  bought  a  third  interest  in  the  News, 
securing  the  Burnell  third  interest  in  1892  and  control  of  the  paper.  John  Arkins 
remained  as  managing  editor  of  the  paper  until  his  death  in  1894.  In  this  venture 
Mr.  Patterson  was  soon  associated  with  Richard  Campbell,  his  son-in-law,  and  in 
1902  they  purchased  the  Denver  Times  from  David  H.  Moffat  and  associates,  Mrs. 
John  Arkins  for  a  time  retaining  the  old  Arkins  interest  in  the  company.  This 
was  later  purchased  by  Senator  Patterson  and  Mr.  Campbell. 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  789 

In  1910  the  Times  was  sold  to  a  new  corporation  of  local  capitalists. 

On  October  23,  1913,  the  News  and  Times  and  Republican  were  sold  to  Jokn 
C.  Shaffer,  owner  of  the  Chicago  Evening  Post,  the  Indianapolis  Star,  the  Terre 
Haute  (Ind.)  Star,  the  Muncie  (Ind.)  Star  and  the  Louisville  Herald.  Mr. 
Shaffer  discontinued  publication  of  the  Denver  Republican,  merging  it  into  the 
Denver  Times  and  Rocky  ^lountain  News,  of  which  he  is  still  in  1918  the  owner. 

While  the  Rocky  Mountain  News  was  the  first  permanent  newspaper  publi- 
cation in  what  is  now  Colorado,  it  was  soon  followed  by  other  journals,  most  of 
which  had  but  a  fleeting  existence.  The  pioneer  newspaper  of  the  Gregory  dig^ 
gings  was  The  Rocky  Mountain  Gold  Reporter  and  Mountain  City  Herald,  a  small 
folio  which  Thomas  Gibson,  later  a  prominent  Omaha  newspaper  man,  and  who 
came  to  the  mountains  with  the  Byers  party,  issued  August  8,  1859,  near  what  is 
now  Central  City.  This  was  discontinued  during  the  winter,  but  resumed  publi- 
cation in  the  spring  in  Denver,  its  long  and  sonorous  name  having  been  curtailed 
to  The  Daily  Rocky  Mountain  Herald,  the  first  daily  newspaper  in  the  Rocky 
Mountain  country.  This  in  1862  became  the  Daily  Commonwealth  and  Republi- 
can, of  which  Mr.  Gibson  and  Governor  Gilpin  were  owners  and  Lewis  Ledyard 
Weld  and  O.  J-  Hollister,  editors.  As  already  stated,  it  was  merged  with  the 
News  a  month  or  more  after  the  big  flood  of  May,  1864.  Gibson  had,  however, 
sold  out  on  January  i,  1864,  to  representatives  of  Governor  John  Evans,  and  he 
in  turn  sold  to  Mr.  Byers. 

SECOND  DENVER  D.MLY 

On  August  25,  i860,  the  second  Denver  daily  appeared  as  The  Daily  and 
Weekly  Mountaineer  and  owned  by  James  T.  Coleman  and  John  C.  Moore,  then 
mayor  of  Denver.  It  was  both  democratic  and  Southern  in  its  policy,  and  early 
in  1 861  its  proprietors  sold  out  to  the  News  and  joined  the  Confederate  army. 

On  August  27,  i860,  the  News  began  its  daily  and  this  made  the  third  six- 
days-a-week  publication  in  the  metropolis  of  the  "Diggings."  The  Herald  and 
News  became  keen  competitors,  spending  large  sums  in  pony  express  service 
and  in  the  organization  of  mining  camp  branches,  which  were  in  turn  served  by 
swift  riders. 

The  Denver  Daily  Gazette,  owned  and  jjublishcd  by  Frederick  J.  Stanton,  ap- 
peared on  May  13,  1865.  and  remained  active  in  the  field  until  1869,  when  it  was 
sold  to  E.  H.  Saltiel  and  George  Barnett,  who  called  it  The  Denver  Daily  Times. 
It  lasted  only  a  few  months  under  their  management. 

O.  J.  Goldrick,  the  first  school  teacher  of  Denver,  revived  The  Rocky  Moun- 
tain Flerald  as  a  weekly  in  1868,  and  remained  its  editor  until  his  death,  in  1886. 

While  Merrick  printed  but  one  issue  of  the  Cherry  Creek  Pioneer,  the  press 
he  brought  overland  from  St.  Joseph  later  was  used  to  print  the  first  issues  of 
Golden's  Western  Mountaineer.  Tliis  was  [irinted  in  i860  and  186 1  by  A.  D. 
Richardson  and  Thomas  W.  Knox,  who  later  achieved  fame  as  war  correspon- 
dents and  authors.  In  1861  it  jirinted  the  Canon  City  Times,  a  short-lived  pub- 
lication, and  later,  in  1862.  a  still  shorter-lived  paper  at  Buckskin  Joe  in  South 
Park.  In  1866  it  was  used  to  print  the  Valniont  Bulletin,  which  later  became  the 
Boulder  Valley  Herald.  It  was  then  sent  outside  of  the  state,  where  it  is  prob- 
ably still  doing  service. 


790  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

THE   DENVER    TIMES 

The  Denver  Times  began  as  a  theatrical  program  August  ii,  1870,  and  was 
known  as  The  Lorgnette,  with  Clarence  E.  Hagar,  an  ambitious  compositor  on 
the  News,  as  owner  and  editor.  In  1872  this  small  program  was  enlarged  to  a 
six  column  folio,  its  name  was  changed  to  The  Daily  City  Item,  and  it  was  issued 
regularly  as  an  afternoon  paper,  ^^'hen  S.  T.  Sopris,  another  News  employe, 
purchased  an  interest,  the  paper  was  called  The  Daily  Evening  Times,  and  its 
tirst  issue  under  this  name  appeared  April  8,  1872.  A.  J.  Boyer,  during  the  next 
few  months  purchased  the  interests  of  both  Hagar  and  Sopris.  This  was  in  the 
midst  of  the  Greeley  campaign,  and  Boyer  was  an  ardent  supporter  of  the  editor 
of  the  New  York  Tribune.  On  June  24th  Edward  Bliss,  one  of  the  members  of 
the  first  Byers  newspaper  company,  bought  it  and  changed  it  from  a  "Greeley" 
to  a  "Grant"  paper.  On  August  19th  of  that  same  year  it  became  the  property 
of  Roger  W.  Woodbury,  an  able  newspaper  man,  who  enlarged  it  to  a  seven 
column  folio  and  in  June,  1874,  moved  it  into  its  own  building — an  old  structure 
— on  Lawrence  Street,  between  Fifteenth  and  Sixteenth  streets.  Some  years 
later  the  Times  Building  was  erected  on  what  is  now  the  western  portion  of  the 
Golden  Eagle  Building.  Its  first  home  had  been  in  the  rear  of  Grant's  bookstore 
on  Larimer  Street,  moving  later  to  the  corner  of  Fifteenth  and  Lawrence,  and 
then  into  the  building  bought  by  Air.  Woodbury.  In  1903  it  moved  into  the 
Charles  Block,  corner  Fifteenth  and  Curtis  streets,  and  there  it  remained  until 
purchased  by  the  Rocky  [Mountain  News  Company.  Later  when  bought  by 
local  capitalists  it  was  moved  to  the  building  owned  by  Herbert  George,  on 
Champa,  between  Seventeenth  and  Eighteenth,  and  when  bought  by  John  C. 
Shaflfer  was  again  published  from  the  Rocky  Mountain  News  Building  on  Welton 
Street. 

Frank  Hall,  the  historian  of  Colorado,  was  its  editor  in  1878.  In  1880  Judge 
Albion  \^^  Tourgee.  the  great  novelist,  was  in  editorial  charge  for  a  brief  period. 
On  May  20,  1882,  when  the  new  building  on  Lawrence  Street  had  been  occupied, 
the  paper  was  sold  to  a  company  consisting  of  F.  S.  Woodbury,  son  of  R.  W. 
Woodburv,  Thomas  F.  Dawson.  later  the  biographer  of  Edward  O.  Wolcott,  and 
Capt.  R.  G.  Dill. 

F.  S.  Woodbury  soon  became  sole  proprietor,  and  on  May  28,  1888,  sold  the 
paper  and  plant  to  William  H,  Griffith,  a  young  and  ambitious  Denver  attorney, 
who  had  been  associated  with  E.  O.  Wolcott.  Mr.  Griffith  took  personal  charge, 
and,  with  Hal  Gaylord,  now  publisher  of  the  Kansas  City  Journal,  as  business 
manager,  achieved  a  substantial  success.  On  January  i,  1891,  Mr.  Griffith  sold 
the  Times  to  H.  W.  Hawley  and  W'.  E.  Brownlee,  and  in  a  few  weeks  established 
The  Colorado  Sun,  a  new  morning  paper,  printing  it  from  1224  Fifteenth  Street. 
Early  in  the  spring  of  1893  it  came  into  the  possession  of  Earl  B.  Coe,  who 
changed  it  to  an  evening  paper.  In  July,  1894,  Mr.  Coe  and  associates  bought 
the  Denver  Times  and  consolidated  it  with  the  Sun.  printing  the  paper  under 
the  title  The  Denver  Times. 

In  the  course  of  the  next  few  years  the  paper  became  the  property  of  David 
H.  Moffat  and  associates,  and  remained  under  their  management  until  it  was 
sold  to  the  Rocky  Mountain  News. 

In  1910  the  Water  Company  controversy  assumed  alarming  proportions.     A 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  791 

group  of  capitalists,  in  August  of  that  year,  purchased  the  paper  from  the  News 
Company,  having  in  view  a  newspaper  representation  for  the  interests  which 
were  then  contesting  with  the  city  over  the  valuation  and  sale  of  the  water  com- 
pany properties. 

As  stated  before,  the  Times,  on  October  23,  1913,  became  the  property  of 
John  C.  Shaffer. 

THE  REfUBLICAN 

The  Denver  Republican  for  years  one  of  the  leading  republican  papers  of 
the  country,  and  which  was  merged  with  the  News  when  both  papers  were  pur- 
chased by  John  C.  Shaffer,  had  its  origin  in  1874  not  alone  as  a  democratic  paper 
but  under  the  title  Colorado  Democrat. 

In  the  spring  of  that  year  Thomas  G.  Anderson  began  its  publication,  on 
the  east  side  of  Sixteenth  Street  between  Larimer  and  Lawrence  streets,  both 
as  a  daily  and  weekly.  Within  six  months  it  became  the  property  of  Frederick 
J.  Stanton,  who  in  1876,  when  it  was  printed  from  322  Blake  Street,  again 
turned  it  over  to  its  founder,  Thomas  G.  Anderson,  and  to  his  associates,  Joseph 
Farmer  and  Benjamin  D.  Spencer.  The  latter  soon  dropped  out,  and  "Farmer  & 
.\nderson,  Proprietors."  was  the  sign  put  up  at  371  Larimer  Street,  which  had 
become  its  publication  office.  About  this  time  W.  A.  H.  Loveland  purchased 
the  News  and  made  it  a  democratic  paper.  This  apparently  was  the  democrat's 
opportunity,  and  Thomas  G.  Anderson  and  the  Farmer  heirs  sold  the  property 
to  a  group  of  ardent  republicans,  W.  G.  Brown,  Henry  Ward  and  W.  H.  Price, 
and  these  at  once,  in  June,  1879,  began  its  publication  as  The  Denver  Republican, 
a  morning  paper.  Three  months  later  the  property  was  sold  to  Charles  B. 
Wilkinson,  of  St.  Joseph,  Missouri.  Local  men,  however,  again  secured  control, 
and  on  November  i,  1880,  the  Republican  Publishing  Company  was  organized  by 
Gen.  Joseph  C.  Wilson,  George  T.  Clarke  and  Amos  Steck.  On  June  20,  i88r, 
it  became  the  property  of  Senator  N.  P.  Hill  and  associates.  In  1887  Senator 
Hill  acquired  control.  It  remained  in  the  possession  of  the  Hill  heirs  until  its 
sale  to  John  C.  .Shaffer  in  1913.  The  Denver  Republican  under  the  Hill  owner- 
ship and  the  editorial  management  of  William  Stapleton  became  one  of  the  most 
influential  republican  journals  in  the  country'. 

On  August  12,  1S84.  the  famous  Denver  Tribune  was  merged  with  the  Repub- 
lican, and  thus  there  passed  out  x)i  existence,  if  not  the  most  celebrated,  surely 
the  most  picturesque  of  the  many  dailies  that  have  occupied  this  field.  This 
was  founded  in  1867  as  The  Denver  Daily  by  L.  M.  Koons,  from  one  of  the 
group  of  structures  on  what  was  later  the  Times  Building,  1547-51  Lawrence 
Street.  On  May  15,  1867,  it  first  appeared  as  The  Daily  Colorado  Tribune. 
Gen.  R.  W.  Woodbury  and  John  Walker  bought  into  the  publication  in  January, 
1 868.  On  December  29,  187 1,  The  Tribune  Association  was  organized  by  E.  P. 
Ilollister,  E.  G.  Bond  and  associates,  and  purchased  the  paper,  when  it  was  re- 
moved to  Sixteenth  and  Market  streets.  Henry  C.  Brown  became  its  proprietor 
in  1872.  and  sold  it  to  Herman  Bcckurts.  In  1880  it  passed  into  the  possession 
of  Herman  .Silver.  G.  T'..  Robinsfin  and  associates.  This  was  the  period  in  which 
it  had  on  its  staff  Eugene  Field,  whose  "Trilnme  Primer"  made  both  liiin  and 


792  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

iiis  paper  famous.     Frederick  J.  Skiff,  now  at  the  head  of  the  Field  Columbian 
Museum  in  Chicago,  was  on  its  staff. 

In  1881  Wilson  A.  Hamill  bought  the  paper  and  within  two  years  sold  it  to 
T.  C.  Henry,  who  was  then  conducting  immense  colonization  projects  for  eastern 
capitalists.     Mr.  Henry  finally  merged  the  paper  with  the  Denver  Republican. 

THE    DENVER    POST 

The  Denver  Post  began  publication  August  8,  1892,  having  been  incorpo- 
rated as  The  Post  Publishing  Company  by  Hugh  Butler,  George  D.  Herbert, 
Caldwell  Yeaman,  R.  G.  McXeal,  M.  C  Jackson,  I.  C.  Crose  and  M.  J.  McNa- 
mara.  The  directors  included  W.  P.  Carruthers,  A.  B.  AIcKinley,  Charles  J. 
Hughes,  Jr.,  and  Piatt  Rogers.  The  publication  office  was  at  1744  Curtis  Street. 
In  that  and  the  following  year  it  had  but  a  small  following,  for  its  owners  and 
friends  were  Cleveland  democrats,  and  that  political  species  was  under  the  ban 
in  this  "silver  and  Bryan"  country.  On  August  29,  1893,  it  suspended  publica- 
tion, but  was  revived  in  1894,  by  The  Post  Printing  Company,  which  incorpo- 
rated for  $100,000  with  H.  J.  Anderson,  William  Kavanaugh  and  Frank  J.  Me- 
dina, Jr.,  as  incorporators.  The  directors  included  E.  E.  Dorsey,  S.  W.  Shephard 
and  J.  J.  Cronan. 

On  October  28,  1895,  it  was  purchased  by  Frederick  G.  Bonfils,  of  Kansas 
City,  and  Harrv'  H.  Tammen,  who  have  made  it  one  of  the  most  successful  news- 
paper publications  between  the  Missouri  River  and  the  Pacific  Coast. 

THE   DENVER   EXPRESS 

The  Denver  Express,  a  Scripps-McRae  paper,  was  started  April  26,  1906. 
For  over  a  year  it  was  printed  from  the  Western  Newspaper  Union  offices.  It 
now  occupies  a  fully-equipped  building  next  to  the  mint  on  Cherokee  Street. 

FOUNDING   THE    CHIEFTAIN    AT    PUEBLO 

When  the  Times  at  Canon  City  died  early  in  the  '60s  there  was  for  some  time 
no  newspaper  published  between  Denver  and  Santa  Fe,  and  Dr.  M.  Beshoar,  who 
had  had  some  newspaper  experience  in  the  South,  found  the  field  open  for  his 
Colorado  Chieftain,  in  1868.  He  canvassed  Pueblo  thoroughly  and  obtained  some 
assistance  for  his  venture.  At  Golden  he  closed  an  arrangement  with  Sam  Mc- 
Bride,  a  practical  printer,  working  on  The  Transcript,  to  take  charge  of  the 
mechanical  part  of  the  publication.  Judge  Wilbur  F.  Stone,  later  on  the  supreme 
bench  of  the  state,  was  given  editorial  charge,  and  under  him  was  George  A. 
Hinsdale,  later  lieutenant  governor  of  the  state. 

In  the  Vicker's  '"History  of  Pueblo  County"  there  is  this  comment  on  the 
editorial  beginning  of  The  Chieftain :  "The  first  issue  of  the  paper  made  its  ap- 
pearance Jime  I,  1868.  Governor  Hinsdale  was  one  of  the  finest  writers  in  the 
western  country.  His  solid  argument  and  sonorous  sentences  will  long  be  re- 
membered by  the  old  readers  of  the  Chieftain,  while  the  sparkling  wit  and  biting 
sarcasm  of  Judge  Stone  gave  a  spice  to  the  sheet  that  rendered  it  popular  wher- 
ever read." 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  793 

The  building  from  which  the  paper  was  then  i)rinted  stood  on  the  north  side 
of  Fourth  Street,  between  Santa  Fe  Avenue  and  Summit,  on  the  site  of  its 
present  structure.  It  was  frame,  one  story  in  height,  and  originally  was  occu- 
pied as  an  office  for  a  lumber  yard.  A  small  addition  was  made  to  the  building, 
and  in  these  limited  quarters  The  Chieftain  began  its  career.  Bunks  were  erected 
in  one  end  of  the  building,  and  a  few  of  the  employes  slept  in  these.  One  Wash- 
ington hand  press  did  both  the  newspaper  and  job  work.  Samuel  McBride,  who 
had  been  given  a  small  interest,  sold  this  to  Doctor  Beshoar,  but  soon  after  the 
latter  sold  the  entire  plant  to  McBride.  Within  a  few  months  the  paper  became 
the  property  of  Capt.  John  J.  Lambert,  under  whose  management  it  became 
one  of  the  most  substantial  newspaper  properties  in  the  state.  In  1903  I.  N. 
Stevens,  of  Denver,  purchased  a  controlling  interest  in  the  paper,  and  continues 
to  conduct  it  as  a  republican  journal,  a  policy  which  it  has  pursued  foi  many 
years. 

In  the  early  days  the  Chieftain  was  often  compelled  to  issue  on  Manila  wrap- 
ping paper,  the  overland  supply  of  white  paper  having  been  delayed  by  floods, 
accidents  or  Indians. 

In  1872  the  Chieftain  became  a  daily,  and  in  1874  it  bought  The  Pueblo 
People,  a  paper  started  in  1871  by  a  stock  corripany. 

THE    STAR-JOURNAL 

The  Star-Journal  was  established  in  1901,  when  a  stock  company  purchased 
for  consolidation  two  local  newspapers.  The  Evening  Star  and  The  Pueblo  Press. 
The  former  was  owned  by  W.  J.  Jackson  and  was  conducted  in  the  rear  of  the 
Board  of  Trade  Building.  The  Pueblo  Press  in  West  D  Street,  was  owned  by 
W.  B.  McKinney. 

The  company  which  established  The  Star-Journal  was  composed  of  John  F. 
\'ail.  Former  Governor  Alva  Adams,  George  J.  Dunbaugh,  Hume  Lewis,  Samuel 
D.  Trimble,  E.  G.  Middlekamp  and  the  late  Judge  J.  C.  Coulter.  At  present  the 
entire  stock  of  the  paper  is  owned  by  John  F.  \'ail  and  Frank  S.  Hoag. 

Frederick  W.  White,  Jr.,  of  Denver,  was  the  first  business  manager  of  the 
paper.  He  came  to  Pueblo  in  1901  and  remained  manager  until  his  death  in 
1903.  He  was  succeeded  by  Hume  Lewis,  who  acted  as  manager  for  about  fif- 
teen months.  After  that  Frank  S.  Hoag  assumed  the  management,  which  he  has 
retained  ever  since. 

A  pony  Associated  Press  service  was  secured  from  the  Evening  Star,  hut  the 
full  service  was  acquired  by  Mr.  White  in  October,  1902.  The  paper  has  been 
operated  in  its  present  building  at  Grand  and  Union  avenues  since  1903.  Before 
that  time  it  was  located  in  the  old  Armorv'  Building  just  south  of  the  Arkansas 
River. 

The  politics  of  the  paper  has  always  been  democratic.  Mr.  \'ail  is  president 
of  the  Star-Journal  Pul)lishing  Company,  Mr.  Hoag  is  vice  president  and  general 
manager,  and  John  R.  Shea  is  editor. 

The  Sun  was  established  in  Pueblo  in  1907  by  the  Scripps-McRac  syndicate 
of  Cincinnati.  It  ran  as  an  independent  evening  newspaper  for  about  two  years 
and  was  then  suspended. 


794  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

111  1910  Andrew  McClelland  and  a  company  of  prominent  Puebloans  bought 
the  Sun  plant  and  started  the  Leader.  Roy  McClintock  was  manager  and  editor. 
Congressman  Edward  Keating  purchased  the  paper  from  McClelland  in  191 1 
and  ran  it  as  a  democratic  organ  until  after  he  was  elected  to  Congress.  Shortly 
after  Keating  went  to  Washington  Fred  Marvin  and  George  Habrich  took  pos- 
session, later  consolidating  it  with  the  Chieftain,  which  they  had  leased  for  a 
brief  period. 

The  Pueblo  Sunday  Opinion,  formerly  the  Saturday  Opinion,  was  first  issued 
in  June.  1882,  by  J.  A.  Wayland  and  Lon  Hoding.  The  latter  sold  his  interest 
in  the  paper  in  1883.  The  late  Ernest  Osgood,  assistant  postmaster,  joined  Way- 
land  during  1884  and  later  in  that  year  A.  W.  Mahan  bought  Wayland's  interest, 
and  it  was  run  as  an  independent  paper,  Osgood  being  an  ardent  republican  while 
Mahan  was  an  equally  enthusiastic  democrat. 

In  September,  1885,  John  W.  Lockin  bought  Mahan's  interest  and  the  name 
of  the  paper  was  changed  to  the  Pueblo  Sunday  Opinion.  For  a  short  time  it 
was  issued  Saturday  night  for  Sunday  morning  circulation,  but  after  a  few  weeks 
it  was  dated  Saturday  but  retained  the  name  Sunday  Opinion. 

Lockin  and  Osgood  maintained  their  partnership  for  over  twenty  years.  The 
paper  is  now  owned  by  Lockin.  It  is  a  republican  paper  in  national  politics  and 
independent  in  state,  county  and  city  affairs. 

The  Indicator,  a  Pueblo  weekly  newspaper,  has  been  publislied  in  Bessemer 
since  its  organization  in  1890.  The  paper  was  established  by  Patrick  Byrnes,  its 
present  owner,  at  307  Northern  Avenue.  In  iQOi  the  press  was  moved  across 
the  street  to  312  Northern  Avenue,  where  it  has  been  operated  ever  since. 

C0L0R.3iD0    SPRINGS    NEWSP.\PERS 

Tournalisni  in  El  Paso  County  began  in  1861,  with  the  Colorado  City  Journal, 
a  weekly  paper  printed  in  Denver  and  owned  and  circulated  by  Benjamin  F. 
Crowell.  Its  life  was  brief.  But  with  the  creation  of  Colorado  Springs  there 
sprang  up  at  once  a  group  of  influential  papers.  The  first  of  these  was  Out 
West,  ])ublished  by  the  Town  Company,  and  edited  by  J.  E.  Liller,  a  Philadel- 
phia newspaper  man.  It  ran  from  ^larch  23,  1872,  to  1873,  and  was  one  of 
the  best-printed  and  best-edited  papers  in  the  country,  its  correspondents  includ- 
ing some  of  the  world's  greatest  writers. 

Out  of  this  grew  the  Colorado  Springs  Gazette.  Mr.  Liller  was  owner  .ind 
editor  until  1876,  when  he  sold  the  paper  to  General  Palmer,  who  placed  Ben-, 
jamin  Steele  in  charge  as  editor.  jMr.  Steele  continued  as  editor  until  his  death 
in  1891,  when  H.  A.  Risley  took  charge  under  the  same  ownership.  In  1893 
General  Palmer  sold  to  a  syndicate  headed  by  Henry  Russell  Wray  and  C.  Van- 
derbilt  Barton,  with  William  Alexander  Piatt  as  editor.  In  1898  the  Gazette 
was  sold  to  Charles  M.  MacNeill,  now  president  of  the  L^tah  Copper  Company, 
and  Kurnal  R.  Babbitt,  now  of  New  York  City,  general  attorney  for  the  MacNeill- 
Guggenheim  copper  syndicate.  State  Senator  David  Elliot,  then  editor  of  the 
Evening  Telegraph,  was  made  editor,  and  in  i8q9  the  paper  was  sold  to  George 
Knox  McKane  of  Philadelphia,  who  became  editor  in  chief,  with  Senator  Elliot 
as  managing  editor.    In  1902  The  Gazette  was  sold  to  Clarence  P.  Dodge  of  New 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  795 

York,  who  placed  Charles  T.  Wilder  in  charge  as  managing  editor,  a  position 
which  he  held  until  July  i,  1916,  when  Mr.  Dodge  assumed  that  title,  which  he 
still  holds. 

For  thirty  years  The  Gazette  was  republican,  and  in  the  silver  campaign 
against  Bryan  was  the  only  daily  in  Colorado  supporting  McKinley.  In  1912  it 
became  progressive,  and  is  now  known  as  progressive  republican. 

The  Colorado  Springs  Evening  Telegraph  came  into  existence  in  1873, 
originally  as  a  weekly  paper  called  The  Republic,  founded  by  J.  M.  Bolton  and 
W.  IT.  Gowdy,  veteran  printers.  It  passed  through  several  hands,  and  had  a 
precarious  career  until  1891,  when  it  was  merged  with  the  Evening  Telegraph 
and  became  a  daily  paper,  with  H.  H.  Eddy  as  editor  and  Charles  S.  Sprague, 
now  a  Nevada  mining  man.  as  owner.  Mr.  Sprague  sold  in  1893  to  W.  S.  Strat- 
ton,  millionaire  mining  man,  who  later  sold  it  back  to  Mr.  Sprague.  The  latter 
disposed  of  the  paper  to  Lewis  W.  Gaylord  of  Philadelphia  in  1898.  During 
these  periods  the  paper  was  edited  first  by  H.  S.  Rogers  and  later  by  David  El- 
liot. In  1900  Mr.  Gaylord  sold  to  a  syndicate  composed  ciiiefly  of  Congressman 
Franklin  E.  Brooks  and  D.  B.  Fairley,  state  chairman  of  the  republican  party. 
William  A.  Piatt,  who  died  in  1910,  was  editor  in  chief,  with  David  Elliot  as 
managing  editor.  In  1901  the  Telegraph  was  sold  to  C.  P.  Dodge,  with  E.  E. 
Rittenhouse  as  editor.  In  1903  it  was  sold  to  Clarence  C.  Hamlin  and  C.  Y. 
Yeager,  with  David  Elliot  as  editor.  In  1908  Mr.  Dodge  started  the  Herald  to 
compete  with  The  Telegraph  in  the  evening  field.  In  August,  1909,  he  sold  the 
Herald  to  Clarence  C.  Hamlin,  who  combined  it  with  The  Telegraph  under  the 
editorship  of  David  Elliot.  In  1916  Senator  Elliot  withdrew  as  editor,  and  since 
that  time  the  paper  has  been  conducted  under  the  sole  ownership  of  Clarence  C. 
Hamlin,  president,  T.  E.  Nowels  as  manager.  The  paper  is  and  always  has  been 
republican  in  politics. 

CANON    CITV    P.\PER.S 

As  early  as  1861  II.  S.  Millet  and  Matt  Riddleljarger  had  bought  the  plant 
of  the  Western  Mountaineer  in  Golden  and  transferred  it  to  Canon  City,  where 
they  began  jniblication  of  the  Times.  The  paper  was  short-lived,  for  new  "dig- 
gings" soon  attracted  practically  the  entire  pojiujalion  from  tlieir  temporary 
halting  places  in  and  about  Caiion  City. 

The  Canon  City  Record,  W.  B.  Felton,  proprietor,  was  established  in  1874, 
followed  in  1887  by  the  iM-emont  County  News,  with  Howell  Brothers,  pro- 
prietors, and  in  1 8S8  l)y  the  Canon  City  Clipper,  Frank  P.  Shaeffer,  proprietor. 
The  Record,  fur  many  years  a  daily  is  now  published  and  edited  by  Guy  U. 
Hardy. 

P.APERS  IN  FREMONT  COUNTY 

The  l"i-enioiU  County  Leader,  now  edited  Ijy  Lois  If.  .Mien,  is  the  successor 
of  a  group  of  papers  which  followed  the  News  and  the  Clipper  of  the  earlier 
days.  In  1917  the  Florence  Daily  Citizen,  the  weekly  Paradox  and  the  weekly 
Citizen    Democrat    were    Florence    publications,  all   of  them  created  late   in  the 

history  of  Fremont  County. 


796  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

IN  GILPIN   COUNTY 

Journalism  became  active  in  Gilpin  County  soon  after  the  first  papers  ap- 
peared in  Denver.  The  Rocky  JMountain  Gold  Reporter  and  Mountain  City 
Herald,  as  already  stated,  was  circulated  in  Central  City  as  early  as  August,  1859, 
but  in  the  following  year  became  The  Rocky  Mountain  Herald  and  was  published , 
in  and  circulated  from  Denver.  But  in  1862  Alfred  Thompson  came  with  an 
entire  printing  outfit  from  Glenwood,  Iowa,  to  Central  City  and  on  July  20th 
started  the  Miners'  Register.  ^  In  April,  1863,  the  paper  was  sold  to  D.  C.  Collier, 
George  A.  Wells  and  Hugh  Glenn.  When  the  Register  Block,  a  fine  stone  struc- 
ture, was  erected,  the  owners  were  Frank  Hall  and  W.  W.  Whipple,  the  latter 
in  turn  selling  his  interest  to  Frank  Hall.  In  1877  it  was  sold  to  James  A.  Smith 
and  Dan  Marlow,  and  in  1878  it  was  leased  to  Halsey  Rhoads.  Laird  &  Marlow, 
who  in  1878  started  the  Evening  Call,  later  secured  possession,  and  the  paper 
became  known  as  The  Register-Call,  the  name  it  sails  under  today,  with  G.  M. 
Laird  in  editorial  and  publishing  control. 

W.  T.  Muir  started  the  Colorado  Miner  early  in  1863  at  Blackhawk.  When 
O.  J.  Hollister,  the  historian,  bought  it  late  in  1863  he  called  it  the  Blackhawk 
]\Iining  Journal.  In  1866  it  was  moved  to  Central,  and  its  name  was  again 
changed  to  The  Times  by  the  new  publishers  and  editors,  O.  J.  Goldrick,  Den- 
ver's first  school  teacher,  and  Henry  Garbonati. 

Frank  Fossett.  another  of  Colorado's  early  historians,  owned  it  in  1S70,  when 
its  name  was  The  Colorado  Daily  Herald.  In  1886  a  man  named  Cresson  es- 
tablished the  Weekly  Gilpin  County  Observer  at  Blackhawk.  In  1887  Alex 
McLeod  and  associates  moved  it  to  Central  City.  There  have  been  a  number  of 
changes  since  then  in  ownership,  but  it  is  today  known  as  The  Gilpin  Obser\'er, 
and  is  owned  and  edited  by  W.  J.  Stull. 

LEADVILLE    NEW.?PAPERS 

Leadville  in  1878  became  the  Mecca  not  alone  of  miners  but  of  traders  and 
newspaper  men.  Richard  S.  Allen  was  the  first  to  come  into  the  field  with  a 
weekly  called  The  Reveille.  He  had  established  a  plant  at  Fairplay,  where  he 
was  the  first  publisher  and  editor  of  the  Sentinel,  and  this  he  transferred  bodily 
to  the  new  camp,  issuing  the  first  number  in  August,  1878.  The  success  of  his 
venture  inspired  W.  F.  Hogan  to  transfer  his  News  from  Alma  to  Leadville. 
His  success  with  the  Eclipse,  as  he  called  the  weekly,  induced  him  to  try  out  a 
daily  a  few  weeks  after  he  appeared  on  the  scene. 

In  the  meantime  Denvei"  newspaper  men,  John  Arkins,  Carlyle  C.  Davis  and 
James  Burnell,  had  their  eyes  on  the  ^ew  camp,  and  purchasing  an  outfit  in  St. 
Louis,  started  the  Daily  Chronicle  on  January  29,  1879.  It  was  an  immediate 
success.  The  price  of  the  paper  was  10  cents  per  copy,  and  the  circulation  began 
at  300  and  within  a  month  was  over  2,500.  Before  the  end  of  the  year  it  had 
reached  5,000  daily.  On  Sunday  morning  when  the  miners  came  to  town  a 
weekly,  consisting  of  six  daily  issues,  was  put  on  sale'.  This  reached  a  circula- 
tion of  7,000.  The  presses  were  kept  running  vmtil  nine  each  evening  to  accom- 
modate the  subscribers. 

Burnell  sold  his  interest  for  a  substantial  profit,  and  Arkins,  for  whom  the 


HIS7  0RY  OF  COLORADO  797 

high  altitude  meant  ill-health.  ;.!so  retired,  Davis  becoming  sole  owner  on  April 
I,  1880. 

The  success  continued.  But  on  October  21,  1879,  Capt.  R.  G.  Dill,  a  well- 
known  and  excellent  newspaper  i,'an  of  Denver,  organized  a  company  and  began 
publishing  the  Leadville  Daily  Herald.  On  January  i,  1880,  the  Rocky  JMoun- 
tain  News  began  its  branch  publication  the  Daily  Democrat.  Naturally  this  divi- 
sion of  patronage  cut  into  profits,  but  within  eighteen  months  Davis  had  consoli- 
dated the  three  papers  and  was  issuing  the  Leadville  Herald-Democrat.  Only 
the  Dispatch,  founded  by  P.  A.  Leonard,  continued  for  a  time  as  a  competing 
daily.  Davis  also  kept  up  the  weekly,  calling  it  The  Carbonate  Chronicle.  While 
there  have  been  manv  changes  in  management,  the  papers  are  still  under  one  own- 
ership, the  Herald-Democrat  being  the  daily,  and  The  Carbonate  Chronicle  the 
weekly.  The  Leadville  Publishing  and  Printing  Company,  of  which  Henry  C. 
Butler  is  president  and  Frank  E.  \'aughn  manager,  owns  and  conducts  the  two 
papers. 

JEFFERSON'    COI'NTV 

George  West  was  Jefferson  County's  pioneer  publisher,  his  venture,  the 
Western  Mountaineer,  appearing  in  December,  1859,  from  the  press  on  which 
Thomas  Gibson  had  printed  the  Rocky  Mountain  Gold  Reporter  at  Central  City 
a  few  months  prior  to  this.  He  soon  surrendered  his  lease,  went  to  Boston,  sold 
out  his  interests  there,  bought  a  plant  and  brought  it  back  to  Golden.  With  the 
aid  of  Albert  D.  Richardson  and  Thomas  W.  Knox,  famous  newspaper  men, 
he  resumed  publication  of  his  Western  Mountaineer,  but  on  December  20,  i860, 
sold  the  entire  plant  to  H.  S.  Millett  and  Watt  Riddlebarger,  who  moved  it  to 
Cation  City.  George  West  in  1866  established  the  Golden  Ti'anscript,  which  he 
edited  for  over  a  quarter  of  a  century.  The  paper  is  now  conducted  by  H.  D. 
West.  Ed.  Howe,  the  famous  Atchison,  Kansas,  editor  was  for  a  time  employed 
in  newspaper  work  in  Golden. 

AT   BUEN.\   VISTA 

Buciia  \'ista's  incorporation  in  1879  was  followed,  February  6,  1880,  by  the 
publication  of  the  Chaffee  County  Times  owned  and  edited  by  P.  A.  Leonard, 
whose  sister,  Mrs.  Agnes  Leonard  Hill,  did  much  to  make  the  paper  entertain- 
ing and  popular.  W.  R.  Logan  and  George  Newland  were  for  a  time  partners  in 
the  enterprise,  but  Mr.  Txonard  kept  control  for  some  years.  In  1881  W.  R. 
Logan  and  George  C.  Ilickey  started  the  Buena  \"ista  Herald.  Later  it  was 
bought  by  A.  R.  Kennedy,  and  in  1891  became  the  property  of  D.  M.  Jones. 
The  Democrat,  established  in  1881  by  John  Cheeley,  in  1884  became  the  prop- 
erty of  W.  R.  Logan.  The  Chaffee  County  Democrat  is  today  the  property  of 
Charles  S.  Logan.  The  various  _papers  started  in  Buena  Vista  during  the  past 
three  decades  were  merged  either  with  the  Democrat  or  with  the  Chaffee  County 
Republican,  now  owned  and  edited  by  Edward  S.  Gregg. 

P.XPERS  .AT  S.\LIDA 

At  Salida  the  Mail  began  publication  June  5,  t88o,  the  Cleora  Journal  plant 
having  been  purchased  and  shipped  over.     M.  R.  Moore,  who  with  Henry  C. 


798  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

OIney  started  the  venture,  soon  became  sole  proprietor.  In  1884  the  ilail  merged 
with  the  Sentinel,  which  had  been  started  in  1882  by  J.  S.  Painter  with  the  Alays- 
ville  Miner  plant.  From  1882  to  1885  the  Mail  was  a  daily,  later  changing  to 
a  semi-weekly.  In  1883  W.  B.  ^McKinney  started  the  Daily  Xews,  selling  it  to 
A.  R.  Pelton,  who  in  turn  disposed  of  it  to  Floward  T.  Lee.  The  Call  was  founded 
in  1889,  and  the  Apex  in  1890.  Other  ventures  followed,  and  speedily  failed. 
In  191 7  there  remained  only  the  Salida  Mail,  a  semi-weekly,  owmed  and  edited 
by  John  M.  O'Connell,  and  the  Salida  Record,  a  weekly  owned  and  edited  by 
O.  R.   Meacham. 

AL.'^MOSA 

The  Colorado  Independent,  which  later  became  the  Independent  Journal,  had 
followed  the  Denver  &  Rio  Grande  track  layers  from  point  to  point  until  they 
reached  Alamosa,  where  it  permanently  anchored.  Its  owners  and  editors  were 
Hamm  and  Finley.  The  Alamosa  News  was  founded  the  same  year,  1878,  by 
Matthews  &  Custers.  In  191 7  there  were  four  papers  in  the  new  county,  the 
Alamosa  Journal,  the  successor  of  the  pioneer  publication,  owned  and  edited  by 
John  M  Stuart ;  the  Alamosa  Leader,  Middleton  &  IMiddleton.  proprietors ;  the 
Alamosa  Empire,  Frank  !\I.  Hartman,  editor;  and  the  Alamosa  Courier.  Clifton 
H.  Wilder,  editor. 

BOULDER 

The  \'almont  Bulletin  began  publication  at  Valmont  in  1866,  but  was  soon 
transferred  to  Boulder,  where  it  w^as  issued  April  3,  1867,  by  W.  C.  Chamber- 
lain. Dr.  J.  E.  Wharton,  its  next  owner,  changed  its  name  to  the  Boulder  County 
Pioneer,  and  when  Robert  H.  Tilney  secured  it  in  186S  it  became  known  as  the 
Boulder  County  News.  There  were  many  changes,  but  in  1878  Amos  Bixby. 
who  with  Eugene  Wilder  had  bought  it  in  1874,  sold  his  interest  to  William  G. 
Shadd.  The  latter  had  printed  a  paper  in  the  Sunshine  mining  district,  later 
moving  it  to  Boulder  and  in  1878  consolidating  it  with  the  News  under  the  name 
Boulder  News  and  Courier.  Later  it  was  consolidated  with  another  small  weekly, 
the  Banner,  and  became  the  News  and  Banner.  In  1888  C.  Ricketts,  a  new  own- 
er, called  it  The  Boulder  News. 

Wangelin  &  Tilney  in  1873  purchased  the  press  and  material  of  a  paper  called 
the  Rocky  Mountain  Eagle,  which  had  been  published  for  a  few  months,  and 
founded  the  Banner,  which  was,  as  stated,  consolidated  with  the  News'.  On 
February  18,  1880,  Mr.  Wangelin  started  the  Boulder  Herald,  changing  it  to  a 
daily  on  April  17,  1880.  Mr.  Wangelin  is  today  (1918")  still  in  charge  of  one 
of  the  best-edited  dailies  in  the  state,  this  journal  which  he  established  in  1880. 

L.  C.  Paddock  founded  the  Boulder  Sentinel  with  George  Newland  in  1884. 
Mt.  Paddock  within  a  few  months  became  sole  proprietor  and  in  October.  1888, 
sold  it  to  Clarence  H.  Pease.  In  that  year  Mr.  Paddock  established  the  Boulder 
Tribune,  merging  it  in  1890  into  the  Boulder  Camera,  of  which  he  has  since  that 
time  been  sole  proprietor.  This  has  for  many  years  been  an  evening  paper,  and 
is  counted  among  the  most  influential  of  the  newspapers  of  the  state. 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  799 

GEORGETOWN 

The  Colorado  Miner  edited  by  Dr.  J.  E.  Wharton  and  A.  W.  Barnard,  began 
pubhcation  on  ^Fay  i,  1867,  in  Georgetown,  the  lirst  of  Clear  Creek's  newspaper 
ventures.  E.  li.  N.  Patterson  later  bought  the  paper,  but  it  lapsed  with  the 
changes  in  mining  conditions.  In  October,  1890,  it  was  reestablished  by  Wirt  & 
Davis.  J.  S.  Randall  founded  the  Georgetown  Courier  in  1877,  with  Samuel 
Cushman  as  editor. 

IDAHO   SPRINGS 

The  first  newspaper  was  established  in  Idaho  Springs  in  1873  ^Y  Halsey  M. 
Rhoads,  but  its  publication  office  was  at  Central  City.  The  second  venture  was 
the  Iris,  published  by  E.  A.  Benedict,  in  1879  later  appearing  as  the  Idaho  Springs 
News. 

Late  in  the  "eighties"  Fred  Miner  established  the  Standard  at  Silver  Plume. 

Today  (1918"),  after  many  newspaper  vicissitudes,  the  leading  papers  in  Clear 
Creek  County  are  the  Idaho  Springs  Mining  Gazette,  A.  G.  Dobbins,  editor ; 
Idaho  Springs  Siftings-News,  I.  G.  Stafford,  editor;  Georgetown  Courier,  J.  S. 
Randall,  publisher. 

P.-\RK    COUNTY 

Park  County's  first  paper  was  The  Sentinel.  When  this  was  discontinued  at 
Fairplay  and  moved  by  its  owner,  Richard  S.  Allen,  to  Leadville,  there  was  no 
publication  for  some  time.  On  February  20,  1879,  Hawkins  &  Bruner  printed 
the  first  issue  of  the  Fairplay  Flume.  It  has  gone  through  many  hands,  its  owners 
of  the  past  including  E.  S.  Cleghorn,  George  A.  Miller,  Bob  Richardson,  D.  H. 
Tobey,  J.  R.  Ballingcr,  Celsus  P.  Link,  P.  W.  O'Brien,  A.  W.  Brent.  Ed.  N.  Bar- 
low* and  M.  E.  Dodd.  On  January  26,  1917,  it  was  bought  by  Sadie  G.  Barlow, 
who  is  still  its  editor  in  1918.     In  politics  it  is  democratic. 

A.  F.  Wilmarth  owns  the  Park  County  Republican,  which  was  established  by 
a  group  of  republicans  in  19 12. 

DOUGLAS  COUNTY 

The  first  newspaper  to  a])pear  in  Douglas  County  was  the  Ncws-Letter, 
printed  at  Frankstown,  and  established  in  1874,  and  continued  there  until  the  fight 
with  Castle  Rock  over  the  county  seat  grew  warm.  In  1878  when  Castle  Rock 
was  still  an  unincorporated  town,  but  when  enough  of  its  lots  had  been  sold  and 
built  upon  to  assure  its  permanency,  the  Castle  Rock  Journal  was  established, 'the 
plant  having  been  moved  up  from  Monument  by  George  B.  Armstrong.  It 
changed  hands  seven  times  in  a  period  of  twelve  years.  The  Douglas  County 
News  was  started  in  February.  1890.  I'larly  in  the  'Sos  the  entire  jilant  of  the 
Frankstown  News-Letter,  which  was  conducted  for  a  time  at  Castle  Rock  by 
C.  E.  Parkinson,  was  shipped  to  Buena  Vista.  In  1918  the  Record-Journal,  owned 
by  C.  A.  Bent  and  V.  A.  Case,  is  one  of  the  leading  country  weeklies  of  the  state, 
and  the  successor  of  a  host  of  newspaper  wrecks. 


800  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

LARIMER    COUNTY 

Joseph  S.  McClelland  founded  the  Larimer  County  Express  April  26,  1873, 
having  sold  out  his  newspaper  interests  at  Galesburg,  III,  and  brought  an  outfit 
to  the  new  metropolis  of  Larimer  County.  In  1880  he  sold  out  to  Craft  Broth- 
ers and  retired  to  a  farm  which  he  had  pre-empted  soon  after  his  arrival  in  the 
county.  An  evening  edition  started  in  1880  was  discontinued  in  1884.  There 
were  a  number  of  changes  in  ownership,  W.  D.  Junkins  finally  selling  his  half 
interest  to  George  C.  McCormick.  Later  James  G.  McCormick  was  associated 
with  him  and  the  paper  has  since  been  published  by  McCormick  Brothers,  who 
now  have  one  of  the  finest  printing  concerns  in  the  state.  On  May  28,  1907,  they 
began  printing  a  morning  paper,  but  this  has  since  been  discontinued.  The 
Weekly  Express  is  among  the  leading  journals  of  the  state. 

In  1873,  some  months  after  McClelland  founded  the  Express,  Clark  Bough- 
ton  started  the  Standard.  His  untimely  death  was  followed  in  a  few  months 
by  the  suspension  of  the  publication  and  the  transfer  of  the  plant  to  Blackhawk. 
In  June,  1878,  Ansel  W'atrous,  the  historian  of  Larimer  County,  and  who  in 
1918  was  still  active  in  newspaper  work,  founded  the  Courier,  together  with 
Elmer  E.  Pelton.  In  1S82  their  evening  daily,  which  had  been  running  for  a 
year,  suspended.  Carl  .\nderson  bought  a  controlling  interest  in  the  company 
February  16,  1899,  and  was  soon  printing  an  afternoon  daily,  which  he  had 
begun  in  1892,  the  weekly  Courier  and  the  Courier  Farmer.  The  Courier  plant 
under  Mr.  Anderson's  management  became  one  of  the  largest,  if  not  the  largest, 
printing  properties  in  northern  Colorado.  Two  years  ago  Morris  Emmerson 
and  associates  purchased  it  and  are  conducting  the  newspaper  with  great  success. 

The  Bee,  started  in  1885  in  Fort  Collins  by  S.  W.  Teagarden,  had  only  a  brief 
existence.  The  Larimer  County  Republican,  started  in  1889,  the  Fort  Collins 
Gazette,  started  in  1892.  the  Argus,  founded  in  1899,  the  Evening  Star,  estab- 
lished in  1903,  had  brief  existences,  although  the  Argus  was  later  merged  into 
the  Fort  Collins  Review,  an  influential  democratic  w^eekly  owned  for  many  years 
by  E.  D.  Foster. 

The  Loveland  Daily  Herald,  now  (1918)  owned  by  Ellison  &  Smith  and 
managed  by  Mark  A.  Ellison,  was  founded  by  the  latter  in  1907.  Its  predecessor 
was  the  Loveland  Register,  founded  by  Earl  Harbaugh  early  in  the  '90s  and  dis- 
continued in  igoS.  The  Loveland  Reporter,  a  tri-weekly  and  weekly,  owned 
and  edited  by  A.  W.  Barnes,  is  a  valuable  newspaper  addition  of  the  past  few 
years. 

Only  the  Berthoud  Bulletin,  owned  and  edited  by  J.  Y.  Munson,  remains  of 
that  town's  early  newspapers.     The  News  was  issued  but  a  few  years. 

The  Wellington  Sun,  founded  in  1907,  became  the  property  of  its  present 
ow;ner  and  editor,  John  E.  Pope,  soon  after  its  first  issue.  The  Wellington  News 
had  only  a  brief  existence. 

The  Beacon,  a  meritorious  literary  weekly,  started  by  Mr.  and  Mrs.  B.  F. 
Evans  in  1906,  suspended  publication  in  1909. 

LOGAN   COUNTY 

The  Logan  County  Advocate  w^as  started  at  Atwood  by  John  W.  Wilson  in 
October,  1885,  and  was  removed  to  Sterling  two  years  later.     It  is  today  pub- 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  801 

lished  both  as  an  evening  paper  and  a  weekly  with  J.  J.  W'oodring,  an  efficient 
newspaper  man,  as  general  manager.  The  Repubhcan,  which  was  founded  by 
A.  F.  Spoar,  January  19,  1890,  has  been  merged  in  other  properties.  The  SterUng 
Enterprise,  a  later  publication,  now  owned  and  edited  by  C.  E.  Fisher,  has  both 
a  morning  and  a  weekly  issue.  J.  A.  Campbell  owns  and  edits  the  Sterling  Demo- 
crat, a  weekly.  The  Alerino  Breese,  of  which  M.  M.  Thompson  is  publisher,  is 
one  of  a  few  weeklies  which  have  succeeded,  of  Logan  County's  former  publi- 
cations, the  Fleming  Herald,  founded  by  Reed  Brothers,  the  Le  Roy  Republican, 
established  by  Mark  Little,  the  Rockford  Times  and  the  Wemple  Optic,  all  of 
which  have  dropped  by  the  wayside. 

MES.'X   COUNTV 

Mesa  County's  first  paper  was  the  News,  founded  October  28,  1882,  by  Ed- 
win Price.  This  became  the  property  of  Darwin  P.  Kingsley,  later  one  of  the 
powers  of  the  country  in  the  insurance  field.  In  1886  Edwin  Price  again  became 
publisher.  Since  that  time  the  News  has  passed  into  many  hands,  later  becom- 
ing the  property  of  \'emer  Z.  Reed  and  associates,  who  leased  it  in  1914  to 
Barclay  and  Swan.    It  was  sold  in  March  1918  to  C.  E.  Adams,  of  Montrose. 

The  Grand  Junction  Democrat  was  established  in  1883  by  Charles  W.  Has- 
kell and  C.  F.  Coleman.  This  was  succeeded  by  the  Mesa  County  Democrat, 
which  later  consolidated  with  The  Inter- State,  founded  by  A.  J.  Cutting,  G.  W. 
Frame  and  D.  A.  Nunnelly,  the  joint  publication  being  edited  by  W.  E.  Pabor. 

Later  Mr.  Pabor  founded  the  Fruita  Star,  which  suspended  in  a  few  years. 
The  Mesa  County  Mail,  of  which  H.  M.  Phillips  is  publisher,  succeeded  to  the 
newspaper  business  of  the  Star.  Of  the  outside  weeklies  the  Mail  and  the 
Palisade  Tribune,  owned  and  edited  by  E.  S.  Sherman,  are  ranked  among  the 
best  and  most  influential  publications  in  the  state. 

The  Grand  Junction  Star,  founded  upon  the  wreck  of  the  Democrat  and  the 
Inter-State,  was  soon  succeeded  by  what  has  become  the  most  successful  news- 
paper on  the  Western  Slope,  the  Daily  Sentinel,  founded  by  I.  N.  Bunting.  In 
1913  the  death  of  Mr.  Bunting  occurred,  and  the  present  efficient  manager  and 
editor,  Walter  Walker,  who  had  been  trained  in  the  work  under  Mr.  Bunting, 
was  placed  in  charge. 

TRINID.AD 

There  are  today  in  Trinidad  two  dailies  and  six  weeklies,  the  latter  with  two 
exceptions  being  Spanish  or  Italian  publications.  The  Chronicle-News,  daily 
except  Sunday,  and  weekly,  is  managed  and  edited  by  R.  E.  McClung.  The 
Evening  Picketwire  and  the  Weekly  Picketwire  have  A.  W.  W^right  as  president 
and  manager,  and  Frank  J.  Rose  as  editor.  Three  of  the  other  weeklies  are 
Spanish  publications :  El  Anunciador,  EI  Progreso  and  El  Faro ;  and  the  fourth 
is  Italian :  the  Corriere  di  Trinidad. 

The  Free  Press  was  published  as  a  daily  during  the  strike,  then  later  as  a 
w-eekly,  with  John  M.  O'Neill  as  editor,  but  has  lately  been  discontinued. 

None  of  the  earlier  papers  remains.  In  1870  J.  P.  Smith  was  running  the 
Trinidad  Enterprise,  on  Commercial  Street,  between  Front  and  Convent  streets. 

Vol.  t— 51 


802  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

Santa  Fe  supplied  the  Spanish-speaking  population  with  its  newspapers  at  this 
time.  In  1879  the  Chronicle  was  the  weekly  and  the  Enterprise  the  daily.  The 
News  was  issuing  both  a  daily  and  a  weekly.  A  few  years  later  the  Daily  Ad- 
vertiser was  established  and  ran  not  only  a  successful  morning  paper,  but  a  weekly 
Cattlemen's  Advertiser,  and  a  Spanish  weekly.  El  Anunciador,  which  still  sur- 
vives. 

In  1885  De  Busk  and  Shells  were  running  the  daily  and  weekly  Citizen.  The 
Trinidad  Review  was  conducted  by  John  Roosa ;  and  Olney  Newell  was  propri- 
etor and  editor  of  the  News,  now  a  weekly.  In  1890  Edwin  O.  Blair  was  pub- 
lishing the  News  as  a  daily,  the  Citizen  was  conducted  both  as  a  daily  and  a 
weekly,  and  J.  L.  Fulkerson  was  issuing  a  tri-weekly  Times.  F.  D.  Goodall  was 
publishing  the  daily  and  weekly  Advertiser.  In  1893  Trinidad  had  four  dailies, 
Blair's  paper,  the  Evening  Daily  News,  the  Evening  Chronicle,  owned  by  D.  W. 
Stone,  the  Citizen,  owned  by  W.  A.  De  Busk,  and  the  Advertiser,  run  by  M. 
Beshoar,  editor  and  F.  D.  Goodall  manager.  El  Progreso  was  started  in  1892. 
In  1893  the  newspaper  heyday  for  Trinidad  ceased,  and  from  that  time  on,  while 
there  were  many  ventures  there  were  few  successes  and  gradually  the  consoli- 
dated publications  came  into  existence. 

In  191 1  the  Chronicle-News  was  published  by  a  company  of  which  D.  W. 
Stone  was  president  and  J.  H.  English  business  manager.  C.  L.  Copeland  man- 
aged the  advertising. 

CREEDE 

When  in  1891  the  railroad  reached  the  boom  mining  camp  at  Creede  it  brought 
two  newspaper  outfits.  In  1892  the  Creede  Chronicle  was  printed  as  a  daily  by 
Vaughan  &  Adams,  the  Sunnyside  Sentinel  was  managed  and  edited  by  C.  O. 
Sprenger  and  published  by  C.  M.  Morrison.  The  weekly  Creede  News  was  pub- 
lished by  W.  L.  Siegmund  and  edited  by  Jesse  H.  Lewis.  L.  H.  Johnson  owned 
and  edited  the  Creede  Candle.  All  the  newspaper  glory  of  this  period  is  gone. 
Today  only  the  Creede  Candle  glimmers.  It  is  owned  and  edited  by  one  of  the 
ablest  newspaper  men  in  the  state,  i\I.  R.  AIcLaughlin. 

MONTEZUMA   COUNTY 

Montezuma  County  has  a  group  of  live  weeklies,  all  founded  in  recent  years. 
These  are:  The  Cortez  Herald,  of  which  J.  E.  Brown  is  proprietor,  the  Monte- 
zuma Journal,  published  at  Cortez  by  C.  A.  Frederick,  the  Mancos  Times-Trib-  • 
une,  I.  S.  Freeman,  publisher,  and  the  Dolores  Star,  edited  by  Charles  Bean. 

MONTROSE 

Montrose  today  has  two  successful  newspaper  properties,  the  semi- weekly 
Montrose  Enterprise,  of  which  Lynn  Monroe  is  editor,  and  the  Montrose  Press, 
owned  and  edited  by  C.  E.  Adams,  and  issued  as  a  daily  and  weekly.  These 
have  been  built  upon  the  ruins  of  a  long  list  of  newspaper  ventures.  The  Mont- 
rose Messenger  was  the  beginning  of  journalism  in  the  county.  This  was  started, 
in  1882,  by  Abe  Roberts.    In  1886  F.  J.  Land  and  W.  A.  Cassell  bought  it,  later 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  803 

absorbing  the  Republican,  which  C.  S.  Nichols  had  started.  Tony  Monell,  now 
one  of  the  far-famed  officials  of  the  Western  Slope,  was  for  a  time  one  of  its 
owners.  It  finally  merged  into  the  Industrial-Union,  a  Farmers'  Alliance  paper 
owned  by  J.  G.  Barry  and  J.  W.  Calloway,  which  has  also  gone  to  its  long  rest. 

The  Enterprise,  which  still  thrives,  was  founded  by  Matt  L.  Kappin  in  Janu- 
ary, 1899,  and  was  later  merged  by  him  with  the  Register,  a  paper  established  by 
J.  F.  Downey  and  Mark  W.  Atkins.  The  Champion,  founded  by  Doctor  John- 
son, Rev.  E.  B.  Read  and  Professor  Condit,  had  a  brief  existence,  as  did  F.  J. 
Land's  Farmer  and  Fruit-Grower. 

There  have  been  further  efforts  alono-  newspaper  lines  in  recent  years,  but 
today  only  two  publications  survive. 

JIORGAN   COUNTY 

The  leading  papers  of  Morgan  County  today  are  the  Fort  Morgan  Times, 
evening  and  weekly,  owned  and  edited  by  R.  B.  Spencer,  the  weekly  Morgan 
County  Herald,  owned  and  edited  by  Ballard  &  Sanford,  the  Brush  Tribune,  Ed- 
ward H.  Mathison,  publisher,  and  the  ^lorgan  County  Republican,  D.  P.  Saun- 
ders, editor  and  manager.  The  Times  was  established  September  4,  1884,  by 
L.  C.  Baker  and  G.  W.  Warner.  Lute  H.  Johnson,  the  well-known  Denver  news- 
paper man  was  for  some  years  a  part  owner  of  the  paper.  The  Morgan  County 
News,  established  in  1888  by  E.  E.  Pettengill,  and  the  Eagle,  founded  by  Ferrel 
and  Groves,  were  some  years  ago  discontinued  and  succeeded  by  the  publica- 
tions of  today. 

L.\S    ANIMAS 

In  1873  a  printing  press  was  brought  to  Las  Animas  by  C.  W.  Bowman  and 
on  May  23d  the  first  number  of  the  Las  Animas  Leader  was  issued.  It  is  still 
published  and  is  at  present  the  property  of  John  A.  Murphy.  The  Bent  County 
Democrat,  now  owned  by  George  B.  Wick  and  H.  Harbin  Clark,  is  the  successor 
to  a  number  of  short-lived  weeklies  which  have  come  and  gone  with  the  years. 

OTERO   COUNTY 

Otero  County  is  proud  of  its  splendid  newspapers,  which  are  nearly  all  the 
result  of  the  development  of  the  valley  in  the  past  few  decades.  The  oldest  of 
cottrse  are  those  at  La  Junta,  which  had  a  phenomenal  growth  in  1S75  but  a  sud- 
den drop  in  population  in  1878  when  tlie  Kit  Carson  branch  of  the  Kansas  Pacific 
was  torn  up.  But  shortly  after  this  the  Santa  Fe  made  it  a  division  point  and 
with  new  prosperity  came  success  for  its  newspapers.  Within  a  decade  there 
were  three  newspapers  running,  the  Tribune,  the  Otero  County  Democrat  and 
the  La  Junta  Watermelon.  In  1018  there  are  in  existence  the  Democrat,  a  daily, 
of  which  James  A.  Sevitz  is  editor;  the  weekly  La  Junta  Tribune,  Fred  B.  Mason, 
proprietor ;  and  the  weekly  Otero  County  Press,  I.  B.  Johnson,  proprietor. 

At  Rocky  Ford  the  Gazette-Topic,  a  weekly  published  by  J.  B.  Lacy,  the 
Rocky  Ford  Enterprise,  of  which  Will  R.  Monkmau  is  publisher,  the  first  of 
Rocky  Ford's  publications,  and  the  Rocky  Ford  Tribune,  Stanley  &  Sons,  pro- 


EBENEZEB  ARCHIBALD 


TRINIDAD  PIONEERS 
S.  W.  De  Busk 
Jacob  Beard  D.  L.  Tavlor  E.  J.  Hubbard     A.  W.  Aiehibald 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  805 

prietors,  are  high-class  progressive  newspapers  which  have  constantly  helped  in 
the  upbuilding  of  the  .\rkansas  \'alley. 

At  Fowler,  the  Advertiser,  owned  and  edited  by  \V.  I.  Silvey,  and  the  Trib- 
une, of  which  C.  W.  Buck  is  the  publislier,  are  doing  excellent  work  in  advertis- 
ing their  town  as  well  as  the  valley.  At  Manzanola  the  Sun.  owned  and  edited 
by  G.  E.  Bicknell,  is  another  strong  coimty  weekly. 

OUR.^Y 

lournalism  began  comparatively  early  in  the  .^an  Juan  country,  for  the  San 
luan  Sentinel  was  founded  at  Ouray  by  Dowling  &  McKinney  in  1H77,  but  was 
discontinued  in  1878.  William  and  Henry  Ripley  established  the  Ouray  Times 
in  1877,  and  this  later  was  merged  with  C.  A.  Ward's  Budget,  established  July 
6.  1886.  When  L.  N.  White  bought  it  a  few  years  later  he  called  it  the  Plain- 
dealer,  the  name  it  still  retains,  with  John  J.  McCarthy  as  publisher.  Chauncey 
I.,  liall.  a  famous  Colorado  newspa])er  man.  was  for  years  its  editor.  The 
Miner,  founded  by  John  R.  Curry:  the  Review,  by  R.  W.  Morrison;  the  Argus, 
a  publication  started  in  i8e)i.  and  a  group  of  weeklies  in  the  following  decades, 
have  all  been  discontinued,  and  there  remain  only  the  Plaindealer  and  the 
Ouray  Herald.  The  Red  Mountain  Journal,  founded  by  (jeorge  Seaman,  has 
also  gone  into  history. 

I.A    rL.\T.\    COUNTY 

The  beginnings  of  journalism  in  La  Plata  County  go  back  to  early  Ouray 
days,  however,  for  on  September  5.  1879.  David  F.  Day.  one  of  the  unique 
characters  of  Colorado  journalism  and  known  even  then  as  the  "humorist  of  the 
San  Juan."  began  at  Ouray,  the  jniblication  of  a  paper  called  the  Solid  Muldonn. 
During  the  campaign  it  appeared  as  a  daily,  but  for  many  years  it  scintillated 
as  a  weekly  and  circulated  far  beyond  the  boundaries  of  the  state.  In  March, 
1892,  Mr.  Day  moved  the  Solid  Muldoon  to  Durango.  where  for  four  months 
it  was  published  as  a  daily,  when  it  was  taken  over  by  Raymond  Brothers,  as 
business  managers.  It  was  also  published  as  a  weekly  and  was  edited  by  David 
F.  Day.  In  the  fall  of  1893  t'^'-''  publication  became  the  Weekly  Democrat, 
which  later  in  the  same  year  was  made  a  daily  ]iaper.  Dave  Day  continuing  as 
owner  and  editor. 

In  1900  Thomas  Tully.  son-in-law  of  David  F.  Day.  who  had  been  publish- 
ing the  Silverton  Standard  at  Silverton,  came  to  Durango  as  iniblishcr  of  the 
Durango  Democrat.  He  continued  as  publisher  milil  iQU.  when  the  manage- 
ment went  back  to  David  F.  Day,  who  in  comiection  with  his  son  Rod  S.  Day 
continued  its  publication  until  his  death  three  years  ago.  Since  that  time  the 
paper  has  been  ])ublishe(l  by  the  Democrat  Printing  Comjiany.  with  Rod  S. 
Day  as  manager  and  editor. 

The  Durango  I-Aening  Herald  was  established  in  the  fall  of  1882.  .\t  that 
time  the  Record  was  being  published  by  Mrs.  Bromley,  having  been  established 
in  1881.  George  A.  Marsh,  the  founder  of  the  Herald,  in  the  fall  of  1882  pur- 
chased the  Record -and  combined  it  with  the  Herald,  discontinuing  the  Record. 
The  Herald  has  been  published  both  as  weekly  and  daily  since  that  time,  having 
nianv  subscribers  who  h.i\c  t;iken   it    for   nuire   t]i;ni   thirtv-five  years. 


806  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

August  I,  1887,  George  N.  Rajmond  and  Sol  W.  Raymond  purchased  the 
Herald  from  George  Marsh  and  continued  it  as  a  daily.  In  191 1  the  Herald 
Printing  Company  was  formed,  the  Raymond  Brothers  temporarily  retiring 
from  the  active  management.  In  191 2  the  Raymond  Brothers  again  secured 
the  Herald  and  dissolved  the  Herald  Printing  Company,  and  in  partnership 
continued  the  publication  until  February,  1916,  when  they  sold  it  to  J.  H. 
McDevitt,  Jr.,  the  present  owner  and  publisher.  I.  J.  Bradford  is  editor.  The 
Herald  enjoys  a  wide  circulation  in  southwest  Colorado  and  northwestern  New 
Mexico  and  has  been  closely  identified  with  the  settlement  and  development  of 
this  section  of  the  country. 

In  1893  the  Southwest  appeared  in  Durango  as  a  daily,  but  within  a  few 
months  after  the  first  issue  it  was  purchased  by  the  Herald  publishers  and  com- 
bined with  it  as  the  Durango  Evening  Herald. 

HOLYOKF. 

There  are  today  two  newspapers  in  Holyoke,  the  Holyoke  Enterprise,  pub- 
lished by  R.  N.  White,  and  the  State  Herald,  published  by  J.  H.  Painter.  At 
Haxtum,  Vance  C.  Monroe  issues  the  Herald.  These  comprise  the  leading 
papers  of  Phillips  County. 

The  State  Herald  was  founded  in  1887  by  C.  W.  Painter  and  W.  N.  Jordan. 
Later  Mr.  Painter  acquired  it  all  and  sold  it  in  1889  to  A.  A.  Spahr,  who  in 
1890  or  thereabouts  sold  it  to  J.  H.  Painter,  the  present  owner.  Jordan  founded 
the  Holyoke  Tribune,  removing  it  to  Nebraska  in  1890.  V.  F.  Williams  & 
Company  started  the  News  in  1889,  and  this  was  discontinued  early  in  the 
'90s.  Quite  a  number  of  journalistic  ventures  preceded  the  Enterprise  which 
is  now  a  permanent  journalistic  fi.xture  of  Phillips  County. 

.■\SPEN 

The  daily  Aspen  Democrat-Times,  published  in  1918  by  Charles  Dailey,  is 
what  remains  of  a  long  list  of  journalistic  aspirants  to  favor.  The  first  venture 
was  the  Aspen  Times,  of  which  B.  Clark  Wheeler,  who  became  Aspen's  largest 
mine  owner,  was  the  manager,  with  O.  J.  Wheeter,  proprietor.  Mackey  and 
Mason  ran  the  Rocky  Mountain  Sun.  These  were  the  only  papers  issued  in 
Aspen  in  1885. 

In  1890  B.  Clark  Wheeler  was  publishing  the  daily  and  weekly  Times; 
The  Aspen  Chronicle  was  also  a  daily  and  weekly ;  the  Rocky  Mountain  Sun 
was  still  shining  as  a  weekly;  and  F.  H.  Ellis  was  publishing  the  weekly  Mining 
Record.  In  1893  when  the  panic  came  the  two  dailies  were  still  struggling 
along,  and  of  the  weeklies  onlv  the  Sun  remained.  B.  Clark  Wheeler  was  con- 
ducting both  the  Chronicle  and  the  Times. 

There  came  a  few  venturesome  spirits  later  who  started  the  Democrat,  but 
in  the  end  only  the  one  paper  remained. 

PROWERS    COUNTY 

Lamar,  the  county  seat  of  Prowers  County,  has  a  group  of  finely  edited  and 
progressive  newspapers.     The  Daily  and  the  \\'eeklv  Prowers  County  News  is 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  807 

the  property  of  S.  A.  Crary.  J.  T.  Lawless  still  ably  edits  Lamar  Sparks,  and 
George  B.  Merrill  conducts  the  weekly  Register.  The  latter  was  the  first  of 
Lamar's  papers,  having  been  established  in  March,  1877.  The  Sparks  was 
founded  in  the  following  year,  by  G.  W.  Butler,  and  its  first  editor  was  its 
present  owner,  Joe  T.  Lawless.  For  a  brief  period  it  was  published  by  Mrs.  M. 
A.  Metcalf. 

In  1889  F.  B.  Sloen  started  the  Tinies-Irrigator,  which  was  soon  discon- 
tinued. 

In  1892  Ford  &  Merrill  owned  the  Register,  Mr.  Merrill  later  becoming 
sole  owner. 

•  RIO    BL.\NCO    COUNTY 

Meeker,  Colorado,  the  metropolis  and  county  seat  of  Rio  Blanco  County, 
now  has  two  successful  newspapers,  the  Herald,  owned  and  edited  by  James 
Lyttle ;  and  the  White  River  Review,  published  by  James  L.  Riland.  The  town 
was  incorporated  in  1885,  and  shortly  after  this  the  Herald  was  established  by 
its  present  owner.  H.  A.  Wild  in  1890  was  publishing  the  Rio  Blanco  News, 
which  was  discontinued  within  the  next  two  years. 

DEL    NORTE 

The  San  Juan  Prospector  was  established  at  Del  Norte  February  7,  1874, 
by  N.  M.  Lambert,  a  brother  of  Captain  Lambert  of  the  Pueblo  Chieftain. 
Adair  Wilson,  later  one  of  the  great  jurists  of  the  state,  was  its  first  editor. 
In  1879  Abe  Roberts  and  W.  H.  Cochran  bought  it.  W.  S.  Alexander,  J.  M. 
Cochran,  a  brother  of  W.  H.  Cochran,  George  A.  Scibird  and  John  C.  Glover 
succeeded  each  other  in  ownership  of  the  paper,  which  during  this  time  ab- 
sorbed the  Cactus,  the  paper  founded  by  Stivers  &  Hill.  By  1885  the  Sentinel, 
the  Democrat  and  the  Nugget,  published  at  Summitville  by  Elmer  Thompson, 
had  suspended,  and  only  the  San  Juan  Prospector  remained.  In  1890  the 
newspaper  situation  was  unchanged.  In  1892  the  Del  Norte  daily  and  weekly 
Enquirer  had  entered  the  field,  with  John  H.  Bloom  as  manager.  Today  again, 
although  there  have  been  more  newspaper  ventures,  the  San  Juan  Prospector 
still  lives,  and  its  owners  and  editors  are  W.  H.  Cochran  &  Son. 

MONTE    VIST.\ 

The  Monte  Vista  Graphic  was  founded  by  Knox  Burton  late  in  the  '80s, 
and  was  soon  after  purchased  by  C.  S.  Aldrich,  who  was  for  a  long  time  its 
editor.  The  Monte  Vista  Journal  was  established  in  1890  by  C.  S.  Conant. 
In  that  year  the  Sun  was  also  published  by  Colthar  &  Magill  but  this  was  out  of  the 
running  in  1892.  To-day  there  are  in  Monte  Vista  the  Journal,  still  owned 
and  edited  by  C.  S.  Conant,  the  Tribune,  published  by  L.  E.  Bigelow,  and  the 
San  Luis  Valley  Graphic,  of  which  Statton  Tohiil  is  editor. 

The  Middle  Park  Times,  established  in  1892  at  Hot  Sulphur  Springs,  is  still 
in  existence  in  1918  under  the  able  edilori  il  management  of  lew  Wallace. 


808  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

ROUTT  AND  MOFFAT  COUNTIES 

Routt  and  Moffat  coLyities  have  a  group  of  excellent  papers.  At  Steamboat 
Springs  the  Steamboat  Pilot,  published  by  Leckenby  &  Gee,  is  one  of  the  best 
edited  and  most  perfectly  printed  papers  in  the  state.  Mr.  Leckenby  is  now, 
1918.  state  auditor,  and  Mr.  Gee  looks  after  both  editorial  and  business  manage- 
ment. The  Routt  County  Sentinel,  of  which  H.  C.  Wood  is  editor  and  W.  W. 
Morgan  manager,  is  one  of  the  high  class  weeklies  of  the  state.  At  Craig  the 
Empire  and  the  Great  Divide  Sentinel  are  published  by  George  M.  Kimball, 
one  of  the  ablest  newspaper  men  in  the  state.  Julian  E.  Duvall  publishes  the 
Moft'at  County  Courier,  and  W.  H.  Godfrey  the  Yampa  Leader. 

The  Pilot  was  first  published  in  the  late  '80s,  with  J.  Hoyle  ^s  owner  and 
editor,  and  at  the  same  time  J.  R.  Godsmark  was  printing  the  Inter-Mountain 
at  Steamboat  Springs.  A  little  later  C.  H.  Bronaugh  founded  the  Craig  Pan- 
tagraph.  These  were  the  beginnings  of  journalism  in  the  two  counties.  In 
1893  t^^^  Pilot  was  still  published  by  J.  Hoyle,  and  the  Inter-Mountain  had 
been  sold  to  Daniel  Hillman. 

The  newspa])ers  of  the  two  counties,  however,  assumed  importance  only 
after  the  advent  of  the  railroad  in  the  last  decade. 

SAGUACHE 

The  Saguache  Crescent,  Charles  W.  Ogden,  owner  and  editor,  and  the 
Moffat  Home  and  Farm,  edited  and  published  by  Ralph  E.  Littler,  are  in  1918 
the  leading  papers  of  Saguache  County,  the  successors  to  the  usual  number  of 
unfortunate  newspaper  ventures. 

In  1878  W.  B.  Felton  was  publishing  the  Saguache  Chronicle,  which  was 
sold  in  1884  to  Dr.  D.  Heimberger,  whose  nepheVv  later  became  prominent  in 
Leadville  newspaper  circles.  J.  E.  Nelson  had  started  the  Saguache  Advance, 
which  soon  ceased  publication.  H.  H.  Mingay  merged  the  papers  first  into  the 
Democrat  and  later  into  the  Crescent,  which  still  exists.  R.  C.  Jones  in  1892 
started  the  Saguache  Herald,  which  was  discontinued  after  a  few  years. 

SILVERTON 

Silverton's  two  excellent  papers,  the  Standard,  owned  and  edited  by  Jack 
T.  Joyce,  and  the  Miner,  published  by  the  Silverton  Miner  Publishing  Com- 
pany, remain  to  testify  to  the  soundness  of  the  newspaper  foundation  laid 
many  decades  ago.  Alfred  lies  founded  the  Miner  in  1874,  and  C.  W.  Snowden 
started  the  Standard  in  1889.  While  there  have  been  many  changes  in  owner- 
ship, the  policies  have  always  been  of  a  character  to  command  the  respect  and 
support  of  the  district. 

TELLURIDE 

The  Telluride  Journal,  daily  and  weekly,  owned  and  edited  by  George  R. 
Painter,  was  founded  July  i,  1881,  by  E.  F.  Curry  at  San  Migiiel,  but  removed 
almost  at  once  to  Telluride.  Within  a  brief  time  he  sold  it  to  Charles  F.  Painter 
and  A.   M.   Reed.     Mr.   Painter  built  up  the  paper  to  a   commanding  position 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  809 

in  the  Southwest,  and  George  K.  Painter  is  keeping  up  the  journalistic  pace 
set  by  his  predecessor  in  the  editorial  chair.  The  Republican,  which  was 
started  in  the  early  '90s  by  Gideon  R.  Proper,  was  later  sold  to  L.  L.  Nunn, 
at  which  time  the  present  publisher  and  editor  of  its  successor,  the  Examiner, 
E.  D.  .McKown,  was  given  editorial  charge.  He  has  remained  with  the  pub- 
lication since  its  inception. 

JULESBURG 

The  Grit-Advocate,  of  Julesburg,  published  by  the  Grit  Publishing  Company, 
is  the  only  paper  of  a  long  list  of  ventures  to  remain  in  the  field  in  Sedgwick 
Countv.  The  Denver  Junction  Gazette,  founded  in  1885  by  Charles  Callahan, 
was  the  beginning  of  newspaper  life  in  the  county.  It  was  bought  by  Michael 
McGinnis,  but  did  not  exist  long.  The  Sedgwick  County  Sentinel,  started  by 
H.  C.  McXew.  ran  for  some  years.  The  Grit-Advocate  is  the  combination  and 
merging  of  a  long  group  of  successors  to  the  Sentinel. 

SUMMIT    COUNTY 

The  Summit  County  Journal,  of  which  J.  A.  Theobold  is  editor,  is  all  that 
remains  of  many  newspaper  undertakings  in  and  about  Dreckenridge,  the  county 
seat.  The  town  government  was  organized  in  April.  1880.  and  by  1884  J.  C. 
Fincher  had  made  a  considerable  success  not  alone  of  his  weekly,  but  of  a  daily 
Tournal.  Charles  E.  Hardy  had  established  the  Summit  County  Leader,  and 
was  sharing  in  the  prosperity  of  the  new  community.  The  Daily  Journal  was, 
however,  discontinued,  and  in  1890  both  Fincher  and  Hardy  were  still  is.'-uing 
their  excellent  weeklies.  The  Leader  was  discontinued  in  1892,  and  Sam  W. 
Jones  started  the  Bi-Metallic,  which  had  only  a  brief  existence.  In  1893  J.  W. 
Swisher  had  bought  the  Journal.  Since  this  time  it  has  changed  hands  several 
times,  and  is  now  ably  edited  by  J.  A.  Theobold. 

washix(;ton  county 

Washington  County  has  a  group  of  excellent  newspapers  to-day.  of  wliich 
the  leading  ones  are  the  .\kron  News.  D.  ( ).  Thomas,  editor ;  the  .\kron  Re- 
porter, F.  C.  and  R.  M.  \\'ester.  owners;  the  Pioneer  Press.  Chalkley  A.  Wilson, 
publisher:  and  the  Otis  Independent,  R.  P>.  Cooley.  publisher.  1).  W.  Irwin 
founded  the  Pioneer  Press  November  i.  1885.  In  1886  C.  W.  Ballard  and  E. 
A.  Eaton  founded  the  Star.  The  Colorado  Topics  was  jirinted  first  at  Hyde, 
then  at  Burdette,  Mark  Little  buying  the  property  from  Forbes  &  Powers.  In 
these  early  years  Dr.  \\\  I).  Otis  established  the  Otis  Enterprise,  and  at  Hyde 
the  Weld  County  Argus  was  the  first  jniblication  in  that  section.  In  i8(),^  the 
only  jjapers  at  Akron  were  the  Pioneer  Press.  D.  W.  Irwin,  i)ropri?tor,  and  the 
Washington  County  Republican.  A\'.  E.  Smith,  publisher.  In  1896  H.  G.  Pickett, 
who  had  been  editor  of  the  Pioneer  Press,  became  its  publisher,  and  for  a  year 
cr  two  this  was  the  only  paper  printed  in  Washington  County.  In  1898  D.  F. 
Foos    started   the   Washington    County    Leader,    which    was   soon    merged    with 


810  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

later    publications.      The    present    publications    aside    from    the    Pioneer    Press, 
were    founded   in   recent   years. 

GREELEY 

The  first  issue  of  the  Greeley  Tribune  was  issued  November  i6,  1870,  by 
N.  C.  Meeker,  who  had  founded  the  colony.  Its  objects  were  "to  give  full 
particulars  of  whatever  relates  to  the  Union  Colony,  of  which  the  town  of 
Greeley  is  the  center,  and  to  show  the  advantage  of  colonization  on  our  plan. 
Second,  to  call  attention  to  the  attractions  and  wonderful  resources  of  the 
Rocky  Mountain  country,  of  which  little  is  yet  known  by  the  American  people. 
Third,  to  teach  that  the  highest  power  that  man  can  exhibit  grows  out  of  mental 
culture,  and,  at  the  same  time,  out  of  well-established  habits  of  industry  con- 
nected either  with  the  cultivation  of  the  soil  or  with  some  mechanical  pursuit. 
Fourth,  to  enforce  the  doctrine  that  the  foundations  of  all  prosperity,  whether 
of  nations  or  individuals,  is  based  on  the  family  relation  as  maintained  in 
civilized  countries,  and  that  the  highest  ambition  of  a  family  should  be  to 
have  a  comfortable  and,  if  possible,  an  elegant  home  surrounded  by  orchards, 
and  ornamental  grounds,  on  lands  of  its  own."  When  in  1872  the  opposition 
to  Meeker  determined  to  establish  a  new  paper,  Horace  Greeley  advised  selling 
out  the  Tribune,  but  this  the  owner  declined  to  do.  In  1875,  however.  Meeker 
sold  a  half  interest  to  E.  J.  Carver,  who  became  the  editor  after  the  tragic 
death  of  the  founder  of  Union  Colony.  W.  C.  Packard,  H.  L.  Dunning,  J.  J. 
Stevens  and  J-  Max  Clark  were  identified  with  the  publication  from  1875  to 
1890. 

Vickers  &  Painter  established  the  Greeley  Sun  in  1872.  Later  H.  A.  French 
became  interested.  T.  T.  Wilson.  George  B.  Graham,  Ed.  D.  Donnell  and  W. 
G.  Nicholson  were  interested  in  it  at  various  times  up  to   1890. 

In  January,  1887,  Ward  D.  Harrington  established  a  third  paper,  the  Demo- 
crat, in  Greeley.  This  in  1890  became  the  property  of  A.  M.  Hubert  and  H.  A. 
Wells. 

In  1893  the  Greeley  Sun  was  published  by  J.  B.  Patton,  while  E.  J-  Carver 
was  still  manager  of  the  Tribune.  The  Weld  County  Democrat  had  become 
the  property  of  George  Jacobs  and  associates. 

Greeley  during  the  next  decade  saw  many  newspaper  beginnings  and  end- 
ings. The  Greeley  Herald,  a  semi-weekly,  was  begun  about  1896,  and  Thomp- 
son Brothers  founded  a  weekly  Times.  The  Democrat  had  been  discontinued. 
Both  the  Herald  and  the  Times  were  not  long-lived.  In  1898  the  Weld  County 
Republican  was  started,  with  H.  F.  Currier  as  president  of  the  company  and 
L.  A.  Thompson  business  manager. 

These  were  practically  the  conditions  at  the  beginning  of  the  new  century. 
The  Tribune  soon  passed  into  the  hands  of  C.  H.  \\'olfe,  one  of  the  ablest  news- 
paper men  in  the  state,  and  he  placed  both  the  daily  and  the  weekly  Tribune 
on  a  money-making  basis.  During  the  past  decade  there  have  been  many  un- 
successful efforts  to  establish  both  daily  and  weekly  papers  in  Greeley.  The 
competition  in  the  daily  field  between  the  Tribune  and  the  Republican  finally 
ended  in  a  consolidation  of  interests.     In   IQ18  the  Daily  Tribune-Republican 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  811 

is  in  editorial  charge  of  Charles  Hansen,  who  was  for  many  years  publisher 
and  editor  of  the  Republican.  The  Weld  County  News,  a  Democratic  weekly, 
is  the  property  of  Edward  D.  Foster. 

OTHER  WELD   COUNTY  PAPERS 

In  1918  the  Evans  Courier-Messenger  is  the  property  of  J.  C.  Downes. 
The  Platteville  Herald  is  owned  by  E.  S.  Bayers.  At  Fort  Lupton  the  Press 
is  owned  by  H.  R.  \\'aring.  The  New  Raymer  Enterprise  is  published  by  C. 
R.  Graves.  The  Windsor  Poudre  Valley  is  the  property  of  Roy  Ray.  J.  A. 
Digerness  owns  the  Hudson  Headlight.  D.  H.  Williams  owns  and  edits  the 
Pawnee  Press  at  Grover.  The  Ault  Advertiser  is  owned  by  G.  A.  Hill;  the 
Briggsdale  Banner  is  owned  by  W.  F.  Shelton ;  the  Eaton  Herald,  by  H.  E. 
Hogue;  the  Kersey  News  is  owned  by  B.  F.  and  L.  C.  McMillen ;  the  La  Salle 
Optimist  is  owned  by  J.  C.  Downes ;  the  Nunn  News  is  owned  by  U.  E.  Mad- 
den ;  thePierce  Leader  is  owned  by  C.  H.  Reed. 

The  first  paper  established  at  Evans  was  the  Journal,  which  was  conducted 
by  James  Torrens.     It  was   founded  in    1878. 

In  1890  the  Evans  Courier  was  started  by  S.  J.  McAfee.  In  1888  the 
Progress  at  Platteville  was  conducted  by  A.  N.  Elliott  and  McConley  Brothers 
ran  the  Record.  In  this  period  the  Cyclone  was  started  at  Fort  Lupton  by 
John  H.  Farrar.  At  Erie  Jones  Brothers  had  established  the  Independent. 
At  Raymer,  Shirley,  Abbott  &  Shoemaker  ran  the  Herald.  At  Windsor  McCauley 
Brothers  owned  the  weekly  Windsor  Star. 

By  1900  there  had  been  many  changes.  The  Eaton  Herald  was  issued  by 
H.  E.  Hogue.  C.  C.  Hufifsmith  was  publishing  the  Courier  at  Evans,  the  only 
paper  there  at  that  time,  and  J.  A.  Cheeley  was  printing  the  Platte  Valley  Post 
at  Fort  Lupton.     Most  of  the  others  in  existence  in  1890  had  been  discontinued. 

In  191 1  the  Ault  Advertiser  was  published  by  E.  P.  Hubbell ;  the  Eaton 
Herald  by  Hogue  &  Snook:  the  Evans  Courier  by  E.  P.  Shaffner;  the  Fort 
Lupton  Press  by  R.  F.  Davis;  the  Grover  Tri-City  Press  by  D.  H.  Williamson; 
the  Hudson  Headlight  by  J.  A.  Digerness ;  the  Hudson  Herald  by  L.  C.  Grove ; 
the  Kersey  Enterprise  by  Marshall  E.  De  \\'olfe;  the  La  Salle  Observer  by  S. 
R.  and  P.  E.  Smith ;  the  New  Raymer  Enterprise  by  S.  P.  Majors ;  the  Nunn 
News  by  U.  E.  Madden;  the  Pierce  Record  by  H.  R.  Waring;  the  Platteville 
Herald  by  H.  F.  Bedford;  the  Platteville  News  by  M.  B.  Roycr ;  the  Windsor 
Poudre  Valley  by  Roy  Ray;  the  Windsor  Optiinist  by  James  Donovan. 

YUAtA 

F.  C.  Brobst  founded  the  Yuma  Pioneer  Christmas  day.  1886.  Later  he 
established  the  Sun.  which  he  sold  to  W.  J.  Goodspecd  in  1888.  Later  owners 
changed  the  name  to  Republican,  but  on  July  12,  1890.  the  two  pai)ers  were 
consolidated  and  published  as  the  'N'lmia  Pioneer  by  Jesse  A.  Williams.  In 
1900  E.  J.  Pickard  was  editor  and  owner  of  the  Pioneer,  the  only  paper  of  the 
town  at  that  time.     In  191 1  A.  Burt  Jessop  was  publisher  of  the  Pioneer. 

In  1918  the  Pioneer  is  published  by  T.  H.  Woodbury,  with  H.  J.  Woodbury 


812  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

as  editor.     B.   R.   Coffnian  is  publishing  the  Yuma   County   Times,   a   recently 
established  paper.     The  Eckley  Record  is  the  property  of  C.  E.  McKimson. 

WRAY 

The  Wray  Rattler  was  founded  by  B.  C.  C.  Condon  early  in  the  '80s. 
Later  the  Wray  Republican  was  established  by  J.  E.  Pettingill,  who  sold  it  to 
W.  C.  Emmons.  John  Griffin  later  moved  it  to  Eckley.  In  1900  the  Wray 
Rattler  was  alone  in  its  field,  and  was  conducted  by  J.  X.  Counter. 

In  191 1  Simon  S.  Dow  was  publishing  the  Gazette  and  C.  L.  Will,  the  Wray 
Rattler.  In  1918  the  Gazette  is  published  by  C.  E.  McKimson,  and  the  Rattler 
by  W.  M.  Scott. 

CRIPPLE    CREEK 

The  Cripple  Creek  Times  and  Mctor  Daily  Record,  known  as  the  Times- 
Record,  is  published  every  morning  except  Monday,  by  the  Cripple  Creek  Times 
Company,  and  is  the  only  paper  published  at  this  dale  in  Teller  County.  The 
Cripple  Creek  Times  Company  owns  the  Associated  Press  franchise. 

The  Times-Record  was  originally  published  as  the  ^lorning  Times  in  1892 
by  Thomas  M.  Howell,  publisher  and  editor.  A  weekly  edition  was  first  pub- 
lished in  1896,  and  its  publication  has  been  maintained  to  this  date.  In  the 
year  of  the  Cripple  Creek  fire  the  files  were  destroyed  (1896).  T.  M.  Howell 
continued  in  charge  until  1897  when  the  Morning  Times  was  sold  to  the  Morn- 
ing Times  Publishing  Company.  G.  S.  Hoag  manager,  F.  J.  Arkins,  editor.  In 
1900  the  name  was  changed  to  the  Morning  Times-Citizen,  the  Citizen,  an 
afternoon  paper,  having  passed  into  the  possession  of  the  IVIorning  Times 
Publishing  Company.  In  1902.  on  April  ist,  the  paper  was  sold  to  John  S. 
Irby,  and  on  April  ist  made  its  appearance  as  the  Cripple  Creek  Times,  with 
W.  H.  Griffith  as  manager  and  editor.  On  April  4.  1903,  the  paper  again 
changed  ownership,  passing  to  the  Cripple  Creek  Times  Publishing  Company, 
with  George  W.  Shepherd  as  manager,  C.  V.  \\'oodard  as  editor.  It  remained 
under  this  management  until  1908.  when  the  Times  was  purchased  by  the  late 
George  E.  Kyner.  J.  P.  Hughes  was  editor  under  the  Kyner  management  in 
191 1,  and  on  November  9,  1912,  Percy  Kyner  w-as  named  general  manager, 
during  the  illness  of  his  brother.  On  April  i,  1913.  the  Mctor  Record  passed 
into  possession  of  the  Cripple  Creek  Times  Company,  and  the  paper  appeared 
on  that  date  under  the  name  of  the  Cripple  Creek  Times  and  Victor  Daily 
Record.  Huse  Taylor  was  manager  of  the  publication  from  April,  1913.  until 
January  i,  1914.  with  A.  F.  Francis  as  editor,  the  latter  remaining  with  the 
paper  until  his  death  late  that  year.  On  January  i,  1914,  William  A.  Kyner 
became  general  manager,  and  still  holds  that  position.  The  present  editor  is 
G.  J.  Tipton.  The  politics  of  the  paper  has  varied  with  the  management, 
passing  from  democratic  to  republican.  Teller  Silver  republican,  and  independent. 
At  present  it  is  an  independent  publication. 

HINSDALE   COUXTY 

In  all  the  mining  camps  of  the  state  the  newspaper  press  came  with  the 
first  rush  of  prospectors.     In  Hinsdale  County  the  old  Silver  World,  established 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  813 

by  Harry  Woods  and  Clark  L.  Peyton  in  1875,  began  with  three  subscribers. 
The  material  had  been  hauled  over  from  Saguache,  and  was  delayed  in  arrival. 
The  circulation  of  the  Silver  World  covered  a  route  of  no  miles  to  subscribers 
and  to  the  nearest  postoffice  at  Saguache.  It  changed  hands  in  1876,  again 
in  1878,  again  in  1885,  and  then  it  quietly  passed  away  as  The  Sentinel.  Its 
last  editor  was  F.  E.  Dacon.  The  San  Juan  Crescent  started  in  1877  by  Harry 
Woods,  the  Phonograph,  established  by  Walter  Mendenhall,  and  the  Lake 
City  Mining  Register,  owned  by  J.  F.  Downey,  had  short  e.xistences. 

L.\KE  CITY 

The  Lake  City  Times,  now  owned  by  William  C.  Blair,  was  established 
January    15,   1891,  by  D.   S.   Hoffman  and  A.   R.   Arbuckle. 

GARFIELD   COUNTV 

The  leading  papers  of  Garfield  County  in  1918  are  the  Avalanche-Echo,  a 
weekly,  and  the  Daily  Avalanche,  of  Glen  wood  Springs,  H.  J.  Hohues.  one  of 
the  oldest  and  most  influential  of  western  slope  newspaper  men.  owner  and 
editor;  and  the  weekly  Glenwood  Post,  A.  J.  Dickson,  publisher  and  editor; 
the  Rifle  Telegram-Reveille,  Clarkson  &  Swartz,  publishers;  the  Carbondale 
Item,  \'.  A.  Moore,  editor;  and  the  Grand  \'alley  News,  Elmer  E.  Wheatley, 
editor. 

J.  S.  Swan  and  \\  .  J.  Reid  were  the  pioneer  newspaper  men  of  the  county, 
with  the  famous  Ute  Chief  which  they  started  in  the  fall  of  1885.  B.  Clark 
Wheeler,  who  had  made  a  big  stake  at  Aspen,  was  the  backer  of  James  L. 
Riland  in  the  publication  of  the  Glenwood  Echo  in  1S88.  H.  J.  Holmes  had, 
however,  come  into  the  county  in  1887,  and  at  once  pre-empted  the  daily  field 
with  the  Daily  News  of  which  the  first  copy  was  printed  in  December  of  that 
year.  The  Ute  Chief  followed  his  exani])le,  and  its  daily  appeared  early  in 
1888.  By  fall  both  had  enough  of  competition  and  joined  issues  in  the  Daily 
Ute  Chief-News.  In  the  next  two  years  the  paper  changed  hands  four  times, 
and  names  twice,  being  known  as  The  New  Empire  and  then  as  the  Glenwood 
Springs  Republican.  In  1891  it  was  discontinued  as  a  daily,  and  in  1892  it 
became  the  People's  Herald.  This  after  many  further  vicissitudes  is  now  the 
Avalanche  and  in  able  editorial  hands. 

CARBOND.\LE 

The  Avalanche  was  started  at  Carbondale  by  Frank  P.  Bestin,  a  blind  editor 
from  Red  Clifl',  in  1888.  and  soon  after  became  the  property  of  H.  J.  Holmes, 
who  in  1891  brought  it  to  Glenwood  Springs,  where  within  a  month  he  began 
publishing  it  as  a  daily.  Later  he  ab.sorbed  the  Echo,  and  changed  the  name  of 
his  weekly  issue  to  the  Avalanche-Echo,  which  it  still  retains. 

In  1889  Mr.  Holmes  saw  an  opening  at  Rifle,  and  started  the  Reveille.  This 
he  .sold  in  1890  to  H.  B.  Swartz  and  J.  W.  .Armstrong,  who  later  absorbed  the 
Telegram,  another  short-lived  venture.  It  is  to-day  published  as  the  Telegram- 
Reveille.     New  Castle  has  no  paper  to-day,  but    in    1888  George  West,  of   the 


814  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

Golden  Transcript,  started  the  Nonpareil.  This  was  later  the  Cactus  and  then 
the  News,  under  which  name  it  is  now  published  at  Grand  Valley  by  Elmer 
E.  Wheatley. 

DELTA    COUNTY 

The  newspapers  of  Delta  County  comprise  to-day  one  of  the  most  influential 
groups  in  the  state.  These  include  the  Delta  County  Tribune,  E.  E.  Watts, 
publisher  and  editor;  the  Delta  Independent,  A.  AI.  Anderson,  publisher;  the 
West  Slope,  of  Cedaredge,  George  O.  Blake,  editor;  and  the  Surface  Creek 
Champion,  of  Cedaredge,  C.  W.  Brewer,  publisher;  the  Hotchkiss  Herald, 
Arthur  L.  Perry,  owner ;  and  the  Hotchkiss  North  Fork  Times,  Thomas  L. 
Blackwell,  editor;  and  the  Paonian,  Arthur  L.  Craig,  publisher. 

Of  these  the  oldest  is  the  Independent,  which  was  founded  as  the  Delta 
Chief,  March  7,  1883,  by  Robert  D.  Blair.  Later  the  Delta  County  Advertiser 
was  established  by  Charles  W.  Russell,  both  papers  being  consolidated  into  the 
Independent  by  C.  G.  Downing.  On  November  22,  1887,  Harry  Wilson  and 
J.  H.  Woodgate  owned  it,  later  selling  it  to  J.  A.  Curtis.  The  Laborer,  founded 
in  1890  by  R.  J.  Cofi'ey  and  C.  M.  Snyder,  had  but  a  brief  existence. 

CUSTER    COUNTY 

Custer  County  in  the  days  of  its  mining  boom  had  both  weeklies  and  dailies. 
In  1918  only  the  memory  of  these  publications  at  Rosita  and  Silver  Cliff  is 
left,  but  over  at  Westcliffe  the  old  Wet  Mountain  Tribune,  first  published  at 
Rosita,  still  thrives  and  is  a  power  for  good  in  the  able  hands  of  Philip  Doyle. 
In  1890  while  at  Rosita  it  was  the  property  of  Alex  H.  Lacy.  In  September, 
1874,  Charles  Baker,  a  Colorado  Springs  newspaper  man,  and  Ben  L.  Posey 
began  to  publish  the  Index  at  Rosita.  In  1879  Charles  F.  Johnson  bought  it 
and  called  it  the  Sierra  Journal.  The  Silver  Cliff  Prospect,  started  in  1879, 
blossomed  out  as  a  daily  in  June  of  that  year.  On  April  i,  1880,  Dr.  G.  W.  B. 
Lewis  started  the  Silver  Cliff  Weekly  Republican,  and  in  November  1886  C.  E. 
Hunter  and  H.  W.  Comstock  began  publishing  the  Mining  Gazette.  All  have 
gone  to  the  limbo  of  "things-that-were."  In  1878  W.  L.  Stevens  began  the 
^liner  at  Silver  Cliff'. 

In  1882  Will  C.  Ferril,  C.  W.  Bony  and  S.  B.  Coates  began  the  Daily  Herald, 
whicli  lived  nearly  a  year. 

GUNXISO.V 

In  the  spring  of  1880  Root  &  Olney,  printers,  brought  a  new  printing  press 
to  Gunnison.  The  first  paper,  however,  in  Gunnison  County,  had  been  estab- 
lished in  May,  1879,  at  Hillerton  by  Henry  C.  Olney.  Its  existence  was  brief. 
The  Gunnison  Review,  Root  &  Olney's  paper,  began  publication  on  May  15, 
1880,  and  the  first  issue  off'  the  press  sold  for  $100  at  a  public  auction  on  the  day 
of  publication.  On  October  11,  1881,  it  appeared  as  a  daily.  The  Free  Press, 
which  in  the  meantime  had  been  started  as  a  competitor,  was  merged  with  the 
Review,  which  after  August  5,  1882,  became  the  Review-Press.     On  November 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  815 

22,  1886,  with  Henry  C.  Olney  as  publisher,  it  became  a  tri-weekly,  and  in  1889 
was  again  pubHshed  as  a  weekly. 

H.  1'.  Lake  bought  out  the  three  papers:  The  Gunnison  News  in  December, 
1900;  the  People's  Chaiujjion  in  January,  1901;  and  the  Tribune  in  July,  1904, 
and  combined  them  to  make  the  News-Champion.  On  November  i,  191 1,  C. 
F.  Roehrig  bought  the  News-Champion  and  published  it  fourteen  months, 
when  he  sold  it  to  Judge  Clifford  H.  Stone;  on  July  14,  1914,  the  paper  was 
purchased  by  the  News-Champion  Printing  and  Publishing  Company,  and  H. 
F.  Lake,  Jr.,  became  editor  and  manager  of  the  paper. 

The  Gunnison  News  was  the  initial  journalistic  effort  in  Gunnison.  The 
first  issue  appeared  April  17,  1880,  about  a  month  before  the  Review,  with  the 
name  of  Col.  W.  M.  F.  Hall  heading  the  editorial  column.  Colonel  Hall  dis- 
posed of  a  three-fourths  interest  in  the  paper  to  J.  H.  Haverly,  C.  H.  Boutcher, 
formerly  editor  of  a  paper  in  Pennsylvania ;  and  F.  A.  Buck,  editor  of  the 
New  York  Spirit  of  the  Times.  In  August,  1880,  Frank  AIcAIaster  and  Frank 
T.  Southerland  launched  the  Guiuiison  Democrat.  In  June,  1881.  .Mr.  Buck 
consolidated  the  two  papers  into  what  was  known  as  the  News-Democrat.  In 
the  fall  of  the  same  year,  the  paper  became  a  daily-  and  remained  so  until  the 
decline  in  the  fortunes  of  the  town.  Mr.  N.  P.  Babcock  was  the  first  editor 
and  Frank  P.  Tanner  the  business  manager.  Joseph  Heiner  was  a  later  editor. 
In  1891,  the  paper  was  sold  to  the  Gunnison  News  Publishing  and  Printing 
Company,  and  Mr.  C.  T.  Rawalt  was  one  of  the  editors. 

During  the  "hard  times"  of  1893,  and  the  violent  Hnancial  and  political  dis- 
turbances that  accompanied  them,  the  People's  Champion,  a  weekly  paper, 
was  started  in  Gunnison  by  George  C.  Rhode,  one  of  the  populist  leaders,  and  for 
seven  years  it  flourished  as  the  stormy  petrel  of  newspaperdom  on  the  Western 
Slope.     Mr.  Rawalt  was  also  among  its  editors. 

The  Gunnison  Republican  was  started  in  1900  by  C.  T.  Sills,  and  is  strongly 
of  the  republican  persuasion. 

The  Pitkin  Miner,  now  owned  by  W.  J.  Williamson,  is  another  of  the 
old-time  Gunnison  County  publications. 


CHAPTER  XL 
STATE  INSTITUTIONS— CORRECTIONAL  AND  ELEEMOSYNARY 

THE   COLORADO   STATE   PENITENTIARY MODERN    METHODS ROAD    BUILDING BOARD 

OF     PARDONS THE     COLORADO     STATE     HOSPITAL     AT      PUEBLO THE     COLORADO 

SCHOOL     FOR    THE    DEAF    AND    THE     BLIND HOW     IT     HAS    DEVELOPED    INTO    A 

NATIONALLY-FAMED      INSTITUTION ^THE      COLORADO      SOLDIERs'      AND      SAILORS' 

HOME    AT    MONTE    VISTA — COLORADO    STATE    REFORMATORY THE    STATE    HOME 

CARING      FOR      DEPENDENT      AND      NEGLECTED      CHILDREN STATE      INDUSTRIAL 

SCHOOL  FOR  BOYS STATE  INDUSTRIAL  SCHOOL  FOR  GIRLS INDUSTRIAL  WORK- 
SHOP FOR  THE  BLIND SCHOOL  FOR  MENTAL  DEFECTIVES MOTHERS'  COMPEN- 
SATION   ACT. 

The  State  Home,  formerly  known  as  the  State  Home  for  Dependent  and 
Neglected  Children,  the  Soldiers'  and  Sailors'  Home,  the  Industrial  Workshop 
for  the  Blind,  the  Colorado  Insane  AsylunL  now  known  as  the  Colorado  State 
Hospital,  the  State  Home  and  Training  School  for  Mental  Defectives,  the  Colo- 
rado State  Reformatory  and  the  Colorado  State  Penitentiary  comprise  the  list 
of  State  institutions  under  the  jurisdiction  of  the  State  Board  of  Charities  and 
Correction. 

THE    COLOR.XDO    STATE    PENITENTIARY 

The  Territorial  Legislature,  on  January  7,  1868,  established  a  penitentiary 
at  Canon  City.  The  Federal  authorities  built  the  first  cell  house  on  a  twenty- 
five  acre  site  selected  for  this  purpose  and  donated  by  Anson  Rudd.  The  first 
building  contained  forty-two  cells,  entirely  inadequate  under  the  frontier  con- 
ditions of  that  period.  This  first  cell  house  was  opened  June  i,  1871.  with  Mark 
A.  Shaffenberg,  L'.  S.  Marshal  for  Colorado,  in  charge  and  in  April,  1874,  was 
officially  transferred  to  the  territorial  authorities.  The  General  Assembly,  on 
March  13,  1877,  provided  for  its  enlargement  and -maintenance.  The  enabling 
act  had  also  set  aside  a  land  grant  from  which  the  institution  has,  by  leasing  and 
sale,  derived  a  constantly  growing  income.  Improvement  and  enlargements  were 
made  from  year  to  year,  until  1900,  when  three  cell  houses  with  a  total  of  444 
cells  for  men  and  a  separate  prison  for  women  comprised  the  prison  buildings. 

The  following  table  covers  the  expenditures,  maintenance  and  earnings  for 
biennial  periods.  Januar\-  i,  1883,  to  1900. 

Total  expended  Maintenance  Earnings 

1883-1884 $223,154.89  $167,464.23  $50,405-83 

1 885- 1 886 226,486.44                 175.456.70  70,067.28 

816 


VIEW  OF  CANON  CITY  .SHOWING  THE  EXTENT  OF  THE  CITY  IN  THE 

SPRING  OF  1879 
State  Penitentiary  in  the  left  foregrouml. 

(Reproduced  from  a  i^hotographic  enlargement  of  a  wood  engraving.) 


CANON  CITY  ABOUT  1885 
State  Penitentiary   in  foreground. 

(Reproduced   from  an  enlargement   of  a   pliotograpliic   view.) 


818  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

Total  expended  Maintenance  Earnings 

1887-1888   219,84148  171,653.14  80,676.17 

1889-1890 235,847.87  166,098.84  53.836.61 

1891-1892   232,810.44  168,880.60  59,238.47 

1893-1894 267,823.05  179,892.30  36,724.62 

1895-1896 196,192.53  169,578.14  22,982.39 

1897-1898 192,354.45  165.193-57  16,378.91 

1899-1900   221,798.89  158,15745  27,362.89 

The  total  expenditure  for  the  biennial  period  1907-8  was  $254,943.99.  The 
earnings  were  $54,943.99,  bringing  it  up  to  the  old  figures.  But  to  this  should 
now  be  added  the  money  saved  the  state  in  road  building,  which  brings  actual 
earnings  for  these  first  periods  up  to  nearly  if  not  in  every  case  more  than  the 
amount  of  the  entire  maintenance  expense. 

In  191 1  and  1912  the  institution  earned  in  cash  $33,144.24,  and  in  ranch  and 
garden  products  $21,017.23.  Two  new  buildings  were  constructed  by  the  convicts 
and  with  improvements  to  existing  buildings  this  amounted  to  $76,320.36.  The 
road  work  done  during  this  period  amounted  to  $223,479.56.  So  that  the  total 
earnings  were  $353,961.39,  and  the  appropriation  from  the  state  was  $237,000, 
practically  no  increase  over  previous  years. 

In  1915-16  the  value  of  this  road  work  done  by  the  prisoners  is  placed  at 
$465,000,  while  the  maintenance  expense  was  kept  at  practically  the  same  figures 
as  in  the  period  of  1913-14,  $207,000. 

In  the  earlier  years  the  prisoners  were  employed  in  the  quairies,  in  dressing 
stone,  making  brick  and  lime,  building  walls,  repairing  prison  buildings,  and  in 
farm  and  garden  work.  In  the  biennial  period  of  1899-1900  about  2,200,000 
pounds  of  farm  produce  raised  by  prisoners  was  weighed  in  at  the  prison  sides. 

In  August,  1899,  the  indeterminate  sentence  and  parole  law  went  into  eflfect. 
Under  this  prisoners  can  now  by  good  behavior  and  by  work  on  the  highways  cut 
their  terms  nearly  in  half.  With  life  prisoners  also  there  has  now  come  into  ef- 
fect a  policy  of  commuting  the  sentence  to  a  term  of  years,  if  the  conduct  of  the 
prisoner  warrants.  There  is  also  now  a  policy  of  adjusting  sentences  by  means 
of  commutations.  For  instance,  in  one  district  a  prisoner  found  guilty  of  ore 
thefts  will  be  given  a  very  short  sentence.  On  the  other  hand  his  companion  for 
a  similar  crime  in  another  district  will  be  given  an  unusually  severe  sentence.  The 
power  of  commutation  is  now  justly  used  to  adjust  these  irregularities  in  penal- 
ties. 

In  1900  the  General  Assembly  began  to  encourage  the  use  of  prisoners  in  the 
construction  of  state  highways.  In  that  year  about  seventy  miles  of  road  was 
thus  improved  under  legislative  enactment  between  Pueblo  and  Leadville.  Under 
the  methods  first  adopted  the  prisoners  were  turned  over  to  a  road  superintendent 
and  there  was  constant  dissension  between  the  latter  and  the  prison  authorities. 
Finally  the  work  was  placed  in  direct  charge  of  the  prison  officials  and  the  results 
were  in  every  way  satisfactory. 

In  1903  the  three  cell  houses  were  entirely  inadequate  and  cells  were  in  many 
instances  occupied  by  two  prisoners.  In  1904  a  new  cell  house  provided  quarters 
for  an  additional  hundred  prisoners.     In  1907  the  hospital  and  insane  ward  and 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  819 

the  new  bakery  plant  were  constructed,  the  labor  coming  nearly  altogether  from 
prisoners. 

In  1906  the  Legislature  appropriated  funds  for  the  construction  of  a  north 
and  south  highway  across  the  state,  beginning  at  Trinidad.  This  work  was  done 
largely  by  prison  labor,  and  is  one  of  the  best  constructed  highways  in  the  state. 
Under  what  was  known  as  the  Lewis  law  much  work  was  done  by  convicts  on 
county  roads. 

In  1910  Thomas  J.  Tynan,  the  present  warden,  made  his  first  biennial  re- 
port, and  two  paragraphs  taken  from  this  give  some  conception  of  the  reforms 
introduced  by  him :  "The  present  system  of  handling  prisoners  is  an  incentive 
to  the  preservation  of  self-respect.  Instead  of  sending  broken  revengeful  men 
back  into  the  world — in  no  wise  reformed  but  simply  trained  to  greater  cunning 
— there  are  being  restored  mended  men,  eager  and  willing  to  be  made  of  such 
use  as  society  will  permit.  By  removing  the  continual  threat  of  arms,  by  elimi- 
nating oppression  and  brutalities,  by  establishing  a  system  of  graded  rewards  for 
cheerfulness  and  industry,  the  penitentiary  has  been  given  a  wholesome,  helpful 
atmosphere.  Beginning  with  the  first  of  the  year,  191 1,  no  striped  clothing  is  to 
be  in  use  in  this  prison,  the  present  system  permitting  the  change  from  'stripes' 
to  blue  after  a  probationary  period  of  ninety  days." 

The  prisoners  on  parole  December  i,  1908,  numbered  676;  paroled  in  1909 
and  1910,  544;  of  this  total  number  only  sixty-two  were  returned  either  for  vio- 
lation of  parole  or  for  crimes  committed  while  on  parole. 

It  is  now  estimated  that  80  per  cent  of  those  placed  on  parole  arc  making 
good. 

In  the  biennial  period,  191 1  and  191 2,  the  daily  average  of  prisoners  contained 
in  the  penitentiary  was  768,  compared  with  724  in  1909-1910.  Of  these  334,  or 
52  per  cent,  were  daily  employed  on  trust  and  honor.  The  prisoners  built  in  this 
period  157  miles  of  road.  In  1914-15  this  mileage  was  149.  In  1915-16  the 
institution  worked  1,085  prisoners  on  road  and  farm  work. 

In  1907-8  there  were  1,243  individual  prisoners  handled;  in  1909-10  this  fig- 
ure grew  to  1.402;  in  1911-12  this  figure  was  1,462:  in  1913-14,  it  was  1,603. 
Appropriations  for  these  periods  were:  1907-8,  $216,000;  1909-10,  $240,000; 
1911-12,  $237,000;  1913-14,  $208,000;  1915-16,  $207,000. 

The  new  administration  building,  the  appropriation  for  which  was  made  from 
earnings  of  land  owned  by  the  institution,  was  completed  and  is  now  occupied. 
The  old  administration  building  has  been  razed.  During  this  and  the  previous 
biennial  period  the  cell  houses  were  enlarged  and  made  thoroughly  sanitary.  The 
Colorado  penitentiary  is  today  considered  one  of  the  model  institutions  of  its 
kind  in  the  country. 

The  State  Board  of  Corrections,  which  has  supervision  of  the  state  peni- 
tentiary, consisted  January  1.  1918,  of  E.  B.  Wicks,  of  Pueblo,  president;  L.  C. 
Paddock,  of  Boulder;  and  T.  B.  Allen,  of  Denver,  secretary.  Thomas  T-  Tvnan 
continues  as  warden.  The  last  Board  of  Penitentiary  Commissioners  consisted 
of  Joseph  H.  Maupin,  of  Canon  City,  president :  E.  W.  McDaniel,  of  La  Junta ; 
and  Mrs.  Helen  L.  Grenfell,  of  Denver,  secretary. 

The  work  of  Thomas  J.  Tynan  is  thus  epitomized  by  a  newspaper  student  of 
his  methods:  "Fifteen  life-termers  are  among  the  300  convicts  who  in  khaki-clad 
gangs  of  about  sixty  are  blasting  out  good   road=:  through  the  Rockies.     They 


820  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

work  under  unarmed  overseers,  with  no  stockades,  no  barbed  wire,  no  baJl  and 
chain,  no  growl  of  guns.  Nine  o'clock  at  night  sees  a  roll-call  at  each  road  camp. 
Then  the  gang  climbs  into  its  tented  bunks  and  the  camp's  solitary  rifle  is  shoul- 
dered by  the  night  guard-convict,  who  keeps  a  keen  lookout  for  coyotes.  Less 
than  one-half  of  one  per  cent  of-the  convicts  so  trusted  have  escaped  since  Colo- 
rado's first  road  camp  was  pitched,  May  12,  1908.  Special  legislation  gives  in  ad- 
dition to  a  liberal  good-behavior  allowance  a  ten-day  reduction  of  term  for  every 
thirty  days  in  a  road  camp.  Thus  a  Colorado  convict  sentenced  to  between  ten 
and  t\Venty  years  is  enabled  to  earn  his  release  in  four  years  and  three  months. 
When  the  State  Board  of  Pardons  met,  December,  1912,  at  Denver,  Bud  Parrott, 
murderer  and  life  term  convict  and  who  had  been  one  of  the  most  desperate 
characters  in  the  state,  in  answer  to  a  telegram  from  his  warden,  left  the  road 
camp  alone  and  in  citizen  clothes,  boarded  a  train  at  Fort  Collins,  rode  alone 
seventy-seven  miles  to  Denver,  talked  unattended  to  Governor  Shafroth,  pleaded 
his  own  case  before  the  board,  and  then  quietly  returned  to  camp.  He  was  par- 
doned in  1913.  When  the  famous  Sky  Line  Drive,  at  Canon  City,  the  road  to 
the  top  of  the  Royal  Gorge,  was  completed,  the  700  convicts  who  had  built  it 
were  the  reception  committee  along  the  drive  to  welcome  the  governor  and 
staff.  Convicts  built  this  famous  highway  for  $6,400.  When  Mr.  Tynan  was 
appointed  in  March,  1909.  he  found  500  idle  convicts,  seventeen  of  whom  were 
insane.  There  were  guards  who  swore  at  convicts,  spies  who  peeped  into  cells 
at  night,  whips  for  flogging  men.  a  final  substitute  for  the  paddle  which  was  used 
for  years,  and  unsanitary  conditions  generally.  He  changed  all  that.  This  is 
what  the  convicts  did  in  1909  and  1910,  exclusive  of  road  building:  Built  for 
$16,059.45  a  modern  $75,000  hospital  buildmg,  measuring  138x48  ft.,  contain- 
ing every  hospital  necessity  from  sun-parlor  to  morgue,  and  designed  by  Fran- 
cisco. No.  6,515,  a  life  termer,  who  had  learned  all  his  architecture  at  the  peni- 
tentiary; laid  8,539  square  feet  of  cement  floor  in  the  prison,  and  42.775  square 
feet  of  cement  sidewalk  outside ;  installed  a  complete  duplicate  electric-lighting 
system,  throughout  the  penitentiary,  installed  a  complete  new  heating  sys- 
tem, laid  19,014  fire-brick:  built  a  railroad  spur  to  the  penitentiary  quarry, 
enabling  him  to  sell  $17,000  worth  of  stone  a  year;  screened  every  door 
and  window :  planted  ivy  vines  around  all  of  the  stone  buildings ;  drove  a  tunnel 
far  into  the  Royal  Gorge,  obtaining  the  purest  mountain  water  for  Canon  City 
and  the  penitentiary:  dug  and  operated  twenty  acres  of  irrigation  ditches;  worked 
four  ranches,  including  500  acres  of  rented  land,  and  earned  from  these  farms 
$12,000  for  the  prison." 

BOARD  OF  PARDONS 

The  Board  of  Pardons,  created  in  1893  by  the  General  Assembly,  consisted 
for  the  next  biennial  period  of  the  members  of  the  State  Board  of  Charities  and 
Correction.  In  1895,  '^y  enactment,  a  distinctive  Board  of  Pardons,  with  the 
secretary  of  the  state  board  of  charities  and  correction,  acting  in  this  capacity  for 
both  bodies,  was  created.  The  term  of  office  is  four  years,  the  governor  presiding 
over  its  deliberations.  Its  duties  are  to  investigate  all  applications  for  executive 
clemency  and  lay  the  facts  before  the  governor  with  its  recommendations.  The 
first  state  board  of  pardons  under  the  act  comprised:  Albert  W.  Mclntire,  gov- 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  821 

ernor;  Dr.  Ida  Xoyes  Beaver,  of  Den\cr;  Robert  W.  Uonynge,  of  Denver;  Wil- 
liam F.  Slocum,  Jr.,  of  Colorado  Springs;  Dr.  Eugene  A.  Wheeler,  and  John  II. 
Gabriel,  of  Denver. 

THE  COI.OR.XDO  ST.\TE  HOSPIT.XL 

The  second  instilution  established  in  the  state  was  tlie  State  Insane  Asylum 
at  Pueblo.  The  General  Assembly  approved  the  act  establishing  the  institution 
February  8,  1879.  Up  to  that  time,  and  even  up  to  recent  years,  the  counties  were 
compelled  to  house  their  insane  in  jails  and  private  hospitals.  A  few  were  pro- 
vided for  outside  the  state.  The  larger  cities  of  the  state,  particularly  Denver, 
have  been  in  continuous  dispute  over  the  housing  of  the  insane.  This  is  largely, 
however,  due  to  the  lack  of  room  in  the  asylum  at  Pueblo,  which  is  only  now 
reaching  a  point  at  which  its  capacity  covers  the  demand  for  space. 

In  1879  a  farm  of  forty  acres,  including  the  residence  of  former  United 
States  Senator  George  M.  Chilcott,  was  purchased  for  $22,308.80.  The  first  ap- 
propriation was  $8,000,  and  this  with  the  one-fifth  mill  tax,  which  has  always 
been  its  chief  source  of  revenue,  made  it  possible  to  open  the  institution  October 
23,  1879,  using  the  old  Chilcott  residence  for  housing  the  twelve  patients  who 
had  been  boarded  by  the  state  at  the  Jacksonville,  111.,  hospital. 

In  1881  the  Legislature  voted  a  fund  for  a  new  building,  and  for  the  purchase 
of  forty  acres  adjoining  the  old  Chilcott  property.  This  was  completed  in  1883, 
and  in  1887  the  west  wing  was  partially  constructed  and  the  building  for  women 
was  begun.  The  demand  for  space  from  all  sections  of  a  fast-growing  state 
made  new  construction  necessary  every  year.  In  1898-99  additional  capacity  w-as 
found  by  removing  abandoned  stairways,  rearranging  storage  rooms,  and  by 
utilizing  unused  dining  rooms  in  the  women's  building.  In  that  year  the  new 
cottage  for  men  was  completed.  The  growth  of  the  institution  from  1879  to 
1900  is  best  shown  by  figures: 

Admitted  Cost  of 

Males  Females  Buildings 

1879-1880  55  19  $22,308.80 

1881-1882  ~\  21  60,911.21 

1883-1884  56  40  83,146.90 

1885-1886 143  22  25,718.00 

1887-1888  152  55  53,643.61 

1889-1890 198  72  46,248.69 

1891-1892  158  66  60,000.00 

1893-1894  19S  106  21,210.00 

i895-i8(/) 243  38  40,818.57 

1897-1898 200  29  18,726.44 

1899-1900  225  92  19,467.92 

In  1904  two  additional  cottages,  costing  $98,000,  accommodated  200  men  jia- 
tients. 

In  1908  the  cottage  for  100  women  cost  $50,000. 

In  1909-10  three  cottages,  costing  $150,000,  provided  fnr  200  men  and  100 
women. 


822  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

In  191 5-16  the  building  expense  was  approximately  $100,000,  and  200  addi- 
tional patients  were  provided  for. 

In  1900  the  property  of  the  institution  consisted  of  eighty  acres  of  land,  one 
hundred  shares  in  the  Pueblo  ditch,  cultivating  twenty  acres,  with  twenty  acres 
available  under  a  new  water  right ;  three  buildings  with  wings  valued  at  $340,- 
000;  furnishings,  etc.,  bringing  total  value  of  property  up  to  $468,700. 

In  the  report  for  1900  the  following  paragraph  gives  some  conception  of  the 
need  for  immediate  increase  in  capacity :  "By  a  wise  administration  of  the  parole 
law  available  space  for  hospital  treatment  has  been  found  as  occasion  arises,  yet 
there  remain  outside  the  hospital  fully  two  hundred  patients  rightfully  entitled 
to  care  and  treatment  by  the  state.  These  are  at  the  present  time  being  cared 
for  in  the  county  hospital  at  Denver,  at  Dr.  Hubert  Work's  private  sanitarium  in 
Pueblo,  and  a  very  small  number  temporarily  confined  in  county  jails  and  court- 
houses. It  is  safe  to  estimate  that  the  state  will,  within  the  ne.xt  two  years,  be 
required  to  arrange  to  accommodate  600  patients." 

The  new  lunacy  law  passed  at  the  suggestion  of  the  State  Board  of  Charities 
in  1899  provided  for  a  new  lunacy  commission.  Dr.  P.  R.  Thombs,  who  had  been 
superintendent  from  1879  to  1899,  retired,  and  Dr.  A.  P.  Busey,  for  twenty  years 
engaged  in  hospital  work  at  St.  Joseph,  Missouri,  was  engaged  to  take  his  place. 
Later  Dr.  Anna  Williams  was  appointed  physician  in  the  women's  department. 

By  the  end  of  1904  there  were  737  patients  as  compared  with  503  at  the  be- 
ginning of  the  biennial  period.  The  completion  of  two  cottages  and  one  wing  to 
the  women's  building  made  room  for  300  additional  patients  who  had  been  await- 
ing admission  for  more  than  two  years. 

By  the  end  of  1906  there  were  in  the  hospital  787  patients.  On  November 
30,  1908,  this  had  increased  to  902,  525  men  and  377  women.  The  new  cottage 
for  women  opened  August  12,  1908.  was  filled  at  once.  By  November  30,  1910, 
the  patients  numbered  1,131,  and  the  need  of  additional  buildings  was  impera- 
tive. By  the  end  of  this  biennial  period  three  additional  cottages  had  been  erected, 
accommodating  300,  200  men  and  100  women.  Eighty-eight  lots  adjoining  the 
hospital  grounds  were  purchased,  and  for  the  first  time,  in  the  report  for  1911-12 
the  General  Assembly  was  asked  to  change  the  name  of  the  institution  to  "State 
Hospital." 

The  law  passed  in  1893  provided  that  "all  new  or  additional  buildings  erected 
upon  the  asylum  grounds  must  be  of  modern  size  and  on  the  cottage  plan ;  each 
building  to  be  designed  to  accommodate  not  less  than  fifty  and  not  more  than 
one  hundred."    This  provision  has  been  carefully  carried  out. 

On  December  31,  1912,  Dr.  A.  P.  Busey  resigned  to  take  charge  of  the  State 
Home  and  Training  School  for  Mental  Defectives,  and  was  succeeded  by  the 
present  superintendent.  Dr.  H.  A.  La  Moure,  who  had  for  some  years  been 
Doctor  Busey's  assistant. 

The  General  Assemblies  of  191 1  and  1913  failed  to  provide  for  additional 
housing  facilities  and  the  result  was  the  citation  of  the  superintendent  on  the 
charge  of  contempt  of  court,  for  refusing  to  receive  Denver  patients.  This  case 
was  eventually  dismissed. 

The  number  of  patients  in  the  institution  June  30,  1916,  was  1,189,  which 
provided  for  nearly  all  of  those  on  the  waiting  list. 

The  General  Assembly  in  1917  changed  its  name  from  Colorado  Insane  Asy- 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  823 

luin  10  Colorado  State  Hospital,  and  provided  a  two-tenths  of  a  mill  levy  for  its 
iiiaiiitenance.  The  State  Board  of  Corrections  now  supervises  the  operation  of 
the  institution  in  place  of  the  former  Board  of  Lunacy  Commissioners.  The 
last  board  consisted  of  A.  T.  Stewart,  of  Pueblo,  president;  Dr.  Louis  Hough, 
of  Denver,  secretary ;  W.  E.  Furrow,  of  Pagosa  Springs. 

THE  COLORADO  SCHOOL  FOR  THE  DE.^F  AND  THE  BLIND 

The  Colorado  School  for  the  Deaf,  to  which  was  subsequently  added  a  de- 
partment for  the  blind,  was  organized  in  the  territorial  days  during  the  early 
months  of  1874. 

The  founder  of  the  school,  Jor.athan  Kennedy,  came  to  Colorado  from  Kan- 
sas in  January,  1874,  and  located  with  his  family  in  Denver  in  the  following 
month.  He  had  been  for  several  years  steward  of  the  Kansas  School  for  the 
Deaf  at  Olathe,  where  three  children  of  his  own  were  pupils  and  he  was  there- 
fore in  a  position  not  only  to  realize  the  great  need  of  a  special  school  for  the 
deaf,  but  also  to  bring  an  ample  fund  of  experience  and  an  intimate  knowledge 
of  the  character  and  necessities  of  such  a  school  into  the  held  when  it  came  to 
securing  friends  and  convincing  the  uninformed  and  skeptical  that  such  a  school 
could  and  should  be  established. 

The  tirst  person  whose  sympathies  he  enlisted  in  the  cause  was  Dr.  Richard 
G.  Buckingham,  one  of  the  most  prominent  citizens  and  a  leading  physician  of 
Denver  and  a  member  of  the  Territorial  Legislature.  Governor  McCook  of  the 
territory  was  also  won  over,  and  the  leading  members  of  the  Legislature,  thq 
tenth,  then  in  session,  were  soon  convinced  of  the  humanity  and  practicability  of 
the  scheme.  Mr.  Kennedy  exhibiting  the  attainments  of  his  own  children  who 
had  had  several  years  instruction  at  the  Kansas  school,  and  the  striking  and 
painful  contrast  shown  in  the  mental  darkness  and  helplessness  of  two  or  three 
uneducated  deaf  children  whom  he  also  presented  before  the  Legislature.  Under 
such  favorable  auspices  the  work  was  easy.  Hardly  a  voice  was  heard  in  op- 
position when  the  bill  creating  the  school  under  the  title  of  the  "Colorado  Insti- 
tute for  the  Education  of  Mutes,"  with  an  appropriation  of  $5,000  and  authoriz- 
ing a  special  tax  of  one-fifth  of  one  mill  to  be  levied  annually  for  its  support 
came  up  for  discussion. 

The  bill  provided  for  a  Board  of  Trustees  to  consist  of  seven  members,  and 
the  following  gentlemen  were  appointed  by  the  governor  and  duly  qualified  as 
prescribed  by  law:  Dr.  R.  G.  Buckingham  of  Denver,  Matt  France,  J.  S.  Wolfe 
and  A.  Z.  Sheldon  of  Colorado  Springs,  Wilbur  F.  Stone  of  Pueblo,  James  P. 
Maxwell  of  Boulder  and  Joseph  A.  Thatcher  of  Central  City.  The  board  thus 
constituted  held  a  meeting  on  the  3d  of  March,  1874,  at  which  all  were  present 
except  Messrs.  Maxwell  and  Thatcher,  and  organized  by  electing  Doctor  Buck- 
ingham president,  Mr.  Sheldon  secretary  and  Mr.  Wolfe  treasurer.  By-laws 
and  regulations  for  the  new  school  were  proposed  and  adopted  and  Messrs. 
France,  Wolfe  and  Sheldon  appointed  an  executive  committee.  At  a  meeting 
of  the  board  on  the  following  day  Mr.  James  P.  Ralstin,  a  teacher  of  some  ex- 
perience in  the  Kansas  school,  was  elected  principal,  while  for  the  positions  of 
superintendent  and  matron  the  choice  naturally  fell  upon  J.  R.  Kennedy  and  his 
wife,  Mrs.  Mary  E.  Kennedy. 


824  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

Colorado  Springs  had  been  fixed  upon  as  the  site  for  the  new  school,  and  at 
the  first  meeting  of  the  board  the  Colorado  Springs  Land  Company  submitted 
an  offer  to  donate  a  tract  of  ten  acres  of  land  forming  a  gentle  eminence  just 
east  of  the  city,  provided  the  buildings  for  the  school  should  be  erected  thereon. 
It  is  hardly  necessary  to  say  that  this  generous  oft'er  was  accepted.  The  same 
company  about  ten  years  later  added  three  acres  to  its  original  grant,  and  again, 
in  1888,  a  strip  of  about  one  and  a  half  acres  along  Pike's  Peak  Avenue.  Further 
additions  to  the  holdings  of  the  school  were  made  later  through  the  generosity 
of  Gen.  W.  J.  Palmer,  founder  of  the  city  and  president  of  the  land  company 
alluded  to,  whereby  ample  room  for  the  expansion  of  the  school  was  rendered 
possible.  A  part  of  the  land  thus  secured  is  now  utilized  in  a  large  athletic  field 
named  in  honor  of  the  donor,  Palmer  Field,  where  football,  baseball  and  other 
out-of-door  sports  are  indulged  in  in  season.  The  south  half  of  the  area  is  de- 
voted to  experimental  gardening.  A  number  of  cottages  are  located  in  the  south- 
west corner  and  the  income  from  renting  these  yields  quite  a  respectable  sum 
which  is  devoted  to  the  use  and  benefit  of  the  school  library. 

Meanwhile,  pending  the  erection  of  suitable  buildings  on  the  original  site,  a 
frame  house  on  Cucharas  Street  was  secured,  and  on  the  8th  of  April,  1874,  the 
Colorado  School  for  the  Deaf  was  formally  opened. 

The  school  during  the  first  week  of  its  existence  numbered  seven  pupils, 
though  in  the  course  of  the  year  six  more  were  added.  The  first  names  entered 
on  the  records  are  those  of  M.  S.  Kennedy,  E.  A.  Kennedy  and  O.  H.  J.  Ken- 
nedy, children  of  the  superintendent,  William  and  James  ^^'ebb  of  Central  City, 
John  C.  Simmons  of  Golden,  and  j\Iary  E.  Walker  of  ISTevada,  Gilpin  County. 

The  frame  building  on  Cucharas  Street  was  occupied  for  nearly  two  years 
at  a  monthly  rent  of  $50,  but  recognizing  its  total  unfitness  for  the  purposes  of 
the  school,  and  the  necessity  of  taking  steps  to  permanently  secure  the  land 
donated  by  the  Colorado  Springs  Company,  the  board  at  a  meeting  held  April  7, 
1875.  empowered  the  executive  committee  to  take  steps  toward  the  erection  of  a 
suitable  building  not  to  cost  more  than  five  thousand  dollars,  and  instructed  the 
committee  to  negotiate  a  loan  of  this  amount.  The  main,  or  middle  structure  of 
the  original  building,  now  used  as  a  dormitory,  was  the  outcome.  It  is  of  white 
sandstone,  with  red  sandstone  trimmings,  and  is  of  substantial  construction. 

The  school  was  removed  to  its  new  quarters  with  appropriate  ceremonies  and 
rejoicing  early  in  1876.  and  was  thus  able  to  hail  the  Centennial  of  the  Republic 
and  the  admission  of  Colorado  to  the  sisterhood  of  states  securely  housed  and 
well  equipped. 

In  1879  the  Legislature  made  a  special  r.ppropriation  of  $5,500  for  the  erec- 
tion of  the  south  wing  of  the  original  building  and  two  years  later  another  of 
$20,000  for  the  north  wing,  furnaces  and  other  needed  improvements.  In  1883 
a  laundn,'  and  a  barn  built  of  stone  were  added  to  the  list  of  buildings.  In  1889 
the  Legislature  appropriated  $80,000  for  a  new  school  building,  boiler  house  and 
annex  to  the  main  building.  The  Eighth  Legislature,  recognizing  the  pressing 
need  for  increased  room,  appropriated  $31,500  for  a  girls'  hall,  hospital  cottage 
and  other  improvements.  An  appropriation  of  $25,000  was  made  bv  the  General 
Assembly  of  1892  for  an  industrial  building  with  the  necessary  power  and  ma- 
chinery, an  electric  light  plant,  a  superintendent's  cottage,  a  fullv  equipped  bakery, 
books   for  the  library  and   other  additions  and  improvements   required  by  the 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  825 

growth  and  necessities  of  the  school.  The  present  administration  building,  Argo 
Hall  (the  boys'  dormitory j,  the  remodeling  of  the  industrial  building  erected  in 
1894,  adapting  it  as  a  separate  department  for  the  younger  pupils,  with  dormi- 
tories, school  rooms,  play  rooms,  etc.,  and  the  enlargement  and  remodeling  of 
the  boiler  house  providing  adequate  quarters  under  one  roof  for  the  various  in- 
dustries of  the  school  except  that  of  domestic  science,  which  is  provided  for  in 
one  of  the  frame  cottages  on  the  school  grounds,  summarizes  the  building  pro- 
gram up  to  the  spring  of  1917.  In  the  spring  of  last  year  (1917),  contracts  w^re 
let  for  remodeling  thoroughly  the  girls'  hall,  bringing  it  up  to  date  in  every  pos- 
sible way  at  a  minimum  of  expense  and  an  addition  built  at  the  south  end  pro- 
vides an  excellent  sleeping  porch  for  fifteen  of  the  girls,  a  beautiful  sitting  room 
for  the  older  deaf  girls  and  a  bright  sunny  playroom  for  the  younger  ones. 

All  the  buildings  are  heated  by  steam  and  lighted  by  electricity  throughout, 
and  the  most  improved  and  advanced  labor  and  time-saving  appliances  and  de- 
vices that  characterize  progressive  institutions  of  the  kind  are  employed.  Of 
late  years  the  grounds  have  had  attention  under  the  direction  of  a  competent 
landscape  architect,  and  a  comprehensive  plan  for  future  development  was 
adopted  which  will  insure  a  sightly  whole  when  carried  out.  The  total  value  of 
buildings,  grounds  and  furnishing  is  $480,000.  This  includes  the  ranch  of  120 
acres  east  of  the  city  and  the  live-stock  thereon. 

During  the  first  few  months  of  the  school  the  number  of  puj)ils  was  so  small 
that  the  principal,  Air.  Ralstin,  required  no  assistance  in  the  schoolroom.  Less 
than  a  year  after  the  opening  the  increase  necessitated  the  employment  of  an 
assistant,  and  Oliver  J.  Kennedy,  a  son  of  the  superintendent,  was  appointed 
in  January,  1875.  Industrial  education  in  the  school  dates  from  this  period. 
Printing  was  made  a  regular  trade,  with  O.  J.  Kennedy  as  teacher,  and  a  small 
paper.  The  Deaf  Mute  Index,  was  started,  the  first  number  being  issued  on  the 
31st  of  January,  1875.  Since  then  the  paper  has  been  a  regular  feature  of  the 
school  work  and  has  proven  a  potent  factor  in  bringing  the  school  and  its  methods 
and  aims  to  the  notice  of  the  public  throughout  the  state.  Incidentally  the  trade 
of  printing  has  been  of  considerable  value  to  the  school  in  furnishing  it  at  a 
minimum  of  cost  a  great  amount  of  printed  matter  necessary  in  the  various 
departments.  The  office  is  now  well  equipped  with  the  necessary  material  and 
machinery,  the  latest  addition  thereto  being  the  most  improved  model  linotype. 

Other  industries  were  added  from  time  to  time,  carpentry,  joiner  work  and 
wood  carving  in  1883,  baking  in  the  fall  of  1891,  and  chair-caning  in  1888,  mat- 
tress making  and  broom  making  in  1890,  the  last  three  trades  being  for  the 
blind  pupils.  Sewing  and  dressmaking  had  been  taught  the  girls  ever  since  the 
school  started  and  became  a  regular  occupation  with  a  salaried  instructor  late 
in  the  '70s.  In  1890  a  sewing  class  for  the  l)lin(l  girls  was  started  and  has  been 
continued  as  a  regular  feature  of  their  instruction.  sup])lemented  by  bead  and 
fancy  work. 

Returning  to  the  personnel  of  the  officers  after  the  organization,  Mr.  Ralstin 
continued  at  the  head  of  the  educational  department  for  six  years.  He  retired 
in  1880  and  Mr.  R.  H.  Kinney  of  Ohio,  took  his  place.  Mr.  Kinney  remained 
but  one  year,  however,  being  succeeded  by  Mr.  Robert  P.  McGregor,  also  of 
Ohio.  An  attempt  was  made  during  his  term  to  introduce  articulation  and  lip 
reading,  and  a  teacher  was  employed,  but  circumstances  of  an  unfavorable  nature 


826  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

intervened  and  the  attempt  proved  abortive.  Mr.  McGregor  remained  as  princi- 
pal but  one  year,  his  successor  being  Pender  W.  Downing  of  Minnesota.  By 
that  time,  1882-3,  the  enrollment  of  pupils  had  reached  forty-seven,  and  there 
were  three  assistant  teachers.  Mr.  Downing  retired  at  the  close  of  the  session' 
of  1882-3 ;  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kennedy,  the  superintendent  and  matron  respectively 
since  the  organization  of  the  school,  also  retiring  at  the  same  time.  Air.  Ken- 
nedy's health  had  failed  during  the  term,  and  he  died  in  the  following  November. 

The  vacancies  caused  by  the  resignations  of  Air.  and  Mrs.  Kennedy  and  Mr. 
Downing  were  hlled  by  the  appointment  in  August,  1883,  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  George 
Failor,  of  Colorado  Springs,  as  superintendent  and  matron  respectively,  and  Mr. 
S.  T.  Walker  of  Illinois  as  principal.  At  the  time  of  their  appointment  the 
board  of  trustees  of  the  school,  realizing  that  the  previous  troubles  of  the  school 
were  due  to  a  lack  of  harmony  and  cooperation  between  the  educational  and 
domestic  departments,  demanded  an  agreement  to  certain  conditions  calculated 
to  eliminate  friction,  and  reserving  to  itself  the  supreme  authority  in  both  de- 
partments. The  result  was  disastrous.  Mr.  Walker  resigned  three  months  after 
identifying  himself  with  the  school,  while  Mr.  Failor  was  forced  to  retire  in 
the  following  February,  with  the  charge  of  attempting  to  kill  one  of  the  pupils 
hanging  over  his  head. 

After  considerable  difficulty  and  some  delay  the  board  of  trustees  secured 
the  services  of  Mr.  J.  W.  Blattner,  a  wideawake  and  energetic  young  teacher 
from  the  Iowa  school  at  Council  Bluffs,  to  take  the  principal's  place,  and  Mrs. 
Anna  O.  Whitcomb,  the  articulation  teacher  appointed  at  the  opening  of  the 
term,  was  appointed  matron.     She  also  assumed  the  duties  of  superintendent. 

Mr.  Blattner  held  the  position  but  eleven  months,  resigning  in  November, 
1884.  He  resigned  on  condition  that  the  board  should  appoint  as  his  successor 
Mr.  D.  C.  Dudley,  an  experienced  and  capable  teacher  of  the  deaf  from  Ken- 
tucky, whose  failing  health  forced  him  to  seek  the  climate  of  Colorado  to  re- 
cuperate.    He  entered  upon  his  duties  as  principal  November  18,   1884. 

Mr.  Walker's  brief  administration  was  marked  by  the  opening  of  the  blind 
department.  The  Legislature  had  passed  a  law  as  early  as  1877  admitting  the 
blind  to  the  school,  but  had  failed  to  make  proper  provision  for  the  increased  ex- 
pense necessary,  but  in  1883  the  resources  of  the  state  had  increased  to  such  an 
extent  that  it  was  decided  to  make  the  venture.  Accordingly  an  experienced 
teacher  was  engaged,  the  necessary  books  and  appliances  purchased,  and  the  de- 
partment formally  opened  with  three  pupils  in  attendance.  They  were  Hugh  Mc- 
Cabe,  of  Clear  Creek  County,  Jennie  Prout,  of  Jefiferson  County,  and  Roland 
Griffin,  of  Pueblo  County. 

At  the  same  time  the  blind  were  admitted  to  the  privileges  of  the  school  in 
1877  the  title  of  the  school  was  changed  to  "Colorado  School  for  the  Deaf  and 
the  Blind,"  by  which  it  has  since  been  known. 

By  this  time  it  had  become  evident  that  a  change  in  the  law  eliminating  the 
"divided  authority"  feature  of  the  original  enactment  was  necessary  to  assure  the 
future  prosperity  of  the  school,  and  its  best  friends  proceeded  to  bring  that  de- 
sirable change  about.  A  new  law  was  carefully  drafted  and  submitted  to  the 
General  Assembly  in  January.  1885,  by  Senator  Irving  Howbert  of  Colorado 
Springs.  It  passed  without  difficulty,  and  with  its  enactment  a  new  era  dawned 
for  the  school.     The  law  provided  that  the  board  of  trustees  should  consist  of 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  827 

tive  members,  whose  terms  of  office  should  expire  at  different  times,  so  that  no 
more  than  two  members  could  be  appointed  at  any  one  time.  It  specified  that 
the  direct  management  of  the  school  be  vested  in  a  superintendent  experienced 
in  the  education  of  the  deaf  and  blind  and  of  demonstrated  executive  ability  and 
other  qualifications  essential  to  inspire  confidence  as  a  man  and  as  an  educator 
in  this  special  field.  He  was  to  nominate  all  of  his  subordinate  officers,  and 
was  to  be  immune  from  removal  except  for  cause. 

The  gentlemen  to  constitute  die  new  board  under  the  law  were  as  follows : 
Daniel  Hawks  of  Greeley,  Henry  Bowman  of  Idaho  Springs,  Henri  R.  Foster 
of  Denver,  Charles  E.  Noble  and  Andrew  L.  Lawton  of  Colorado  Springs.  The 
board  organized  in  April,  1885,  by  the  election  of  Mr.  Foster  as  president,  Mr. 
Lawton  as  secretary  and  Mr.  Noble  as  treasurer.  Mr.  D.  C.  Dudley  was  elected 
superintendent  of  the  school,  and  upon  his  recommendation  all  the  officers  and 
employes  of  the  school  at  that  time  were  retained  with  few  exceptions. 

Within  a  few  short  years,  however,  Mr.  Dudley's  health  failed  and  he  was 
compelled  to  relinquish  his  position  and  retire  to  recuperate.  Fortunately  there 
was  a  competent  successor  at  hand  to  assume  the  work  reluctantly  laid  down  by 
Mr.  Dudley,  in  the  person  of  John  E.  Ray,  who  had  been  elected  head  teacher 
in  the  deaf  department  the  year  before.  He  had  had  years  of  experience  in  the 
North  Carolina  school-  for  the  deaf  and  the  blind,  and  was  therefore  so  well 
equipped  that  the  board  immediately  elected  him  to  succeed  Mr.  Dudley. 

After  a  period  of  almost  seven  years  as  superintendent  Mr.  Ray  resigned  to 
become  superintendent  of  the  Kentucky  school.  This  period  was  marked  by  an 
extraordinary  expansion  of  the  school  in  buildings,  improvements,  attendance 
and  efificiency.  It  could  hardly  have  been  otherwise  with  so  able  and  energetic 
a  head.  In  the  meantime  Mr.  Dudley,  having  in  a  measure  regained  his  health, 
had  been  ai)pointed  head  teacher  in  the  school,  and,  upon  Mr.  Ray's  retirement, 
again  became  superintendent.  He  continued  in  office  until  1899,  when  ill-health 
once  more  forced  him  to  relinciuish  the  position,  and  his  death  occurred  some 
months  later.  W.  J.  Argo,  also  from  the  Kentucky  school,  succeeded  to  the 
superintendency  in   March,    1899. 

The  nineteen  years  following  this  have  been  marked  by  an  uninterrupted  growth 
of  the  school  and  an  increase  in  efficiency  in  every  department.  New  buildings 
of  the  most  modern  design  and  construction  have  been  erected  when  needed, 
remodeling  of  those  already  built  along  most  approved  lines  whenever  possible, 
has  been  done,  provision  for  health-promoting  outdoor  recreation  for  the  pupils 
made,  a  well  stocked  library  for  the  use  of  both  pupils  and  officers  secured  with 
funds  for  its  care  and  maintenance  assured.  In  fact  every  facility  and  appli- 
ance that  makes  for  efficiency  in  an  educational  way  has  been  provided  for  every 
department  of  the  school. 

The  board  of  trustees  of  the  Colorado  School  for  the  Deaf  and  the  Blind, 
January  i,  1918,  comprised:  Joseph  F.  Humphrey,  president,  Colorado  Springs; 
Dr.  Hubert  Work,  of  Pueblo ;  Mrs.  Jane  E.  Pettcpier,  of  Arvada ;  A.  J.  Lawton, 
treasurer,  Colorado  Springs ;  Charles  J.  Schrader,  secretary,  Limon.  Dr.  W.  P. 
Argo  is  superintendent.    Dr.  B.  P.  Anderson  is  the  physician  in  charge. 

The  enrollment  for  the  session  of  1914-15  was  200,  102  deaf  and  08  blind: 
for  1915-16  the  enrollment  was  209,  165  deaf  and  44  blind. 


828  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

THE  COLORADO  SOLDIERS'  AND  SAILORS'  HOME 

In  1887  tlie  General  Assembly  made  it  compulsory  for  county  commissioners 
to  defray  the  funeral  expenses  of  indigent  Union  soldiers,  sailors  or  mariners, 
Stipulating  that  "the  expense  of  such  burial  shall  not  exceed  the  sum  of  $50." 

This  legislative  enactment,  however,  called  attention  to  the  need  of  providing 
for  the  living  and  indigent  Union  soldiers  as  well  as  for  those  who  died  too 
poor  to  provide  for  burial. 

Finally,  on  March  15,  1889,  the  act  establishing  a  Soldiers'  and  Sailors'  Home 
was  approved.  This  gave  the  governor  power  to  appoint  a  commission  of  six 
men  "to  establish  and  maintain  at  some  convenient  point  in  the  San  Luis  Park, 
in  the  State  of  Colorado,  a  Soldiers  and  Sailors'  Home  for  the  care  and  treat- 
ment of  honorably  discharged  soldiers,  sailors  and  mariners,  who  served  in  the 
L'nion  armies  between  the  12th  day  of  April,  1861,  and  the  9th  day  of  April, 
1865,  and  those  dependent  upon  them,  who  have  been  bona  fide  residents  of  this 
state  at  least  one  year  prior  to  application." 

The  first  appropriation  was  $40,000,  and  the  home  was  located  three  miles 
east  of  Monte  Msta  on  land  donated  by  citizens  of  that  town.  This  was  an 
eighty  acre  tract  used  for  farming,  and  forty  acres  upon  which  the  buildings  were 
erected.  This  latter  portion  includes  a  lake  and  a  ten  acre  garden  tract.  The 
first  structures  were  opened  October  i,  1891. 

By  1900  the  commander's  residence  had  been  erected,  following  the  con- 
struction of  the  main  building  two  stories  in  height  with  two  one  story  wings. 
In  addition  there  had  been  erected  a  commissary  building,  a  hospital,  a  power 
house,  kitchen  and  dining  room,  all  of  stone,  and  a  frame  assembly  hall.  One 
hundred  acres  of  the  donated  tract  were  by  1900  all  under  cultivation. 

The  first  commissioners  comprised:  John  A.  Coulter,  of  Clear  Creek,  presi- 
dent; Col.  P.  Stanley,  of  San  Juan;  John  \V.  Browning,  of  Arapahoe;  John  D. 
Lewis,  of  Monte  \"ista;  George  W.  Cook,  of  Denver;  Orlando  Bonner,  of  Rio 
Grande.  The  General  .Assembly  in  1893  made  the  commander  of  the  Colorado 
and  Wyoming  G.  A.  R.,  when  a  citizen  of  Colorado,  an  e.x-officio  member  of 
the  board. 

The  General  Assembly  in  1895  retained  the  latter  provision  but  reduced  the 
board  to  three  members,  and  authorized  this  body  "to  appoint  a  commander, 
adjutant,  commissarv  quartermaster,  physician  and  bookkeeper"  for  the  home. 
It  limited  the  admission  to  those  whose  pensions  were  $12  a  month  or  less,  except 
for  hospital  treatment.  In  1899  the  Spanish  war  veterans  were  made  eligible 
for  admission  to  the  home,  and  in  191 1  the  home  was  also  thrown  open  to  Con- 
federate veterans. 

The  record  of  the  first  decade  follows: 

Admitted 
1891-2    97 

1893-4    ••••■ 45 

1895-6    69 

1897-8    56 

1899-1900  79 


'ischarged 

Deaths 

48 

5 

56 

5 

64 

9 

38 

9 

52 

27 

HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  829 

By  the  end  of  1906  the  daily  average  attendance  had  grown  to  157.  During 
1905,  seventy-six  were  admitted  and  tifty-nine  was  the  record  of  discharges  and 
deaths.  The  number  in  the  home  at  the  end  of  1906  was  249.  In  that  year  the 
new  stone  dining  hall  was  built,  the  stone  morgue  was  erected,  and  a  beautiful 
conservatory  was  added  to  the  home. 

Until  1906  all  but  S5  of  the  monthly  pension  money  of  residents  was  col- 
lected from  them.  The  act  of  Congress  prohibiting  this  practice  on  the  part  of 
the  State  Homes,  has  been  carefully  adhered  to  since  that  year. 

In  1907  the  daily  average  attendance  was  157;  in  1908  it  was  168.  The  mem- 
bership on  November  30,  1910,  was  209;  absent  on  furlough,  37;  total,  246.  The 
daily  average  attendance  in  1912  was  191;  in  1913  it  was  167;  in  1915  it  \vas 
179;  in  1916,  178. 

The  Eighteenth  General  .Assembly,  in  191 1,  appropriated  $15,000  for  the 
erection  of  cottages  to  accommodate  soldiers'  wives  when  admitted.  Eight 
four-room  cottages  were  therefore  at  once  erected,  and  these  were  nicely  fur- 
nished by  the  G.  A.  R.  and  W.  R.  C.  of  the  state.  In  1914  six  additional  cot- 
tages were  erected  and  furnished.  All  of  these  are  now  occupied  by  veterans 
and  their  wives.  In  19 17  the  General  Assembly  amended  the  act  providing  for 
a  board  of  four  commissioners,  three  of  whom  must  be  honorably  discharged 
soldiers,  sailors  or  mariners,  and  one  a  woman. 

In  addition  to  the  above  the  honie  receives  from  the  Federal  Government 
$100  yearly  for  each  man.  The  veterans  not  alone  have  their  pensions,  but  the 
state  allows  each  of  them  $25  for  clothing. 

The  commanders  in  charge  of  the  home  have  l>een :  John  H.  Shaw,  C.  S.  Al- 
drich,  A.  J.  Woodside,  Thomas  F.  Foote.  Austin  Hogle.  The  board  in  1918 
consisted  of  James  Moynihan.  Denver;  W.  H.  McDonald,  Grand  Junction;  John 
Conkie,  Trinidad. 

COLOR.\DO    ST.VTE    REFORM.VTORY 

The  Colorado  State  Reformatory  was  created  on  .April  19,  1889,  the  site  to 
be  in  Chaffee  County,  and  the  purpose  clearly  stated  to  be  "the  care,  education 
and  training  of  ofl'enders  of  the  law  who  may  be  found  just  starting  upon  a 
criminal  career."  All  persons  convicted  who  are  between  the  ages  of  sixteen  and 
thirty  years  may  be  committed  under  an  indeterminate  sentence.  The  term  of 
incarceration  as  well  as  the  term  of  parole  is  left  to  the  Board  of  Control,  al- 
though final  discharge  is  due  when  he  shall  have  reached  the  age  limit. 

A  special  committee  selected  a  tract  of  480  acre?  of  land  lying  one  mile  south 
of  Buena  \'ista,  and  the  Board  of  Penitentiary  Commissioners,  authorized  by 
law  to  manage  the  reformatory,  proceeded  to  establish  the  institution. 

Prisoners  of  the  "trusty"  class  were  taken  from  the  penitentiary  at  Canon 
City  to  the  reformatory  to  clear  the  land,  build  fences,  stockades  and  temporary 
buildings.  The  wing  of  one  of  the  stone  cell  houses  was  completed  in  1896,  and 
104  cells  were  then  available.  In  1900  approximately  seventy  thousand  dollars 
had  been  expended  on  buildings,  all  of  which  are  of  modern  construction. 

In  1891-2  temporary  quarters  were  found  for  107  youthful  prisoners  trans- 
ferred from  the  state  penitentiary.  In  1893-4  ninety-two  were  committed,  and 
ninety  were  transferred  from  Canon  City.     In  1S99-1900  the  number  committed 


830  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

was  234.  In  that  period  206  had  been  paroled.  During  its  first  decade  the  board 
of  control  paroled  757  of  these  youthful  prisoners. 

In  this  first  period  A.  A.  Dutcher  was  warden,  and  in  his  report  for  1903-4 
says  that  65  per  cent  of  the  145  inmates  were  learning  a  trade.  He  abolished  the 
prison  garb,  substituting  a  neat  cadet  suit  of  gray.  In  1908  the  large  two-story 
granite  building,  217  feet  by  50,  with  its  one-story  addition  was  completed,  and 
was  put  into  use  for  dining  room,  kitchen,  bakery,  chapel  and  schoolroom.  To 
this  was  added  in  1910  and  1912  additional  cell  rooms,  a  sanitary  dairy  barn,  a 
cement  chicken  house  and  a  hog  yard  of  concrete. 

With  the  parole  law  effective  the  number  in  the  institution  does  not  grow 
much  beyond  capacity.  On  November  30,  1912,  there  were  161  inmates.  While 
518  were  received  during  that  year,  598  were  discharged.  In  the  next  biennial 
period  391  were  committed  and  351  were  paroled.  On  November  30,  1914,  the 
inmates  numbered  143. 

During  the  last  biennial  period  223  boys  were  employed  on  near-by  farms 
and  ranches,  and  earned  $3,534.18,  which  goes  to  their  families.  These  working 
permits  are  given  prior  to  parole.  For  the  last  three  biennial  periods  the  pris- 
oners have  constructed  several  hundred  miles  of  state  roads. 

The  Colorado  State  Reformatory,  like  the  penitentiary,  is  now  under  control 
of  the  Board  of  Corrections.     The  warden.  January  i,  1918,  was  M.  P.  Capp. 

THE    ST.\TE    HOME 

The  State  Home,  at  its  inception  known  as  the  State  Home  for  Dependent 
and  Neglected  Children,  was  created  April  10,  1895.  It  is  designed  to  be  a 
home  for  such  children  as  have  been  found  by  the  county  and  juvenile  courts  of 
the  state  to  be  dependent,  neglected,  maltreated  or  kept  in  evil  environment.  The 
state  thus  takes  charge  of  such  children  as  would  by  reason  of  parentage  and 
environment  grow  up  lacking  education,  selt-respect  and  all  ideals  necessary  to 
make  them  good  and  respected  citizens.  Any  child  under  sixteen  may  be  com- 
mitted by  either  the  juvenile  or  county  courts.  In  March,  1896,  a  remodeled 
church  building  in  Denver  was  rented,  and  the  home  was  started  with  less  than 
twenty  children.  By  the  end  of  the  first  biennial  period  the  attendance  had 
reached  eighty.  At  this  time  a  state  agent  was  engaged  to  find  suitable  homes 
for  the  children  and  this  is  now  helping  materially  to  reduce  the  attendance. 
But  no  child  from  this  home  can  be  placed  in  a  home  on  trial  or  by  adoption  unless 
this  shall  be  approved  by  the  superintendent,  agent  or  board  of  county  visitors, 
or  by  the  county  commissioners,  or  by  the  agent  of  the  State  Board  of  Charities 
and  Correction. 

In  1902  forty  acres  on  South  Clarkson  and  South  Washington  streets, 'in 
Arapahoe  County,  adjoining  Denver,  were  purchased  as  the  site  for  the  new 
State  Home.  A  number  of  tents,  together  with  the  stone  residence  already  on 
the  grounds,  furnished  shelter  until  the  new  buildings  were  completed.  Four 
buildings  were  erected,  all  in  the  Mission  style  of  architecture.  The  school  build- 
ing, two  stories  and  a  basement,  contained  four  school  rooms.  There  was  in 
addition  a  domestic  building,  a  boys'  cottage  with  large  play  room,  dormitories, 
baths,  etc.,  a  hospital  building,  with  four  wards  and  a  boiler  house  and  laundry. 
In  1908  a  new  administration  building  was  put  up. 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  831 

The  new  girls'  building  was  completed  in  1914,  and  in  the  same  year  the 
nursery  was  completely  remodeled. 

The  first  resolution  of  the  Board  of  Control  declaring  boys  self-supporting 
was  passed  September  14,  1903,  and  by  1905  twenty  boys  between  fifteen  and 
eighteen  years  old  had  been  discharged  and  have  all  become  self-supporting  in- 
dustrious citizens  of  Colorado. 

For  the  girls  a  domestic  science  class  was  established  in  1906,  and  this  has 
been  one  of  the  most  effective  improvements  made  since  the  State  Home  was 
opened.  In  1907  the  superintendents  of  the  Denver  schools  took  charge  of  the 
school  arrangement  and  provided  teachers  for  all  the  home  classes.  The  aver- 
age number  of  pupils  in  attendance  during  19 10  was  175. 

On  November  30,  1908.  there  were  in  the  home  131  boys  and  72  girls,  a  total 
of  203;  on  November  30,  1910,  the  school  enlarged:  girls,  82;  boys,  133.  During 
the  biennial  period  69  were  adopted.  On  November  30,  191 2,  there  were  in  the 
home  157  boys  and  95  girls;  75  boys  and  one  girl  were  declared  self-supporting; 
46  boys  and  43  girls  were  adopted;  35  boys  and  33  girls  were  indentured.  On 
November  30,  1914,  the  number  in  the  home  was  236;  on  November  30,  1916,  it 
was  230.  The  home  received  from  March,  1896,  to  November  30,  1912,  1,530 
children,  of  whom  46  were  in  homes  on  trial;  117  in  homes  on  indenture;  357 
have  been  adopted;  149  restored  to  parents;  306  have  become  self-supporting; 
145  died. 

On  January  11,  1918.  the  Board  of  Control  for  the  State  Home  consists  of: 
j\Irs.  Clara  L.  Hunter,  president;  ^Irs.  Margaret  Patterson  Campbell,  Mrs.  Par- 
meter  Curtis  Porter,  Mrs.  Anna  Reynolds  Morse,  and  William  V.  Hodges.  The 
superintendent  is  C.  A.  Donnelly. 

THE   STATE   I.XDUSTRIAL   SCHOOL    FOR    BOYS 

The  General  .Assembly  established  tlie  State  Industrial  School  for  Boys,  May 
13,  1881,  and  on  July  i(\  1881,  with  three  pupils  sent  from  Custer  County,  the 
school  was  opened  in  what  had  been  Jarvis  Hall,  in  Golden.  When  important 
building  changes  were  made  at  the  State  School  of  Mines,  the  Industrial  .School 
occupied  the  large  building  left  vacant  and  added  an  extension.  The  grounds 
comprised  five  acres,  giving  ample  room  for  additional  buildings.  When  a  sec- 
ond building  was  needed  Governor  Pitkin,  with  fifty-two  other  citizens,  signed 
a  note  to  meet  the  added  expenses  of  enlarging  the  institution.  Four  brick  build- 
ings were  erected  in  1883,  and  the  main  building  was  remodeled.  In  November, 
1882,  by  loan  subscriptions,  a  shop  was  erected,  a  foreman  engaged  and  a  broom 
factor)'  started,  but  with  little  success.  In  1890  the  first  cottage  was  erected,  and 
in  1 891  the  brickyard  was  established,  the  boys  making  200,000  brick  that  year. 
In  1893-4  they  made  465,000  brick.  By  1900  a  new  administration  building  to 
replace  a  burned  structure,  two  cottages  and  a  hospital  building  had  been 
erected,  and  with  the  Sloyd  department  the  entire  manual  training  feature 
of  the  school  was  reorganized.  In  191 2  the  school  owned  519  acres  of  land,  a 
good  part  of  which  is  under  cultivation.  The  pupils  are  now  assigned  to  classes 
in  typewriting  and  bookkeeping,  printing,  woodworking,  gardening,  mason  and 
cement  work,  shoe  and  harness-making,  tailoring,  florist's  work,  boiler  and  ma- 
chine work,  farming,  baking,  laundry  and  culinarv  work. 


832  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

The  additional  cottages  have  barely  kept  up  with  the  need  for  housing  room. 
In  1881  and  1882,  80  were  admitted  and  5  discharged.  In  1899  and  1900,  200 
were  admitted  and  136  discharged.  On  July  i,  1910,  there  were  362  inmates.  At 
the  end  of  1912  there  was  an  average  attendance  of  367.10.  In  1916  the  average 
daily  attendance   for  the   biennial   period   was  295. 

The  Board  of  Control  for  the  Industrial  School  for  Boys  consists  of  Otis  A. 
Rooney.  of  Morrison,  president :  Mrs.  A.  G.  Rhoads,  of  Denver,  and  D.  R.  Hatch, 
of  Golden,  secretary.  Its  tirst  superintendent  was  \V.  C.  Sampson,  of  Plaintield, 
Indiana,  who  served  from  June,  1881,  to  April,  1889.  Fred  L.  Padelford  as- 
sumed the  office  of  superintendent  August,  1912,  and  is  still  in  charge.  His  work 
has  attracted  the  attention  of  students  along  industrial  correction  lines  all  over 
the  country. 

THE   ST.\TE   INDUSTRI.\L   SCHOOL   FOR   GIRLS 

On  April  4,  1887,  the  General  Assembly  created  what  is  now  known  as  the 
State  Industrial  School  for  Girls.  Under  the  act  girls  convicted  of  offenses  under 
the  law  were  sentenced  to  the  Golden  Reformatory  School,  as  it  was  then  gen- 
erally called.  This  was  soon  stopped  for  obvious  reasons,  and  the  convicted  girls 
were  committed  to  the  care  of  the  Sisters  of  the  House  of  the  Good  Shepherd  in 
Denver,  the  county  committing  bearing  the  expense  of  maintenance. 

On  June  20,  1895,  a  Board  of  Control  was  appointed  by  the  governor  and  an 
independent  state  institution  was  established  under  the  act  of  1887,  ^^  what  had 
been  known  as  the  St.  Cloud  Hotel  on  St.  Charles  Street  near  City  Park.  The 
women  of  the  state  raised  sufficient  funds  to  operate  the  school  at  this  place. 

On  September  i,  1895,  a  medical  force  was  organized  with  four  male  physi- 
cians, each  appointed  to  serve  three  months.  These,  with  a  consulting  surgeon 
and  a  dentist  completed  the  staff'. 

On  March  10,  1898,  a  committee  was  appointed  and  a  group  of  buildings 
leased,  five  cottages  of  six  and  eight  rooms  each,  with  plenty  of  playground,  for 
a  term  of  one  year,  in  Aurora,  a  suburb  of  Denver.  At  the  end  of  four  months 
the  school  was  in  discouraging  condition,  practically  without  funds,  little  credit 
and  an  outstanding  indebtedness  of  more  than  fifteen  thousand  dollars.  Five 
months  later  after  a  most  careful  and  painstaking  effort  they  paid  oft'  their  debt 
and  had  on  hand  sufficient  funds  to  run  the  school  the  following  four  months. 
Day  school  was  organized  at  this  time  and  was  doing  good  work.  The  popula- 
tion December  30,  1898.  was  thirty-two  girls. 

The  lease  of  the  buildings  at  Aurora  expired  March,  1900,  and  after  several 
months  the  present  home  was  located  on  what  was  then  known  as  the  Henry 
Estate  at  Henr}^  on  the  Morrison  branch  of  the  C.  &  S.  Railroad,  three  miles 
due  west  of  Fort  Logan.  The  purchase  price,  including  the  twelve  room  house 
and  forty  acres  of  land  was  $8,000. 

The  move  was  made  August  2,  1900,  with  thirty-six  girls  and  six  officers. 
Accommodations  were  general!}'  so  inadequate  that  some  of  the  girls  were  com- 
pelled to  sleep  in  the  cellar  for  a  time.  By  the  time  winter  set  in  arrangements 
were  made  for  them  and  a  temporary  schoolhouse  was  built.  On  December  i, 
1900,  there  were  seventy-one  girls. 

The  first  new  cottage  was  opened  May,  1902,  at  a  cost  of  $16,572,  thoroughly 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  833 

well  equipped  with  its  own  heating  plant,  electricity,  splendid  bathing  facilities 
including  tubs  and  showers  and  accommodated  forty  girls. 

December  i,  1902,  found  more  improvements  and  a  population  of  108  girls. 
In  1904,  music  was  given  a  place  of  more  importance  for  the  school  at  this  time 
had  three  pianos  and  one  of  the  teachers  gave  half  time  to  instruction  in  both 
voice  and  piano. 

In  1906,  the  Board  of  Control  secured  the  services  of  Miss  Marian  II.  Rud- 
gers,  an  institutional  woman  of  experience  and  ability,  from  New  York,  who  dur- 
ing the  next  five  years  worked  wonders  for  the  school,  bringing  it  up  to  the 
present  high  standard.  Her  death  on  January  29,  1912,  was  a  great  loss  to  both 
the  girls  and  the  school. 

Under  the  leadership  of  Miss  Rudgers  an  honor  cottage  was  instituted  where 
new  commitments  were  placed  and  kept  on  their  honor  unless  by  some  act  they 
were  alone  responsible  for,  they  were  degraded,  which  rarely  happened. 

At  that  time  girls  who  had  earned  the  right  to  be  paroled  were  kept  at  the 
executive  building  and  were  given  many  privileges  and  liberties.  Dancing  classes 
were  now  being  formed,  meeting  at  the  class  rooms  on  Saturday  afternoons, 
the  assistant   superintendent   teaching  them. 

The  nurse  at  this  time  conducted  a  class  weekly  in  hygiene  and  physiology. 

In  1908,  the  disciplinarian  cottage  was  built  which  was  a  woncjerful  help  in 
segregating  the  troublesome  girls  as  constant  association  with  the  better  girls 
had  a  tendency  to  affect  them. 

The  Woman's  Club  of  Colorado  Springs  has  for  several  years  made  indi- 
vidual gifts  to  the  girls  at  Christmas.  The  Denver  Woman's  Club  has  always 
been  much  interested  in  the  general  welfare  of  the  school  and  contributes  enter- 
tainments occasionally,  many  of  its  members  making  frequent  visits. 

In  1910,  a  cottage  was  built  for  the  superintendent  which  includes  in  it  the 
office  for  all  executive  work,  the  original  cottage,  the  Louisa  M.  Alcott,  having 
been  rebuilt  with  dormitories  upstairs.  The  same  year  an  orchestra  was  formed 
of  seventeen  pieces  which  has  done  and  is  continuing  to  do  splendid  work. 

Physical  culture  has  been  developed  and  is  helping  materially  in  building  up 
the  physical  condition  of  the  girls.  Out-of-door  games  are  enjoyed,  especially 
baseball,  during  the  summer  months.  Under  the  direction  of  officers  the  girls 
have  made  and  laid  cement  walks. 

April  7,  1913,  the  Marian  Rudgers  cottage  was  opened,  a  model  building  in 
every  detail.  The  assembly  hall  was  opened  Thanksgiving  Day,  1912,  and  re- 
ligious services  are  held  there  every  Sunday 

At  present  the  home  has  three  day  school  rooms  with  two  sessions  daily,  and 
competent  teachers  in  dressmaking,  model  sewing,  basketry,  arts,  music,  domes- 
tic science,  etc.  There  is  now  a  class  of  thirty-four  meeting  daily  at  Red  Cross 
work. 

The  population  in  1918  is  132  girls. 

During  the  summer  the  girls  work  in  the  gardens  the  aim  being  to  raise  all 
the  vegetables  used  during  the  year. 

The  Board  of  Control  for  the  Industrial  School  for  Girls  at  Morrison,  con- 
sists of  Edward  C.  Stimson,  of  Denver,  President,  Mrs.  John  Atkins,  Mrs.  James 
D.  Whitmore,  Mrs.  Henry  Van  Kleek,  secretary,  all  of  Denver.  Mrs.  Mary  A. 
Anderson  of   Morrison.     The  present   suiierintendcnt   is   F.Hzabcth    Purcell.      In 

Vol.  I— .'iS 


834  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

the  last  biennial  period  there  were  105  new  commitments,  the  number  placed  on 
parole  was  iiS.    The  number  discharged  after  a  year's  test  on  parole  was  91. 

THE  INDUSTRIAL  WORKSHOP  FOR  THE  BLIND 

The  blind  people  of  Colorado  began  the  agitation  for  a  state  workshop  in 
1905,  when  the  Colorado  Association  of  the  Adult  Blind  enlisted  the  aid  of  Rev. 
John  W.  Huston  of  the  Fifth  Avenue  Church.  He  not  alone  aided  in  drafting 
the  bill  but  secured  Senator  Wm.  M.  Robertson  to  introduce  and  sponsor  the 
measure.  In  the  House  of  Representatives  J.  J.  Laton  presented  the  measure. 
The  iirst  appropriation  which  the  act  carried  was  $10,000,  and  on  April  18,  1907, 
the  first  Board  of  Control  was  appointed  consisting  of  Rev.  John  W.  Huston, 
Robert  Morris  and  Samuel  W.  Mohler.  They  were  succeeded  by  Thomas  Drake, 
E.  P.  Gallup  and  B.  M.  Webster,  all  of  Denver. 

The  building  rented  and  occupied  was  at  the  corner  of  Jason  Street  and 
West  Eleventh  Avenue,  Denver,  and  the  shop  was  opened  August  13,  1907.  A 
donation  of  $500  by  Senator  James  C.  Burger,  together  with  the  state  fund, 
sufficed  to  buy  a  complete  outfit  for  broom-making. 

During  the  first  biennial  period  it  taught  fifteen  men  and  seven  women  and 
furnished  employment  to  thirty-two  people.  During  this  time  it  sold  $2,389.83 
worth  of  its  finished  product.  During  the  biennial  period  ending  November  30, 
1910,  fourteen  men  and  six  women  were  given  instruction  and  employment.  The 
average  wage  earned  by  the  blind  employes  for  the  period  was  $1.02  per  day. 
This  average  was  slightly  reduced  in  the  biennial  period  ending  November  30, 
1912,  but  the  usefulness  of  the  workshop  was  made  clear  and  a  building  was 
erected  in  1913,  at  618  E.  Arizona  Avenue.  This  contains  three  separate  depart- 
ments, and  the  output  was  nearly  doubled  by  reason  of  the  additional  facilities. 

The  Board  of  Control  of  the  Colorado  Industrial  Workshop  for  the  Blind 
at  Denver  consists  of  B.  M.  Webster,  of  Denver,  president ;  Albert  A.  Reed,  of 
Denver,  secretary ;  C.  W.  Hall,  of  Denver,  treasurer.  The  superintendent  is 
R.  M.  Winston.  During  the  last  biennial  period  twenty-two  blind  men  and  women 
were  given  work. 

The  employes  made  72,141  brooms  during  1916,  and  with  the  surplus  on  hand, 
sold  in  all  82,894  brooms  for  which  the  workshop  received  $19,934.75.  In  addi- 
tion to  the  inmates  four  blind  men  now  make  a  living  selling  the  brooms  made 
in  the  workshop. 

THE   COLOR.\DO   STATE    HGAIE   AND  TR.MNING    SCHOOL    FOR    MENTAL   DEFECTIVES 

The  great  work  of  caring  for  mental  defectives  in  the  United  States  began 
in  1848  when  the  Commonwealth  of  Massachusetts  opened  an  experimental  school 
for  this  class,  and  was  followed  by  New  York  in  185 1.  From  this  small  begin- 
ning has  grown  the  vast  work  now  being  carried  on  by  fully  three-fourths  of 
all  the  states  of  the  Union. 

In  Colorado  the  need  of  an  institution  for  this  class  was  first  mentioned 
among  the  recommendations  in  the  report  of  the  State  Board  of.  Charities  and 
Correction  in  1892.  In  nearly  all  the  reports  of  this  board,  up  to  and  including 
that  made  in   1908,   this   recommendation   was   repeated,   and   during  this   time 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  tJ3o 

papers,  showing  its  need,  were  read  at  several  of  the  conferences,  as  well  as 
before  medical  and  other  societies.  In  1905,  and  again  in  1907,  bills  to  establish 
this  institution  were  introduced,  but  failed  of  passage.  In  1907,  Governor  Buch- 
tel  urged  the  need  of  an  institution  in  his  inaugural  address  and  in  his  message 
to  the  Legislature. 

In  1908,  after  an  investigation  into  the  number  of  cases  and  cost  of  their  sup- 
port in  each  county,  the  matter  was  taken  up  by  Mrs.  James  Williams,  of  Den- 
ver, who  visited  each  hold-over  member  of  the  Legislature  and  laid  before  him 
the  urgent  need  of  an  institution  for  the  care  and  training  of  these  unfortunates. 
Following  the  election  of  1908,  Mrs.  Williams  also  visited  all  new  members. 

The  bill  was  introduced  in  the  Seventeenth  General  Assembly  by  Senator 
John  S.  Irby,  and  through  the  eft'orts  of  Senators  James  C.  Burger  and  Thomas 
J.  Ehrhart  was  brought  out  of  committee  and  finally  passed,  and  was  approved 
by  Governor  Shafroth  May  5,   1909. 

An  application  for  land  on  which  to  locate  the  institution  was  made  to  the 
.State  Board  of  Land  Commissioners  and,  after  many  sites  were  considered,  the 
choice  fell  upon  one  consisting  of  310  acres,  situated  in  Jefferson  County,  about 
two  miles  west  of  Aravada. 

Thomas  F.  Daly  and  Charles  D.  Grififith,  of  Denver,  and  Benjamin  F.  Lowell, 
of  Colorado  Springs,  were  appointed  on  the  first  Board  of  Control.  Under  their 
supervision  the  erection  of  the  building  was  begun  in  April,  1910,  the  center  and 
one  wing  of  the  main  building  being  completed  that  year.  In  191 1,  with  the 
appropriation  granted  by  the  Eighteenth  General  Assembly,  the  remaining  wing 
of  the  building  was  built,  as  well  as  the  powerhouse  and  laundry  building. 

The  Home  and  Training  School  was  opened  for  the  reception  of  inmates 
in  July,  1912.  Because  of  the  lack  of  facilities  for  receiving  and  properly  classi- 
fying cases  of  all  ages,  and  also  in  order  to  emphasize  the  school  feature  of  the 
Home  and  Training  School,  the  Board  of  Control  decided  to  admit  only  cases 
between  the  ages  of  five  and  fourteen  years.  This  limit  was  later  raised  to 
twenty  years. 

As  the  name  implies,  this  institution  has  two  chief  purposes :  the  first,  to  offer 
a  home  to  these  unfortunates  who  cannot  be  properly  cared  for  in  their  own 
homes,  and  when  grown  cannot  cope  with  the  world;  and,  second,  to  intelligently 
train  those  capable  of  receiving  instruction,  that  they  may  be  made  happier  by 
being  kept  busy  as  well  as  partially  self-supporting. 

Dr.  A.  P.  Busey,  who  had  been  head  of  the  Colorado  Stale  Hospital,  was 
made  medical  superintendent.  On  November  30,  191 2,  there  were  25  males  and 
20  females  in  the  home.  On  November  30,  1914,  this  had  grown  to  80,  the 
capacity  of  the  institution.  On  July  i,  1916,  the  number  had  grown  to  82  with  a 
considerable  waiting  list.  This,  however,  has  been  provided  for  by  an  appro- 
priation of  $30,000  for  additional  colleges. 

A  little  over  half  of  the  inmates  are  capable  of  mental  and  manual  training; 
for  these  ample  provision  is  made,  there  being  kindergarten,  elementarj'  English, 
manual  and  industrial  classes. 

Many  of  the  boys  work  on  the  farm,  in  the  garden,  in  the  kiundrv  and  in 
the  kitchen.    Boys  and  girls  alike  assist  in  the  house  work. 

The  State  Board  of  Commissioners  in  charge  of  the  State  Home  and  Training 
School   for  Mental   Defective-^   mi   January    i.    iQiS.   consisted   of   Benjamin    F. 


836  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

Lowell,  of  Colorado  Springs,  president;  Charles  D.  Griffith,  of  Denver,  and 
Gustav  Anderson,  of  Denver,  secretary.  Dr.  A.  P.  Busey  continues  as  medical 
superintendent. 

mothers'  compensation  act 

During  the  twelve  months  ending  June  30,  191 5,  the  Boards  of  County  Com- 
missioners of  eleven  counties:  Arapahoe,  Boulder,  Conejos,  Denver,  Douglas, 
Fremont,  Garfield,  Kit  Carson,  Lincoln,  Morgan,  and  Pueblo,  established  funds 
to  carry  out,  in  part,  the  provisions  of  the  Mothers'  Compensation  Act.  El  Paso, 
Jefferson,  Mesa,  Weld  and  Yuma  honored  court  requisitions  made  under  the  law. 
The  total  expended  by  these  sixteen  counties  was  $27,163.20.  The  total  num- 
ber of  families  aided  from  July  i,  1914,  to  June  30,  191 5,  was  148,  including  489 
children.  In  the  past  two  years  this  record  has  been  greatly  improved  upon. 
Records,  however,  are  not  available  until  the  end  of  the  biennial  period. 

Under  the  Mothers'  Compensation  Act  assistance  was  given  to  205  heads  of 
families  and  675  children  in  the  twenty-four  months  ending  November  30,  1916. 


CHAPTER  XLI 
LABOR  WARS  OF  HALF  A  CENTURY 

FIRST    ORGANIZATION    OF    METALLIFEROUS    MINERS    IN    COLORADO THE    LEADVILLE 

STRIKES    OF     1880    AND     1896 REDUCTION     MILL     EMPLOYES*     STRIKE SYMPA- 
THETIC  STRIKE  AT   CRIPPLE   CREEK THE   "EIGHT-HOUR"    STRIKE  OF    I9O3 — THE 

TROUBLE     IN     IDAHO    SPRINGS — TROUBLE    AT    TELLURIDE— STRIKES    AT     CRIPPLE 
CREEK,    1903-4 — THE   STRIKES   IN   THE   COAL   SECTIONS   OF   COLORADO. 

(Compiled  direct  from  official  reports  of  the  U.  S.  Department  of  Labor.) 

A  history  of  the  labor  wars  of  Colorado  is  a  difficult  task  in  view  of  the 
conflicting  statements  from  the  two  sides  of  the  controversy.  It  is  the  purpose 
of  this  narrative,  however,  to  allow  no  bias  of  any  kind  to  creep  into  its  pages, 
and  the  following  record  follows  in  its  details  the  official  reports  made  to  the 
Government  at  Washington. 

Some  form  of  organization  among  the  metalliferous  miners  in  Colorado, 
has  been  in  existence  since  1879.  The  first  union  composed  of  hard-rock  miners 
in  this  state  of  which  there  is  any  record  was  organized  at  Leadville.  It  was 
publicly  known  as  the  Miners'  Co-operative  L'nion,  but  in  reality  it  was  a 
Knights  of  Labor  assembly,  working  in  secret.  It  was  chartered  in  January, 
1879,  as  is  shown  by  the  records  of  the  general  office  of  the  Knights  of  Labor. 
It  was  the  second  Knights  of  Labor  assembly  organized  in  Colorado.  The 
first  one  was  composed  of  coal  miners  at  Erie,  and  its  charter  was  issued  in 
August,  1878.  The  Co-operative  Miners'  Union,  as  it  was  called  was  involved 
in  the  strike  at  Leadville  in  1880.  The  membership  of  this  union  largely 
increased  during  the  progress  of  the  strike,  and  at  its  close  included  nearly  all 
the  miners  in  that  camp. 

A  miners'  union,  with  85  chartered  members,  was  organized  at  Leadville  in 
May,  1885.  Within  two  years  it  reached  a  membership  of  about  600,  and  in 
1889  it  was  chartered  as  an  assembly  of  the  Knights  of  Labor.  From  1885 
to  1890  several  miners'  unions  were  organized  in  the  different  mining  camps 
in  Colorado.  They  were  entirely  local.  There  was  no  affiliation  between 
them,  not  even  any  arrangement  for  the  exchange  of  working  cards.  Some  of 
them  became  assemblies  of  the  Knights  of  Labor,  some  went  out  of  existence, 
while  about  four  maintained  a  more  or  less  active  organization.  In  the  spring 
of  1893,  with  the  exccijtion  of  the  few  local  unions  referred  to,  having  a  very 
small  membership,  the  only  organizations  of  miners  in  Colorado  were  Knights 
of  Labor  assemblies  that  were  composed  exclusively  of  miners,  of  which  assem- 
blies there  were  several.     Tlicre  were,  however,  other  metalliferous  miners  who 

8.37 


838  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

belonged  to  Knights  of   Labor  assemblies  that  were  composed  of   workingmen 
of  various  trades. 

The  Western  Federation  of  Miners  was  organized  at  a  convention  held 
May  IS,  1893,  at  Butte,  Montana. 

The  delegates  represented  15  unions  of  miners,  as  follows:  Aspen,  Creede, 
Ouray,  and  Rico,  Colorado ;  Butte,  Bannock,  Barker,  Belt  Mountain,  and  Gran- 
ite, Montana;  Burke,  Gem,  and  Mullan,  Idaho;  Central  City  and  Lead  City, 
South   Dakota;    Eureka,   Utah. 

A  sketch  of  the  organization  in  the  report  of  the  bureau  of  labor  statistics 
of  the  State  of  Colorado  for  1902  says  that  the  federation  had  grown  "from 
the  small  beginning  of  14  unions,  which  took  out  charters  when  the  organization 
was  formed  in  1893,  to  165  unions,  and  the  membership  had  increased  from 
something  like  2,000,  to  2,500  at  most,  to  about  48,000  in  good  standing." 

In  1902,  Charles  H.  Mover  was  elected  president;  in  the  previous  year 
Wm.  D.  Haywood  had  been  chosen  secretary.  Both  held  these  positions  at  the 
time  of  the  strike  of  1903. 

Until  1901  the  headquarters  of  the  Federation  were  at  Butte,  Montana.' 
In  that  year  they  were  moved  to  Denver. 

The  following-named  local  unions  were  in  existence  in  the  Cripple  Creek 
district  when  the  strike  began.  August  10,  1903: 

Free  Coinage  Miners'  Union,  No.  19,  Altman,  Colorado ;  Anaconda  Miners' 
Union,  No.  21,  Anaconda,  Colorado;  Victor  Miners,  Union,  No.  32,  Victor, 
Colorado:  Cripple  Creek  Miners'  Union.  No.  40,  Cripple  Creek,  Colorado;  Inde- 
pendence Engineers'  Union,  No.  75,  Independence,  Colorado;  Excelsior  Engi- 
neers' Union,  No.  80,  Victor,  Colorado ;  Cripple  Creek  Engineers'  Union,  No.  82, 
Cripple  Creek,  Colorado;  Banner  Mill  and  Snieltermen's  Union,  No.  106,  Victor, 
Colorado.  There  was  also  a  District  Union,  No.  i,  composed  of  13  members, 
representing  these  8  unions. 

The  statement  that  the  strikes  at  Cripple  Creek  in  1903  were  called  by  the 
executive  board  of  the  Federation,  with  headquarters  at  Denver,  has  been  widely 
published,  but  it  is  a  mistake.  The  strike  of  March  17,  1903,  was  called  by 
District  LTnion  No.  i,  after  the  eight  local  unions  in  the  district  had  delegated 
to  it  such  power.  However,  the  strike  order  was  signed  by  two  general  officers 
of  the  Federation,  as  well  as  two  of  the  district  officials,  one  of  the  general 
officers  being  President  Charles  H.  Moyer. 

The  second  strike  in  1903  in  the  Cripple  Creek  district  was  called  by  Dis- 
trict Union  No.  i  on  August  8.  to  take  effect  August  10,  the  power  to  call  a 
strike  having  been  given  to  the  district  union  by  a  vote  of  the  eight  local  unions. 

THE    LEADVILI.E    STRIKE    OF    1880 

A  strike  for  higher  wages  and  fewer  working  hours  took  place  in  1880  at 
Leadville,  Lake  County,  Colorado.  At  that  time  the  railroad  was  not  completed 
to  Leadville.  Trains  were  running  only  as  far  as  Buena  Vista,  about  40  miles 
distant.  The  prevailing  rate  of  wages  for  miners  was  $3  per  day  though  a 
few  who  worked  in  wet  mines  and  men  engaged  in  timbering  received  $3.50 
per  day.  There  was  no  regularity  as  to  hours  of  labor,  the  men  in  some 
mines   working   eight   hours,    while   those    in    others    worked   ten.     The    miners 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  839 

demanded  an  increase  of  wages  of  $i  per  day,  and  that  the  hours  of  labor 
should  be  eight  per  day  for.  men  working  above  as  well  as  for  those  working 
below  the  surface.     These  demands  the  mine  owners  refused. 

The  strike  was  declared  by  the  Miners'  Co-operative  Union,  which  was 
really  a  local  assembly  of  the  Knights  of  Labor.  A'lichael  Mooney  was  presi- 
dent of  the  union  and  the  principal  leader  of  the  strikers. 

Dissatisfaction  had  existed  for  several  months  previous  to  May  26,  1880, 
and  when  the  strike  began  in  the  Chrysolite  mine,  of  which  W.  S.  Keyes  was 
the  manager.  The  men  at  this  mine  worked  only  eight  hours,  but  they  struck 
for  an  increase  of  wages,  and  also  because  they  objected  to  an  order  by  the 
manager  which  prohibited  smoking  and  unnecessary  talking  during  working 
hours. 

When  the  day-shift  men  went  to  work  at  the  Chrysolite  at  7  a.  m.  on  May  26 
they  were  informed  by  the  night-shift  men,  numbering  300,  that  the  long- 
expected  strike  was  inaugurated.  The  two  shifts  united  and  compelled  the 
carpenters  to  quit  work.  Then  they  marched  to  the  Little  Chief  mine,  and  were 
about  to  send  a  committee  below  to  induce  the  miners  to  co-operate  with  them. 
At  the  mouth  of  the  shaft  they  were  met  by  George  Daley,  manager  of  the  mine. 
Michael  Mooney  informed  him  that  the  union  demanded  that  he  should  increase 
the  wages  of  his  men  from  $3  to  $4  per  day,  also  that  he  should  discharge  his 
shift  boss  and  that  the  men  should  have  the  privilege  of  choosing  their  own, 
shift  boss.  A  parley  ensued  which  resulted  in  Manager  Daley  calling  tlie 
men  up  from  below  and  closing  the  mine.  He  also  closed  several  other  mines 
which  were  in  his  charge.  Other  mines  were  shut  down  by  their  managers, 
while  the  strikers  compelled  the  men  in  some  mines  to  quit  work.  By  noon 
Leadville's  splendid  industry  was  paralyzed.  The  only  exceptions  were  the 
El  Paso  and  the  Olive  Branch  mines,  which  had  paid  $4  per  day  for  some 
time  as  a  precautionary  measure. 

The  number  of  men  who  quit  or  were  thro\\n  out  of  work  was  about 
3.000. 

Several  fruitless  efforts  at  arbitration  were  made.  On  June  10  the  strikers 
offered  to  compromise  on  the  basis  of  $3.50  per  day  with  eight-hour  shifts, 
but  the  managers  rejected   the  proposition. 

A  semi-military  organization  of  citizens  was  formed  to  preserve  order, 
over  2,000  being  enrolled. 

On  June  12,  six  hundred  or  more  men,  many  of  them  armed,  formed  an 
imposing  semi-militarv  procession,  marching  through  the  streets  of  Leadvillc. 
They  did  not  come  in  conflict  with  the  strikers,  but  the  latter,  instead  of 
l)eing  overawed,  were  greatly  irritated  by  what  they  considered  an  ;iltcmpt  to 
force  them  to  accept  the  managers'  terms. 

Sheriff  Tucker  and  several  prominent  citizens  of  Leadville  sent  telegrams  to 
Governor  Pitkin,  representing  the  condition  of  affairs  as  alarming,  declaring 
tliere  was  danger  of  bloodshed  and  of  destruction  of  property,  and  calling  upon 
him  t(j  declare  martial  law.  The  governor  received  these  messages  about 
I  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  June  13,  1880. 

Maj.  Gen.  David  J.  Cook  of  the  Slate  Militia,  arrived  at  T-eadville  on 
June  14.  and  enrolled  sixteen  companies  of  volunteer  soldiers  on  that  day. 
Several  of  the  strikers  and  tlieir  synipadiizers  received  orders  from  the  citizens' 


840  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

committee  to  quit  the  county,  and  they  left  on  the  afternoon  of  June  14.  In 
this  number  were  both  the  editor  and  the  pubHsher  of  the  Crisis,  the  local  organ 
of  the  miners,  and  also  a  deputy  assessor  and  three  members  of  the  typographical 
union. 

A  representative  of  the  miners'  union  asked  permission  of  the  military 
officers  to  hold  another  meeting  of  the  union,  with  a  view  to  elTecting  a  settle- 
ment of  the  strike.  General  Cook  granted  this  permission  and  on  June  17  a 
meeting  was  held  which  was  attended  by  the  strikers,  military  officers,  mine 
managers,  and  other  citizens.  The  resolutions,  in  which  the  miners'  union  pro- 
posed to  resume  work  upon  the  terms  on  which  they  had  been  employed  before 
the  strike  began,  were  adopted.  However,  Manager  Keyes,  of  the  Chrysolite 
mine,  and  Manager  Daley,  of  the  Little  Chief  and  other  mines,  assured  the 
miners  that  they  would  recognize  the  eight-hour  system  in  the  future,  as  they 
had  in  the  past,  and  pledged  themselves  that  they  would  use  their  personal 
influence  to  have  the  system  adopted  generally  throughout  the  camp.  It  was 
distinctly  tmderstood  that  the  miners  were  to  return  to  work  at  the  former 
wages  wherever  they  could  get  employment,  and  that  no  strike  would  be  ordered 
or  permitted  against  the  managers  who  insisted  upon  ten-hour  shifts.  Further, 
it  was  agreed  that  the  leaders  of  the  strike  should  be  granted  exemption  from 
punishment,  and  permission  to  work  if  they  could  obtain  it,  but  those  who 
were  known  to  have  counseled  or  resorted  to  violence  or  intimidation  would  not 
be  re-employed.  It  was  not  required  that  the  union  should  disband,  but  the 
miners  were  made  to  promise  that  the  union  would  make  no  public  demonstra- 
tion of  a  threatening  character.  On  this  basis  of  settlement  the  strike  was 
declared  oiT  on  June  17,  and  the  strikers  resumed  work  the  next  day. 

THE  CRIPPLE  CREEK  STRIKE  OF  1894 

The  Western  Federation  of  Miners,  organized  in  1893,  had  a  large  number 
of  members  in  the  Cripple  Creek  district  when  the  strike  of  1894  began.  In 
January,  1894,  40  mines  and  prospects  were  working  under  the  eight-hour 
schedule  and  9  under  the  nine-hour  system.  The  union  scale  called  for  a  mini- 
mum wage  of  $3  per  day  of  eight  hours'  work,  although  many  union  men, 
under  contract  or  other  conditions,  were  permitted  to  work  nine  hours  per 
day.  All  of  the  mines  of  larger  production  were  paying  $3  per  eight  hours' 
work,  excepting  the  Independence,  which  was  working  nine-hour  shifts  at  $3.25. 

On  January  17,  1894,  a  notice  was  posted  at  the  Pharmacist  mine  to  the 
effect  that  all  miners  who  desired  to  continue  working  on  that  property  would 
be  required  to  work  ten  hours  a  day  and  lunch  on  their  own  time,  or  work  eight 
hours  for  $2.50  per  day.  A  few  days  later  similar  notices  were  posted  at  the 
mines  of  the  Isabella  property,  owned  by  J.  J.  Hagerman,  and  at  the  Victor 
and  Anaconda  mines,  owned  chiefly  by  D.  H.  MofTat  and  Eben  Smith.  These 
mines  were  the  largest  producers,  employing  nearly  one-third  of  all  the  miners 
at  work  in  the  district  for  wages.  No  reason  for  the  reduction  was  assigned 
other  than  that  the  production  of  the  properties  did  not  warrant  the  wages 
then  paid.  The  miners,  referring  to  the  fact  that  the  latest  quarterly  state- 
ments of  the  respective  properties  showed  that  large  dividends  had  been  paid, 
took  the  position  that  there  was  no  cause  for  a  reduction  of  wages.     The  mine 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  841 

owners  held  that  the  mines,  having  but  a  shght  development,  were  not  steadily 
producing  a  large  profit  and  that  they  were  worked  at  great  expense  for  trans- 
portation of  supplies  and  for  hauling  ores  over  the  mountain  roads  to  the 
railway  terminals. 

On  February  2  a  mass  meeting  of  miners  was  held  at  Anaconda,  at  which 
John  Calderwood,  a  prominent  union  miner,  advocated  that  all  mine  managers 
working  their  men  nine  hours  be  given  notice  to  comply  with  the  rules  of  the 
union  that  eight  hours  should  constitute  a  day's  work  at  a  minimum  of  $3  a 
day,  and  that  if  they  failed  to  comply  with  this  rule  within  ten  days  the  union 
should  call  out  all  men  working  nine  hours.  This  measure  was  adopted  and  put 
into  execution.  Among  the  principal  mines  which  continued  at  $3  for  eight 
hours  were  the  Pike's  Peak,  Garfield,  Grouse,  and  C.  O.  D.  By  special  arrange- 
ment with  the  union  the  Independence  and  Portland  mines  continued  operations, 
paying  S3. 25  for  nine  hours  a  day  and  $3  for  the  night  shift  of  eight  hours, 
and  this  agreement  continued  in  force  for  two  years  thereafter. 

The  mines  against  which  the  strike  was  directed  were  picketed  by  members 
of  the  miners'  union,  but  during  the  latter  half  of  February  and  the  first  half 
of  March  some  of  the  mine  managers  secured  enough  nonunion  miners  to 
operate  their  properties.  Some  of  the  miners  who  were  working  contrary  to 
union  rules  were  maltreated  and  severely  dealt  with  by  union  miners. 

On  the  evening  of  March  16  six  deputy  sherififs,  while  on  their  way  to  the 
Victor  mine  to  protect  that  property  from  threatened  injury,  were  surrounded 
near  Altman  by  a  force  of  miners  and  arrested.  One  of  the  deputies  was 
wounded  by  a  pistol  shot ;  another  was  struck  on  the  back  with  a  club.  The 
deputies  were  disarmed,  taken  to  Altman,  and  arraigned  before  the  police 
magistrate,  who  was  a  union  miner,  on  the  charge  of  carrying  concealed  weapons, 
but,  being  released,  returned  to  Cripple  Creek.  The  rioting  miners  visited 
various  mines  and  drove  away  the  men  who  were  objectionable  to  them. 

On  the  same  night  the  sheriff  of  El  Paso  County,  M.  F.  Bowers,  appealed 
to  Governor  Davis  H.  Waite  for  troops  to  preserve  order.  The  governor 
responded  by  dispatching  three  companies,  the  signal  corps  and  a  battery  of 
artillery  from  Denver  and  a  company  from  Colorado  Springs.  A  force  of 
fifty  deputy  sheriffs  was  sworn  in  at  Colorado  Springs  to  serve  in  the  Cripple 
Creek  district.  The  troops,  under  command  of  Brig.  Gen.  E.  J.  Brooks,  arrived  at 
Cripple  Creek  on  the  morning  of  March  18. 

On  the  evening  of  March  18  prominent  union  men  from  Altman  met  Genqral 
Brooks  and  General  Tarsney,  by  invitation,  in  Cripple  Creek,  to  discuss  the 
situation.  These  union  officials  affirmed,  to  quote  from  General  Tarsney's  report, 
"that  no  resistance  to  constituted  authority  had  been  ofifered  by  anyone  in  the 
mining  districts,  and  that  no  disturbance  of  any  kind  had  occurred  beyond 
the  ordinary  small  offenses  that  are  con.stantly  occurring  in  mining  camps." 
These  facts  being  telephoned  to  the  governor  he  ordered  the  withdrawal  of  the 
troops  on  March  20. 

About  May  10  a  committee  of  seven  miners  met.  by  invitation,  a  like  number 
of  mine  owners  in  conference  at  Colorado  Springs.  In  an  endeavor  to  adjust 
their  differences  the  mine  owners  submitted  an  ultimatum  of  $2.75  for  eight 
hours'  work.  The  miners  unanimously  rejected  this  proposition.  The  mine 
owners  determined  tn  jnit  a  force  of  men  of  their  own  selection  into  the  mines. 


842  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

Sheriff  Bo,vvers  enlisted  a  force  of  several  hundred  special  deputies  to  protect 
the  men  who  were  willing  to  go  to  work  in  the  mines  which  had  been  closed. 
The  union  miners  apprehended  that  this  large  force  of  deputies  was  intended 
to  drive  them  from  the  county.  They  also  knew  that  the  sheriff  held  a  large 
number  of  warrants  for  their  arrest  on  charges  of  lawless  conduct.  These 
circumstances  aroused  them  to  defiance.  Anticipating  an  attack  from  the 
deputies  the  strikers  armed  themselves,  established  headquarters,  and  intrenched 
themselves  on  Bull  Hill  and  enforced  military  discipline.  Men  who  sought 
work  or  who  were  suspected  of  disloyalty  to  the  union  were  ordered  out  of  the 
camp  and  in  some  cases  severely  beaten. 

One  hundred  deputies,  under  command  of  Capt.  J.  C.  Veatch,  left  Denver  on 
May  24  for  Cripple  Creek,  and  were  joined  at  Colorado  Springs  by  about  50 
more,  arriving  near  Victor  on  the  following  morning.  The  number  of  deputies 
under  command  of  Sheriff"  Bowers  then  numbered  about  1,200. 

The  miners  marched  down  Bull  Hill  in  force  to  meet  the  deputies  and  took 
position  near  the  mines  on  Battle  Mountai.i,  just  above  \'ictor.  They  attacked 
and  captured  the  Strong  mine,  where  non-union  men  were  working.  This  mine 
had  been  guarded  by  a  squad  of  deputies.  These  were  captured  and  their  arms 
and  ammunition  confiscated.  Not  content  with  this  bloodless  victory,  some  of 
the  hotheads  among  the  strikers  injured  their  cause  by  wanton  destniction  of 
the  shaft  house  and  machinery  of  the  Strong  mine  by  an  explosion  of  giant 
powder.  The  superintendent,  Sam  McDonald,  the  foreman,  and  the  engineer 
were  caught  below  the  wreck  and  imprisoned  in  the  mine  for  thirty-six  hours. 

The  deputies,  realizing  that  an  assault  upon  Bull  Hill  would  be  fatal  to  many 
of  them,  withdrew  down  the  line  of  the  Florence  and  Cripple  Creek  Railway  to 
Wilber  station,  where  they  encamped  for  the  night.  On  the  morning  of  May 
25  a  force  of  300  strikers  started  otit  to  attack  the  camp  of  the  deputies.  Fifty 
men  sent  in  advance  unexpectedly  ran  close  upon  the  outposts  of  the  deputies. 
Both  sides  opened  fire.  Harman  Crawley,  the  leader  of  the  strikers,  was  killed, 
two  men  were  wounded,  and  six  taken  prisoners.  Frank  Robideau,  one  of  the 
deputies,  was  killed.  The  captured  strikers  were  taken  to  jail  at  Colorado 
Springs.  The  three  men  who  had  been  imprisoned  by  the  explosion  of  the 
Strong  mine  were  liberated,  taken  to  camp  of  the  strikers  on  Bull  Hili,  and 
held  as  hostages  for  the  six  prisoners  taken  by  the  deputies.  Later  an  exchange 
of  prisoners  was  made. 

On  May  26  Governor  Waite  issued  a  proclamation,  in  which  he  called  upon 
the  strikers  to  lay  down  their  arms,  to  cease  resistance  to  the  law,  and  to  desist 
from  assembling  in  unlawful  bodies.  He  also  declared  that  the  assembly  of  a 
great  number  of  deputy  sheriffs,  many  of  them  recruited  from  other  counties, 
was  illegal,  and  he  demanded  that  they  immediately  disperse. 

Governor  Waite  left  Denver  by  special  train  on  the  night  of  May  27.  The 
next  morning  he  appeared  on  Bull  Hill,  where  he  met  the  strikers  and  assured 
them  that  they  should  not  be  ill-used  bv  the  deputies.  On  the  afternoon  of 
May  28  he  held  a  conference  with  the  strikers  at  Altman,  the  result  of  which 
was  that  they  appointed  him  their  sole  arbitrator,  with  power,  if  possible,  to 
settle  all  the  differences  between  them  and  mine  owners. 

At  Colorado  Springs  on  June  2  Governor  Waite  met  J.  J.  Hagerman,  one  of 
the  largest   mine   operators,   to   consider  upon   what   terms   existing   differences 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  843 

might  be  settled,  so  as  to  avert  a  contlict  at  arms.  The  governor  and  Mr.  Ilager- 
man  agreed  upon  terms,  but,  other  parties  interfering,  no  settlement  was  then 
effected. 

At  this  time  bands  of  armed  men  were  assembling  in  many  mining  camps 
in  the  state  and  preparing  to  march  to  aid  the  strikers  at  Cripple  Creek.  At 
Rice,  in  the  southwestern  part  of  the  stale,  one  hundred  men,  fully  armed, 
under  the  leadersliip  of  Capt.  William  Simpson,  had  seized  a  train  on  the  Rio 
Grande  Southern  and  had  proceeded  as  far  as  Montrose,  over  one  hundred  miles, 
when  a  telegram  from  the  governor  reached  them,  commanding  them  to  return 
to  their  homes  and  advising  them  that  efforts  to  eft'ect  a  settlement  would  be 
continued. 

Another  arbitration  conference  was  arranged  and  was  held  in  Denver 
June  4.  The  mine  owners  were  represented  by  J.  J.  Hagerman  and  D.  H. 
Moffat,  the  governor  appearing  as  sole  arbitrator  for  the  strikers,  E.  T.  Jeffery 
and  J.  F.  Vaile  as  neutral  parties,  and  Eben  Smith  and  J.  B.  Grant  as  witne.ises. 
The  governor  and  Messrs.  Hagerman  and  Moffat  agreed  upon  the  following 
terms  erf  settlement: 

For  the  purpose  of  settling  the  serious  differences  between  employers  and 
employes  in  Cripple  Creek  mining  district,  El  Paso  County,  Colorado,  it  is  agreed 
by  and  between  Governor  Davis  H.  Waite,  appointed  by  and  representing  the  Free 
Coinage  Miners'  Union,  No.  19,  W.  F.  M.  A.,  its  members  and  other  miners  of 
said  district,  on  the  one  part,  and  J.  J.  Hagerman  and  D.  H.  Moffat,  for  them- 
selves as  mine  owners,  and  employers  of  mining  labor  in  said  district,  on  the 
other  part,  as  follows : 

1.  That  eight  hours'  actual  work  shall  constitute  "a  day,"  divided  as  follows: 
Four  hours'  work,  then  twenty  minutes  for  lunch,  then  four  hours'  work,  for 
which  said  eight  hours  of  labor  there  shall  be  paid  three  ($3)  dollars. 

2.  In  the  employment  of  men  there  shall  be  no  discrimination  against  union 
men  or  against  nonunion  men. 

3.  The  undersigned,  J.  J.  Hagerman  and  David  H.  Moffat,  earnestly  urge 
upon  other  mine  owners  and  employers  of  mining  labor  in  said  Cripple  Creek 
mining  district  to  accede  to  and  act  upon  the  foregoing  agreement. 

On  the  same  day  the  people  of  Cripple  Creek,  rejoicing  in  the  belief  that  the 
agreement  made  ■  in  Denver  meant  permanent  peace  in  the  camp,  decorated 
the  city  and  paraded  the  streets  with  bands.  The  strikers  were  mollified  and 
relaxed  their  vigilance.  For  the  first  time  in  many  days  they  came  into  town 
and  freely  mingled  with  the  people.  Rut  there  was  a  sudden  change  when  it 
was  learned  that  the  army  of  deputies.  1,200  strong,  under  Sherifl'  Bowers; 
had  advanced  from  Divide  and  were  on  a  forced  march  to  Bull  Hill.  Being 
informed  of  this  movement.  Governor  Waite,  on  the  evening  of  the  same  day, 
June  4,  ordered  the  entire  National  Guard  to  the  scene  of  disturbance. 

June  fi,  the  deputies,  led  by  Sheriff  Bowers,  came  within  range  of  Bull  Hill, 
and  exchanged  shots  with  the  pickets  of  the  striking  miners.  Sheriff  Bowers 
received  orders  from  Governor  VX'nitc  to  observe  a  truce  until  the  troops  should 
arrive.  The  force  of  deputies  went  into  camp  at  Grassy.  On  June  7,  there 
were  several  skirmishes  incident  to  the  reconnoissances  of  the  pickets  on  both 
sides.     Owing  to  heavy  rains  and  washouts  the  militia  did  not  arrive  until  the 


844  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

afternoon  of  June  7.     The  militia,  commanded  by  Brig.  Gen.  E.  J.  Brooks,  took 
position  between  the  opposing   forces. 

On  the  morning  of  June  8  the  entire  force  of  deputies  left  their  camp  in 
three  columns,  moving  toward  the  miners'  camp  on  Bull  Hill.  General  Brooks 
and  his  staff  pursued  the  deputies,  overtaking  a  column  led  by  Sheriff  Bowers, 
from  whom  he  demanded  to  know  the  meaning  of  this  movement.  The  sheriff 
pleaded  that  he  had  no  control  over  the  men.  The  other  columns  were  inter- 
cepted and  informed  that  the  National  Guard  would  open  fire  upon  them  if 
they  did  not  return.  The  deputies  heeded  the  warning,  turned  about  face,  and 
marched  back  to  their  camp  in  Beaver  Park. 

The  adjutant  general,  on  receipt  of  a  telegram  from  the  governor  authorizing 
him  to  receive  the  surrender  of  the  strikers,  gave  the  order  to  Brigadier  General 
Brooks,  who  put  the  militia  in  motion.  Without  opposition  the  militia  entered 
the  camp  of  the  strikers,  where  the  strikers  peaceably  surrendered. 

On  the  following  day,  June  9,  the  deputies,  to  the  number  of  1,100,  broke 
camp  at  Beaver  Park,  marched  to  Cripple  Creek,  and  made  a  demonstra- 
tion through  the  principal  streets,  still  maintaining  a  threatening  attitude. 
They  made  numerous  arrests  of  citizens  and  indulged  in  outrageous  acts  toward 
other  citizens,  many  of  whom,  for  no  offense  at  all,  were  clubbed  and  kicked, 
dragged  from  the  sidewalks,  and  forced  to  march  between  the  lines  of  deputies. 
Toward  evening  the  deputies  took  up  the  line  of  march,  with  the  intention,  as 
stated  by  them,  of  going  into  camp  at  the  Independence  mine. 

At  the  instance  of  Adjutant  General  Tarsney,  a  conference  of  military  officers 
and  prominent  mine  owners  was  held  at  Altman  on  June  10.  At  this  conference 
a  settlement  was  agreed  to.  providing  for  the  immediate  withdrawal  of  the 
deputies  from  the  Cripple  Creek  district.  The  next  day  the  deputies  moved 
to  Colorado  Springs,  the  county  seat,  where  they  were  paid  and  discharged. 
Under  the  terms  of  the  agreement  portions  of  the  National  Guard  were  sta- 
tioned at  different  places  in  the  district  for  thirty  days,  the  remainder  having 
been  relieved  from  duty.  Peace  was  established  in  the  district,  all  of  the  prop- 
erties were  restored  to  the  control  of  their  respective  owners,  and  the  mines 
resumed  operations  at  wages  and  hours  in  accordance  with  the  agreement  signed 
by  Governor  Waite  and  Messrs.  Hagerman  and  Moffat  on  June  4.  The  agree- 
ment provided  that  ordinary  miners  should  be  paid  $3  for  eight  hours'  work, 
and  these  wages  and  hours  continued  to  be  observed  in  the  district  until  recent 
years. 

Indictments  were  found  against  thirty-seven  of  the  striking  miners,  charg- 
ing them  with  various  acts  of  violence.  All  of  the  cases  were  dismissed  except 
three.  One  of  the  three  men  tried  was  convicted  of  stage  robbery,  but  vvas 
released  by  the  supreme  court.  Two  were  convicted  of  blowing  up  the  Strong 
mine,  and  each  was  sentenced  to  seven  years'  imprisonment,  but  both  were  par- 
doned before  their  terms  expired. 

Adjt.  Gen  T.  J.  Tarsney,  by  profession  a  lawyer,  was  attorney  for  some  of 
the  arrested  miners  when  they  were  placed  on  trial  at  Colorado  Springs.  Public 
sentiment  in  Colorado  Springs  had  been  strongly  opposed  to  the  strikers,  and 
was  strongly  opposed  to  the  populist  administration  of  Governor  Waite.  About 
midnight  of  June  23.  during  trial,  a  band  of  about  fifteen  masked  men  entered 
the  office  of  the  Alamo  Hotel  and  induced  the  clerk  to  call   General  Tarsney 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  845 

from  his  room.  When  he  made  his  appearance  he  was  seized  by  the  men,  struck 
on  the  head  with  a  revolver  and  hurried  into  a  carriage  at  the  door.  He  was 
driven  to  a  lonely  spot  on  the  prairie,  tive  miles  from  the  city,  then  stripped  of 
bis  clothing,  and  tarred  and  feathered.  In  this  condition  he  was  left  to  grope 
his  way  in  the  darkness  through  a  rough  country,  and  wandered  about  for 
hours,  until  he  reached  a  farmhouse,  where  he  was  taken  in  and  relieved  of  his 
torture.  Who  the  perpetrators  were  was  never  definitely  proved.  Several 
people  were  arrested  and  confined  for  some  time  in  jail,  but  their  cases  never 
came  to  trial. 

THE    LKAD\ILLE   STRIKE   OF    1896-7 

From  about  1882  until  the  financial  crisis  of  1893  the  wage  of  miners  in 
the  Leadville  district  was  $3  per  day.  A  wage  scale  of  $3  per  day  means  that 
^3  is  the  minimum  wage  paid  to  all  persons  employed  in  or  about  a  mine,  except 
laborers  on  the  surface  who  are  not  engineers  or  cagemen.  On  the  $3  scale, 
engineers  receive  $4  per  day;  pumpmen,  $3.50  per  day;  timbermen  S3. 50  to  $4 
per  day;  shift  bosses,  $4  per  day;  and  where  the  work  of  the  miner  is  more 
than  ordinarily  onerous,  as  in  sinking  shafts  or  working  in  wet  places,  he  receives 
$3.50  per  day.     These  figures  are  not  absolutely  uniform,  but  approximately  so. 

After  the  great  and  sudden  depression  of  business  in  the  summer  Oi  1893 
<ind  after  the  mines  and  smelters  at  Leadville  had  closed  down  and  all  were 
uncertain  of  the  future,  the  mine  managers,  and  miners  and  business  men  and 
mechan'cs  and  laborers  of  the  district  all  united  in  a  friendly  effort  to  resume 
work,  and  as  a  result  an  agreement  was  made  to  reduce  the  wages  of  miners 
from  $3  to  $2.50.  At  that  time  the  Knights  of  Labor  was  the  only  labor  union 
to  winch  any  miners  in  the  Leadville  district  belonged,  but  many  of  the  miners 
had  fJready  left  that  organization.  On  September  14,  1893,  a  committee  rep- 
resenting the  miners  as  a  whole  agreed  with  the  principal  mine  owners  upon 
a  wage  scale,  which  provided  that  all  miners  and  men  employed  under  ground 
should  be  paid  $2.50  per  day  for  all  calendar  months  in  which  the  average  <;uo- 
tation  of  silver  should  be  less  than  83^^  cents  an  ounce,  and  $3  per  day  for 
all  calendar  months  in  which  the  average  quotation  should  be  83^-4  cents  or  over. 
Miners  working  in  shafts  or  wet  places  to  be  paid  50  cents  a  day  additional.  At 
that  time  silver  was  quoted  at, 73^'/^  cents  per  ounce,  a  greater  price  than  was 
quoted  for  it  at  any  time  from  then  until  the  strike  of  1896. 

The  Knights  of  Labor  was  succeeded  after  a  time  by  the  Western  Federation 
of  Miners,  a  local  union  of  which,  established  at  Leadville,  in  May,  1895,  grew 
rapidly  in  membership.  They  made  systematic  cfTorts  to  get  every  mine  worker 
in  the  district  to  join  this  union.  Men  were  warned  to  join  it  by  certain  dates 
or  else  get  out  of  town;  further  they  were  told  that  they  would  not  be  allowed 
to  work  in  Leadville  or  elsewhere  in  the  West  unless  they  should  become  uiMon 
men  promptly. 

Preceding  this  strike  of  1896,  as  adniittefi  l)y  the  union  itself.  65  per  c.-nt 
of  the  miners,  trammers,  topmen.  and  laborers  employed  in  mining  in  the  Lead- 
ville district  received  $3  per  day.  The  mine  owners  claimed  70  to  75  per  cent 
received  $3  per  day,  but  the  federation  declared  that  this  was  too  high  an  esti- 
mate. The  higher  rate  of  wages  had  come  about  gradually  after  the  agreement 
of  1893,  under  the  nrilural  l,'\w  of  su]>])lv  ;uid  demanrl. 


846  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

On  May  25,  1896,  a  committee  of  federation  officials  waited  upon  the  man- 
agers of  several  mines  and  made  a  verbal  request  for  an  increase  of  50  cents  a 
day  to  miners,  topmen,  engineers,  and  all  others  except  miners  already  receiving 
$3  per  day.     All  the  managers  approached  refused  this  request. 

The  fact  that  the  mine  managers  had  agreed  not  to  deal  with  any  labor 
organization  and  to  take  no  action  without  the  consent  of  the  majority  of  the 
parties  to  the  agreement  was  not  then  publicly  known,  and  indeed  remained  a 
secret  until  it  was  disclosed  by  the  investigations  of  a  joint  special  legislative  com- 
mittee early  in  1897. 

Within  tliree  days  after  June  19  all  the  larger  mines  in  the  district  were 
closed,  throwing  nearly  1,300  additional  men  out  of  work,  making  a  total  of 
about  2,250  men  idle  ii;  consequence  of  the  strike.  Governor  Albert  W.  Mcln- 
tire  directed  the  deputy  commissioner  of  labor,  William  H.  Klett,  to  visit  Lead- 
ville  for  the  purpose  of  conciliation  and  of  effecting  a  settlement  if  possible. 
Mr.  Klett  succeeded  in  bringing  about  a  meeting  of  mine  managers  and  a  com- 
mittee   of   the   miners. 

But  both  sides  were  obdurate  and  the  meeting  proved  a  failure. 

Shortly  after  the  commencement  of  the  strike  the  mine  owners  began  to 
negotiate  for  the  importation  of  miners  from  places  outside  of  Colorado  with 
whom  to  work  their  mines.  On  August  19,  some  of  the  mine  managers  gave 
notice  that  unless  union  men  should  return  to  work  on  or  before  August  22 
miners  would  be  imported  from  elsewhere.  The  union  men  not  returning  to 
work,  some  of  the  manages  made  arrangements  to  get  miners  from  Joplin, 
Missouri,  but  the  first  lot  of  these  did  not  arrive  until  about  the  fourth  day 
after  the  destruction  of  the  Coronado  property  on  September  21.  Knowledge 
that  labor  was  about  to  be  imported,  which  would  probably  break  the  strike, 
had  an  aggravating  effect  on  the  strikers,  and  undoubtedly  was  the  main  reason 
for  the  attack  upon  Coronado. 

The  first  attempt  to  resume  work  at  any  mine  was  made  at  the  Coronado 
where  £m  inside  fence  was  built  around  the  surface  working,  and  arms  were 
obtained  for  the  use  of  employes.  The  manager  explained  that  he  took  these 
precautions  because  of  reports  that  an  attempt  would  be  made  to  prevent  the 
reopening  of  the  mine,  while  abuse  and  threats  had  been  directed  against  him 
personally.  About  August  17,  underground  work  in  the  Coronado  began  with 
a  force  of  about  17  men,  all  of  them  residents  and  miners  of  Leadville,  which 
force  was  increased  to  about  20  by  September  20.  The  Emmet  property  also 
had  been  fenced  with  boards,  and  mining  there  was  resumed  with  a  force  of 
40  men,  of  whom  35  were  in  the  mine  on  the  night  of  September  20-21.  The 
men  who  took  the  places  of  the  strikers  were  threatened,  some  of  them  beaten, 
and  several  of  them  shot  at.  The  city  police  force  seemed  inadequate  to  pre- 
vent such  violences  and  the  offenders  were  not  arrested.  Reports  that  the  re- 
opened mines  would  be  destroyed  were  circulated. 

About  12:30  A.  M.,  September  21,  people  living  near  the  Coronado  mine 
were  aroused  and  told  to  leave  their  homes,  as  trouble  might  be  expected. 
At  I  A.  M.  a  mob  of  one  hundred  to  one  hundred  and  fifty  men,  among  whom 
wore  unquestionably  mam-  of  the  strikers,  made  an  attack  upon  the  Coronado 
mine.  Three  dynamite  l^ombs  were  thrown  to  destroy  the  large  oil  tank  within 
the  inside  enclosure,   which   tank   supplied   fuel    for  the  boilers.     The  contents 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  847 

of  the  tank  escaped,  spread  over  the  ground,  and  set  lire  to  the  buildings.  All 
of  the  buildings  except  the  shaft  house  and  all  of  the  machinery  on  the  surface 
were  destroyed,  causing  a  loss  of  about  $25,000. 

At  'the  time  of  the  attack  the  employes  about  the  mine  consisted  of  17  men 
and  one  boy.  They  made  a  vigorous  resistance  with  firearms.  The  attacking 
party,  also  was  fully  armed,  and  immediately  after  the  first  bomb  Explosion  a 
general  fusillade  commenced,  which  continued  for  half  an  hour.  Three  of  the 
attacking  party  identified  as  members  of  the  federation,  were  killed.  The  de- 
fenders of  the  mine  escaped  from  both  the  bullets  and  the  conflagration.  Many 
citizens  of  Leadville  seized  arms  and  hurried  to  the  scene.  The  city  fire  depart- 
ment arrived  promptly,  but  the  firemen  were  threatened  with  death  and  impeded 
in  every  attempt  to  stay  the  fiames.  One  of  them,  Jerry  O'Keefe,  while  holding 
a  nozzle,  was  fatally  shot — the  fourth  man-  to  meet  his  death  in  this  riot. 

About  three  A.  M.,  when  the  buildings  of  the  Coronado  mine  were  ablaze,  the 
rioters  made  a  rush  toward  the  Emmet  mine,  half  a  mile  distant.  Bombs  were 
thrown,  destroying  a  portion  of  the  fence  around  it.  An  improvised  cannon,  which 
had  been  made  out  of  steampipe  re-enforced  with  babbitt  metal,  was  discharged 
at  the  shaft  house.  The  rioters  rushed  at  the  opening  in  the  fence,  but  were 
driven  back  by  a  terrible  fire  of  buckshot  and  riile  bullets.  They  renewed  the 
charge,  but  were  again  repulsed.  They  then  retreated  without  inflicting  further 
damage  to  the  property  or  any  of  its  defenders;  but  another  of  the  mob,  also 
a  member  of  the  federation,  was  killed.  By  the  evening  of  September  21st 
the  number  of  troops  that  had  arrived  at  Leadville  was  230;  by  the  next  evening 
it  was  653. 

The  presence  of  the  troops  had  a  quieting  effect  immediately  upon  the  com- 
munity and  there  were  no  further  outrages  or  breaches  of  the  peace  worthy 
of  mention. 

Governor  Albert  W.  Mclntire  was  succeeded  by  Governor  Alva  Adams  in 
January,  1897.  In  January  the  number  of  troops  at  Leadville  was  considerably 
reduced;  in  February  it  was  reduced  below  lOO;  on  March  lOth  the  remainder 
of  the  National  Guard  on  duty  at  Leadville  were  relieved  from  duty. 

By  February,  1897,  most  of  the  union  miners  had  returned  to  work  on  the 
mine  owners'  terms. 

THE   STRIKE   OF    MINERS    AT    LAKE    CITY    IN    1899 

On  March  14,  1899,  a  strike  of  miners  began  at  Lake  City,  Hinsdale  County, 
Colorado,  or,  to  be  more  exact,  at  the  Village  of  Henson  which  is  three  miles 
from  Lake  City.  Two  mines  were  afifected — the  Ute  and  Ulay  and  the  Hidden 
Treasure.  The  Aulic  Mining  Company  leased  and  operated  the  Ute  and  Ulay 
mine  and  mill,  in  which  about  one  hundred  men  were  employed,  of  whom  about 
forty  were  Italians.  The  Hidden  Treasure  Mining  and  Milling  Company  em- 
ployed about  the  same  number  of  men,  with  about  the  same  prrixirtion  of 
Americans  and  foreigners.  The  Italians  were  members  of  a  local  union  of  the 
Western  Federation  of  Miners,  which  had  been  organized  only  a  few  months 
previously.     Some  Americans  also  were  members  of  this  organization. 

The  cause  of  the  strike  was  a  requirement  of  the  companies  that  all  single 
men   in   their  employ  should   hoard   at   company  boarding  Ikuhcs.      'I'lie  Italians 


8i8  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

refused  to  comply  with  this  order.  They  sought  to  induce  the  Americans  to 
strike,  but  the  latter  continued  to  work.  The  Americans  were  unaware  of  any 
disturbance  until  the  day  shifts  started  to  work  on  the  morning  of  March  14th, 
when  they  were  met  by  the  Italians  armed  with  rifles.  Not  a  man  was  allowed 
to  enter  the  mines.  The  Americans  having  been  driven  away  from  the  mines,  a 
few  returned  to  go  to  work  but  they  were  beaten  by  the  Italians,  who  threatened 
to  shoot  them  if  they  should  return. 

The  discovery  was  made  that  the  state  armory  at  Lake  City  had  been  broken 
open  and  that  the  arms  and  ammunition  therein,  fifty  Springfield  rifles  and  1,000 
rounds  of  ammunition,  had  been  removed.  Investigation  showed  also  that  within 
a  few  days  the  Italians  had  purchased  nearly  all  the  Winchester  rifles  and  other 
firearms  on  sale  in  the  town. 

Governor  Charles  S.  Thomas  on  -March  16th  ordered  four  companies  of  in- 
fantry and  two  companies  of  cavalry  to  the  scene  of  the  disturbance,  and  whole- 
sale arrests  followed. 

The  military  officers,  civil  officers,  mine  managers,  citizens,  and  the  Italian 
consul  reached  an  agreement  on  March  20th  under  which  the  prisoners  should 
be  released  upon  the  understanding  that  the  single  men  should  leave  the  county 
within  three  days  and  the  married  men  within  sixty  days.  The  agreement  further 
provided  that  employes  of  the  companies  might  board  wherever  they  pleased. 
This  settlement  was  received  with  general  approval  except  by  the  Italian  consul 
and  the  Italian  strikers,  but  as  the  managers  of  the  companies  had  already  re- 
solved not  to  employ  Italians,  the  foreigners  really  had  no  inducement  to  remain 
in  Hinsdale  County,  so  that  they,  too,  acquiesced  in  the  settlement. 

On  March    20,  1899,  the  troops  were  withdrawn  from  the  county. 

STRIKE   OF    MINERS    .\T   TELLURIDE    IN    I9OI 

The  strike  of  gold  miners  which  began  at  Telluride.  San  Miguel  County, 
Colorado,  on  May  2,  1901,  led  to  a  serious  disturbance  two  months  later.  The 
object  of  the  strike  was  to  abolish  the  fathom  or  contract  system  of  work.  This 
system  was  an  innovation  in  Colorado.  It  is  an  old  Cornish  system,  and  was 
introduced  in  the  Smuggler-Union  mine  about  1899.  up  to  which  time  compara- 
tively few  of  the  miners  in  Colorado  had  ever  heard  of  it.  As  applied  to  mining, 
the  fathom  means  six  feet  high,  six  feet  long,  and  as  wide  as  the  vein,  whatever 
it  may  be.  If  a  miner  happened  to  get  into  a  wide  vein  of  ore  his  earnings  would 
be  very  small.  The  work  was  not  even  let  by  contract  which  the  miner  helped 
to  make.  The  management  simply  fixed  a  given  price  per  fathom  and  the  miners 
could  accept  it  or  go  without  work. 

Under  this  system  the  earnings  of  the  miners  as  a  whole  had  been  materially 
reduced.  The  system  was  really  a  violation  of  the  spirit  of  the  eight-hour  day. 
Many  of  the  miners  worked  more  than  eight  hours  a  day,  and  yet  were  unable  ■ 
to  earn  the  current  wages  in  the  district — viz.,  $3  per  day.  The  miners  claimed 
also  that  the  contract  work  made  the  mine  more  dangerous  and  greatly  increased 
the  liability  to  accident. 

The  Smuggler-Union  Company  refused  to  abandon  the  fathom  svstem.  and 
the  strike  was  simply  a  contest  to  decide  between  two  methods  of  employing  labor. 
Tust  after  the  strike  was   declared  the  local  union  of   Western    Federation   of 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  849 

Miners  proposed  to  Arthur  L.  Collins,  the  assistant  manager  of  the  company,  that 
the  question  in  dispute  be  submitted  to  the  State  Board  of  Arbitration  and  that 
both  sides  should  be  governed  by  its  decision.  Mr.  Collins  rejected  this  propo- 
sition, insisting  that  there  was  nothing  to  arbitrate. 

After  the  Smuggler-Union  mine  had  been  closed  for  about  six  weeks,  work 
was  resumed  there  on  June  17,  1901,  with  about  fifty  miners,  which  number  was 
increased  within  two  weeks  to  about  ninety.  In  addition,  about  sixty  men  were 
employed  in  the  concentrating  mill.  The  miners  were  employed,  not  in  accord- 
ance with  the  fathom  system,  but  by  the  day,  receiving  the  regular  wages  of  the 
district.  In  short,  the  mine  resumed  operations  with  non-union  men  upon  exactly 
the  same  terms  upon  which  the  union  miners  were  willing  to  declare  the  strike 
off  and  return  to  work. 

At  daybreak,  July  3,  1901,  about  two  hundred  and  fifty  union  miners,  armed 
with  rifles,  shotguns,  and  revolvers  took  positions  behind  rocks,  trees,  and  other  ob- 
structions near  the  mine  buildings.  When  the  night  shift  was  coming  off  and 
the  morning  shift  was  about  to  go  on,  a  committee  of  the  strikers  came  within 
hailing  distance  of  the  non-union  men  and  notified  them  that  if  they  should  quit 
work  immediately  they  would  not  be  molested,  but  if  they  did  not  do  so  there 
would  be  trouble.  The  non-union  men  were  in  charge  of  William  Jordan,  a 
foreman,  and  were  armed.  A  fusillade  of  shots  commenced,  with  the  result  that 
John  Barthella,  a  union  miner,  was  instantly  killed.  This  inflamed  the  blood 
of  the  strikers,  and  they  opened  fire  upon  the  company's  buildings,  in  which  non- 
union men  were  supposed  to  be  sheltered.  These  men  took  refuge  in  the  bullion 
tunnel  and  returned  the  fire  of  the  strikers,  but  without  effect.  The  firing  be- 
tween the  contending  forces  continued  until  about  ten  o'clock  when  the  non- 
union men  capitulated  and  surrendered  their  arms.  When  the  battle  was  over  it 
was  found  that  three  men  were  dead  and  six  wounded.  All  of  the  killed  were 
employes  of  the  company,  except  Barthella ;  all  of  the  wounded  were  employes 
of  the  company  save  one,  who  had  been  accidentally  wounded  by  one  of  his 
striking  comrades. 

In  the  afternoon  the  strikers  lined  up  eighty-eight  of  them,  all  who  had  es- 
caped, escorted  them  up  the  trail  to  the  top  of  the  range,  saw  them  heading  into 
Ouray  County,  and  cautioned  them  never  to  return  to  Telluride.  In  spite  of 
the  understanding  that  they  would  be  allowed  to  leave  unmolested,  many  of 
them  were  outrageously  beaten ;  one  was  beaten  into  insensibility ;  another  was 
shot  through  both  arms. 

By  order  of  the  governor,  one  troop  and  four  companies  were  mobilized  at 
Denver.  But  the  governer  did  not  deem  it  wise  to  send  a  force  of  soldiers  to 
the  distant  scene  of  trouble  without  first  being  convinced  that  such  action  was 
necessary  for  the  preservation  of  order.  He  desired  further  information  before 
acting,  and  placed  himself  in  communication  with  citizens  of  Telluride. 

During  most  of  the  day  on  July  Tith,  a  conference  was  held  between  Manager 
A.  L.  Collins,  a  committee  from  the  miners'  union,  citizens  of  Telluride.  and 
commissioners  from  Denver,  and  a  settlement  of  the  strike  was  effected. 

The  troops  mobilized  at  Denver  were  relieved  from  duty.  In  conformity 
with  the  agreement,  the  strike  was  declared  ofif.  the  Smuggler-Union  mine  and 
mill  resumed  operations,  and  peace  was  restored  in  the  Telluride  district.  After 
July  6th,  the  non-union  men  who  had  been  deported  were  permitted  by  union 


850  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

men  to  return  to  the  camp.  Many  of  them  did  return  and  some  worked  in  the 
same  mines  with  union  men  without  interference. 

On  November  28,  1901,  the  mine  managers  and  the  miners'  union  agreed 
upon  a  scale  of  wages  and  hours  for  the  Telluride  district.  The  wage  scale,  fixed 
upon  at  the  termination  of  the  strike  of  the  Smuggler-Union  miners,  the  preced- 
ing summer,  was  rather  uncertain  and  indefinite.  There  had  been  misunder- 
standing and  confusion  over  the  wages  of  several  classes  of  workmen  employed 
in  and  about  the  mines.  The  new  agreement  was  made  permanent  for  a  peiiod 
of  three  years.  It  practically  abolished  the  contract  or  fathom  system  which 
was  so  objectionable  to  the  miners.  It  fixed  eight  hours  as  a  day's  work  for  all 
men  working  underground. 

On  November  19,  1902,  over  a  year  after  the  strike  was  settled,  Manager 
Arthur  L.  Collins  was  killed  in  his  house,  bv  a  shot  fired  by  an  assassin  from 
the  outside.     This  murder  has  never  been  cleared  up. 

THE  STRIKE  OF  THE  REDUCTION    MILL  EMPLOYES  .\T  COL0R.\DO  CITY   IN    I9O3 

Until  1902  the  Western  Federation  of  Miners  had  few  members  among  the 
employes  of  the  smelters  and  reduction  plants  in  Colorado.  The  organization  was 
very  strong  in  the  various  mining  camps.  A  very  large  proportion  of  the  miners 
belonged  to  the  federation,  especially  in  the  Cripple  Creek  district. 

In  1902  efforts  were  made  to  unionize  the  men  working  in  the  various  smelters 
and  ore-reduction  plants.  These  efforts  were  not  successful  at  Denver.  Pueblo, 
Leadville,  or  Durango,  where  smelters  were  located,  but  a  union  was  formed  at 
Colorado  City  August  14.  1902.  It  was  called  the  Mill  and  Smeltermen's  Union. 
No.  125,  of  the  Western  Federation  of  Miners. 

The  federation  claimed  that  the  managers  discharged  union  men  as  soon  as 
they  were  apprised  that  the  men  belonged  to  the  union.  It  claimed  that  the 
United  States  Reduction  and  Refining  Company  had  discharged  forty-two  men 
for  that  reason. 

A  committee  of  the  W^estern  Federation  of  Miners  waited  upon  the  managers 
and  demanded  that  discrimination  against  federation  men  be  discontinued.  A 
demand  was  made  also  for  an  increased  scale  of  wages. 

On  February  28,  1903.  Mill  and  Smeltermen's  Union,  No.  125,  declared  the 
Portland  and  Telluride  mills  unfair  and  ordered  a  strike  at  both.  The  strike 
at  these  mills  began  on  the  evening  of  that  day.  In  the  Portland  mill  there  were 
about  one  hundred  and  seventy-five  employes,  of  whom  about  one  hundred  went 
out.  The  Telluride  mill  usually  gave  employment  to  about  one  hundred  and  fifty 
men,  but  it  was  shut  down  for  construction  work.  The  strikers  composed  about 
one  hundred  and  fifty  men  who  had  worked  in  the  mill.  Federation  pickets  were 
stationed  about  the  Portland  and  Telluride  mills,  as  they  had  been  about  the 
Standard  mill,  and  tents  were  erected  for  their  accommodation.  Notwithstand- 
ing the  pickets,  a  number  of  new  men  were  employed  by  the  Portland  mill,  and 
it  continued  in  operation.  More  deputy  sheriffs  were  sworn  in  by  Sheriff  Gilbert, 
the  number  reaching  sixty-five.  Several  cases  of  disorder  occurred.  The  strikers 
were  accused  of  violence  toward  strike-breakers  and  the  deputy  sheriffs  were 
accused  of  brutal  treatment  of  the  strikers. 

The  troops  were  ordered  out  and  arrived  at  Colorado  City  March  3.   1903. 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  851 

Finally  a  conference  was  held  in  the  governor's  office  from  2  P.  M.  March  /4lh 
to  3  A.  M.  March  15th.  The  results  were  that  agreements  were  signed  by  Presi- 
dent Moyer  and  the  managers  of  the  Portland  and  Telluride  mills.  The  terms 
of  the  agreement  with  the  manager  of  the  Portland  mill  were  as  follows : 

First.  That  eight  hours  shall  constitute  a  day's  work  in  and  around  the 
mills,  with  the  exception  of  the  sampling  department,  which  may  e.xtend  to  ten 
hours  per  day. 

Second.  That  in  the  employment  of  men  by  this  company  there  shall  be  no 
discrimination  between  union  and  non-union  labor,  and  that  no  person  shall  be 
discharged  for  reason  of  membership  in  any  labor  organization. 

'  Third.  That  all  men  now  on  strike  shall  be  reinstated  within  twenty  days 
from  Monday,  the  i6th  day  of  March,  A.  D.  1903,  who  shall  have  made  appli- 
cation for  work  within  five  days  from  said  date. 

Fourth.  That  the  management  of  the  Portland  Gold  Mining  Company  will 
receive  and  confer  with  any  committee  of  the  Colorado  City  Mill  and  Smelter- 
men's  Union,  No.  125,  at  any  time  within  said  twenty  days  upon  the  subject  of 
a  scale  of  wages. 

The  first,  second  and  fourth  clauses  of  the  agreement  with  the  manager  of 
the  Telluride  mill  were  practically  identical  with  the  agreement  signed  by  the 
manager  of  the  Portland  mill,  but  the  Telluride  mill  being  shut  down  for  con- 
struction work,  the  third  clause  was  somewhat  different  binding  the  manager  of 
the  Telluride  to  reinstate  all  former  employes  in  the  same  positions  they  had 
formerly  occupied  as  soon  as  operations  should  be  resumed,  and  a  fifth  clause 
bound  him  to  employ,  during  the  period  of  construction,  as  many  of  the  old  em- 
ployes as  practicable. 

During  the  first  part  of  the  conference  in  Governor  Peabody's  office  Manager 
MacNeill,  of  the  United  States  Reduction  and  Refining  Company,  was  present 
with  his  attorney.  They  withdrew  from  the  conference  on  March  14,  1903,  but 
the  next  day,  at  the  governor's  invitation,  they  met  Messrs.  Moyer  and  Haywood 
in  the  governor's  office.  Manager  MacNeill  agreed  to  accept  the  terms  of  the 
first  two  clauses  in  the  agreement  with  the  managers  of  the  Portland  and  Tel- 
luride mills,  but  refused  to  agree  to  discharge  men  who  had  been  employed  since 
the  strike  began  in  order  to  reinstate  the  strikers.  On  this  point  he  would  only 
agree  not  to  discriminate  against  federation  men  when  he  needed  more  men. 
He  refused  to  treat  on  the  subject  of  an  advance  in  wages,  and  refused  to  recog- 
nize the  federation.  The  results  of  these  conferences  were  that  the  strikes  at 
the  Portland  and  Telluride  mills  were  called  off,  while  the  strike  at  the  Standard 
mill  of  the  United  States  Reduction  and  Refining  Company  continued. 

Troops  were  withdrawn  from  Colorado  City  on  March   19th. 

THK   .SYMPATHETIC    STRIKE   .\T    CRIPPLE   CREEK,    19O3 

A  strike  of  gold  miners  in  the  Cripple  Creek  district  was  inaugurated  in 
March,  1903,  to  support  the  mill  men  who  had  struck  at  Colorado  City  the  ]irc- 
vious  month.  The  sym])athetic  strike  was  ordered  by  District  Union  No.  i.  and 
was  indorsed  by  the  executive  board  composed  of  national  officers  of  the  Western 
Federation  of  Miners.  District  Union  No.  i  was  composed  of  thirteen  members, 
representing  the  eight  local  unions  in  (he  Cripple  Creek  district  and  one  at  Colora- 


852  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

do  City.  All  of  these  local  unions  had  voted  to  give  the  district  union  full  power 
to  act  in  the  matters  at  issue,  and  to  call  a  strike  if  necessary. 

At  a  meeting  held  at  Cripple  Creek  on  March  i6,  1903,  which  was  attended 
by  President  Charles  H.  Moyer,  District  Union  No.  i,  decided  to  request  the 
owners  of  such  mines  as  were  shipping  ore  to  the  Standard  mill  at  Colorado  City 
and  to  the  mills  at  Florence,  owned  and  operated  by  the  United  States  Reduction 
and  Refining  Company,  to  cease  making  such  shipments. 

In  the  conference  which  was  finally  brought  about,  but  few  concessions  were 
made  by  Manager  C.  M.  AlacNeill,  for  the  settlement  proposed  covered  the  strike 
at  the  Standard  mill  as  well  as  the  sympathetic  strike  at  Cripple  Creek. 

While  Manager  MacNeill  consented  to  receiving  any  of  his  employes,  or  a 
committee  from  them,  to  consider  any  grievances  they  might  have  at  any  time, 
he  declined  to  promise,  as  desired  by  President  Moyer,  that  he  would  receive 
committees  from  the  Mill  and  Smeltermen's  Union. 

President  Moyer  waived  the  demand  for  an  increase  of  wages,  which  was 
made  before  the  strike  began.  He  waived  the  demand  that,  when  grievances  were 
to  be  presented,  the  company  would  receive  them  through  a  committee  from  the 
union.  He  waived  the  demand  that  Manager  MacNeill  should  give  a  written 
agreement,  and  the  demand  that  a  guaranty  be  given  that  the  strikers  should 
be  reinstated  within  a  certain  time,  thirty  or  sixty  days.  Manager  MacNeill 
stated  that  he  expected  that  the  Colorado  mill,  which  had  been  shut  down  for 
some  time  before  the  strike  began,  would  begin  operations  again  within  a  short 
time,  and  that  in  such  case  he  would  soon  be  able  to  re-employ  practically  all 
the  strikers.  President  Moyer  accepted  Manager  MacNeill's  assurance  that  he 
would  re-employ  the  company's  former  employes  as  rapidly  as  circumstances 
would  permit,  and  that  he  would  give  preference  to  the  union  men  who  had 
been  discharged  and  to  the  union  men  who  had  struck.  He,  however,  acquiesced 
in  the  refusal  of  the  manager  to  re-employ  fourteen  men  who  were  specially  ob- 
jectionable to  the  company. 

The  strike  of  employes  in  the  Standard  reduction  mill  at  Colorado  City,  which 
began  February  14,  1903,  and  the  sympathetic  strike  of  miners  in  the  Cripple 
Creek  district,  which  began  March  17,  1903,  were  settled  on  the  above-mentioned 
terms  March  31st. 

THE  "eight-hour"   STRIKES   OF    I903 

The  Colorado  General  Assembly  having  failed  to  enact  an  eight-hour  law  in 
compliance  with  the  constitutional  amendment  adopted  in  1902,  the  Western 
Federation  of  Miners  decided  to  demand  that  smelting  and  reduction  companies 
should  grant  an  eight-hour  working  day,  and,  in  case  of  a  refusal,  to  enter  upon 
a  strike  to  secure  an  eight-hour  day  for  all  employes  in  smelting  and  reduction 
plants.  All  of  the  reduction  companies  in  Colorado  except  the  smelters  had  eight- 
hour  shifts  for  men  actually  engaged  in  extracting  ores. 

During  the  first  six  months  of  1903,  the  American  Smelting  and  Refining 
Company  (commonly  called  the  "smelter  trust"),  operated  seven  smelters  in 
Colorado — the  Grant  and  Globe  plants,  at  Denver ;  the  Pueblo,  Filer  and  Phila- 
delphia plants,  at  Pueblo :  and  Arkansas  Valley  plant,  at  Leadville.  and  the  Du- 
rango  plant,  at  Durango. 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  853 

Besides  its  smelters  in  Colorado,  this  company  had  smelters  in  Montana, 
Utah,  New  ^lexico,  New  Jersey,  and  elsewhere,  in  all,  about  twenty  plants. 

The  only  independent  smelters  in  Colorado  were  the  Boston  and  Colorado 
Smelting  Company's  plant  at  Argo,  a  suburb  of  Denver,  and  the  Ohio  and  Colo- 
rado Smelting  Company's  plant  at  Salida. 

In  the  spring  of  1903  the  Western  Federation  of  Miners  organized  the  Den- 
ver Mill  and  Smeltermen's  Union,  No.  93.  At  Pueblo  a  mill  and  smeltermen's 
union  was  formed,  but  only  a  small  proportion  of  the  employes  of  the  American 
Smelting  and  Refining  Company  in  its  three  plants  there  belong  to  the  union.  In 
the  smelters  of  this  company  at  Leadville  and  Durango  the  federation  had  only 
a  few  members. 

The  Grant  and  Globe  plants,  at  Denver,  handled  35,000  tons  of  ore  a  month, 
while  the  other  five  smelters  of  the  American  Smelting  and  Refining  Company 
in  Colorado  handled  125,000  tons  a  month. 

In  two  of  the  smelters  of  this  company,  the  Pueblo  and  Durango  plants,  em- 
ployes who  were  actually  engaged  in  extracting  metals  from  the  ores  worked 
eight-hour  shifts.  With  these  exceptions,  the  employes  of  the  company  worked 
ten  or  twelve  hours  per  day.  Engineers,  firemen,  furnace-men,  tappers,  and 
roster  men  worked  twelve  hours.  All  other  labor  about  the  smelters  and  in  the 
sampling  works,  the  shoveling  of  ore  from  cars  and  delivering  the  same  on  the 
smelter  beds,  and  work  of  like  nature,  was  performed  by  laborers  working  ten 
hours  a  day. 

The  request  for  a  reduction  of  hours  having  been  refused.  Mill  and  Smelter- 
men's Union,  No.  93  held  a  meeting  in  Elyria  town  hall  on  the  night  of  July  3d 
and  voted  to  begin  a  strike  at  the  Grant  and  Globe  smelters  of  the  American 
Smelting  and  Refining  Company  at  Denver. 

This  meeting  was  attended  by  Charles  H.  Aloyer,  president,  and  William  D. 
Haywood,  secretary-treasurer,  of  the  Western  Federation  of  Miners.  The 
meeting  having  adjourned  shortly  before  midnight,  a  crowd  of  about  three  hun- 
dred men  entered  the  Grant  smelter,  which  was  not  enclosed,  and  ordered  the 
workmen  there  to  quit.  The  crowd  was  composed  partly  of  day-shift  men  and 
partly  of  men  who  were  not  employes  of  the  company. 

After  stopping  all  work  at  the  Grant  smelter  the  crowd  went  to  the  Globe 
smelter,  broke  in  the  gates  of  the  enclosure,  and  drove  away  all  employes  work- 
ing there,  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  in  number.  Five  or  six  of  the  emploves 
of  the  Globe  smelter  were  beaten  and  kicked.  The  engineer  especially  was  mal- 
treated, scalp  wounds  being  inflicted  upon  him.  The  strikers  extinguished  the 
fires  in  the  furnaces  of  both  smelters. 

On  July  7th  there  were  no  men  working  at  the  Grant  smelter  and  at  the 
Globe  smelter  only  about  twenty  men  were  employed  in  repair  work.  The 
smeltermen's  union  had  placed  pickets  about  the  two  plants.  They  were  in- 
structed to  use  only  moral  suasion  to  prevent  men  from  going  to  work  in  the 
smelters.  The  plants  were  guarded  by  thirty-one  policemen.  No  disorder  was 
reported,  and  on  July  lOth  the  force  of  special  policemen  was  reduced  to  twelve. 
An  application  for  a  writ  of  injunction  was  made  by  Franklin  Guiterman, 
manager  of  the  American  Smelting  and  Refining  Company.  The  application 
was  signed  by  the  attorneys  of  the  company  and  the  attorneys  of  the  Citizens' 
Alliance.     It  was  granted  July  7th  by  Judge   N.  Walter  Dixon,  of   Pueblo,   in 


854  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

chambers  at  Denver.  It  was  directed  against  Mill  and  Smeltermen's  Union,  No. 
93,  of  the  Western  Federation  of  Miners,  the  American  Labor  Union,  the  West- 
ern Federation  of  Miners,  the  Denver  Trade  and  Labor  Assembly,  the  Colorado 
State  Federation  of  Labor  and  against  the  individual  officers  of  these  organiza- 
tions. The  injunction  prohibited  the  defendants  from  interfering  in  any  way 
with  the  business  of  the  complainant,  prohibited  picketing  the  premises  of  the 
complainant,  and  prohibited  "publishing  any  order,  statements,  rules,  or  direc- 
tions by  the  officers  of  said  defendant  association,"  commanding  those  who  wish 
to  continue  their  work  or  return  to  work  not  to  do  so. 

On   August   5th   Judge   Dixon,    upholding   his   jurisdiction   in   the   premises, 
sentenced  a  member  of  the  smeltermen's  union  to  two  months  in  the  county  jail ' 
for  contempt  of  court  in  disobeying  the  injunction. 

The  American  Smelting  and  Refining  Company  decided  not  to  reopen  the 
Grant  smelter,  the  equipment  of  which  was  antiquated.  By  the  middle  of  August, 
six  weeks  after  the  strike  began,  the  company  had  enough  employes  to  operate 
successfully  the  Globe  smelter,  and  after  that  it  continued  in  operation  without 
interruption.  Former  employes  who  went  on  strike  were  re-employed  only  after 
making  a  declaration  that  they  had  severed  their  connection  with  the  Western 
Federation  of  Miners. 

An  extra  session  of  the  Legislature  to  enact  an  "eight-hour"  law  was  called 
to  meet  July  20,  1903,  but  it  was  in  session  only  six  days,  the  governor  finding 
that  "no  agreement  on  the  terms  of  such  a  bill  could  be  reached." 

On  September  ist,  1903,  the  federation  men  in  San  Miguel  County  struck  for 
an  eight-hour  day  and  a  new  scale  of  wages.  By  September  6th,  700  men  had 
left  the  camp.  The  strike  closed  six  mills — the  Tom  Boy,  Liberty  Bell,  Nellie, 
Columbia,  Menona  and  one  of  the  Smuggler-Union  mills. 

Afterward  the  managers  of  several  mills  agreed  to  reduce  the  working  hours 
from  twelve  to  eight  hours,  the  mill  men  to  accept  a  reduction  of  50  cents  a  day 
• — those  receiving  $4  to  get  $3.50  and  those  receiving  $3.50  to  get  $3. 

THE    IDAHO   SPRINGS    STRIKE   OF    I9O3 

In  the  spring  of  1903,  there  was  a  strike  of  gold  miners  at  Idaho  Springs  in 
Clear  Creek  County.  The  minimum  wage  of  miners  was  $2.75  for  a  day's  work 
of  nine  hours.  They  struck  for  a  working  day  of  eight  hours,  with  no  reduction 
in  wages. 

The  demand  being  refused,  there  was  a  strike  on  May  i,  1903.  The  strikers, 
who  numbered  about  two  hundred  and  fifty,  had  been  employed  in  the  Sun  and 
Moon,  Arizona,  Teller,  Gum  Tree,  Brighton  and  Shafter  mines,  all  of  which 
properties  were  closed  by  the  walk-out. 

On  May  i8th,  the  Arizona  and  the  Teller  mines  resumed  operations  with  non- 
union men,  but  paying  $2.75  for  eight  hours'  work,  as  had  been  demanded  by 
the  union.  On  June  ist  the  Shafter  mine  resumed  operation  with  non-union  men. 
The  managers  of  the  Arizona,  Teller  and  Gum  Tree  mines,  having  agreed  to  pay 
a  minimum  of  $2.75  for  eight  hours'  work,  and  not  to  discriminate  against  union 
miners,  the  union  on  Jime  loth,  declared  off  the  strike  against  them.  This  left 
only  three  mines  which  the  union  considered  unfair,  the  Sun  and  Moon,  Brighton 
and  Shafter.     The  Sun  and  Moon,  which  had  employed  about  one  hundred  and 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  855 

twenty-five  men  before  the  strike,  resumed  operations,  on  June  8th,  with  a  small 
non-union  force,  and  by  July  ist  had  about  seventy  employes. 

Shortly  after  ii  o'clock  on  the  night  of  July  2Sth  there  was  a  terrific  explo- 
sion at  the  Sun  and  Moon  mine.  It  was  caused  by  kegs  of  powder  or  dynamite, 
which,  being  rolled  down  the  hillside,  wrecked  the  transformer  house.  The 
night  watchman,  E.  -\.  Powell,  had  seen  two  or  three  men  on  the  hillside  and 
noticed  there  a  fire  like  the  striking  of  a  match  or  the  lighting  of  a  fuse.  When 
he  called  to  them  to  know  their  business  a  shot  was  fired  in  his  direction,  where- 
upon he  fired  two  shots  at  them.  Almost  instantly  two  kegs  of  powder  or  dyna- 
mite were  rolled  down  the  hill.  It  was  sujiposed  that  one  of  the  kegs  was  in- 
tended to  destroy  the  compressor  house  and  the  other  perhaps  was  intended  to 
wreck  the  shaft  and  boiler  house,  but  that  the  men  were  frightened  by  the 
watchman  just  as  they  lighted  the  fuses,  and  they  suddenly  rolled  both  kegs  down- 
hill striking  the  nearest  building,  the  transformer  house. 

As  it  happened,  the  only  life  lost  was  that  of  one  of  the  dynamiters,  named 
Philip  Fire,  an  Italian  and  a  union  man. 

Deputy  sheriffs  began  scouring  the  hills  for  the  other  dynamiter  or  dynamiters. 
Meanwhile  other  deputy  sheriffs  visited  the  homes  of  officers  and  members  of 
the  miners'  union,  placed  them  under  arrest  and  confined  them  in  jail.  Thirteen 
were  arrested  during  the  night  and  others  the  next  day. 

An  indignation  meeting  to  denounce  the  crime  was  called  by  the  Citizens' 
Protective  League.  This  was  an  association  of  mine  owners  and  business  men, 
which  had  been  organized  since  the  beginning  of  the  strike  at  Idaho  Springs.  It 
was  allied  with  the  Citizens'  Alliance,  with  headquarters  in  Denver.  The  ring- 
ing of  the  fire-alarm  bell  on  the  evening  of  July  29th  was  the  signal  for  the 
meeting,  which  was  held  in  the  Idaho  Springs  Opera  House. 

At  this  gathering  deportation  of  federation  men  was  decided  upon,  and  to 
the  number  of  500  the  league  marched  to  the  jail.  The  three  guards  were  re- 
quired to  give  up  the  keys  and  the  door  was  unlocked.  Fourteen  of  the  twenty- 
three  men  in  the  jail  were  ordered  out.  All  of  these  men  were  members  of  the 
Western  Federation  of  Miners. 

With  the  fourteen  union  men  in  advance  the  crowd  moved  down  the  main 
street  to  the  extreme  eastern  end  of  the  city,  more  than  a  mile  away.  .Xt  that 
point  Lafayette  Ilanchctte  told  the  fourteen  men  that  the  citizens  of  Idaho  Springs 
would  not  countenance  violence ;  that  they  were  satisfied  that  at  least  some  of 
the  men  had  instigated  the  plot  to  dynamite  the  Sun  and  Moon  mine,  and  also 
planned  to  assassinate  certain  mine  managers.  He  said  that  the  citizens  had 
decided  that  these  men  must  leave  and  never  return.  "Never  show  your  faces  in 
Clear  Creek  County  again,"  he  said,  "for  if  you  do  we  will  not  be  responsible 
for  what  may  happen  to  you.  A  very  considerable  element  here  has  been  for 
hanging  you  men,  but  the  conservative  cftizens  have  prevailed.  They  expect 
you  to  keep  moving  until  vou  get  out  of  the  state.  Don't  stop  in  Denver  except 
long  enough  to  get  aid  from  your  federation." 

The  men  were  asked  whether  they  had  anything  to  say,  but  none  ofTcrcd  a 
defense  or  uttered  a  protest.  Several  asked  whether  they  might  send  for  their 
families  or  their  effects,  and  they  were  assured  that  no  objection  would  he  made, 
and  that  their  families  would  be  supported  until  they  should  be  sent  for.    La  fay- 


856  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

ette  Hanchette  and  others  in  the  crowd  gave  some  of  the  men  small  sums  of 
money  to  provide  for  their  immediate  necessities. 

On  application  of  the  attorney  of  the  deported  men,  on  August  lo,  1903, 
Judge  Frank  W.  Owers,  sitting  in  the  District  Court  at  Georgetown,  granted  an 
injunction  restraining  each  and  every  member  of  the  Citizens'  Protective  League 
from  interfering  with  the  deported  men  or  preventing  their  return  to  their  homes 
and  business.     Commenting  on  the  complaint  of  the  plaintiffs  Judge  Owers  said : 

"The  action  of  the  Idaho  Springs  mob,  I  take  pains  to  use  the  accurate  term, 
in  running  out  of  town,  with  threats  of  violence,  the  officials  of  the  miners'  union 
was  sheer  anarchy,  an  outrageous  violation  of  the  rights  guaranteed  by  the  Con- 
stitution to  the  humblest  person." 

Eight  of  the  deported  men  returned  to  Idaho  Springs  on  August  nth. 

Arrests  followed  on  both  sides  but  no  conviction  was  obtained. 

After  the  union  miners  were  deported  from  Idaho  Springs  the  camp  allowed 
only  non-union  men  to  work  there. 

THE  CRIPPLE  CREEK   STRIKE  OF    I9O3-4 

The  strike  of  1894  in  the  Cripple  Creek  district  was  settled  favorably  to  the 
miners.  For  nine  years,  from  1894  to  1903,  the  miners  maintained  a  strong  or- 
ganization in  the  larger  gold-mining  camps  of  the  state.  The  federation  was 
strong  especially  in  the  Cripple  Creek  district,  which  included  the  towns  of  Crip- 
ple Creek,  Victor,  Goldfield,  Independence,  Anaconda,  and  Altman.  In  electing 
officers  for  these  towns  and  for  Teller  County,  in  which  the  towns  are  situated, 
the  members  of  the  Western  Federation  of  Miners  cast  the  deciding  votes,  and 
in  many  cases  the  town  and  county  officers  were  members  of  the  federation. 

The  strong  organization  of  the  Western  Federation  of  Miners  enabled  it  to 
keep  many  non-unionists  away  from  the  mining  camps.  They  were  denounced 
as  "scabs,"  and  in  many  cases  residence  in  the  mining  camps  was  made  very  dis- 
agreeable for  them.  The  following  notice  was  posted  all  over  the  Cripple  Creek 
district  on  August  6,  1901 : 

"Take  notice,  that  on  and  after  September  15,  1901,  anyone  working  in  and 
around  the  mines,  mills,  or  power  plants  of  the  Cripple  Creek  district,  who  can- 
not show  a  card  of  membership  in  good  standing  of  some  local  union  of  the 
Western  Federation  of  Miners,  will  be  considered  a  scab  and  an  enemy  to  us. 
himself,  and  the  community  at  large,  and  will  be  treated  as  such.  By  order  of 
the  Cripple  Creek  Executive  Board  of  the  Western  Federation  of  Miners." 

By  means  of  the  boycott,  slugging,  and  other  acts  of  personal  violence,  many 
non-union  miners  were  driven  away  from  the  various  camps  at  different  times. 
No  large  bodies  of  non-unionists  were  deported,  but  in  many  individual  cases 
they  were  compelled  to  leave.  However,  none  of  the  camps  was  completely 
unionized.  Some  non-union  men  were  permitted  to  remain,  and  in  many  mines 
unionists  and  non-unionists  worked  side  by  side.  This  was  the  case  notably  in 
the  big  Portland  mine.  James  F.  Burns,  president  of  the  Portland  Gold  Alining 
Company,  was  considered  by  the  union  men  as  one  of  their  best  friends,  yet  he 
operated  the  mine  on  the  "open-shop"  principle. 

On  July  27.  1903.  five  Austrian  miners  from  Butte.  Montana,  were  escorted 
to  the  edffe  of  the  town  and  ordered  to  leave  the  district. 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  857 

On  March  31,  1903,  when  a  settlement  of  strikes  at  the  Portland  and  Telluride 
reduction  plants  at  Colorado  City  was  effected,  the  managers  agreed  to  confer 
with  a  committee  of  the  Colorado  City  Mill  and  Smeltermen's  Union,  No.  125, 
of  the  Western  Federation  of  Miners,  to  consider  a  new  scale  of  wages.  The 
result  was  an  increase  of  wages  at  these  plants,  the  minimum  wage  being  in- 
creased from  $1.80  to  $2.25  per  day  of  eight  working  hours.  This  scale  went 
into  effect  May  ist,  the  understanding  being  that  it  would  be  enforced  also  in  com- 
peting establishments.  The  Standard  mill  at  Colorado  City,  owned  by  the 
United  States  Reduction  and  Refining  Company,  continued  to  pay  the  old  scale, 
the  minimum  wage  being  $1.80  per  day  of  eight  working  hours. 

The  inequality  of  wages  caused  dissatisfaction  among  the  union  employes  of 
the  Standard  mill,  and  also  caused  the  managers  of  the  Portland  and  Telluride 
mills  to  be  dissatisfied.  Manager  Hugh  Fullerton,  of  the  Telluride  Reduction 
Company,  posted  a  notice  on  July  ist,  to  the  effect  that  after  July  5th  wages 
would  be  reduced  and  the  minimum  would  be  $2  a  day. 

At  a  regular  meeting  oT  the  Mill  and  Smeltermen's  Union  of  Colorado  City 
on  July  3,  1903,  the  members  voted  to  strike  against  the  United  States  Reduction 
and  Refining  Company.  There  were  two  causes  for  this  strike :  First,  the  re- 
fusal of  Manager  C.  M.  MacNeill  to  consider  the  wage  scale ;  second,  the  failure 
to  reinstate  the  men  who  had  been  engaged  in  the  strike,  which  began  February 
14,  1903,  and  continued  until  March  31st,  according  to  an  agreement  made  on  the 
latter  date. 

District  Union  No.  i,  at  a  meeting  held  at  Cripple  Creek  on  the  evening  of 
August  8,  1903,  ordered  all  employes  in  and  about  the  mines  in  the  district  to 
cease  work  on  the  morning  of  Monday,  August  loth,  except  employes  who  were 
working  on  properties  shipping  ore  to  the  Economic  mill  at  Victor,  the  Dorcas 
mill  at  Florence,  and  the  cyanide  mills  of  the  district.  These  mills  which  were 
excepted  were  independent  plants,  not  connected  with  the  American  Smelting 
and  Refining  Company,  (the  "smelter  trust")  or  the  United  States  Reduction 
and  Refining  Company. 

The  reason  assigned  by  members  of  the  district  union  for  making  the  order 
to  strike  so  sweeping  in  character  was  that,  during  the  strike  earlier  in  the  year, 
when  only  the  known  shippers  to  the  Standard  mill  at  Colorado  City  were  shut 
down,  others  helped  that  plant  by  shipping  to  other  places  ores  which  were  then 
re-shipped  to  the  mill  that  was  under  ban. 

This  sympathetic  strike  of  miners,  like  their  sympathetic  strike  of  five  months 
earlier,  was  ordered  by  the  district  union,  which  was  composed  of  thirteen  repre- 
sentatives from  the  eight  local  unions  in  the  Cripple  Creek  district  and  the  local 
union  at  Colorado  City.  These  local  unions  had  voted  to  refer  the  matters  at 
issue  to  the  district  union  for  settlement,  giving  it  full  power  to  call  a  strike,  if 
necessary.  The  action  of  the  district  union  at  Cripple  Creek  was  indorsed  by 
the  executive  board  of  the  Western  Federation  of  Miners  at  Denver. 

On  August  II,  1903,  the  number  of  men  on  strike  in  the  district  was  3.552. 

The  sympathetic  strike  of  miners  on  August  loth,  was  caused  by  the  refusal 
of  the  United  .States  Reduction  Cnmpanv  at  Colorado  City  to  advance  the  wages 
of  mill  men,  and  bv  the  discriminalinn  which  that  company  had  exercised  against 
its  employes  who  were  members  of  the  federation.  The  strike  of  ihe  miners 
liad  little  if  any  connection  with  the  strike  for  an  eiijhl-hnnr  workiiisj  ilav,  whicli 


858  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

commenced  July  3d,  at  the  two  smelters  of  the  American  Smelting  and  Refining 
Company  at  Denver.  The  reduction  plants  reduced  low-grade  ores  and  the 
smelters  finer  grades.  JMost  of  the  ores  from  the  Cripple  Creek  district  are  of 
low  grade,  hence  most  of  the  tonnage  from  that  district  goes  to  the  reduction 
plants  instead  of  the  smelters.  Only  about  10  per  cent  of  the  ores  treated  by 
the  smelters  of  the  American  Smelting  and  Refining  Company  at  Pueblo,  Lead- 
ville,  and  Durango  came  from  the  Cripple  Creek  district,  and  practically  none 
of  the  ores  treated  by  the  two  smelters  of  this  company  at  Denver  came  from 
there;  hence  the  strike  of  the  miners  had  but  little  etifect  on  the  plants  of  this 
company. 

The  first  break  in  the  ranks  of  the  strikers  was  at  the  El  Paso  mine  on  August 
i8th,  when  work  was  resumed  with  about  seventy-five  men,  of  whom  about  twelve 
were  union  men.  The  mine  was  guarded  by  seventeen  armed  men,  and  a  barri- 
cade, a  fence  ten  feet  high,  was  built  around  the  shaft  house.  Some  of  these 
guards  were  deputies,  appointed  by  Sheriff  H.  M.  Robertson,  and  all  of  them 
were  paid  by  the  mining  company. 

On  August  22d,  officers  of  the  federation  made  a  satisfactory  settlement  with 
Tames  F.  Burns,  president  of  the  Portland  Gold  Alining  Company.  The  former 
employes,  numbering  about  five  hundred,  were  notified  to  resume  w-ork  at  the 
mine  on  August  26th. 

On  August  25th  the  federation  ordered  a  strike  against  the  Telluride  Re- 
duction Company,  at  Colorado  City,  which  earlier  in  1903  had  increased  wages 
and  granted  every  other  demand  of  the  federation.  The  federation  demanded 
the  discharge  of  the  head  precipitator,  Walter  Keene. 

On  September  2d,  the  Standard  reduction  mill,  at  Colorado  City,  closed  down 
on  account  of  lack  of  ores  for  treatment,  a  result  of  the  strike  of  Cripple  Creek 
miners.  About  one  hundred  and  fifty  men  were  thrown  out  of  employment,  but 
the  management  announced  that  they  would  be  paid  one-third  of  the  regular 
wages  for  an  indefinite  period. 

On  the  night  of  August  29th,  the  shaft  house  of  the  Sunset-Eclipse  mine 
near  Cripple  Creek  was  destroyed  by  fire.  The  fire  was  supposed  to  be  of  in- 
cendiary origin  and  was  attributed  by  some  persons  to  members  of  the  federation. 

On  September  ist  John  T.  Hawkins,  justice  of  the  peace  at  Anaconda,  while 
walking  down  the  main  street  of  Altman,  was  suddenly  set  upon,  knocked  down, 
and  wounded.  On  the  previous  day  two  guards  at  the  El  Paso  mine,  who  were 
arrested  at  the  instance  of  the  union  officials  for  carrying  concealed  weapons, 
were  brought  before  Justice  Hawkins  for  examination.  He  discharged  one  of 
the  men  on  the  ground  that  he  had  not  carried  his  revolver  concealed.  The  other 
man  pleaded  guilty  and  was  fined  $25  and  costs. 

On  the  night  of  September  i.  1903,  an  atrocious  assault  wasi,  committed  on 
Thomas  M.  Stewart,  at  Independence.  He  was  about  fifty  years  old,  a  paper- 
hanger  by  trade,  and  a  non-union  man.  Not  having  work  at  his  trade  he  applied 
for  any  kind  of  work  at  the  Golden  Cycle  mine.  He  was  given  a  job  as  carpenter 
and  on  the  morning  of  September  ist  began  building  a  fence  around  the  mine. 

On  September  2d,  the  Cripple  Creek  Mine  Owners  and  Operators'  .A^ssocia- 
tion  offered  a  reward  of  $2,500  for  information  leading  to  the  arrest  and  convic- 
tion of  the  person  or  persons  who  had  set  fire  to  the  Sunset-Eclipse  shaft  house: 
a  reward  of  $300  for  information  leading  to  the  arrest  and  conviction  of  the 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  859 

person  who  had  assaulted  Justice  Hawkins;  a  reward  of  $i,ooo  for  information 
leading  to  the  arrest  and  conviction  of  the  persons  who  had  assaulted  and  shot 
Thomas  Al.  Stewart.  The  Golden  Cycle  Mining  Company,  in  addition,  offered 
$500  for  the  arrest  of  Stewart's  assailants. 

The  communications  which  Governor  Peabody  received  from  the  Cripple 
Creek  district  decided  him  to  appoint  a  commission  to  proceed  to  that  place  to 
investigate  conditions,  and  report  whether  there  was  need  for  troops.  On  Sep- 
tember 3d,  he  appointed  a  commission  composed  of  Brig.  Gen.  John  Chase, 
Atty.  Gen.  N.  C.  Miller,  and  Lieut.  T.  M.  McClelland,  who  proceeded  at  once 
to  Victor. 

After  receiving  the  report  of  the  commission  the  governor  ordered  out  the 
National  Guard. 

On  September  8,  1903,  work  was  resumed  in  a  number  of  mines.  On  Sep- 
tember 9th,  twelve  mines  were  being  operated  and  376  men  were  employed.  Sev- 
eral members  of  the  Mine  Owners  and  Operators'  Association  announced  that 
in  the  future  they  would  refuse  to  treat  with  anyone  belonging  to  the  Western 
Federation  of  Miners  unless  he  would  renounce  further  connection  with  the  as- 
sociation. 

By  September  10,  1903,  guards  of  soldiers  were  stationed  practically  all  over 
the  district  at  all  large  mines  where  union  men  were  out  on  strike  and  on  the 
public  highways. 

The  first  arrests  by  the  militia  were  made  on  September  10,  1903,  when 
Charles  Campbell,  H.  H.  Kinney,  and  three  other  men  were  confined  in  the 
old  jail  at  Goldfield.  This  jail  was  an  old  wooden  building,  with  a  high  stockade 
about  it,  and  when  used  as  a  military  prison  was  known  as  the  "bull  pen."  The 
five  men  were  held  on  the  ground  of  military  necessity.  No  charges  were  filed 
against  them,  but  they  were  alleged  to  have  made  threats  against  the  militia  and 
individual  citizens.  On  September  nth,  James  Laft'erty,  one  of  the  union  lead- 
ers, was  also  arrested  by  the  militia. 

About  I  A.  M.  on  September  12th,  a  squad  of  seven  soldiers  visited  the  home 
of  Sherman  Parker,  secretary  of  Free  Coinage  Miners'  Union,  No.  19,  entered 
his  house,  presented  their  guns,  and  compelled  him  to  dress  and  to  accompany 
them  to  Goldfield,  where  he  was  placed  in  the  "bull-pen." 

On  September  14th,  Judge  -Seeds  granted  wTits,  directing  Adjutant-General 
Bell  and  Brigadier-General  Chase  to  produce  the  four  prisoners  in  court  or  give 
reasons  why  they  should  not  do  so. 

On  September  r4th,  twenty-two  militiamen  visited  the  home  of  P.  J.  Lynch, 
chairman  of  the  board  of  county  commissioners,  arrested  him  and  brought  him 
to  Camp  Goldfield.  General  Chase  charged  him  with  making  speeches  against 
the  militia  and  advising  the  strikers  not  to  return  to  work. 

On  the  afternoon  of  September  21st,  about  ninety  cavalrymen  marched 
through  Cripple  Creek,  surrounded  the  courthouse  and  picketed  it,  permitting  no 
person  to  pass  through  the  lines  unless  he  was  an  officer  of  the  court,  a  member 
of  the  bar,  a  county  official,  or  a  press  representative.  A  company  of  infantry- 
men escorted  the  four  habeas  corpus  jiclitioncrs  to  the  courthouse,  and  fourteen 
soldiers  entered  the  building  and  with  loaded  guns  and  fixed  bayonets  guarded 
the  petitioners. 

On  September  23d,  a  large  number  of  soldiers,  cavalry  and  inf;intrv.  again 


860  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

surrounded  the  courthouse.  A  Catling  gun  was  placed  in  position  near  the 
courthouse,  and  a  detail  of  sharpshooters  was  stationed  on  the  roof  of  the 
National  Hotel,  commanding  streets  leading  to  the  courthouse.  Thirty-four 
armed  soldiers  brought  the  prisoners  into  court. 

On  September  24th,  the  militia  was  again  stationed  about  the  courthouse  and 
thirty  soldiers,  under  the  command  of  Ceneral  Chase,  entered  the  building. 

The  court  ordered  that  Sherman  Parker,  James  Lafferty,  H.  H.  McKinney, 
and  Charles  Campbell,  relators,  "be  discharged  from  custody,  as  in  their  re- 
spective petitions  prayed."  General  Chase  arose  and,  saluting  the  court,  said: 
"Acting  under  the  orders  of  the  commander-in-chief,  I  must  at  this  time  decline 
to  obey  the  order  of  the  court."  The  court  adjourned  and  the  prisoners  were 
taken  back  to  the  "bull  pen,"  but  later  in  the  day.  General  Chase,  acting  on  in- 
structions telegraphed  by  Governor  Peabody,  released  the  four  prisoners. 

On  the  night  of  September  29th,  the  militia  arrested  the  working  force  of 
the  Victor  Record.  The  Record  was  a  morning  paper  and  was  the  local  organ 
of  the  Western  Federation  of  Miners.  It  had  published  the  official  statements 
of  the  federation  and  had  criticized  the  actions  of  the  militia.  The  specific  charge 
on  which  the  arrests  were  made  was  the  statement  in  the  paper  that  one  of  the 
members  of  one  of  the  military  companies  was  an  ex-convict.  A  detail  of 
twenty-five  infantrymen  and  twenty  cavalrymen  marched  to  the  printing  office 
and  arrested  the  editor,  George  E.  Kyner,  and  four  employes. 

On  October  ist,  capiases  were  issued  from  the  District  Court  for  the  arrest 
of  Generals  Bell  and  Chase,  upon  information  filed  by  the  district  attorney,  Henry 
Trowbridge,  charging  them  with  making  unlawful  arrests  in  arresting  Sherman 
Parker  and  others.  A  deputy  sheriff  attempted  to  serve  the  capiases,  but  Gen- 
eral Bell  refused  to  accept  service,  and  announced  that  no  civil  officer  would  be 
allowed  to  serve  any  civil  process  from  any  court  in  the  state  upon  any  officer -of 
the  National  Guard  while  on  duty  under  order  of  the  governor.  This  position 
in  regard  to  the  immunity  of  military  officers  from  arrest  while  on  military  duty 
was  sustained  in  an  opinion  given  out  by  the  attorney-general  of  the  state,  N.  C. 
Miller. 

By  October  loth,  the  estimated  number  of  men  employed  in  all  departments 
of  the  mines  in  the  Cripple  Creek  district  was  estimated  at  twenty-nine  hundred. 
This  included  about  five  hundred  union  men  at  work  at  the  big  Portland  mine 
and  about  seven  hundred  men,  union,  working  at  other  mines  that  were  con- 
sidered fair. 

On  October  13th.  soldiers  to  the  number  of  716,  men  and  officers,  were  on 
duty  in  the  Cripple  Creek  district,  430  having  been  relieved  from  duty  since  the 
beginning  of  the  strike.  On  that  date  Governor  Peabody  ordered  the  withdrawal 
of  all  in  excess  of  525.  On  October  29th.  the  governor  ordered  a  further  reduc- 
tion, and  after  that  date  only  about  two  hundred  soldiers  remained  in  the  district. 

Charles  H.  McCormick,  superintendent  of  the  Vindicator  mine,  and  Melvin 
Beck,  a  shift  boss,  while  on  the  cage  descending  the  shaft  of  the  mine  on  the 
morning  of  November  21.  1903,  were  almost  instantly  killed  by  an  explosion  at 
the  fioo-foot  level,  where  no  work  was  being  done.  The  executive  committee  of 
the  Mine  Owners'  Association  issued  a  statement  charging  the  crime  against 
the  Western  Federation  of  l\Tiners.  and  oflfering  a  reward  of  $5,000  for  evidence 
leading  to  the  arrest  and  conviction  of  the  perpetrator.    The  executive  committee 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  861 

of  the  district  union  of  the  Western  Federation  of  Miners  issued  a  statement 
attributing  the  explosion  to  an  accident. 

After  a  conference  with  a  number  of  citizens  of  Cripple  Creek,  including 
S.  D.  Crump,  C.  C.  Hamlin,  A.  E.  Carlton,  and  E.  J.  Campbell,  Governor  James 
H.  Peabody  on  December  4,  1903,  proclaimed  Teller  County  in  a  state  of  insur- 
rection and  rebellion.  The  proclamation  referred  to  attempts  at  train  wrecking 
and  to  the  explosion  at  the  Vindicator  mine. 

The  military  forces  patrolled  the  streets  of  Cripple  Creek  and  other  cities  in 
the  district,  taking  the  places  of  the  local  police  ofificers  and  deputy  sheriff's.  Gam- 
bling houses  were  ordered  closed,  saloons  to  be  closed  at  midnight.  The  militia 
continued  to  arrest  people  keeping  them  in  the  "bull  pen"  varying  lengths  of 
time,  without  filing  charges  against  them.  On  December  8th,  the  military  offi- 
cers in  Cripple  Creek  had  registered  about  eight  hundred  arms  of  different  kinds. 
The  owners  of  all  except  about  fifteen  revolvers  and  shotguns  were  allowed  to 
retain  their  arms. 

On  January  26,  1904,  as  the  night-shift  miners  on  Stratton's  Independence 
mine  at  Victor  were  leaving  the  mine,  the  cage  containing  sixteen  men  was  vio- 
lently drawn  into  the  sheave  wheel  at  the  top  of  the  shaft.  The  cage  then 
dropped,  and  all  but  one  of  these  men  were  instantly  killed,  their  bodies  being 
dashed  down  into  the  sump,  1,500  feet  below.  The  Independence  had  become  a 
non-union  mine. 

On  February  17th,  Governor  Peabody  visited  Victor  and  was  given  a  recep- 
tion at  the  headquarters  of  Company  L,  a  local  military  company.  Replying  to 
an  address  from  C.  C.  Hamlin,  secretary  of  the  Mine  Owners'  Association,  the 
governor  said : 

"I  think  I  have  done  my  duty  in  bringing  about  law  and  order  in  the  Cripple 
Creek  district,  and  now  it  is  up  to  you  gentlemen.  I  will  take  the  burden  from 
my  shoulders  and  place  it  on  yours,  and  I  think  that  you  will  be  able  to  carry 
it.  But  in  doing  this  I  would  suggest  that  the  olive  branch,  the  hand  of  friend- 
ship, should  be  extended  to  the  striking  miners,  and  that  harmony  between  the 
employer  and  employe  should  be  brought  about." 

On  April  nth,  an  order  was  issued  withdrawing  the  troojis  from  Teller 
County.  This  action  was  taken  by  Governor  Peabody  in  compliance  with  a  re- 
quest signed  by  civil  officers  and  many  citizens  and  mine  owners  of  the  county, 
declaring  that  peaceable  conditions  prevailed  and  that  troops  were  no  longer 
necessary.     The  troops  left  the  district  on  the  next  day. 

The  members  of  the  Mine  Owners'  A.ssociation  having  decided,  as  announced 
in  their  notice  of  September  17,  1903,  and  their  statement  of  March  10,  1904, 
to  blacklist  all  members  of  the  Western  Federation  of  Miners,  employes  and  all 
applicants  for  work  were  required  to  answer  questions  on  a  blank  form. 

If  the  answers  of  the  applicant  were  satisfactory,  the  secretary  of  the  Mine 
Owners'  Association  issued  a  card  authorizing  his  employment  by  members  of 
the  association.  He  kept  this  card  while  seeking  employment  but  on  obtaining 
employment  he  surrendered  the  card  to  his  employer,  who  returned  it  to  the 
secretary  of  the  association,  and  the  secretary  filed  it,  all  cards  being  numbered 
consecutively.  When  the  man  was  again  out  of  employment  he  was  again  given 
his  card,  so  that  he  could  seek  new  employment;  but,  if  he  was  considered  an 
agitator,  if  he  had  been  found  tn  be  a  union  sympathizer,  or  if  his  scr\'ices  had 


862  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

been  unsatisfactory,  the  card  would  not  be  reissued  to  him.  This  card  system 
continues  in  the  Cripple  Creek  district. 

The  mine  owners  at  Telluride,  Idaho  Springs,  and  other  places  adopted 
methods  similar  to  those  enforced  by  the  Cripple  Creek  Mine  Owners'  Associa- 
tion, with  the  object  of  preventing  any  member  of  the  Western  Federation  of 
Miners  from  obtaining  employment  in  the  mining  camps.  On  October  i,  1904, 
the  mine  owners  in  the  Leadville  district  introduced  the  card  system. 

On  September  30,  1904,  after  the  Leadville  District  Mining  Association  had 
issued  recommendation  cards  to  nearly  two  thousand  employes,  Judge  Frank  W. 
Owers,  of  the  State  District  Court,  issued  an  injunction. 

Charles  H.  Moyer,  president  of  the  \\'estern  Federation  of  Miners,  was  ar- 
rested at  Ouray  on  March  26,  1904,  by  Sheriff  Alaurice  Corbett,  of  Ouray 
County,  upon  instructions  from  Sheriff  J.  C.  Rutan,  of  San  Miguel  County.  The 
charge  against  him  was  desecration  of  the  American  flag,  by  having  copies  of 
the  flag  printed  with  inscriptions  on'  them.  Copies  of  the  flag  printed  in  proper 
colors,  with  the  inscriptions  in  black  ink  on  the  stripes  had  been  widely  distrib- 
uted through  the  State  of  Colorado  and  elsewhere. 

While  President  Moyer  was  arrested  on  the  charge  of  flag  desecration  it  was 
commonly  known  that  his  arrest  was  ordered  largely  for  other  reasons.  On  the 
day  of  his  arrest  at  Ouray,  President  Moyer  was  taken  to  Telluride.  His  bail 
was  fixed  at  $500  by  Justice  of  the  Peace  P.  A.  Lilley,  but  security  for  bail  was 
not  then  ofifered.     He  was  confined  to  the  city  jail. 

On  March  31st,  District  Judge  Theron  Stevens  granted  a  writ  for  the  release 
of  President  Moyer,  making  it  returnable  on  April  nth.  On  the  latter  date 
Adjutant-General  Bell  and  Captain  Wells  failed  to  produce  Moyer  in  court  at 
Ouray,  as  the  judge  had  ordered.  The  respondents  were  not  present  and  re- 
fused by  their  legal  representatives  to  produce  Moyer,  giving  as  reasons  that 
he  was  in  custody  of  Governor  Peabody  as  commanding  officer  of  the  State 
Militia. 

On  April  15th,  the  State  Supreme  Court  issued  a  writ  of  habeas  corpus 
directed  against  General  Bell  and  Captain  Wells  ordering  them  to  produce  the 
body  of  Charles  H.  Moyer  in  the  Supreme  Court  at  Denver  on  April  21st.  As- 
sistant Attorney-General  Hersey  stated  to  the  court  that  the  state  and  military 
authorities  had  no  objection  to  the  issuance  of  the  writ. 

On  June  6,  1904,  the  Supreme  Court  handed  down  its  decision.  Associate 
Justice  Robert  W.  Steele  dissenting.  The  court  did  not  pass  specifically  upon 
the  questions  relating  to  the  right  of  the  governor  to  declare  martial  law  or  to 
suspend  the  writ  of  habeas  corpus.  The  point  mainly  considered  by  the  court 
was :  Were  the  arrest  and  detention  of  the  petitioner,  under  the  facts  recited  il- 
legal? The  decision  being  in  the  negative,  its  practical  effect  was  that  Mr.  Moyer 
should  remain  as  the  military  prisoner  at  Telluride  until  Governor  Peabody 
should  abolish  military  rule  there. 

On  June  15th  when  Mover's  attorney  went  into  the  Federal  Court  for  relief 
the  governor  issued  an  order  ending  martial  law  in  the  Telluride  district. 

This  brought  about  the  release  of  all  military  prisoners,  including  Moyer, 
who,  however,  was  at  once  rearrested  on  the  charge  of  insurrection  and  con- 
spiracy, based  on  the  fatal  explosion  in  the  shaft  of  the  Vindicator  mine  in 
November. 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  S63 

At  Independence  station  on  June  6,  1904,  about  twenty-five  of  the  night-shift 
men  from  the  Findley  mine  and  two  from  the  Deadwood  property,  all  non-union 
men,  having  quit  work  about  2  A.  M.,  went  to  the  station  of  the  Florence  and 
Cripple  Creek  Railroad,  on  the  south  slope  of  Bull  Hill,  to  take  a  suburban 
train  due  at  2:15  A.  M.,  to  convey  them  to  their  homes.  Most  of  them  were  in 
the  waiting  room  or  on  the  platform  of  the  station  when  the  whistle  of  the 
engine  of  the  approaching  train  was  heard.  Immediately  following  there  was  a 
tremendous  explosion  beneath  the  depot.  The  building  was  badly  wrecked, 
though  not  entirely  demolished.  Thirteen  men  were  killed.  In  some  cases  the 
bodies  were  so  badly  mutilated  that  it  was  difficult  to  identify  them.  Arms, 
legs,  and  other  portions  of  bodies  were  thrown  several  hundred  feet.  In  addi- 
tion, six  men  were  badly  wounded.  The  explosion  was  caused  by  probably  one 
hundred  and  fifty  to  two  hundred  pounds  of  dynamite,  which  had  been  placed 
beneath  the  platform  of  the  station.  This  explosion  was  undoubtedly  set  off  by 
some  person  at  the  end  of  a  wire  about  one  hundred  yards  from  the  depot.  About 
seventy-five  yards  of  wire  were  found,  and  the  end  farthest  from  the  depot  was 
wound  aroung  the  rung  of  a  chair,  which  the  dynamiter  doubtless  used  for  a 
purchase  in  pulling  the  wire  to  set  ofT  the  infernal  machine.  Near  the  depot  was 
found  a  portion  of  a  revolver.  It  is  believed  that  the  wire  was  attached  to  the 
trigger  of  the  revolver,  and  that  when  it  was  pulled  a  bullet  was  discharged  which 
struck  the  dynamite  and  exploded  it.     No  other  clues  have  ever  been  found. 

The  news  of  the  dynamite  outrage  at  Independence  early  on  the  morning  of 
June  6,  1904,  caused  great  indignation  when  it  became  known  throughout  the 
Cripple  Creek  district.  The  managers  of  the  mines  and  samplers  ordered  them 
closed.  All  of  the  larger  mines  closed,  except  the  Portland.  The  idle  miners, 
many  of  them  bearing  arms,  congregated  in  the  streets  of  Victor,  or  visited  the 
scene  of  the  explosion  at  Independence.  Sheriff  Robertson  ordered  that  all 
saloons  in  Cripple  Creek,  Victor,  and  Goldfield  be  closed.  Shortly  after  i  P.  AT. 
a  meeting  of  mine  managers  was  held  at  the  Military  Club  in  tho  Armory  Build- 
ing at  Victor,  and  drastic;  measures  were  decided  on.  .\  committee  of  mine 
owners  left  the  club  rooms,  found  Sheriflf  Robertson,  and  informed  him  that  the 
mine  owners  desired  to  have  a  meeting  with  him.  Robertson  accompanied  them, 
and  when  he  was  inside  the  club  rooms  his  resignation  was  demanded.  He  re- 
fused to  tender  it,  whereupon  guns  were  produced,  a  coiled  rope  was  dangled 
before  him,  and  on  the  outside  several  shots  were  fired.  He  was  told  that  un- 
less he  resigned  the  mob  outside  would  be  admitted,  and  he  would  be  taken  out 
and  hanged.  He  then  signed  a  written  resignation  which  had  been  prepared  by 
the  committee.  On  the  demand  of  this  committee  of  mine  owners  the  three 
county  commissioners,  after  some  demur,  appointed  as  sheriff,  Fdward  Bell,  the 
first  assessor  of  the  county,  and  a  member  of  the  Mine  Owners'  Association. 
Under-Sherifr  J.  Knox  Burton  reported  to  SherifT  Bell,  who  informed  him  that 
he  had  no  use  for  his  services  and  relieved  him  of  his  star.  The  newly  appointed 
.sheriff  appointed  his  own  under-sherifT  and  abnnt  one  hundred  deputies.  The 
new  under-sheriff  was  L.  F.  Parsons,  who  was  secretarv  of  the  Citizens'  .Mli.mce 
and  continued  to  be  after  his  appointment,  which  was  made  on  June  Qlh. 

A  crowd  of  several  thousand  persons,  including  some  women  and  children, 
assembled  at  the  corner  of  Fourth  and  Victor  avenues.  C.  C.  Hamlin,  secretary 
of  the  Mine  Owners'  .Association,  attended  by  Sheriflf  Bell  and  S.  D.  Cnmip, 


864:  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

attorney  of  the  Mine  Owners'  Association,  went  to  that  place.  Mr.  Hamhn 
cHmbed  upon  a  wagon  and  began  making  a  speech.  Among  other  things  he  said : 
"The  badge  of  the  Western  Federation  of  Miners  is  a  badge  of  murder,  and 
everyone  who  is  responsible  for  the  outrage  at  Independence  should  be  driven 
from  this  district." 

At  this  juncture,  Alfred  Miller,  a  union  miner,  armed  with  a  rifle,  inter- 
rupted Mr.  Hamlin  and  asked  him  to  whom  he  referred.  A  brother  of  the  union 
man,  Christopher  Miller,  who  had  been  a  deputy  sheriff  under  Robertson  was 
standing  near,  and,  fearing  trouble,  seized  Alfred  Miller's  gun  and  tried  to  wrest 
it  from  him.  This  act  was  misinterpreted  by  the  crowd,  and  instantly  a  riot 
started.  Twenty  or  more  shots  were  fired,  and  the  crowd  scattered,  seeking 
places  of  safety.  When  the  firing  ceased  it  was  found  that  seven  men  had  been 
shot,  two  of  them  fatally. 

Squads  of  soldiers,  deputy  sherilTs,  and  armed  citizens  scattered  over  the 
district  and  arrested  union  members.  About  one  hundred  and  seventy-five  were 
captured  and  taken  to  "bull  pens"  at  Victor,  Independence  and  Goldfield.  Among 
them  was  Michael  O'Connell,  the  deposed  city  marshal,  and  the  managers  and 
clerks  of  the  union  stores  at  Victor,  Cripple  Creek,  Goldfield,  and  Anaconda.  All 
of  these  stores  were  closed  and  many  of  the  goods  in  the  stores  at  Victor  and 
Cripple  Creek  and  all  goods  in  the  smaller  stores  at  Goldfield  and  Anaconda  were 
taken  or  destroyed.  The  office  of  the  Victor  Record  was  visited  and  the  whole 
force,  including  the  editor,  George  E.  Kyner,  was  arrested,  but  later  released. 
The  banks  kept  their  doors  closed,  and  business  generally  was  suspended  in 
Victor.  Even  in  Cripple  Creek  the  proprietors  of  many  stores  closed  them, 
fearing  further  rioting,  while,  by  order  of  Sheriff  Bell,  all  saloons  in  the  whole 
district  were  kept  closed  until  the  morning  of  June  13th,  one  week  after  the 
explosion. 

Adjt.-Gen.  Sherman  M.  Bell  and  his  escort  arrived  at  Victor  at  midnight. 
Tune  7th.  He  immediately  ordered  the  two  local  companies  of  the  Second  In- 
fantry, Colorado  National  Guard,  Company  L  of  Victor,  and  Company  H.  of 
Cripple  Creek,  to  report  to  him  for  duty.  From  that  time  the  military  authori- 
ties were  in  complete  control  of  the  Cripple  Creek  district.  Sheriff  Edward  Bell 
acted  under  the  direction  of  Adjt.  Gen.  Sherman  M.  Bell.  The  number  of  mili- 
tary companies  in  the  district  was  soon  increased. 

At  5  P.  M.,  June  7th,  twenty-eight  union  men  were  deported  from  Cripple 
Creek  on  a  train  which  reached  Denver  about  midnight.  Seven  deputy  sheriffs 
accompanied  them  to  Denver,  where  they  were  set  at  liberty.  One  of  the  de- 
ported men  was  T.  H.  Parfet,  manager  of  the  union  store  at  Cripple  Creek.  No 
criminal  charge  had  been  brought  against  any  of  these  men.  Most  of  them 
had  been  informed  that  they  might  remain  in  the  district  if  they  would  take  out 
cards  from  the  Mine  Owners'  Association,  but  this  they  refused  to  do. 

A  new  mining  camp  had  been  opened  at  Dunnvillc,  fourteen  miles  south  of 
Victor.  It  is  in  Fremont  County,  just  across  the  line  from  Teller.  A  number 
of  the  miners  from  the  Cripple  Creek  district  had  gone  there  and  begun  work. 
On  June  8th,  a  force  of  thirty  soldiers  and  a  hundred  deputies,  led  by  Adjutant- 
General  Bell,  went  there  to  arrest  union  miners.  Genera!  Bell  claimed  that,  under 
a  general  order,  he  was  authorized  to  make  arrests,  not  only  in  Teller  County 
but  in  territory  "adjacent  thereto."     About  sixty-five  miners  were  stationed  on 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  865 

the  hillsides  at  Dunnville  when  the  deputies  and  soldiers  entered  a  gulch  below. 
A  shot  from  above  was  answered  by  a  dozen  from  below,  and  then  there  was 
active  firing  for  about  seven  minutes.  One  man,  a  union  miner,  was  killed  and 
fourteen  others  were  made  prisoners.  These  men  had  been  armed  with  two 
rifles,  a  single-barreled  shotgun,  two  double-barreled  shotguns,  and  live  revolvers. 
It  may  be  mentioned  here  that  John  H.  Carley,  the  victim  in  this  battle,  was 
the  only  man  killed  by  the  soldiers  in  Colorado  during  any  of  the  military  cam- 
paigns in   1903,  or  1904. 

On  June  8th,  the  \  ictor  Record  published  an  editorial  asking  the  Western 
Federation  of  Miners  to  call  oft  the  strike. 

About  1 1  o'clock  that  night  eight  men  entered  the  printing  office  of  the  Record 
and,  with  rifles  and  drawn  revolvers,  ordered  the  printers  and  pressmen,  five  in 
all,  to  hold  up  their  hands.  Then  two  men  by  turns,  using  sledge  hammers, 
smashed  the  machinery  in  the  office,  doing  much  damage  to  two  linotype  ma- 
chines, a  power  press,  a  job  press,  a  folding  machine,  and  a  paper  cutter.  The 
forms  also  were  pied.  The  proprietor  and  editor  of  the  Record,  George  B.  Kyner, 
made  efforts  to  continue  publication.  W.  Robert  Carr,  proprietor  of  the  Cripple 
Creek  Star,  tendered  him  the  use  of  the  Star  plant.  He  accepted  this  ofTer,  but 
it  was  withdrawn  later  by  Mr.  Carr,  because  a  committee  of  citizens  had  waited 
upon  him  and  warned  him  that  the  Star  would  be  boycotted  if  its  plant  should 
be  used  for  issuing  the  Record.  Editor  Kyner  then  interviewed  Adjutant-Gen- 
eral Bell,  who  promised  him  military  protection  if  he  should  issue  his  paper  at 
the  Star  plant.  One  sheet  issues  of  the  Record  were  printed  for  about  ten  days, 
regular  editions  then  being  resumed. 

Seven  men  were  authorized  to  act  as  a  commission  to  decide  who  should  be 
deported  from  the  Cripple  Creek  district.  This  commission,  established  June 
8th,  was  composed  of  Mayor  F.  D.  French,  of  Victor;  former  Mayor  Nelson 
Franklin,  of  Victor;  Postmaster  F.  M.  Reardon,  of  Victor;  Judge  H.  McGajry, 
J.  B.  Cunningham,  G.  E.  Copeland,  and  T.  J.  Dalzell.  They  held  sessions  and 
examined  witnesses  in  the  rear  room  of  the  mine  owners'  headquarters  in  Victor. 
Soldiers  guarded  the  door  and  all  proceedings  were  secret.  On  Juno  loth.  Adju- 
tant-General Bell  issued  the  following  deportation  order: 

Headquarters,  Teller  Co.  Military  I^istrict,  National  Guard  of  Colorado, 
A'ictor,  Colorado,  June   10,   1904. 

To  Colonel  Leo  W.  Kennedy:  Vou  will  proceed  by  Colorado  Springs,  and 
Cripple  Creek  District  Railway  to  Colorado  Springs,  thence  via  the  Atchison, 
Topeka  and  Santa -Fe  Railway  to  the  east  line  of  the  State  of  Colorado,  taking 
with  you  the  parties  on  list  herewith  attached,  and  there  deposit  them  without 
the  State  of  Colorado,  returning  at  once  to  these  headquarters  and  make  due 
report  to  me. 

By  command  of  Sherman  Bell, 

Brig.-Gen.,  Comdg.  Teller  County  Military  District 

The  attached  list  contained  seventy-three  names.  General  Bell  being  inter- 
viewed and  asked  why  these  men  were  ordered  deported,  replied:  "It  is  a  military 
necessity.  They  are  men  against  whom  crimes  cannot  be  specified,  but  their 
presence  is  regarded  as  dangerous  to  law  and  order." 

Vol.  I— 51i 


866  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

A  special  train  bearing  seventy-nine  men,  selected  tor  deportation,  left  Victor 
about  2  P.  M.,  June  lOth.  Many  of  these  men  had  families  in  the  Cripple  Creek 
district.  A  crowd  of  two  thousand  people  witnessed  their  departure  from  the 
Victor  station.  The  deported  men  were  guarded  on  the  train  by  soldiers  in  charge 
of  Col.  L.  W.  Kennedy  and  deputies  in  charge  of  Deputy  Sheriff  H.  D.  Benton. 
About  five  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  June  nth,  the  train  reached  a  point  on  the 
Atchison,  Topeka  and  Santa  Fe  Railway  half  a  mile  west  of  the  Kansas-Colorado 
state  line,  and  there  stopped.  For  a  few  minutes  it  seemed  that  there  would  be 
a  riot  between  the  militia  and  the  train  crew.  The  militia  insisted  that  in  ac- 
cordance with  Adj,utant-General  Bell's  order  the  train  should  cross  the  state  line, 
so  that  the  miners  might  be  deposited  in  Kansas,  but  the  train  conductor  declared 
they  should  leave  the  train  where  it  had  stopped  in  Colorado,  and  this  course  was 
finally  adopted.  The  miners  were  ordered  by  the  military  ofiicers  to  move  east- 
ward and  never  to  return  to  the  Cripple  Creek  district,  on  pain  of  being  re- 
arrested and  severely  handled.  The  militia  fired  a  volley  over  their  heads  to 
accelerate  their  movements. 

About  six  of  the  miners  were  allowed  to  cross  the  line,  but  the  remainder 
who  attempted  to  do  so  were  prevented  by  Sheriff  John  Brady,  of  Hamilton 
County,  Kansas,  and  his  posse.  The  region  was  sparsely  settled,  and  the  de- 
ported men  were  without  means  or  food.  They  walked  back  to  Holly,  Colorado, 
about  four  miles  west  of  the  state  line.  They  informed  the  city  marshal  how 
they  had  been  deported,  and  promised  that  they  would  create  no  trouble  in  Holly, 
and  would  leave  as  soon  as  possible.  The  citizens  of  Holly  gave  them  food ; 
and  at  a  meeting,  held  on  the  streets  in  the  afternoon,  the  exiles  tendered  to  the 
citizens  a  vote  of  thanks. 

Telegrams  were  sent  to  the  headquarters  of  the  Western  Federation  of 
Miners  at  Denver,  and  the  federation  officials  telegraphed  funds  for  the  de- 
ported men.  Sheriff  John  Brady  telegraphed  Governor  W.  J.  Bailey  at  Topeka 
concerning  what  had  happened  at  the  state  line  on  the  morning  of  June  lOth.  the 
attorney-general  advising  that  no  further  aggressive  action  be  taken  against  the 
Colorado  miners  so  long  as  they  conducted  themselves  properly. 

With  funds  telegraphed  by  federation  officials  at  Denver,  about  thirty-five  of 
the  deported  men  left  for  Denver,  Colorado  Springs,  or  Pueblo,  on  the  night  of 
June  nth.  The  others,  being  provided  with  federation  funds,  remained  at  Holly 
a  day  or  two.  Some  then  took  trains  for  various  points  in  Colorado,  and  some 
sought  work  in  the  harvest  fields  of  Kansas. 

On  June  14th,  thirty-three  men  were  deported  to  the  New  Mexico  line. 
A  special  train  bearing  thirty-nine  men  selected  for  deportation,  with  a 
strong  military  guard,  left  Victor  at  6:30  P.  M.,  June  28th,  and  arrived  at  Colo- 
rado Springs  at  9 :2o  the  same  evening.  The  chief  of  police  of  Colorado  Springs 
refused  to  permit  the  men  to  be  unloaded  there.  Captain  ^loore  communicated 
by  telephone  with  General  Bell  at  Cripple  Creek,  and  the  latter  ordered  that 
the  men  be  unloaded  at  Palmer  Lake,  several  miles  north  of  Colorado  Springs, 
which  was  done. 

On  July  2d,  five  men  and  on  July  3d,  nine  men  who  had  been  passed  upon  by 
the  military  commission  as  being  undesirable  residents  were  deported  from 
Victor  to  Colorado  Springs.     One  of  the  party  of  nine  men  was  John  Harper, 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  867 

former  president  of  the  Victor  miners'  union,  and  until  June  6th  manager  of  the 
union  store  at  \ictor,  which  had  been  closed  and  looted  during  the  riot. 

In  addition  to  the  parties  of  men  who  were  deported  from  the  Cripple  Creek 
district  during  the  last  three  weeks  in  June  and  the  first  week  in  July,  not  a  few 
persons  left  the  district  by  order  of  the  military  authorities  without  being  com- 
pelled to  go  on  special  trains.  They  were  simply  told  to  go,  and  did  so.  In 
addition,  at  least  five  hundred  other  persons  left  the  district  during  that  lime 
without  giving  the  military  authorities  an  opportunity  to  arrest  iheni. 

On  the  night  of  July  6th,  five  men  were  driven  from  Victor  by  a  mob,  first 
having  been  beaten,   robbed,  and  otherwise  mistreated. 

On  July  26,  1904,  Governor  Peabody  suspended  military  occupancy. 

The  strikes  of  1903-4  in  Colorado  were  disastrous  for  the  Western  Federa- 
tion of  Miners,  especially  in  the  Cripple  Creek  district. 

On  account  of  these  strikes  all  of  the  eight  unions,  as  well  as  the  district 
union,  were  broken  up,  and  owing  to  the  card  system  inaugurated  by  the  Mine 
Owners'  Association  in  1904  it  became  impossible  for  a  known  member  of  the 
federation  to  secure  work  in  any  of  the  mines  in  the  district. 

On  January  6,  1905,  District  Attorney  S.  D.  Crump  dismissed  the  cases 
charging  conspiracy  to  murder  against  Charles  H.  Moyer,  president ;  John  C. 
Williams,  vice  president;  William  D.  Haywood,  secretary-treasurer;  James 
Kirwan  and  James  A.  Baker,  members  of  the  executive  board  of  the  Western 
Federation  of  Miners;  John  M.  O'Neill,  editor  of  the  Miner's  Magazine;  D.  C. 
Copely.  and  Fred  Minster,  leaving  only  nine  persons  charged  with  the  conspir- 
acy to  murder  in  connection  with  the  Victor  street  riots. 

THE    STRIKK    OF    I9O3-4    AT    TELLURIDE 

On  October  31,  1903,  about  one  hundred  miners  in  the  Tom  Boy  mine  struck 
because  the  manager  of  the  mine  had  started  its  mill  with  nonunion  men.  On 
November  5th.  several  members  of  the  Mine  Owners'  Association  called  upon 
Governor  Peabody  and  requested  him  to  send  troops  to  Telluride.  They  de- 
clared that  they  could  reopen  their  mines  and  mills  with  nonunion  men  if  they 
were  given  military  protection  from  attacks  by  union  men.  On  November  i"th, 
other  members  of  the  Mine  Owners'  Association  called  on  the  governor  and 
requested  that  troops  be  sent  there.  They  admitted  that  the  situation  was  peace- 
ful hut  declared  that  they  intended  to  oi)rn  their  mines  shortly,  and  insisted  that 
when  the  mines  were  reopened  with  iionunioii  miners  trouble  would  be  sure 
to  begin  immediately. 

At  the  request  of  the  governor,  Att.-Gen.  N.  C.  Miller,  As.st.  Atty.-Gen. 
H.  C.  Melville,  Maj.  C.  F.  Randolph,  C.  F.  Hagar,  and  S.  D.  Cnmip  visited 
Telluride  to  investigate  the  situation.  They  reported  to  the  governor  that  troops 
ought  to  be  sent  there  to  preserve  order. 

On  November  iSth,  Governor  Peabody  ajipcaled  to  President  Roosevelt 
for  troops.  On  acount  of  a  strike  of  coal  miners  at  Trinidad,  the  governor 
apprehended  that  troops  would  be  needed  there  as  well  as  at  Telluride.  He 
asked  him  for  from  two  hundred  and  fifty  to  three  hundred  regulars.  Tn  an 
interview  he  .said  that  his  request  was  based  on  the  fad  that  the  slate  was  without 
the  neces.sary  funds  to  pay  for  militia.     The  president  declined  the  governor's 


868  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

request,  but  at  the  same  time  he  detailed  Gen.  John  C.  Bates  to  visit  Colorado  and 
report   upon  the  strike   situation. 

He  submitted  a  report,  dated  Denver,  November  29,  1903,  and  addressed  to 
Lieut.-Gen.  S.  B.  M.  Young.     The  report  said  in  part : 

"I  find  that  the  disturbances  at  both  Cripple  Creek  and  Telluride  amounted 
to  insurrection  against  the  State  of  Colorado,  and  in  that  mining,  milling  and 
other  business  was  suspended  there  by  reason  of  intimidation,  threats  and  vio- 
lence, and  that  the  civil  officers  were  not  able  to,  or  did  not,  maintain  order. 

"The  militia  of  the  state  has  been  employed,  and  is  now  employed  at  both 
Cripple  Creek  and  Telluride.  I  think  the  employment  of  the  state  troops  nec- 
essary at  both  these  points,  and  that  they  are  now  giving  proper  protection  to 
life  and  property.  At  Cripple  Creek  work  has  been  resumed  at  the.  mines,  and 
at  Telluride  one  mine  has  resumed  operations,  and  owners  inform  me  they  pro- 
pose to  open  other  mines  as  rapidly  as  they  can  secure  workmen.  At  this  time 
United  States  troops  are  not  needed. 

"There  is  an  unsettled  condition  at  the  coal  mines,  both  in  the  Trinidad  or 
southern  district  and  the  new  or  northern  district,  which  may  develop  into  such 
disorder  as  to  require  the  use  of  troops.  Should  this  occur  while  the  whole 
available  force  of  State  Troops  is  employed  at  Cripple  Creek  and  Telluride, 
which  is  now  the  case.  I  think  Federal  troops  will  then  be  needed." 

On  January  3,  1904.  the  militia  arrested  twenty-two  men  and  imprisoned 
them  in  the  county  jail.  These  included  Eugene  Engley,  a  former  attorney- 
general  of  Colorado  and  attorney  for  the  \\'estern  Federation  of  Miners ;  J-  C. 
Williams,  vice-president  of  the  Federation ;  Guy  E.  Miller,  president  of  the 
local  union,  and  Henry  Mainke.  a  prominent  union  leader.  Williams  had  come 
from  California  to  direct  the  strike  at  Telluride.  On  the  same  evening  Maj.  Z. 
T.  Hill,  in  command  of  the  troops  at  Telluride,  announced  to  newspaper  corre- 
spondents that  the  state  of  atTairs  rendered  it  necessary  that  all  press  reports 
should  be  censored ;  that  the  telegraph  and  telephone  lines  were  under  his  control, 
and  no  reports  could  be  sent  by  such  means  without  his  sanction. 

The  twenty-two  men  were  deported  to  Ridgway.  forty-five  miles  distant,  by 
the  militia  on  the  next  day  and  there  ordered  not  to  come  back  to  Telluride. 
Thirteen  men  arrested  January  4th.  four  arrested  January  8th.  and  six  arrested 
January  15th  were  deported  to  Ridgway.  One  man  who  returned  to  Telluride 
was  rearrested  by  the  militia  and  imprisoned  January  6th.  By  February  2d. 
the  number  of  men  deported  was  eighty-three. 

On  the  night  of  March  14th,  about  one  hundred  members  of  the  Citizen's 
Alliance  held  a  meeting  at  Red  Men's  hall,  after  which  they  armed  themselves, 
searched  the  town,  and  took  into  custody  about  sixty  union  men  and  sympathizers. 
In  some  instances  the  doors  of  residences  were  forced  open.  The  men  who  were 
captured  were  brought  to  a  vacant  store  and  about  i  130  o'clock  in  the  morn- 
ing were  marched  to  the  depot  and  loaded  into  two  coaches.  Fifteen  members 
of  the  mob  accompanied  the  train  to  Ridgway.  where  the  prisoners  were 
ordered  to  get  oS.  and  further  ordered  never  to  return  to  Telluride. 

On  April  mil,  the  Telluride  Mine  Owners'  Association  issued  the  following 
statement : 

"We  do  not  propose  to  enter  into  negotiations  of  any  nature  with  the  West- 
er!i  T'Vderation  of  Miners.     We  do  not  recognize  a  union  in  Telluride.     Thf're 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  869 

is  no  strike  in  Telluridc.  All  our  mines  are  working  with  a  lull  force  of  men 
and  we  do  not  know  what  kind  of  a  settlement  can  be  made.  With  us  there  is 
absolutely  nothing  to  settle." 

On  April  8th,  seventy- four  men,  who  had  been  deported  from  Telluride  by 
the  military  authorities  and  citizens,  returned  on  the  train  arriving  at  7:30 
o'clock  in  the  evening.  They  were  met  at  the  depot  by  Adjt.-Gen.  Sherman 
M.  Bell  with  about  one  hundred  soldiers  and  about  two  hundred  armed  citizens. 
They  were  marched  to  the  opera  house,  where  their  baggage  was  searched  for 
firearms  and  other  wea])ons.  After  being  gi\en  su[)per,  they  were  put  on  the 
train  and  again  deported,  (ieneral  Bell,  Capt.  Bulkeley  Wells,  and  a  detail  of 
thirty   soldiers   accompanx'ing  them  to   the   countv   Hne. 

On  June  15.  Governor  I'eabody  suspended  militarv  authority  in  the  Telluride 
district  and  troops  were  relieved  from  duty.  In  November  the  mine  owners 
granted,  voluntarily,  eight-hour  shift--'  to  all  employes  to  go  into  effect  Decem- 
ber I,  1904. 

At  a  special  meeting  of  San  Juan  District  Union  No.  3,  of  the  \\'estern 
Federation  of  Miners,  held  at  Ouray  on  November  29,  1904,  the  strike  which 
had  been  called  on  Sei)tenil)er  i,  1903,  was  declared  of?.  The  meeting  attended 
by  Charles  H.  Mover,  president  of  the  Federation,  who,  in  an  interview  on 
November  29,   said : 

"We  have  called  the  strike  ofT  because  we  take  the  position  that  the  issues 
involved  have  been  conceded  by  the  mine  owners  and  operators  in  the  Telluride 
district,  in  that  they  recently  posted  notices  to  the  efifect  that  after  December  1st 
they  would  grant  an  eight-hour  work  day,  both  for  their  mills  and  smelters,  and 
a  minimum  wage  scale  of  $3.  These  were  the  demands  we  made  over  one 
year  ago." 

THE    FIRST    STRIKES    IN    THE    CO.\L    SECTIONS    OP    COLOK.VDO 

On  .-\ugust  14,  1903.  an  open  letter,  headed  ''A  Manifesto"  and  addressed  to 
Governor  James  H.  Peabody  and  the  ])ublic  generally  was  issued  by  District 
No.  15,  of  the  United  Mine  Workers  of  America.  The  letter  was  signed  by 
William  TIowclls,  president  of  District  No.  15,  embracing  Colorado.  Utah, 
southern  Wyoming,  and  New  Mexico.  The  letter  specified  the  grievances  which 
the  coal  miners  had  against  the  coal  operators. 

I'or  some  time  previous  the  officials  of  the  Ignited  Mine  AX'orkers  of  America 
had  been  making  efforts  to  extend  that  organization  in  Colorado,  but  they  met 
with  .strong  opposition  from  the  co;d  companies,  and  in  some  cases  men  had 
been  discharged  because  they  had  joined  the  iniion.  Many  of  the  coal  miners  in 
the  state  were  foreigners — Italians,  .\ustrians,  and  Slavs. 

On  September  4,  Governor  Peabody  received  a  committee  of  officials  of  the 
United  Mine  Workers  of  .ATnerica.  who  called  upon  him  to  enlist  his  influence 
in  securing  concessions  from  the  coal  operators.  The  governor  attempted  to 
bring  about  a  conference  of  the  coal  operators  and  the  officials  of  the  union, 
and  appointed  September  iilh.  as  the  date  for  such  a  meeting.  On  that  day  the 
union  officials  were  present,  but  tlie  representatives  of  only  three  coal  com- 
panies appeared.  Most  of  the  operators  refused  to  enter  the  conference.  The 
largest  companies  were  the  Colorado  Fuel   and   Tron   Company   .ind   the  \'ictor 


870  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

Fuel  Company,  both  of  which  were  controlled  by  the  Rockefeller-Gould  interests. 
Neither  of  these  companies  being  represented  at  the  conference,  W.  H.  Mont- 
gomery, deputy  commissioner  of  labor,  telephoned  to  the  ofifiice  of  the  Colorado 
Fuel  and  Iron  Company  and  was  told  that  the  manager  declined  to  send  a  rep- 
resentative to  the  conference,  that  he  would  w-illingly  confer  at  any  time  with 
a  committee  of  the  company's  workmen,  but  would  not  recognize  representa- 
tives of  the  union. 

An  annual  convention  of  District  Union,  No.  15,  of  the  United  Mine  Work- 
ers of  America  began  at  Pueblo,  Colorado,  on  September  24th.  On  the  follow- 
ing day  the  convention  was  addressed  by  Charles  H.  Moyer,  president  of  the 
Western  Federation  of  Miners,  who  spoke  in  regard  to  the  pending  strikes  at 
Colorado  City,  Denver,  Idaho  Springs,  Cripple  Creek,  and  Telluride.  The 
United  Mine  Workers  of  America  and  the  Western  Federation  of  Miners  are 
entirely  separate  organizations,  the  former  being  composed  of  coal  miners, 
the  latter  of  metalliferous  miners.  On  the  same  day,  September  25th,  the 
convention  formulated  and  adopted  the  following  demands  upon  the  operators 
in  District  No.  15: 

Clause  I.  That  eight  hours  shall  constitute  a  day's  work. 

Clause  2.  That  all  wages  shall  be  paid  semi-monthly,  and  in  lawful  money 
of  the  United  States,  and  the  scrip  system  be  entirely  abolished. 

Clause  3.  An  increase  of  20  per  cent  on  contract  and  tonnage  prices,  and 
2.(XX)  pounds  shall  constitute  a  ton. 

Clause  4.  That  all  underground  men,  top  men  and  trappers  receive  the  same 
wages  for  eight  hours  as  they  are  now  receiving  for  nine,  nine  and  one-half  and 
ten  hours  or  over  for  a  day. 

Clause  5.  For  the  better  preservation  of  the  health  and  lives  of  our  crafts- 
men we  demand  a  more  adequate  supply  of  pure  air  as  prescribed  by  the  laws  of 
the  state. 

At  this  time  the  coal  miners  were  working  from  nine  to  ten  hours  a  day,  the 
demand  being  for  eight.  Those  who  worked  on  the  contract  basis  were  required 
to  mine  2,400  pounds  per  ton.  It  was  demanded  that  2,000  pounds  should 
make  a  ton.  Section  i  of  chapter  55  of  the  Session  Laws  of  1901  providei  as 
follows : 

All  private  corporations  doing  business  within  the  state,  except  railroad  cor- 
porations, shall  pay  their  employes,  the  wages  earned  each  and  every  fifteen  days, 
in  lawful  money  of  the  United  States,  or  checks  on  banks  convertible  into  cash 
on  demand  at  full  face  value  thereof,  and  all  such  wages  shall  be  due  and  pay- 
able, and  shall  be  paid  by  such  corporations,  on  the  5th  and  20th  day  of  each 
calendar  month  for  all  such  wages  earned  up  to  and  within  five  days  of  the 
date  of  such  payment. 

In  the  camps  of  the  Colorado  Fuel  and  Iron  Company  and  of  the  \^ictor 
Fuel  Company  the  scrip  system  operated  as  follows:  When  a  miner  desired 
to  buy  goods  previous  to  the  regulay  pay  day,  he  obtained  from  the  mine  office 
an  order  on  the  company's  store  for  such  a  valuation  of  merchandise  as  he 
might  desire.  If.  upon  the  conclusion  of  his  purchase,  he  did  not  wish  to  use 
the  entire  order,  he  was  given  the  change  in  scrip.  With  this  scrip  he  could 
buv  what  he  might  desire  at  anv  other  time.     At  the  end   of   the  month  the 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  871 

orders  issued  were  deducted  from  the  monthly  wage  and  the  balance  was  paid 
him  in  cash. 

The  miners  claimed  that  higher  prices  were  charged  in  the  company  stores 
than  in  other  places.  They  also  had  other  grievances.  They  objected  to  being 
forced  to  live  in  the  houses  of  the  coal  companies.  They  protested  against  the 
discharge  of  men  for  having  joined  the  union.  They  desired,  not  only  that 
2,000  pounds  of  coal  should  be  counted  as  a  ton,  but  also  that  they  should  have 
their  own  check  weighman,  one  who  would  be  a  member  of  the  union. 

Employes  of  the  Victor  Fuel  Company  objected  to  deductions  made  from 
every  man's  wages,  $1  a  month  for  medical  attention  and  25  cents  a  month  for 
a  school  fund.  They  claimed  the  privilege  of  employing  their  own  physicians, 
practitioners  who  were  not  distasteful  to  them  and  whom  they  did  not  consider 
incompetent.  They  alleged  that  while  the  company  deducted  from  their  total 
wages  $1,800  to  $2,000  monthly  for  medical  attendance  the  cost  to  the  company 
for  such  service  did  not  exceed  $700  a  month. 

The  \'ictor  Fuel  Company  owned  all  the  property  in  the  towns  of  Hastings 
and  Delagua,  Las  Animas  County.  A  special  school  tax  is  levied  by  the  state 
on  propert}'  in  the  cities  and  towns  in  the  state.  The  Victor  Fuel  Company  paid 
this  tax  for  the  towns  of  Hastings  and  Delagua  out  of  the  25  cents  a  month 
deducted  from  the  wages  of  every  employe,  whether  he  was  a  married  or  single 
man. 

On  October  26,  1903,  John  Mitchell,  national  president,  addressed  an  official 
letter  to  William  Howells,  of  Trinidad,  Colorado,  president  of  district  No.  15 
in  which  letter  he  said : 

"Information  reaching  us  from  the  various  mining  camps  indicates  a  grow- 
ing restlessness  and  impatience  upon  the  part  of  miners  and  mine  workers,  whose 
conditions  of  employment,  especially  under  the  two  companies  referred  to,  have 
grown  to  be  intolerable.  These  reports  are  fully  confirmed  by  the  official  state- 
ments sent  to  us  by  our  representatives,  and  are  repeated  by  special  officials  sent 
to  Colorado  to  investigate. 

"In  view  of  these  circumstances,  we  have  decided  to  authorize  the  inaugura- 
tion of  a  strike  in  Colorado,  Utah.  New  Mexico  and  southern  Wyoming,  to  take 
effect  Alonday  morning,  November  0.  provided  an  adjustment  has  not  been 
reached  in  the  interval,  or  negotiations  are  not  then  pending  which  would  jus- 
tify us  in  believing  that  a  settlement  would  be  secured. 

"You  are,  therefore,  advised  to  issue  an  official  order  to  the  mine  workers  of 
District  No.  15  to  discontinue  work  and  remain  in  idleness  on  and  after  Novem- 
ber gth,  unless  they  receive  instructions  to  the  contrary  from  this  office. 

"You  are  authorized  to  inform  all  mine  workers,  union  and  nonimion,  that 
the  national  organization  of  the  United  Mine  Workers  of  America  will  render 
all  possible  assistance  in  conducting  the  strike  and  prosecuting  it  to  a  successful 
issue  " 

Several  national  organizers  of  the  United  Mine  Workers  of  America  were 
ordered  to  Colorado  to  organize  the  unions  more  thoroughly  in  that  state.  Las 
Animas  and  Huerfano  cotmties  embrace  what  are  called  the  southern  Colorado 
coal  fields.  There  are  extensive  coal  mines  in  Fremont  County,  which  is  near 
the  middle  of  the  state,  and  there  are  coal  mines  in  Garfield  County  in  the  west- 


872  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

ern  end  of  the  state.     Boulder  County  embraces  most  of  what  is  known  as  the 
northern  Colorado  coal  fields. 

The  strike  went  into  effect  on  November  9,  1903.  In  Las  Animas  County 
about  6,500  miners  struck ;  in  Huerfano  County,  about  450 ;  in  Fremont  County 
about  1,700;  in  Boulder  County,  about  1,500;  in  Garfield  County,  about  300. 
At  various  mines  in  New  ^Mexico  about  500  miners  struck.  The  number  who 
struck  in  southern  Wyoming  was  small.  In  Utah  there  was  none. 
The  strike  in  the  northern  field  was  settled  on  November  28th. 
President  John  Mitchell  arrived  at  Trinidad  on  December  2d,  and  the  next 
day  addressed  a  public  meeting  of  3,000  people.  He  urged  the  strikers  to  stand 
firm. 

On  December  3d,  the  Victor  Fuel  Company  filed  suit  against  the  United 
Mine  Workers  of  America;  its  president,  John  Mitchell;  its  vice-president  T.  L. 
Lewis ;  its  secretary-treasurer,  W.  B.  Wilson,  and  all  its  national  and  district 
officials  who  were  in  Colorado.  The  defendants  were  charged  with  interfering 
with  the  conduct  of  the  business  of  the  company,  and  with  intimidation  of  its 
employes,  and  also  with  shipping  miners  and  employes  of  the  company  out  of 
the  state.  The  plaintiff  alleged  that  the  profit  lost  on  the  coal  which  the  com- 
pany would  have  marketed  since  the  strike  began,  and  which  could  not  be  mar- 
keted because  of  the  strike,  was  $50,000 ;  that  the  cost  to  the  company  for  armed 
guards,  made  necessary  by  the  strike,  was  $25,000:  and  that  other  damages 
amounted  to  $10,000,  making  a  total  of  $85,000. 

The  southern  mine  operators  having  declared  unanimously  that  they  would 
not  confer  with  the  national  president  or  any  other  officials  of  the  United  Mine 
Workers  of  America,  Mr.  Mitchell  made  no  effort  to  meet  them. 

The  first  cases  of  assault  during  the  strike  of  coal  miners  took  place  in  Las 
Animas  Countv  on  December  "th.  In  the  forenoon  Marshal  Milton  Hightower 
was  superintending  the  tearing  down  of  some  of  the  shanties  of  the  Victor 
Fuel  Company  at  Hastings,  in  which  the  miners  had  formerly  lived.  He  was 
set  upon  by  a  mob  of  Italian  women,  one  of  whom  struck  him  with  a  cleaver. 

Thomas  Jennings,  an  employe  of  the  Colorado  Fuel  and  Iron  Company,  and 
a  brother  of  the  superintendent  of  the  company's  mine  at  Berwind,  had  con- 
ducted several  parties  of  men  from  Berwind  to  Primero.  He  was  conducting 
a  party  of  four  on  the  afternoon  of  December  7th,  when  they  were  fired  upon 
by  unknown  men. 

On  the  night  of  the  same  day  a  fight  occurred  at  the  coke  ovens  of  the 
Colorado  Fuel  and  Iron  Company  at  Segundo.  The  division  superintendent, 
learning  of  the  attack  upon  the  Jennings  party,  telephoned  to  the  superintendent 
of  the  coke  ovens,  asking  him  to  request  the  deputy  sheriffs  who  were  guarding 
the  property  of  the  company  to  allow  no  one  to  enter  Segimdo  without  satisfying 
themselves  that  they  were  all  right.  About  8  o'clock  in  the  evening  the  deputies 
halted  six  Italians  near  the  ovens.  .Mmost  immediately  shooting  began,  each 
side  claiming  afterward  that  the  other  fired  first.  About  a  hundred  shots  were 
fired.  None  of  the  deputies  was  hurt,  but  one  of  the  strikers  was  killed  and 
three  others  were  wounded,  one  fatally. 

The  governor  sent  troops  to  Trinidad  on  March  23d,  four  hundred  of  the 
National  Guard  arriving  there  on  that  date  in  charge  of  Maj.  Zeph  T.  Hill. 
A  press  censorship  was  established  and  members  of  the  signal  corps  were  sta- 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  873 

tioned  at  the  telegraph  and  telephone  offices  to  enforce  it.     No  messages  wore 
transmitted  without   the  "O.  K."  of  Major   Hill. 

Detachments  of  troops  were  sent  to  Engleville,  Hastings,  Segundo,  Uerwind, 
Sopris,  and  Starkville.  For  sometime  mining  had  been  done  at  the  first  four 
camps.  None  had  been  done  at  Sopris  and  Starkville  since  the  strike  began, 
but  the  Colorado  Fuel  and  Iron  Company  had  announced  that  these  two  camps 
would  be  reopened  as  soon  as  the  men  could  be  secured,  and  had  further  an- 
nounced that  while  some  of  the  strikers  who  had  been  particularly  obnoxious  in 
their  actions  and  utterances  would  not  be  re-employed  most  of  the  old  employes 
would  be  taken  back  to  work  should  they  apply  for  work. 

The  first  deportations  by  the  militia  at  Trinidad  occurred  on  the  night  of 
March  26th.  when  Josef  Paganni  and  Adolfo  Bartolli,  William  M.  Wardjon,  and 
"Mother"  Jones  were  deported.  Six  militiamen  accompanied  them  from  Trini- 
dad to  La  Junta,  and  warned  them  never  to  return.  Paganni  was  the  editor  and 
Bartolli  was  the  publisher  of  II  T-avatore  Italiano,  Wardjon  was  a  national  organ- 
izer of  the  United  Mine  Workers  of  America,  and  "Mother"  Jones  was  employed 
by  that  organization. 

On  April  2d,  eight  men  were  deported  from  the  state.  They  had  been  ar- 
rested at  the  several  coal  camps  during  the  previous  two  weeks  and  had  been 
confined  in  the  county  jail.  They  were  placed  on  a  Colorado  and  Southern 
train,  conducted  by  a  detail  of  soldiers  to  the  line  between  Colorado  and  New 
Mexico  and  warned  not  to  return. 

Further  deportations  occurred  on  April  9th.  May  19th,  and  May  22d. 

On  June  nth.  the  troops  were  withdrawn.  An  efifort  to  induce  the  men 
who"  had  returned  to  work  to  strike  again  on  September  7th,  failed. 

The  annual  convention  of  District  No.  15,  which  met  at  Pueblo,  voted  on 
September  i6th  to  continue  the  strike  and  officially  it  lasted  about  a  month  longer. 
All  those  who  were  on  strike  up  to  October  12th,  were  given  union  clearance 
cards  and  allowed  to  return  to  work,  a  privilege  of  which  all  who  could  obtain 
employment  availed  themselves. 

In  the  state  district  court  at  Trinidad,  on  December  7th,  1904,  the  Victor 
Fuel  Company  filed  suit  against  the  United  Mine  Workers  of  America  and 
various  national  and  district  officers  of  that  organization.  The  company  charged 
the  i)ersons  named  in  the  complaint  with  conspiracy  to  ruin  its  business,  and 
asked  for  damages  in  the  sum  of  $491,000  as  a  result  of  the  strike;  $75,000 
becatise  since  the  strike  began  that  amount  had  been  expended  for  guards  to 
protect  the  company's  properties ;  $50,000  for  the  loss  of  old  employes,  whom  the 
Strikers  were  alleged  to  have  coerced  and  intimidated  until  they  quit  work ; 
$19,000  because  of  printing,  legal  expenses  and  court  costs;  $320,000  for  dam- 
ages to  mines  through  disuse  and  the  company's  inability  to  fulfill  contracts  for 
coal  and  coke.  This  suit  was  in  addition  to  the  suit  for  $85,000  damages  which 
had  l)een  filed  several  montlis  previously. 

These  cases  were  not  pressed  to  an  issue. 

THE    COM.    STRIKES   OF    T9IO,    .\Nn    1913 

In  1910  a  strike  fif  coal  miners  was  declared  in  Boulder  County.  This  con- 
tinued through  191 1  and  1912,  and  finally  became  a  part  of  the  big  strike  in 
the  Southern  field  in   1913. 


87i  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

There  were  spasmodic  outbreaks  in  the  northern  field,  but  at  no  time  did 
the  governor  feel  called  upon  to  order  troops  into  the  district.  The  mines  were, 
however,  worked  with  nonunion  and  returning  miners'  help,  often  to  full  capacity, 
but  generally  to  within  half  or  three-quarter  capacity. 

At  one  time  a  district  judge  incarcerated  for  a  period  of  several  months 
sixteen  strike  leaders  whom  he  adjudged  in  contempt  of  court  for  flagrantly 
violating  an  injunction  against  picketing. 

The  controversy  entered  largely  into  political  contests  and  seriously  affected 
the  independence  of  the  judiciary. 

When  Vice-president  Hays  of  the  United  Mine  Workers  of  America  came  to 
Colorado  in  August,  1913,  the  conditions  in  all  coal  camps  except  in  a  part 
of  the  northern  fields  appeared  to  be  satisfactory  and  the  relations  between 
employer  and  employes  were  not  strained. 

In  that  month  in  1913  there  were  employed  in  and  around  all  the  coal  mines 
of  the  state  12,089  men,  about  60  per  cent  or  7,235  of  these  men  were  engaged 
in  actually  mining  coal ;  40  per  cent  or  4,823,  were  otherwise  engaged  in  the  in- 
dustry. 

The  eight-hour  law  which  had  been  enacted  in  191 1  was  in  force  in  this 
field. 

While  there  were  and  are  many  coal  companies  operating  in  the  state  the 
three  largest,  controlling  95  per  cent  of  the  coal  production  of  the  state  were 
the  Colorado  Fuel  and  Iron  Company,  which  also  operated  steel  mills  at  Pueblo, 
the  Victor-American  Fuel  Company,  and  the  Rocky  Mountain  Fuel  Company. 
The  Colorado  Fuel  and  Iron  Company,  controlled  by  the  Rockefeller  interests, 
owns  and  leases  about  300,000  acres  of  coal  and  other  lands.  The  \  ictor 
American  Fuel  Company  owns  and  controls  about  50,000  acres  in  the  Colorado 
fields,  having  in  addition  leases  on  large  tracts  of  coal  lands  in  New  Mexico. 
The  Rocky  Mountain  Fuel  Company  owns  and  controls  approximately  31,000 
acres. 

On  .September  15.  1913,  in  a  convention  held  at  Trinidad,  the  demands  of  the 
miners  in  the  southern  fields  were  announced.  These  were:  Recognition  of  the 
union ;  an  increase  of  10  per  cent  in  wages ;  an  eight-hour  work  day  for  all 
classes  of  labor  in  or  around  coal  mines  and  at  coke  ovens ;  payment  for  narrow 
and  for  dead  work ;  check  weighmen ;  the  right  of  the  miners  to  trade  wherever 
they  pleased ;  the  right  to  choose  their  own  boarding  place  and  their  own  doctor ; 
the  enforcement  of  the  Colorado  mining  laws. 

The  effort  of  the  governor  and  others  to  prevent  the  strike  failed,  and  on 
September  23d  the  men  walked  out. 

Almost  at  the  outset  the  strikers  established  tent  colonies  in  the  district. 

The  mine  owners  employed  guards  to  protect  the  mines.  The  House  Com- 
mittee on  Mines  and  Mining  in  its  report  (document  1630 — page  6)  says 
"Large  quantities  of  ammunition  were  purchased  for  use  among  the  guards  and 
deputies.  The  militia  on  going  into  the  strike  region  had  orders  from  the  gov- 
ernor to  take  all  firearms,  ammunition,  and  explosives  from  the  strikers  and 
guards  and  proceeded  to  do  so.  It  was  stated  that  neither  side  gave  up  all  the 
guns  or  ammunition  in  their  possession,  and  such  may  have  been  and  probably 
was  the  case." 

The  state  military  occupation  began  October  29,  1913,  one  camp  being  estab- 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  875 

lished  on  the  outskirts  of  Trinidad,  and  another  base  camp  being  placed  at  Wal- 
senburg,  the  whole  district  in  the  two  counties,  Las  Animas  and  Huerfano,  pre- 
senting a  front  of  many  miles. 

The  House  committee  then  further  summarizes  the  situation:  "From  the 
time  the  strike  was  called  until  the  Federal  troops  were  sent  into  the  field 
by  the  President  of  the  United  States  there  were  series  of  battles  which  seemed 
to  be  fierce  while  they  lasted  and  a  number  of  people  were  killed  and  wounded 
on  both  sides.  The  most  severe  of  these  battles  were  called  the  Berwind, 
Seventh  Street  in  Walsenburg,  La  Veta,  and  Ludlow,  culminating  in  the  great- 
est and  most  destructive  of  all,  the  last  battle  of  Ludlow  April  20,  1914.  Ludlow 
was  the  place  near  which  the  families  of  the  miners  lived  in  tents  after  they  left 
the  coal  camps. 

The  Ludlow  tent  colony  consisted  of  178  tents  and  housed  nine  hundred 
men,  women  and  children.  This  colony  was  eighteen  miles  north  of  Trinidad, 
on  a  direct  road  to  Walsenburg.  In  a  way,  it  was  in  strategic  jKJsition  for  it 
was  in  full  view  of  the  railroad  station  at  which  strike-breakers  detrained. 

On  April  20  the  camp  was  attacked  by  state  militia  and  many  perished  from 
the  flames  started  during  the  engagement  and  from  the  bullets  of  machine  guns. 
Women  and  children  who  had  crept  into  holes  dug  to  keep  them  out  of  the  line 
of  gunfire,  were  suffocated  when  the  camp  was  burned. 

The  House  committee  report  says :  "The  attack  on  the  Berwind  camp  by 
strikers  was  inexcusable.  The  attack  on  the  Forbes  tent  colony  by  guards 
fully  armed  and  using  a  machine  gun  was  equally  unjustifiable  from  any  stand- 
point." 

While  the  strike  was  in  progress,  state  troops  were  also  sent  into  Routt 
County,  where  an  outbreak  was  imminent  in  the  Oak  Creek  coal  camp,  and  into 
Fremont  County  where  disturbances  were  assuming  alarming  proportions.  Peace 
was  quickly  established  in  these  two  sections. 

The  Federal  troops  arrived  on  the  southern  field  in  May  and  from  this  time 
on  the  camps  returned  gradually  to  normal  conditions. 

At  Trinidad  a  grand  jury  on  August  28.  1914,  indicted  John  R.  Lawson  for 
murder,  asserting  that  many  of  the  crimes  were  due  to  his  leadership.  A  jury 
found  him  guilty,  but  the  .Supreme  Court  of  the  state  reversed  the  decision  for 
error  and  set  aside  the  verdict. 

About  four  hundred  indictments  were  found  against  strikers  in  the  two  coun- 
ties but  the  feeling  in  1Q15  was  one  of  mutual  cooperation  and  ]iractically  all 
of  the  strikers  returned  to  work  under  much  more  satisfactory  conditions. 

The  State  of  Colorado  passed  three  laws  which  have  an  important  bearing 
upon  the  situation  as  it  exists  today:  First,  a  law  creating  an  inrlustrial  commis- 
sion with  large  powers  of  mediation  and  investigation  in  relation  to  all  indus- 
trial disputes;  second,  a  workmen's  compensation  law;  third,  a  law  allowing  the 
formation  of  mutual  insurance  companies  for  the  purpose  of  insuring  under 
the  workmen's  compensation  act.  The  amended  Colorado  mining  laws  also 
provide  for  check  weighmen  to  be  selected  and  paid  by  the  men  mining  coal. 

The  Colorado  Fuel  and  Iron  Coiupanv  has  taken  a  step  toward  the  definite 
adjustment  of  grievances  on  the  part  of  employes,  and  the  essential  features  of 
the  plan  as  now  in  effect  are:  First,  that  the  relations  between  the  company 
and  its  employes  as  a  body  are  defined  by  contract;  second,  that  every  employe 


S76  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

is  guaranteed  the  right  to  belong  to  a  labor  union  or  not  as  he  pleases;  third, 
that  the  men  in  each  mine  under  this  contract  are  entitled  to  choose  their  own 
representatives,  these  representatives  being  protected  against  abuse  by  the  com- 
pany by  a  clause  in  the  contract  which  entitles  them  to  appeal  any  supposed 
grievance  to  the  industrial  commission  of  the  state.  Its  decision  is  binding  on 
both  the  individual  and  company. 

The  plan  now  in  fact  provides  further  for  the  selection  of  joint  committees 
of  employer  and  employes  on  industrial  co-operation  and  conciliation,  on  safety 
and  accidents,  on  sanitation,  health  and  housing,  and  on  recreation  and  educa- 
tion. 


CHAPTER  XLJI 

COLORADO   LITERATURE 

By  Eugene  Parsons 

I 

Dunng  the  last  sixty  years  Coloradoans  ha\e  produced  a  voluminous  liter- 
ature in  prose  and  verse.  The  desire  for  self-expression  was  insistent  in  some 
of  the  gold  seekers  of  '58  and  '59.  By  reading  their  diaries  we  get  an  idea 
of  the  strivings  and  doings  of  pioneer  men  and  women. 

The  beginnings  of  Colorado  literature  date  back  to  the  early  '60s.  Governor 
William  Gilpin  (1822-94)  was  Colorado's  first  author  of  distinction.  He  had 
a  master  mind,  and  he  read  widely.  Among  the  books  that  are  monuments  to 
his  originality  and  erudition  are  "The  Central  Gold  Region"  (i860),  "Notes 
on  Colorado"  (1870),  "The  Mission  of  the  North  American  People"  (1874)  and 
"The    Cosmopolitan    Railway"    (18901. 

James  Burns  Belford  (1837-1910;,  who  came  to  Colorado  in  1870,  was  for 
many  years  a  prominent  figure,  first  as  a  judge  in  the  Territorial  Supreme  Court 
of  Colorado,  then  as  a  member  of  Congress  and  afterward  as  a  lawyer.  The 
volume  of  his  "Writings  and  Speeches"  (1897)  abounds  in  flashes  of  eloquence 
along  with  sympathetic  observations  on  great  men  and  scholarly  interpretations 
of    historical    events. 

Governor  .Samuel  Hitt  Elbert  (1833-99),  ^^'^'^  h'lfl  a  remarkable  career,  was 
a  scholar  and  thinker.  When  governor  of  Colorado  Territory  (1873-4)  and 
afterward  he  was  much  interested  in  irrigation  problems  and  wrote  a  treatise  on 
the  reclamation  of  the  arid  lands  of  Colorado. 

The  veteran  journalist,  Frank  Hall  (1836-1918),  who  crossed  the  plains  to 
Denver  in  i860,  spent  several  years  in  the  jireparation  of  his  "  History  of 
Colorado"  (4  vols.,  1889-951.  'I  nionumental  undertaking.  The  supplementary 
chapters  in  Vol.  T\'  (2d  ed.),  pj).  360-476,  were  added  by  Joseph  Granville 
Brown  (1884-  ),  who  also  wrote  the  "History  of  Equal  Sutirage  in  Colo- 
rado" (1898). 

William  Newton  Byers  (1831-1903).  who  founded  the  Rocky  Mountain 
News  in  1859,  wrote  the  "History  of  Colorado"  in  the  Encyclopedia  of  Biog- 
raphy (  1901  ).  The  narrative  is  an  important  contribution  to  Colorado's  annals. 
None  of  his  contemporaries,  not  even  Frank  Hall,  had  a  greater  familiarity 
with  the  events  connected  with  the  beginning  and  development  of  Colorado. 

Jerome  Constant  Smiley,  who  for  many  years  has  been  Curator  of  the  State 
Museum  and  probably  knows  more  about  Colorado,  past  and  present,  than  anv 
other  living  man.  is  the  author  of  a  ponderous  ''History  of  Denver"  (1901)  and 
the  "Semi-Centinninl  History  of  the  State  of  Colorado"  (2  vols.,  1913).     The 

877 


878  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

latter  work  is  more  comprehensive  and  more  accurate  than  H.   H.  Bancroft's 
history  of  Colorado. 

An  old-time  resident  of  Denver,  William  B.  \''ickers,  with  infinite  patience 
gathered  the  materials  for  three  bulky  volumes — "History  of  Denver  and  Colo- 
rado" (1880),  "History  of  Clear  Creek  and  Boulder  Valleys"  (1880)  and  "His- 
tory of  the  Arkansas  Valley"  (1881).  After  the  lapse  of  nearly  forty  years 
these  histories  may  be  read  with  profit  and  interest. 

Some  of  the  striking  incidents  of  the  past  of  this  mountain  realm  have  been 
described  in  captivating  style  by  F.  C.  Grable  in  "Colorado — the  Bright  Romance 
of  American  History"  (1911).  The  volume  is  made  more  attractive  by  the 
illustrations  of  Allen  True. 

In  the  "Making  of  Colorado"  (1908)  Eugene  Parsons  presents  some  of  the 
salient  features  of  Colorado's  past.  A  still  briefer  narrative  is  his  "History  of 
Colorado"  (1917),  bound  with  Dorus  Reuben  Hatch's  "Civil  Government  of 
Colorado"  (17th  ed.).  While  these  historical  writings  were  intended  to  be 
serviceable  to  eighth-grade  pupils  in  the  public  schools,  the  writer  tried  to 
say  things  that  would  appeal  to  the  general  reader.  In  his  monograph  on  the 
Arapahoe  Indians  Mr.  Parsons  sympathetically  sketched  the  history  of  this 
plains  tribe  and  concisely  described  the  present  condition  of  the  tribesmen  on 
their  reservations  in  Wyoming  and  Oklahoma,  with  special  reference  to  the 
progress  the  Arapahoes  have  made  during  the  last  half  century.  This  part 
may  be  called  a  chapter  in  the  history  of  civilization. 

Another  view  of  the  red  men  of  eastern  Colorado  is  taken  by  Irving  Howbert 
(1846-  )  in  his  "Indians  of  the  Pike's  Peak  Region"  (1914).  He  is  pains- 
taking, if  not  always  impartial. 

A  painful  story  is  that  of  "The  Ute  War;  a  Historj'  of  the  White  River 
Massacre"  (1879),  as  told  by  Thomas  Fulton  Dawson  (collaborating  with  F.  J 
V.  Skifi"). 

David  Boyd  industriously  collected  many  of  the  facts  relating  to  the  found- 
ing of  Union  Colony  and  the  subsequent  growth  of  Greeley.  James  Max  Clark, 
in  his  "Colonial  Days"  (1902),  has  given  the  world  some  vivid  pen-pictures  of 
Greeley  in  early  days.  Professor  James  Field  Willard  (1876-  ),  in  his 
"Records  of  Union  Colony"  (1918),  presents  much  documentary  material  of 
interest  to  those  who  wish  to  learn  something  about  the  beginnings  of  this 
unique  enterprise.  The  book  is  a  scholarly  piece  of  work  in  the  field  of  historical 
research. 

"Tales  of  the  Colorado  Pioneers"  (1884)  and  "Colorado  Pioneers  in  Picture 
and  Story"  (1915).  by  Mrs.  Alice  Polk  Hill  (1854-     ),  are  charming  books. 

Robert  Gordon  Dill  (18401914),  who  had  a  long  experience  as  a  newspaper 
man  in  Leadville  and  Denver,  wrote  "Political  Campaigns  of  Colorado"  (1895), 
in  which  he  gives  a  readable  account  of  the  political  history  of  this  common- 
wealth. 

A  number  of  frontiersmen  and  early  settlers  kept  diaries  or  dictated  remi- 
niscences, and  these  narratives  are  in  a  sense  contributions  to  history-.  Works  of 
this  character  are:  "Uncle  Dick"  Woottin's  autobiography,  Alexander  Majors' 
"Seventy  Years  on  the  Frontier"  (1893),  David  J.  Cook's  "Hands  Up"  (1897), 
Robert  McReynolds'  "Thirty  Years  on  the  Frontier"  (1906).  Michael  Hendrick 
Fitch's    "Ranch   Life  and   Other   Sketches"    (1914)    and   Dean   Henry   Martyn 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  879 

Hart's  "Recollections  and  Reflections"  (1917).  Sidney  Jocknick's  "Early 
Days  on  the  Western  Slope  of  Colorado  and  Camptire  Chats  with  Otto  Mears, 
the  Pathfinder"  (19 13)  is  a  lively  narration  of  the  author's  varied  experiences 
in  the  '70s  and  the  '80s.  Carlyle  Channing  Davis  told  the  history  of  the  Lead- 
ville  district,  and  Milo  L.  Whittaker  wrote  an  entertaining  volume,  "I'athbreak- 
ers  and  Pioneers  of  the  Pueblo  Region"  (1917).  The  instructive  narratives  of 
P'rank  Crissy  Young  (1844-  j,  though  not  very  pretentious  afTairs,  afford 
sidelights  of  a  transition  era  in  the  history  of  the  trans-Missouri  West.  His 
recollections  of  Central  City  cover  a  period  of  about  fifteen  years  (1865-80). 
Ansel  Watrous  wrote  "The  History  of  Larimer  County"  (1911).  Peter  Winne, 
William  Smedley,  Alonzo  Merritt  Welles,  Airs.  Emma  Shepard  Hill,  John  Lewis 
Dyer,  George  M.  Darley  and  other  old-timers  related  some  of  their  pioneer  ex- 
periences. Space  is  lacking  to  speak  of  short  things,  such  as  the  articles  by 
James  H.  Pierce,  John  D.  Miller  and  others  in  the  Trail,  also  the  fugitive  writ- 
ings of  Judge  Wilbur  Fisk  Stone,  Alva  Adams,  Benton  Canon,  C.  A.  Cooper, 
William  Weston,  Jay  Porter  Treat  and  Edward  F.  Cragin. 

One  can  make  only  bare  mention  of  some  writers  who  lived  a  longer  or 
shorter  period  in  our  state  and  while  here  engaged  in  historical  investigation — 
Frederic  Logan  Paxson,  George  Bird  Grinnell,  William  M.  McGuire,  Elliott 
Cones,  H.  H.  Bancroft,  W.  C.  Whitford,  Clyde  Lyndon  King,  Charles  Ernest 
Chadsey,  Charles  Hartsell,  etc.  Dr.  Jesse  Hawes,  of  Greeley,  weaves  a  good 
deal  of  Civil  war  history  into  the  touching  narrative — "Cahaba:  a  Story  of  Cap- 
tive Boys  in  Blue"  (1888).  Maj.  M.  H.  Fitch  told  the  story  of  Wisconsin  soldiers 
in  the  War  of  Secession. 

Numerous  collections  of  biographical  sketches  of  well-known  Coloradoans 
have  appeared.  Joseph  G.  Brown  wrote  many  of  the  sketches  in  Hall's  "His- 
tory," Vol.  IV,  and  a  large  number  of  the  sketches  in  the  Encyclopedia  of  Biog- 
raphy (1901).  Other  works  worthy  of  mention  are:  "Sketches  of  Colorado" 
(1911),  by  William  Columbus  Ferril  (1855-  );  "Political  Portraits"  (1888),  by 
James  MacCarthy  ("Fitz-Mac").  and  "Representative  Women  of  Colorado" 
(191 1 ),  by  James  Alexander  Semple.  A  notable  contribution  to  Colorado  biog- 
raphy is  "Robert  Wilbur  Steele,  Defender  of  Liberty"  (1913),  by  Walter  Law- 
son  Wilder  (i860-  ).  T.  F.  Dawson  wrote  "Life  and  Character  of  Edward 
Oliver  Wolcott"  (2  vols.,  191 1).  The  first  volume  of  this  elaborate  biography 
contains  a  portrayal  of  the  man  and  his  characteristics  with  special  reference  to 
his  lifework  as  a  lawyer  and  statesman  ;  the  second  volume  sketches  Wolcott's 
career  in  the  U.  S.  Senate,  some  of  his  speeches  being  reprinted  in  full,  along 
with  a  number  of  the  public  addresses  of  this  brilliant  orator.  Eugene  Parsons 
is  the  author  of  "Tenny.son's  Life  and  Poetry"  (1892)  and  a  character  sketch  of 
George  Washington.  William  O'Ryan  and  Thomas  H.  Malone  outlined  the 
church  activities  of  Father  Joseph  Projectus  Machebeuf  in  Colorado.  A  larger 
life  of  the  first  bishop  of  Denver  was  written  bv  Rev.  William  Joseph  Tlowk-tl 
(1848-     ). 

Descriptive  works  on  Colorado  have  appeared  without  number — railroad 
folders,  tourist  booklets  and  souvenir  volumes  prepared  for  "convention  meets" 
in  Denver.  Rather  ambitious  writeups  are  Shadrach  Kemp  Hooper's  "Story  of 
Manitou"  C1885),  George  Rex  Buckman's  "Colorado  Springs  and  its  Scenic 
Environs"   (1892)   and  W.  G.  M.  Stone's  "Handbook  of  Colorado,"  also  pam- 


880  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

phlets  galore  on  Leadville,  Cripple  Creek,  Glenwood  Springs,  San  Luis  \'alley, 
etc. 

Ovando  James  Hollister,  editor  of  the  Blackhawk  Mining  Journal  in  the  '60s, 
wrote  "'Mines  of  Colorado"  (1867),  which  contains  a  mass  of  historical  and 
descriptive  matter,  for  the  most  part  accurate.  A  pamphlet  on  Colorado  Terri- 
tory was  issued  by  the  Board  of  Immigration  in  1872,  and  the  following  jear 
J.  A.  Blake  and  F.  C.  W'illett  brought  out  their  "Handbook  of  Colorado  for  Citi- 
zen and  Tourist."  Frank  Fossett's  "Colorado"  (1876;  2d  ed.  1879 j  served  a 
useful  purpose  in  its  day. 

Joseph  G.  Brown  wrote  three  booklets  on  Colorado  (published  by  the  LTnion 
Pacific  Railroad,  1888,  1902  and  1906),  giving  descriptions  of  the  attractions,  re- 
sources and  industries  of  the  Centennial  State,  also  a  "Report  on  the  Resources 
and  Industrial  Development  of  Colorado"  (1893).  a  paper-covered  volume,  of 
196  pages,  printed  for  free  distribution  at  the  Columbian  Exposition  held  in 
Chicago,  1893.  Mr.  Brown  did  his  work  well.  Less  valuable  is  "The  Colorado 
Blue  Book"  (1891),  edited  by  F.  W.  Kroenke,  a  miscellany  of  rather  common- 
place prose  and  verse  on  Colorado  and  Colorado  characters  of  note,  there  being 
a  sketch  of  Otto  Mears.  \\'orks  much  more  comprehensive  in  scope  are  Stanley 
Wood's  "Over  the  Range"  (1906),  Eugene  Parsons'  "Guidebook  to  Colorado" 
(1911)  and  Thomas  Tonge's  "All  About  Colorado"  (1913).  Librarian  John 
Cotton  Dana  (1856-  )  furnished  the  historical  sketch  of  Denver  in  Powell's 
"Historic  Towns  of  the  Western  States"  (1901)  ;  it  is  a  finished  production. 

Very  enjoyable  books  of  sport  and  outdoor  life  are  "With  Rod  and  Line  in 
Colorado"  (1884)  and  "Mountain  Trails"  (1887),  by  Lewis  Browne  France 
(1833-1907).  Enos  Abijah  Mills  (1870-  )  may  be  called  a  combination  of  natu- 
ralist and  prose-poet.  He  ranks  with  John  Muir  and  John  Burroughs.  In  his 
"Story  of  Estes  Park"  (1905),  "Wild  Life  on  the  Rockies"  (1911).  "Rocky 
Mountain  Wonderland"  (1915),  "Your  National  Parks"  (1917),  and  "In  Beaver 
World"  (1913).  Air.  Mills  has  reached  a  high  plane  of  literary  merit.  Dr.  \N'illiam 
Abraham  Bell  (1841-  )  wrote  "New  Tracks  in  North  America"  (i86g).  a  jour- 
nal of  travel  and  adventure  in  the  Southwest.  A  well-written  book  is  "Trees  and 
Peaks"  (191 1 ),  by  Eva  Bird  Bosworth.  Dr.  William  N.  Beggs  compiled  an 
excellent  "Souvenir  Book  of  Colorado"  (1908).  It  sets  forth  Colorado's  climatic 
advantages  for  those  who  are  afflicted  with  tuberculosis,  asthma,  etc.  ^'arious 
writers  give  facts  about  Colorado's  scenery,  agriculture,  mines,  etc. 

Here  may  be  mentioned  the  superb  volumes  by  Allen  Grant  Wallihan  and  his 
wife — "Camera  Shots  at  Big  Game"  (1901)  and  "Hoofs.  Claws  and  Antlers  of 
the  Rocky  Mountains"  (1902). 

The  flood  of  publicity  literature  goes  on.  A  handsome  work — "Colorado: 
The  Queen  Jewel  of  the  Rockies"  (1918),  by  Mrs.  Mae  Lacy  Baggs,  is  one  of 
the  "See  America  First"  series.  The  book  is  written  in  a  pleasing  style  and  has 
many  beautiful  illustrations.  .A.  multitude  of  other  authors  from  various  parts 
of  our  country  and  from  Europe  have  visited  Colorado  and  produced  books  deal- 
ing with  one  phase  or  another  of  the  Centennial  State  and  its  wonders.  Inger- 
soll's  "Crest  of  the  Continent"  and  Nordenskjold's  sumptuous  volume  on  the 
Clifif  Dwellers  are  admirable  examples  of  works  of  the  sort.  These  are  not 
Colorado  writers,  however,  and  do  not  fall  within  the  scope  of  this  conspectus. 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  881 

although  the)-  have  rendered  a  valuable  service  in  depicting  the  enchanting  love- 
liness and  the  rugged  grandeur  of  the  "Switzerland  of  America." 

II 

In  a  hurried  survey  like  this,  one  can  give  only  a  very  inadequate  notion  of 
the  literary  activities  of  Colorado  educators.  The  publications  of  the  University 
of  Colorado,  including  pamphlets  and  public  addresses  as  well  as  books  and 
periodical  articles  by  professors,  are  numbered  by  thousands,  to  say  nothing 
about  "learned  theses"  of  graduate  students.  Other  state  institutions — the  School 
of  Mines,  the  Agricultural  College  and  the  Teachers'  College — have  their  myriad 
publications — books  and  bulletins,  some  of  them  technical  and  others  semi- 
popular.  The  professors  in  Denver  University  and  Colorado  College  have  given 
the  world  the  fruits  of  their  studies  in  the  shape  of  books  or  extended  mono- 
graphs. Some  of  our  high  school  teachers  and  others  engaged  in  educational 
work  of  some  sort  have  devoted  a  part  of  their  leisure  to  writing  books  or  sci- 
entific papers.  So  it  may  be  said  that  a  multitude  of  Colorado  educators  have 
done  something  more  than  teach  the  pupils  in  their  classrooms ;  they  have  made 
the  bounds  of  knowledge  wider  by  means  of  the  printed  page. 

By  their  writings  the  learned  men  in  the  University  of  Colorado  have  en- 
riched the  intellectual  life  of  the  community  and  the  commonwealth.  Their 
influence  is  felt  throughout  the  length  and  breadth  of  the  republic,  for  the  scho- 
lastic publications  issued  at  Boulder  are  found  in  all  of  the  leading  libraries  of 
the  country.  Some  of  the  Colorado  educators  have  real  literary  ability.  James 
Hutchins  Baker  (1848-  ),  who  for  many  years  was  president  of  the  University 
of  Colorado,  easily  heads  the  list,  with  "Education  and  Life"  (1900)  and  sev- 
eral other  scholarly  books  to  his  credit.  Professor  Francis  Ramaley  (1870-  ) 
did  a  fine  piece  of  work  in  his  book,  "Wild  Flowers  and  Trees  of  Colorado" 
(1909).  although  it  is  not  equal  to  the  magnificent  volume  on  "Flowers  of  Moun- 
tain and  Plain."  by  Professor  Clements  of  the  University  of  Minnesota.  Pro- 
fessors Sewall.  Hale.  Libby,  Osborn,  Hellems.  Norlin,  Cockerell  and  others  of 
the  faculty  who  have  made  Boulder  famous  as  a  seat  of  culture  wrote  things 
of  high  literary  value,  if  not  classics.  The  geological  publications  of  Prof. 
Russell  D.  George  (1866-  ),  if  not  exactly  literature,  are  extremely  useful,  notably 
the  volume  on  "Minerals  and  Rocks"  (1913). 

The  literary  output  of  the  men  in  the  School  of  Mines,  while  technical,  is 
none  the  less  valuable  to  those  who  are  interested  in  minerals  and  mining.  Prof. 
Arthur  Lakes  (1844-1917)  wrote  "Geology  of  Western  Ore  Deposits"  (1905), 
"Prospecting  for  Gold  and  Silver"  (1895)  and  other  scientific  works  that  are 
helpful  to  miners  and  mining  men.  "Popular  Oil  Geology"  (1918),  written  by 
Prof.  Victor  Zieglcr.  is  exceedingly  timely.  Arthur  Hoskin  ("1869-  ),  who  was 
at  one  time  editor  of  Mining  American,  wrote  a  valuable  book  on  "The  Business 
of  Mining"  (1912). 

The  Agricultural  College  has  published  hundreds  of  bulletins  on  scientific 
farming,  gardening,  orcharding,  home  making,  the  care  of  stock,  etc.  Such 
matters  as  botany  and  irrigation  fall  within  the  scope  of  some  of  the  Fort  Col- 
lins publications.     Two  titles  will  give  the  reader  an  idea  of  the  books  in  this 

Vol.  t— r.« 


882  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

field  of  investigation — "Botany  of  Crop  Plants"  (1917).  by  Wilfred  \\'illiarn 
Robbins.  and  "Law  of  Irrigation"  (1915).  by  Charles  F.  Davis  (1856-      ). 

Style  cuts  but  little  figure  in  the  educational  writings  of  the  professors  in 
the  Teachers'  College  at  Greeley.  Such  works  as  the  "Short  Story"  by  Ethan 
Allen  Cross,  and  the  textbooks  of  George  Bruce  Halsted  represent,  however, 
results  of  much  labor.  The  author  of  school  books  gains  no  renown,  but  he 
has  the  satisfaction  of  knowing  that  he  is  helping  the  rising  generation. 

Some  other  educator-authors  may  be  mentioned.  Arthur  John  Fynn  (1859-  )> 
who  wrote  the  State  Song,  is  the  author  of  a  stimulating  book  on  "The  American 
Indian  as  a  Product  of  Environment"  (1907).  Miss  Katherine  Lee  Craig,  former 
superintendent  of  public  instruction,  wrote  a  Primary  Geography  (1906).  The 
work  of  Miss  Eleanor  Davidson,  a  teacher  in  the  Wyman  School,  Denver,  is 
worthv  of  special  mention.  Her  pageant-drama.  "Civilization"  (1917),  belongs 
to  the  literature  of  power.  This  instructive  playlet  was  presented  by  upper- 
grade  pupils  in  thousands  of  public  schools  in  the  country  west  of  the  Mississippi 
in  the  autumn  of  1917.  The  spectacle  was  an  inspiring  object-lesson;  it  staged 
many  striking  scenes  in  American  history.  In  the  East  Side  High  School  of 
Denver  several  teachers  of  literary  tastes  may  be  named.  Ellen  M.  Mitchell 
(1842-  ).  in  her  "Studv  of  Greek  Philosophy"  (  1891),  gives  a  concise,  simple 
exposition  of  the  teachings  of  the  great  thinkers  of  ancient  Greece.  Frederick 
T.  Clark's  stories  will  be  spoken  of  in  the  section  on  fiction.  D.  R.  Hatch  (1858-  ) 
has  for  many  years  edited  the  Colorado  School  Journal,  .\lice  Eastwood  (1859-  ") 
is  the  author  of  "Popular  Flora  of  Denver"  (1893).  George  Lyman  Cannon 
(i860-  )  prepared  a  lecture  on  "Geology  of  Etenver  and  Vicinity"  (1894).  which 
is  a  fine  bit  of  scientific  writing  that  may  be  appreciated  by  the  average  reader. 
The  botanical  writings  of  Ellsworth  F>ethel  deserve  high  praise. 

The  University  of  Denver  is.  comparatively  sjjeaking.  a  young  institution, 
and  yet  it  has  made  its  power  felt  all  over  the  world  wherever  its  graduates  have 
gone.  It  is  a  cultural  agency ;  it  has  done  much  to  broaden  and  deepen  the  mental 
life  of  the  city  and  state.  A  number  of  its  professors  have  widened  the  area 
of  their  influence  by  writing  books,  viz.:  "A  Study  of  the  Sky"  (1896).  by  Her- 
bert Alonzo  Howe  (1859-  )  :  "Elementary  Psycholog\-"  (1913).  by  Daniel  Ed- 
ward Phillips  (1865-  ).  who  gives  suggestions  for  the  interpretation  of  human 
life:  and  "Monopolies.  Past  and  Present"  (1901).  Frank  Hunt  Hurd  Roberts 
( 1869-  ) .  when  professor  in  Denver  University,  prepared  the  article  on  Colorado 
for  the  Encyclopedia  Americana,  and  he  edited  the  Constitution  of  Colorado 
for  Hatch's  "Civil  Government  of  Colorado."  Chancellor  McDowell  will  be  men- 
tioned later.  Space  is  lacking  to  speak  of  Dr.  Annni  Hyde  as  an  intellectual 
force  in  the  community,  and  the  influence  of  many  another  professor  of  Denver 
L'niversity  is  far-reaching:  he  speaks  to  larger  audiences  than  his  classes  in 
printed  articles  and  other  writings. 

Dr.  William  James  Sly.  who  was  at  one  time  lecturer  on  Religious  Education 
in  Colorado  W^oman's  College,  wrote  "World  .Stories  Retold  for  Modern  Boys 
and  Girls"  C1914V  The  book  covers  a  wide  field,  ancient  and  medieval  legends 
and  fairy  tales. 

Dr.  Duren  James  Henderson  Ward  ('1851-  ).  lecturer  on  Anthropology  and 
Psycholog}^  and  editor  of  Up  the  Divide  magazine,  wrote  "Biographical  History 
of  Modem  Sciences"  (ig'14)  and  other  erudite  works. 


HISTORV  OF  COLORADO  883 

Notwithstanding  the  proverbial  neglect  of  authorship  in  the  Rocky  Mountain 
coiftitry,  a  great  deal  of  which  is  still  wilderness,  there  is  something  of  a  literary 
atmosphere  pervading  the  Pike's  Peak  region,  whose  picturesque  nooks  and 
recesses  were  loved  by  Helen  Hunt  Jackson.  As  might  be  expected  in  a  city 
that  w^as  for  many  years  the  home  of  this  gifted  lady  and  later  became  the  abid- 
ing place  of  choice  spirits  like  \  irginia  Donaghe  McClurg,  Agnes  K.  Gibbs.  Sara 
R.  Schlesinger,  Anna  Twitchell  Spencer,  Andy  Adams,  William  M.  Strii  Vler, 
Walter  L.  \\'ilder  and  other  pen  workers,  the  production  of  literature  is  encour- 
aged here.  Professors  and  students  of  Colorado  College  have  high  standards  of 
literary  excellence.  Professor  Plorian  Cajori  (1859-  ),  who  has  the  reputation 
of  being  one  of  the  greatest  mathematicians  in  the  world,  varies  class  work  with 
the  w-riting  of  mathematical  treatises,  one  of  his  books  being  "A  History  of 
Elementary  Mathematics,  with  Hints  on  Methods  of  Teaching"  (1916).  Elijah 
Clarence  Hills  (1867-  )  compiled  an  anthology,  "Pike's  Peak  Region  in  Song 
and  Myth"  (1913)  and  wrote  a  number  of  Spanish  textbooks.  John  Carl  Parish 
(  1881-  )  has  taken  Iowa  history  as  his  province  and  presented  the  results  of  his 
investigations  in  several  entertaining  volumes.  Edward  Smith  Parsons  (1863-  ) 
edited  Milton's  Minor  Poems  and  wrote  "The  Social  Message  of  Jesus"  (1911). 
Work  of  a  difTerent  order,  but  exact  and  painstaking,  is  that  of  the  eminent  nat- 
uralist, iidward  Royal  Warren  (  i860-  ),  in  "The  Mammals  of  Colorado"  (1910). 
(Icorge  Irving  Finlay  (1876-  )  wrote  "Introduction  to  the  Study  of  Igneous 
Rocks"  (1913),  also  a  guidebook  to  Colorado  Springs,  describing  the  rock  forma- 
tions in  the  vicinity.  George  Hapgood  Stone  (1841-1914)  prepared  a  solid  work 
on  "World  Money"  (1909),  discussing  world  problems  of  stable  money.  The 
former  curator  of  Colorado  College  Museum,  William  Lutley  Sclater  (1863-  ), 
with  an  ornithologist's  enthusiasm  described  392  species  of  our  birds  in  an  elabo- 
rate tome,  "The  Birds  of  Colorado"  (1912). 

Brief  reference  may  be  made  here  to  Dr.  William  H.  Bergtold's  bird  studies 
and  to  the  geological  writings  of  Richard  Charles  Hills  (1846-  ),  also  to  Lucius 
Merle  Wilcox's  "Irrigation  Farming"  (1902)  and  Eustace  Robert  Parsons'  "Dry 
Farming"  (1913).  Examples  of  technical  writing  in  another  field  are  Harmon 
Howard  Rice's  "Concrete  Block  Manufacture"  (1901)  and  Frank  Eugene  Kid- 
der's "Handbook  for  Architects  and  Builders"  (nth  cd..  1893).  In  the  realm  of 
medical  literature  is  Edward  Curtis  Hill's  "Pain  and  Its  Indications"  (1904). 
Dr.  Sherman  Grant  Bonney  wrote  "Pulmonary  Tuberculosis  and  Its  Complica- 
tions" (1908).  A  really  meritorious  ])erformance  is  Dr.  Howell  T.  Pershing's 
"Disorders  of  Speech"  (1897).  Dr.  John  Henry  Tilden's  book  on  food  and 
dieting  gives  sensible  advice  to  those  who  are  addicted  to  overeating ;  his  language 
is  easy  to  understand.  Space  is  lacking  to  comment  on  the  writings  of  Hall. 
Hines,  Williams,  Grant,  etc. 

HI 

While  Colorado  has  had  no  great  philosophers,  it  has  had  its  share  of  thinkers, 
men  who  have  been  seriously  occupied  with  ])roblems  of  time  and  eternity,  men 
who  have  dijiped  into  the  occult  and  the  mystical,  men  who  lia\c  made  excursions 
into  the  domain  of  esthetics.  .Among  the  citizens  of  Colorado  there  have  been 
men  who  have  loved   the  truth   and  sought  knowledge   for  its  own  sake.     The 


884  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

books  written  by  Colorado's  spiritual  leaders,  dreamers  and  idealists  would,  if 
gatiiered  together,  till  a  good-sized  bookcase.  There  have  been  men  and  woAen, 
too,  among  us  who  have  agitated  reforms.  They  have  cared  for  the  higher  life. 
They  have  helped  make  Colorado  a  better  state  to  live  in. 

In  "The  Physical  Basis  of  Mind  and  Morals"  (1906;  2d  ed.,  1908)  Michael 
Ilendrick  Fitch,  of  Pueblo,  gives  a  lucid  exposition  of  the  principles  of  evolution- 
ary ethics. 

John  Franklin  Spalding  (1828-1902).  who  was  for  a  long  while  bishop  of 
the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church  in  Colorado,  is  to  be  ranked  among  the  fore- 
most of  Colorado's  religious  and  theological  writers.  "The  Church  and  Its 
Apostolic  Ministry"  (1887)  is  in  his  best  vein.  Dean  Henry  Martyn  Hart 
(1838-  )  made  a  searching  examination  of  the  claims  of  Christian  Science  in 
"Way  That  Seemeth  Right"  (1897).  Another  of  his  volumes  is  "Ten  Com- 
mandments in  the  Twentieth  Century"  (1905). 

Rev.  Rosselle  Theodore  Cross  was  a  popular  Congregational  preacher  of 
Denver  in  the  '80s.  He  gathered  a  series  of  his  talks  to  young  folks  into  a  book, 
"Clear  as  Crystal''  (1887).  and  brought  out  other  writings  on  religious  subjects. 

William  Fraser  McDowell  (1858-  )  is  remembered  for  his  distinguished  serv- 
ices to  Methodism,  when  Chancellor  of  Denver  University  and  later.  Among  his 
religious  writings  is  "In  the  School  of  Christ"  (1910).  . 

The  versatile  Dr.  Louis  Albert  Banks  (1855-  ),  who  was  pastor  of  Trinity 
M.  E.  Church  in  Denver,  poured  forth  a  stream  of  homiletical  writings,  one  of 
them  being  entitled  "Great  Saints  of  the  Bible"  (1901).  Another  Methodist 
mini,ster.  Christian  Fichthorne  Reisner  (1870-  ),  became  known  for  his  resource- 
ful leadership  as  pastor  of  Crace  M.  E.  Church  in  Denver,  especially  for  novel- 
ties in  advertising  church  services.  Among  his  writings  are  "Workable  Plans 
for  Wideawake  Churches"  (1906)  and  "Social  Plans  for  Young  People"  (1908). 

The  eloquent  pastor  of  Central  Presbyterian  Church  in  Denver.  Robert  Fran- 
cis Coyle  (18301917),  published  two  volumes  of  his  intellectual  discourses.  "The 
Chyrch  and  the  Times"  (1905)  and  "Rocks  and  Flowers''   (1910). 

Rev.  Richard  Montague,  a  scholarly  Baptist  minister  of  Colorado  Springs, 
gave  the  world  a  selection  of  his  pulpit  efforts  in  the  book  entitled  "Chancel 
Sermons."  Kerr  Boyce  Tupper.  J.  Harvey  Gunn,  J.  B.  Harl  and  other  Baptist 
ministers  are  to  be  numbered  among  Colorado  authors. 

Charles  Edgar  Prather.  in  "Divine  Science"  (1916),  is  a  forceful  expounder 
of  Mrs.  Eddy's  teachings. 

Space  is  lacking  to  comment  on  the  religious  writings  of  Robert  Casy,  T-  L. 
Brandt,  I.  H.  Beardsley.  F.  T.  Bayley  and  other  Colorado  clergymen. 

Sarah  Stanley  Grimke,  Ale.xander  J.  Mclvor  Tyndall  and  others  ha\e  writ- 
ten of  ghosts  and  other  strange  phenomena. 

"Christianity  and  Infallibility"  (1891)  is  a  noteworthy  book  on  Papal  Infal- 
libility by  Daniel  Lyons,  a  Denver  priest  of  some  learning. 

One  of  Denver's  most  popular  preachers  in  the  '80s  and  '90s,  Rev.  Myron 
Winslow  Reed  ('1836-99).  published  "Temple  Talks"  (1898').  a  collection  of 
liberal  addresses  that  make  appeal  to  all  sorts  and  conditions  of  men.  The 
nobility  of  the  man  shines  forth  in  his  incisive  utterances:  his  memory  lives  on 
after  his  death.    Mrs.  Reed  wrote  a  religious  book.  "One  life:  One  Law"  (1890). 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  885 

Paul  Tyner  gained  a  temporary  prominence  when  he  edited  The  Temple, 
published  in  Denver.  Some  of  his  books  are:  "Through  the  Invisible"  (1897J, 
"Bodily  Immortality"    (1897)   and  "Living  Christ"    (1897J. 

Another  expounder  of  occult  philosophy  and  mysticism  is  Grace  Mann  Brown, 
author  of  "Studies  in  Spiritual  Harmony"  (1903)  and  "Soul  Songs"  (1907). 

Agnes  Leonard  Hill  (1842-1917)  was  a  woman  of  journalistic  ability  who 
occasionally  occupied  a  pulpit.  One  of  her  forgotten  books  has  the  title,  "Divine 
I-aw  of  Divorce." 

Celia  Baldwin  W  hitehead  is  well  known  for  her  leadership  in  movements 
looking  toward  the  spiritual  uplift  of  Denver.  Her  little  volume,  "What's  the 
Matter?"  is  a  protest  against  some  of  the  absurdities  of  women's  fashions. 

Elsa  Denison  deals  with  a  large  subject  in  a  large  way  in  a  thoughtful  volume 
on  "Helping  School  Children"  (1913J. 

Another  social  reformer  is  Edwin  A.  Brown,  author  of  that  extraordinary 
book,  "Broke:  The  Man  without  a  Dime"  (,1913). 

A  Denver  writer  who  has  a  vein  of  philosophy  in  him  is  Harmon  Howard 
Rice  (1870  ),  author  of  "The  Life  That  Now  Is"  (1907). 

Literature  is  to  be  classed  as  one  of  the  wants  and  needs  of  an  advanced 
civilization,  along  with  the  other  fine  arts.  Now  and  then  the  Colorado  product 
runs  to  intellectuality.  Wilbur  Fisk  Stone,  Jr.  (1867-  ),  is  a  man  of  keen  mind 
who  in  "Questions  on  the  Philosophy  cjf  Art"  (1897)  made  a  suggestive  study  of 
art-works,  including  architecture,  sculpture,  painting,  music,  literature  and  the 
drama.  His  "Richard  Wagner  and  the  .Style  of  the  Music-Drama"  (1897)  is  a 
thoroughgoing  discussion  of  Wagner's  works  and  ideas.  His  mother,  Mrs. 
Wilbur  F.  Stone,  wrote  "A  Colorado  Woman  in  Italy"  (1888)  and  a  number 
of  other  volumes. 

"Essays  on  Pluman  Nature"  (190O),  by  Dr.  William  -Mayberry  Strickler 
(1838-1908),  belongs  to  the  realm  of  literature. 

Generally  speaking,  the  writings  of  newspaper  workers  are  not  to  be  placed 
in  the  category  of  literature.  A  brilliant  exception  to  the  rule  was  Frederick 
William  White  (  1849-1917),  who  for  a  quarter  of  a  century  was  dramatic  critic 
on  the  Denver  Post  or  on  the  staff  of  the  News.  His  page  in  the  Sunday  Post 
contained  many  comments  on  literature  and  life.  A  reviewer  superior  to  the 
average  was  Helen  Ring  Robinson,  so  long  connected  with  the  News. 

Space  is  lacking  for  mention  of  magazine  writers  of  Denver,  some  of  whom 
have  done  very  clever  work.  It  would  be  considerable  of  a  task  to  tell  of  the 
rise  and  fall  of  the  magazines  of  Denver — the  Great  Divide,  W'cstern  World,  the 
Great  Southwest,  etc.  The  .Student-Writer  still  goes  on.  Its  talented  editor. 
Willard  Hawkins  (1887-  ).  in  his  masterful  book,  "Helps  for  Student-Writers" 
(1917),  writes  crisply  and  illuminatingly  of  literary  technitiuc.  luigene  Parsons, 
who  was  formerly  associate  editor  of  the  World  To-Day  magazine  in  Chicago, 
edited  the  Farringford  Tennyson  (10  vols.),  furnishing  introductions  and  notes. 
William  Sterne  Friedman  and  Charles  David  Spivak  have  by  their  occasional 
writings  made  noteworthy  contributions  to  the  intellectual  life  of  Denver.  Doctor 
S|>ivak  collaborated  with  Solomon  IJloomgarden  in  the  preparation  of  a  Yiddish- 
EnglLsh  dictionary  figio).  "The  Navajo  and  his  Blanket"  (1903),  by  Gen. 
Uriah  S.  Hollister  (1838-  ),  is  a  fascinating  volume,  artistically  illustrated  with 
colored  plates  and  many  engravings. 


886  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

IV 

Ever  since  the  coming  of  the  Green  Russell  expedition  Colorado  has  been  a 
land  of  romance.  Gold  seekers,  miners,  stage  drivers,  cowboys,  sheepherders, 
trappers,  Indians,  Mexicans — what  more  romantic  characters  than  these?  The 
lives  of  frontiersmen  and  pioneers  were  full  of  adxentures.  Fiction  writers  have 
found  here  abundant  material  for  short  stories  and  novels.  Wolcott  Balestier, 
Emma  Homan  Thayer,  Hamlin  Garland,  h'rank  Spearman,  Francis  Lynde  and 
other  story  writers  have  come  to  Colorado  for  color  and  thrilling  incidents.  Fic- 
tion has  flourished  in  Colorado  from  the  time  of  Mrs.  Helen  Hunt  Jackson  to 
that  of  present-day  romancers.  Although  Colorado  has  produced  no  Bret  Harte„ 
the  tale  tellers  of  this  Rocky  Mountain  country  have  made  a  creditable  showing. 

Cy  Warnian  (1855-1914J  knocked  about  Colorado  a  good  deal  in  the  '80s, 
and  the  experiences  and  observations  of  this  clever  man  were  utilized  by  him  in 
"The  Express  Messenger  and  Other  Stories  of  the  Rail"  (1897),  ''Tales  of  an 
Engineer,"  "Frontier  .Stories"  (1898),  etc.  In  these  well-told  tales  one  may 
find  humor,  pathos,  bravery,  love,  tragedy  and  other  elements  out  of  which  the 
romancer  weaves  vivid  pictures  and  touching  episodes.  There  is  plenty  of  action 
in  them,  and  they  are  popular  with  novel  readers. 

Frederick  Thickstun  Clark's  -'Mexican  Girl"  0888).  "In  the  Valley  of 
Ha\ilah"  (1890)  and  "<  )n  Cloud  Mountain"  (  1894)  have  had  considerable  of  a 
vogue  with  those  who  enjoy  romance  in  mild  doses.  The  scenes  are  laid  in  Colo- 
rado (" Colly raydo"  the  name  was  pronounced  a  quarter  of  a  century  ago),  and 
Mr.  Clark  puts  in  tine  bits  of  description  here  and  there. 

James  Edward  Le  Rossignol  (1866-  ).  who  was  for  many  years  a  professor 
in  Denver  University,  is  the  author  of  "Jean  Baptiste :  a  Story  of  French  Que- 
bec" (  1915),  a  narrative  of  unusual  power  and  charm. 

The  stories  of  William  MacLeod  Raine  (  1871-  )  are  "wildly  popular — they 
are  hardly  ever  in."  says  an  attendant  in  the  Denver  Public  Library.  For  more 
than  a  dozen  years  Mr.  Raine  has  been  turning  out  well-constructed  narratives 
of  cowboys,  rangers,  highgraders,  mavericks,  trails  and  other  features  of  life  in 
Montana,  Wyoming.  Colorado,  New  Mexico  and  Texas.  He  goes  in  for  the 
romantic,  as  is  evident  from  such  titles  as  "Pirate  of  Panama;  a  Tale  of  the 
Fight  for  Buried  Treasure"  (1914),  "The  Yukon  Trail;  a  Tale  of  the  North" 
(1917).  Raine  is  the  Colorado  Cooper,  modernized.  His  romances  have  been 
criticised  on  the  ground  of  improbability.  Mr.  Raine  knows  parts  of  our  state 
pretty  well,  and  yet  the  question  arises,  Are  his  characters  true  Coloradoans? 

.\  literary  atmosphere  pervades  and  suft'uses  the  novels  by  Robert  Ames  Ben- 
net  (1870-  ),  the  son  of  an  honored  pioneer.  Bennet's  best-known  novels  are: 
"For  the  White  Christ;  a  Story  of  the  Days  of  Charlemagne"  (1905)  and  "Into 
the  Primitive"  (1908).  His  books  are  successful,  some  of  them  having  passed 
through  many  editions,  and  two  or  three  of  them  have  some  historical  value. 

Hattie  Horner  Louthan  (1865-  )  has  written  three  novels — "In  Passion's 
Dragnet"  (1904),  "This  Was  a  Man"  (1907).  and  "A  Rocky  Alountain  Feud" 
(1910) — which  are  distinct  additions  to  Colorado  literature,  although  they  are 
not  to  be  characterized  as  "thrillers."  There  is  power  in  "A  Rocky  Mountain 
Feud,"  the  story  of  a  man  who  marries  the  sister  of  his  mortal  foe.     "This  \\^as 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  887 

a  Man"  (.1906)  is  a  romance  of  extraordinary  interest.  It  tells  of  the  victory  of 
a  character  over  circumstances.     The  scene  is  laid  in  Colorado. 

Andy  Adams  (1859-  )  is  a  realistic  storyvvriter  whose  "Log  of  a  Cowboy" 
(1903J,  "Reed  .\nthony,  Cowman"  (1907),  and  other  novels  of  cattlemen  are 
much  read  and  are  well  worth  reading.  His  characters  are  true  to  life.  He 
wrote  of  '"the  palmy  days  of  the  Golden  West,  with  its  indefmable  charm,  now 
past  and  gone  and  never  to  return." 

\'erner  Ze\ola  Reed  (  1863-  )  writes  things  that  are  more  lurid,  and  he 
makes  no  pretensions  to  historical  accuracy.  His  "Lo-To-Kah"  (1895)  and 
"Adobeland  Stories"  (18991  are  imaginative  narrations,  intended  merely  to 
amuse  and  entertain. 

Emma  Ghent  Curtis  ( 1860-1918)  wrote  many  poems  and  short  stories.  One 
of  her  novelettes,  "The  Administratrix"  (1891)  is  a  story  of  cowboy  life,  highly 
colored  and  exaggerated. 

A  Montrose  attorne\-  and  politician,  John  C.  IJell  0<^5i"  )<  Pi-'t  forth  a  volume, 
"The  Pilgrim  and  Pioneer"  (igo6),  which  may  be  described  as  fiction  based 
upon  fact ;  it  deals  with  social  and  material  conditions  in  western  Colorado  in 
the  '80s  and  '90s. 

Josiah  Mason  Ward  (  1858-  )  wrote  "Come  With  Me  Into  Babylon"  (1902), 
a   fascinating  narrative   of  ancient   Ninexeh. 

George  Leonard  Knapp  (1872-  ),  who  used  to  be  on  the  editorial  staff  of 
the  Rocky  Mountain  News,  tossed  oi¥  in  intervals  of  leisure  "The  Scales  of 
Justice"  (1910),  a  sensational  story  of  newspaper  men  and  (inancial  schemers. 

Sjjace  is  lacking  to  comment  here  on  the  mining  tales  of  Dennis  H.  Stovall 
and  the  novels  of  Helen  H.  Jackson,  John  Harbottle,  Isaac  Newton  Stevens, 
Edwin  Le  Grand  Sabin,  Richard  Linthicum,  Patience  Stapleton,  Winifred  Black, 
Ellis  Meredith  Clements,  Lelah  Palmer  Morath,  Lewis  B.  France,  Robert  Mc- 
Reynolds,  Robert  B.  H.  Bell,  Marion  Reid  Girardot  and  Benjamin  Barr  Lindsay, 
also  of  the  short  stories  written  by  Edward  Fayette  Eldridge,  Clara  Evangeline 
Smitch.  Catherine  H.  Brady,  Marguerite  Zearing,  Chauncey  Thomas  and  \\  illard 
Hawkins,  and  Wilbur  D.  Steele. 


Scores  of  Colorado's  verse-writers  have  published  books  or  booklets  of 
poems,  and  hundreds  of  other  Coloradoans,  both  men  and  women,  have  the 
dower  of  minstrelsy — they  have  composed  occasional  lyrics  or  sonnets  possessing 
real  jjoetical  merit. 

E\en  in  the  '()0s  souk-  of  the  stalwart  settlers  in  the  Pike's  Peak  gold  coiuury 
scribbled  rhymes.  On  the  memorable  occasion  of  the  Centennial  Celebration  of 
the  4th  of  July,  1876,  Denver's  patriotic  citizens  gathered  and  listened  to  a  "Cen- 
tennial Poem,"  written  by  Laurence  Xichols  Greenleaf  (1838-    ). 

T.  ().  Bigney's  "Month  with  the  Muses"  (1875)  contains  crude  metrical  nar- 
ratives of  territorial  hai)in-iiing>.  His  \erses  have  some  historical  interest,  if  not 
much  literary  linish. 

Another  Puebloan  of  the  long  ago,  William  11.  Ebbert,  published  a  booklet 
of  poems,  "On  Colorado's  h'air  Mesas"  (1897),  in  which  may  be  found  happy 
conceits  in   rhyme. 


888  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

Among  the  amusing  things  in  "Landscapes  and  Waterscapes"  (1908),  by 
Airs.  Lottie  Schoolcraft  Felter,  of  Canon  City,  one  finds  moralizing  strains 
chanted  by  a  woman  who  has  in  her  some  real  greatness  of  spirit.  The  longest 
poem  in  the  collection  is  "The  Sigh  of  the  Civilized  Navajo." 

"Hours  at  Home"  (1895),  published  anonymously  at  Cripple  Creek,  is  a  small 
volume  of  very  ordinary  poems. 

One  of  Colorado's  humbler  poets,  the  Rev.  B.  F.  Lawler,  was  for  twenty 
years  pastor  of  the  Baptist  Church  in  Trinida;!.  Betweenwhiles,  when  not  pre- 
paring sermons  or  making  pastoral  calls,  he  penciled  little  poems,  which  were 
gathered  into  the  booklets,  "Joy  and  Crown"  and  "Domain  of  Grace"   (1909). 

The  poetical  impulse  asserts  itself  here  and  there  in  the  booklets  of  verse 
written  by  Rev.  Howard  Goldie,  of  La  Junta,  and  Dr.  McKendrie  De  Alott,  of 
Pagosa  Springs. 

Henry  Pelham  Holmes  Bromwell  (1823-1903),  a  man  who  had  in  him  some- 
thing of  the  Spartan  spirit,  came  to  Denver  in  1870  and  for  a  third  of  a  century 
was  one  of  its  foremost  citizens.  Some  of  his  lyrics  written  in  Colorado  are 
much  admired.  "The  Song  of  the  \\'ahbeek"  (1909)  displays  literary  workman- 
ship of  a  high  order. 

Harriet  L.  Wason,  who  lived  many  years  at  Del  Norte  or  nearby,  vividly  de- 
scribed places  of  the  San  Juan  country  in  a  popular  volume  of  poems.  "Letters 
from  Colorado"  (1887),  and  in  "A  Tale  of  the  Santa  Rita  Mountains"  (1904). 
This  remarkable  woman  wrote  musical  stanzas  of  wondrous  loveliness. 

Mary  Elizabeth  Steele  (1854-  ),  the  daughter  of  a  well-known  pioneer,  in 
"Stray  Bits  of  Song"  (1902),  graphically  poetized  of  the  mountain  world  that 
was  so  familiar  to  her  from  long  residence  in  the  Rockies. 

Mrs.  Marion  Muir  Richardson  Ryan  (1857-  )  published  "Border  Memories" 
(1903),  the  lyrical  records  of  what  she  saw  and  felt  in  primitive  Colorado.  Some 
of  her  poems  reach  a  high  level  of  poetic  merit. 

The  most  distinguished  of  Colorado's  early-day  singers  was  Mrs.  Helen  Maria 
Fiske  Jackson  (1S31-85),  who  wrote  many  beautiful  and  highly  original  poems 
here. 

Pike's  Peak  has  sheltered  in  its  shadow  some  lesser  bards — Thomas  Nelson 
Haskell,  J.  Ernest  Whitney.  \'irginia  Donaghe  McClurg,  Mrs.  D.  S.  Person  and 
Agnes  K.  Gibbs,  author  of  "Songs  of  Colorado"  (1916),  in  which  she  sings  of 
the  mighty  hopes  and  the  longings  of  the  human  spirit.  Sara  R.  Schlesinger's 
dainty  booklet,  "Legends  of  Manitou"  (1910),  reveals  a  taste  for  romantic  In- 
dian tales,  and  there  is  a  philosophic  vein  in  this  cultured  woman.  Paul  Hunter 
Dodge  practiced  law  in  the  City  of  Sunshine  in  the  years  1908-10  and  in  hours 
of  leisure  wooed  the  Muse.  He  produced  a  volume  of  poetic  studies  entitled 
"Songs  of  Chivalry"  (1914').  Here  are  historic  fancies  clothed  in  strong,  sinewy 
verse,  poems  of  "Fire  and  .\ir."  poems  of  travel  and  "Poems  of  Pleasure." 

That  rare  troubadour  of  American  letters,  Eugene  Field  (1850-95)  favored 
Denver  with  his  presence  two  years,  1881-3,  writing  some  exquisite  poems  while 
here— "Babyland,"  "A  Trip  to  Toyland,"  etc. 

Cy  Warman  (1855-1914)  came  to  Denver  in  1880  and  put  in  some  years  at 
railroading,  being  for  a  while  an  engineer  on  the  Denver  and  Rio  Grande  lines 
in  the  mountains.     In  his  "Mountain  Melodies"   (1892),  which  passed  through 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  889 

many  editions,  and  in  other  tine  jjoenis  he  gave  glowing  word-paintings  of  locaH- 
ties  renowned  for  beauty  and  sublimity. 

The  heart  of  a  man  beat  in  the  bosom  of  George  Salmon  Phelps  (i847-icx)4), 
who  gathered  a  sheaf  of  his  finest  poems  into  a  volume.  "Cloud  City  Chimes" 
(1903).    He  was  known  as  the  Poet  Laureate  of  Leadville. 

In  1880  Leadville  became  the  home  of  Sophronia  Maria  Westcott  Talbot 
( 1840-1909 j,  who  spent  her  final  years  in  Denver.  This  lovable  woman  wrote 
many  lyrics  that  are  favorites  with  poetry  lovers,  but  the  rich  humor  in  "Liltlc 
Boy  Philosophy''    (1912)    is  simply  irresistible. 

Almira  Louisa  Corey  Frink  (1836-1903)  came  to  Den\er  in  1887,  and  from 
time  to  time  printed  some  of  her  choicest  lyrics  under  the  title,  "Wild-Bird's 
Souvenir  Series."  The  poems  in  "Baby-Land"  (1911)  rapturously  express  the 
intense  interest  this  clever  woman  felt  in  the  sayings  and  doings  of  her  little 
children. 

Harriet  Horner  Louthan,  in  the  intervals  of  editorial  work  and  teaching,  has 
devoted  herself  assiduously  to  poesy,  her  "Thoughts  Adrift"  (1912)  having  won 
commendation  for  chaste  diction  and  refined  fancy.  Her,"Hill  Rhymes"  express 
her  joy  in  Nature  and  the  golden  sunshine.  Mrs.  Louthan  is  the  Colorado  Sap- 
pho. 

Robert  Mclntyre  (1851-1914),  when  pastor  of  Trinity  Methodist  Church  in 
Denver,  dashed  oS  many  pretty  lyrics,  some  of  them  relating  to  Colorado.  An 
elegant  volume  of  his  shorter  efforts,  "At  Early  Candle  Light"  (1899),  has  passed 
through  several  editions.     His  poems  are  brimful  of  human  interest. 

Alfred  Damon  Runyon  (1884-  )  may  be  called  a  Colorado  product.  He  was 
born  in  Pueblo,  and,  when  a  mere  lad,  gathered  news  items  for  the  Chieftain 
and  the  Journal.  Then  he  saw  service  in  the  Philippines  and  had  some  adven- 
tures, meanwhile  accumulating  a  mass  of  incidents  and  impressions  afterward 
versified  in  "Tents  of  Trouble"  (1911)  and  "Rhymes  of  the  Firing  Line"  (1912). 
Some  of  his  poems  appeared  in  the  Rocky  Mountain  News  and  the  Denver  Post 
when  he  was  connected  with  those  newspapers.  Runyon  is  a  lyrist  of  e.xceptional 
talent. 

Charles  Julian  Downey  (  1873-1918)  came  to  Colorado  when  a  boy  and  at- 
tended the  public  schools  in  Durango,  then  in  Pueblo,  afterward  studying  in 
De  Pauw  University.  He  settled  down  in  Denver  in  1897  and  was  for  many 
years  editor  of  the  Mining  Record,  then  of  Mining  Science  and  afterward  of 
Mining  American.  He  gathered  a  number  of  his  rhythmical  productions  info  a 
thin  volume — "The  Maestro;  Portraits  and  Other  Poems"  (1900),  adding  a  sup- 
plement of  spirited  pieces  in  1902.  Three  years  later  he  published  his  most  am- 
bitious performance,  "The  Last  of  the  Stuarts,"  a  historical  drama  founded  upon 
the  career  of  the  exiled  Pretender,  Charles  Edward  Stuart,  who  led  the  ill-starred 
invasion  of  England  in  1745. 

Enough  has  been  said  to  show  that  the  poetic  art  has  been  widely  i)racticcd 
in  the  Centennial  State  and  that  some  of  our  minstrels  have  made  important 
contributions  to  American  literature.  Space  is  lacking  for  comments  on  Arthur 
Chapman,  Howard  Vigne  Sutherland,  James  Arthur  Edgerton,  Barton  O.  Ayls- 
worth,  Crie  Bower,  Hannah  M.  Bryan.  Leila  Pcabody,  Fannie  Isabel  Sherrick 
Wardell,  Robert  V.  Carr,  Jean  Hooper  Page,  Alfred  Castner  King,  John  Edward 
Morgan,  William  E.  Pabor,  James  Barton  Adams,  Xorris  Clarion  Sprigg,  Elsie 


890  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO       • 

Elizabeth  Johnson,  Wilber  Thomas,  Xaphtali  Herz  Imber,  Solomon  Bloom- 
garden,  Katherine  Lee  Chambers,  Anna  Wilson  Simmons,  Lyman  H.  Sproull, 
Charles  William  Cuno,  Caroline  M.  Butterfield,  D.  A.  Stebbins  (Xitsud),  Ethel 
Shackelford,  Addie  \'iola  Hudson,  George  L.  McDermott,  Alice  Carry  Vemer, 
Lydia  H.  Walker,  Frances  Stanton  Brewster,  Horace  Castle  and  others  of  Colo- 
rado's tuneful  choir. 

Literature  is  a  tremendous  force  in  our  mountain  commonwealth  and  should 
be  encouraged.  The  writer  renders  a  valuable  service.  The  historian  helps  us 
to  know  how  to  live.  The  thinker  imparts  instruction  and  ethical  uplift.  The 
essayist  widens  our  outlook  and  strengthens  our  hold  on  the  ideal.  The  romancer 
affords  entertainment,  and  the  novel  with  a  purpose  may  lead  to  reforms.  The 
poet  gives  us  intellectual  intoxication  and  a  philosophy  of  life.  The  high-minded 
minstrel,  with  his  exhortation  to  courage  and  chivalrous  conduct,  makes  a  con- 
tribution to  the  spiritual  life  of  a  people;  his  songs  make  for  justice  and  brother- 
hood. Literature  is  an  aid  to  culture.  It  fosters  in  us  the  love  of  the  good,  the 
true,  the  beautiful.  It  nourishes  the  highest  emotions  and  aspirations,  to  the 
end  that  our  lives  may  pe  dominated  by  the  noble  triad — God,  Duty,  Immortality. 


CHAPTER  XLIII 

SPANISH  NAMES 
By  Wilbur  F.  Stone 

All  of  that  part  of  Colorado  lying  south  of  the  Arkansas  River,  which  stream 
was  the  boundary  line  between  the  United  States  and  Mexico  prior  to  the  cession 
by  the  latter  Government  to  the  United  States  under  the  treaty  of  Guadaloupc 
Hidalgo  in  1848,  and  became  a  part  of  Colorado  when  the  territory  was  created 
by  Congress  in  1861,  is  dotted  over  with  towns  and  settlements  of  Mexican  popu- 
lation, and  the  names  of  such  towns  and  counties  as  well  as  names  of  mountains, 
streams  and  other  natural  objects  being  in  Spanish,  have  become  so  perverted 
in  the  spelling  and  pronunciation  by  the  present  English-speaking  population, 
owing  to  their  ignorance  of  the  Spanish  language,  that  it  is  deemed  fitting  by 
the  editor  of  this  work  to  make  some  mention  explanatory  of  the  meaning  and 
pronunciation  of  some  of  the  most  important  of  these  names,  whether  Spanish, 
Indian,  or  trapper  French. 

Colorado — The  name  of  the  state  is  Spanish  and  means  red  colored,  so  called 
from  the  prevailing  red  sandstone  rocks  which  outcrop  in  the  foothills  of  the 
mountain  ranges  all  over  the  state  and  color  red  all  its  streams  after  heavy  rains. 
The  word  is  properly  pronounced  in  the  Spanish  Cole-o-rah-do;  since,  in  that 
langtiage  every  vowel  has  one  soinid — the  long  sound.  A  has  the  broad  sound, 
like  the  sound  of  "o"  in  the  English  word  "on,"  or  the  German  "aim."  R  has  the 
long  sound  of  a  in  English;  for  example,  "nics"  is  pronounced  inacc.  The  letter 
i  has  the  sound  of  double  "r"  in  English,  as  the  sound  of  the  /'  in  the  word 
marine  (mareen).  O  has  the  long  sound  of  "0"  in  English.  U  has  the  sound 
of  double  "o"  in  English  as  in  "fool,"  "tool" ;  and  the  letter  y  has  the  sound  as  the 
"i"  in  Spanisli.  F.very  \owel  makes  a  syllable,  and  everv  pure  .Si)anish  word 
ends  with  a  vowel  or  one  of  the  four  lic|uid  consonants,  /,  ;//.  n  and  )•;  and  words 
of  two  syllables  when  ending  with  one  of  the  four  liquid  consonants,  have  the 
accent  on  the  final  syllable,  as  Raton,  altar.  ]>ronounced  Rah-tonc,  ahltar.  Hence 
the  .^])anish  is  tiie  most  liquid  and  mellifluous  of  all  languages.  And  when  it  is 
rememliered  that  every  vowel  nuist  be  ])ronounced  and  that  each  vowel  has  only 
one  sound,  then  when  anyone  hears  a  word  spoken,  one  knows  how  to  spell  it, 
and  when  a  word  is  seen  in  print  or  writing  one  knows  how  it  is  to  be  ])ronounce(I. 

In  speaking  the  ."^ijanish.  lay  stress  on  the  vowels — the  consonants  take  care 
of  themselves^and  the  accented  syllables  are  accented  strongly  and  distinctly 
in  enunciation. 

Puiiiii.o — This  word,  tlu'  name  of  the  largest  city  in  the  state  except  Denver, 
means  literally  people,  hence  also  a  town,  village  or  collected  settlement  of  people. 
Its  pro|)er  promnuiation  in  .Academic  Spanish  is  Poo-a-blo.  but  in  rai)id  or 
conversational  use  the  letter  u  is  given  the  sound  of  the  English  t^'  and  the  word 

891 


892  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

condensed  into  two  syllables,  pronounced  "Pzcay-blo,"  as  "fiiego"  (fire) — ■ 
"foo-a-go,"  is  pronounced  fzcay-go. 

La  Junta — This  town,  at  the  junction  of  the  Santa  Fe  Railroad,  with  its 
line  to  Pueblo,  means  "junction,"  and  the  letter  ;'  in  Spanish  has  the  hard  sound 
of  "h"  in  English  (the  letter  /;  in  Spanish  being  silent),  the  word  "junta"  isi 
pronounced  hoontab,  and  the  name  La  Junta,  Lah  Hoon-tah,  as  the  island  and 
city  of  Cuba  are  pronounced  Coo-hah. 

La  Veta — The  town  and  mountain  pass  of  the  name  means  "the  vein,"  and  is 
pronounced  Lah  Vay-tah. 

Las  Animas — This  name  of  the  river,  on  which  is  situated  the  City  of  Trini- 
dad, near  its  source,  and  the  Town  of  Las  Animas  near  its  mouth  at  the  Arkansas 
River,  has  three  names,  Las  Animas,  Purgatoire  and  Picketwire.  The  full  name, 
El  Rio  de  las  Animas,  given  to  it  by  the  early  Catholic  explorers — no  one  knows 
why — means  "The  River  of  Spirits."  The  French  trappers  and  fur  traders 
called  it  the  Purgatory,  as  their  idea  of  the  proper  place  of  spirits  of  souls,  and 
the  American  trappers  being  unable  to  pronounce  the  name  Purgatoire,  perverted 
it  to  "Picketwire"  by  which  name  it  was  called  by  the  first  settlers  of  Colorado 
for  many  years. 

Raton— The  mountain  range  south  of  Trinidad,  forming  the  boundary  line 
between  Colorado  and  New  ]Mexico,  the  pass  over  the  range  and  the  town  on  the 
New  Mexican  side,  each  named  Raton,  take  the  name  from  the  great  number  of 
little  bob-tailed  animals,  somewhat  resembling  a  large  rat,  which  inhabit  the 
high  ranges,  and  "bark"  at  passers-by,  like  the  prairie  ground  squirrels,  miscalled 
"prairie  dogs."  Raton  means,  in  Spanish,  a  large  rat,  but  is  a  species  of  the 
rabbit  family — Spanish  for  rabbit  is  "conejo"  pronounced  co-nay-ho — and  the 
Raton  is  a  coney,  living  on  grass  and  roots  and  making  its  bed  in  the  holes  and 
crevices  of  the  rocks  at  an  altitude  near  timber  line,  and  recalling  the  words  of 
the  Psalmist :  "The  rocks  are  a  shelter  for  the  conies." 

Sangre  de  Cristo — The  name  given  by  the  Spaniards  to  the  lofty  range  of 
mountains,  separating  the  Arkansas  River  from  the  Rio  Grande  River,  means 
"The  Blood  of  Christ." 

Rio  Grande — This  large  and  long  river,  having  its  source  in  the  San  Juan 
Mountains  and  emptying  into  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  was  named  "El  Rio  Grande  del 
Norte,"  the  Great  River  of  the  North,  because  there  was  at  the  time  a  river 
called  the  "Rio  Grande"  in  old  Mexico  and  also  in  South  America.  The  name 
is  shortened  by  the  Mexicans  to  "Rio  Grande,"  and  also  to  "Del  Norte."  English 
speaking  people  call  it  the  "Ryo  Grand."  The  proper  Spanish  pronunciation 
of  El  Rio  Grande  del  Norte  is  Ale  Reeo  Grahnday  dale  Xorc-tay. 

county  names 

The  Rio  Grande  River,  after  debouching  from  the  mountains,  flows  through 
a  level  valley,  once  the  bed  of  a  lake,  seventy-five  miles  long,  and  forty  miles 
wide,  about  eight  thousand  feet  above  sea  level,  surrounded  by  a  wall  of  timbered 
mountains,  and  has  a  fertile  soil,  and  almost  every  square  mile  of  this  great 
valley,  named  the  San  Luis  Park,  is  fit  for  cultivation,  and  produces  all  kinds  of 
grain  except  corn,  while  vegetables,  especially  potatoes,  are  shipped  by  the 
thousands   of   carloads.     This   valley   is   divided   into   four  counties,   Saguache, 


HISTORY  OF  COLORADO  893 

Alamosa,  Conejos  and  Costilla;  the  first  named  from  a  tribe  of  the  Ute  Indians; 
the  second  from  the  town  of  that  name,  which  means  a  place  where  cottonwood 
trees  grow- — Alamo  being  the  Spanish  name  for  the  cottonwood  tree.  Conejos, 
pronounced  Co-nay-lwce,  the  plural  for  Conejo,  rabbit,  an  animal  which  abounds 
in  that  region. 

Costilla — Costilla,  pronounced  Cose-tecl-yah,  meaning  a  little  rib,  from  the 
Latin  casta  a  rib,  or  side,  and  takes  its  name  from  a  stream  whose  course  is 
curved  like  a  rib. 

Dolores — Dolores  is  the  name  of  a  county  in  the  southwest  of  the  state,  mean- 
ing sorrow  or  grief. 

S.\N  JuAX  is  a  name  given  to  a  river,  a  range  of  mountains,  and  a  county 
which  is  one  of  the  richest  mining  regions  on  the  "'western  slope"  of  the  state. 
The  name  means  St.  John,  and  is  pronounced  San  Whahn,  or  Whon. 

Ouray — Ouray  is  the  name  of  a  town  and  county  in  the  San  Juan  region,  and 
named  after  a  famous  L^te  Indian  chief,  although  the  name  is  a  perversion  by 
mispronunciation  of  the  name  Ule,  pronounced  in  Spanish  Oo-lay. 

Mesa  is  the  name  of  a  county  of  which  Grand  Junction  (so  named  from  the 
junction  at  that  point  of  the  Cirand  and  the  Gunnison  rivers),  and  Mesa,  pro- 
nounced May-sail,  is  the  .Spanish  for  tabic,  and  given  to  the  great  tableland  forma- 
tion adjoining  the  town,  on  the  northwest  side  of  the  Grand  River. 

GREENHORN 

The  front  range,  lying  southwest  of  Pueblo,  named  the  Sierra  Mohada,  or 
Wet  Mountain  Range,  enclosing  the  Wet  Mountain  Valley  between  it  and  the 
high  Sangre  de  Cristo  Range,  which  beautiful  valley  was  once  the  "Happy  Hunt- 
ing ground"  of  the  Ute  Indians,  terminates  at  the  south  end  in  a  high  wooded 
mountain  peak  named  the  Greenhorn.  From  its  eastern  side  flows  a  stream 
named  the  Greenhorn  River.  This  name  has  a  curious  origin.  Many  years 
before  the  settlement  of  white  men  there  was  a  noted  Ute  Indian  chief  who  was 
given  a  name  which  signified  "Greenhorn,"  which  in  Spanish  is  Cuerno  Verde — 
pronounced,  Ouare-no  \'are-day,  and  by  the  Americans  Greenhorn.  This  name 
was  assumed  by  the  Indians  to  denote  that  the  chief  was  vigorous  and  brave  like 
a  buck  elk  or  deer  when  his  horns,  after  shedding  during  his  growth,  come  out 
with  an  added  prong  and  green,  covered  with  short,  furry  hair,  in  that  contli- 
tion  which  hunters  call  "in  the  velvet." 

The  name  was  then  given  to  the  mountain  peak  which  stanils  as  a  sentinel 
overlooking  the  fa\orite  hunting  grounds  of  the  chief,  and  also  given  to  the  stream 
which  flows  from  the  side  of  the  mountain. 

THE   SPANISH    PE.VKS 

Jutting  out  from  the  Sangre  de  Cristo  Range,  at  a  right  angle  to  the  east- 
ward and  ending  abruptly  on  the  plain,  a  few  miles  north  of  the  City  of  Trinitlail, 
stand  the  two  beautiful  Spanish  peaks,  joined  together  at  the  base  and  separated 
at  their  tops  by  a  smooth  depression,  the  most  symmetrical  and  striking  of  all 
the  Rocky  Mountains  and  a  landmark  from  the  East  and  North,  like  Pike's 
Peak.    They  can  be  seen  from  Montclair  and  Fairmount  ( Denver!  in  the  light  of 


894  HISTORY  OF  COLORADO 

a  full  moon  on  a  clear  night,  as  clear-cut  against  the  sky  line  as  a  cameo  profile, 
and  at  a  distance  from  Den\er  of  200  miles.  The  name  of  these  twin  peaks  in 
the  Arapahoe  Indian  tongue  is  'A\'ah-hah-to-yas,"  meaning  twins,  or  twinlike. 
More  than  fifty  years  ago  I  asked  an  old  trapper,  who  came  to  the  Rocky 
Mountains  in  18.^5,  what  was  the  Indian  name  of  these  peaks  and  the  meaning. 
He  told  me  that  different  tribes  had  different  names,  but  a  chief  of  the  Arapahoes, 
which  tribe  possessed  this  part  of  the  country,  had  given  these  peaks  the  name  of 
his  favorite  wife,  "Wah-hah-to-ya,"  and  that  the  name  means  "'woman's  breasts." 
The  old  trapper  added  that  this  was  the  only  bit  of  poetical  imagery  he  ever 
heard  an  Indian  express. 

THE    HUERF.\NO  ROCK 

On  the  south  bank  of  the  Huerfano  River,  in  the  County  of  Huerfano,  at  a 
place  called  St.  Mar\-,  where  the  old  wagon  road  from  Pueblo  to  Santa  Fe  via 
the  Raton  Pass  crosses,  there  stands  a  lone  black  rock  over  two  hundred  feet  in 
height,  tapering  from  its  base  to  a  point  like  a  church  spire  and  rising  from  the 
level  ground  as  though  it  had  been  pushed  up  through  the  earth  from  below ;  an 
eruptive,  metamorphic  kind  of  rock,  with  no  other  rocks  of  the  same  character 
in  its  vicinity,  and  can  be  seen  as  a  landmark  many  miles  distant.  The  name  of 
this  rock  is  the  Huerfano,  which  is  the  Spanish  word  for  orphan,  and  is  properly 
pronounced  Jlayr-fali-no,  with  the  accent  on  the  first  syllable. 

The  river  that  flows  by  its  base  is  named  Huerfano,  and  is  a  tributary'  of 
the  Arkansas  River.  The  old  Spanish  wagon  road  leading  up  from  the  Arkansas 
River  and  crossing  the  Sangre  de  Cristo  Pass  to  Fort  Garland,  Taos  and  Santa 
Fe,  passes  this  rock,  about  a  dozen  miles  east  of  the  mountain  range,  and  the 
rock  is  surrounded  by  fine  farms  and  ranches.  Col.  John  C.  Fremont  recom- 
mended this  road  over  the  .Sangre  de  Cristo  Pass  as  a  feasible  route  for  a 
Pacific  railway. 

In  the  beautiful  little  park  named  Lafayette  Park  in  St.  Louis,  which  was  the 
first  park  in  that  city,  there  stands  a  bronze  statue  of  Senator  Thomas  H.  Benton. 
The  statue  is  of  gigantic  size  and  shows  the  famous  statesman  garbed  in  the 
classic  toga  of  a  Roman  senator,  facing  the  west,  in  an  erect  pose,  his  rigtit 
arm  is  stretched  to  full  length  with  the  hand  and  index  finger  pointing  toward 
the  setting  sun.  On  the  pedestal  of  the  statue  is  engraved  this  inscription: 
"There  is  the  East:  there  are  the  Indies." 

It  was  many  years  after  I  had  first  seen  that  statue,  and  after  I  had  seen 
the  Huerfano  rock  in  Colorado,  when  I  learned  the  history  of  the  occasion  and 
meaning  of  that  inscription ;  and  it  is  fitting  that  the  historic  incident,  which  I 
think  has  never  heretofore  been  published,  should  have  a  place  in  the  history 
of  the  state  in  which  stands  the  orphan  rock — as  imperishable  as  the  bronze 
statue  of  the  prophetic  statesman  whom  it  inspired. 

Senator  F>enton,  who  served  thirty  years  in  the  Senate  of  the  United  States, 
spent  the  last  years  of  his  service  in  trying  to  induce  the  Government  to  build 
a  railroad  to  the  Pacific  Coast.  During  the  time  he  had  familiarized  himself 
with  the  reports  and  descriptions  of  the  several  routes  for  such  a  national  high- 
way, and  the  fact  that  Colonel  Fremont  became  his  son-in-law  added  a  j>ersonal 
interest  to  Mr.   Benton's  efforts.     .Among  the  last  of  his  eloquent  and  forceful 


ITISTORV  OF  COLORADO  895 

speeches  in  the  Senate  on  the  subject  of  the  Pacific  Railway,  he  drew  a  word 
picture  of  the  route  which  he  preferred,  and  said: 

■'I'his  great  national  highway  should  start  at  St.  Louis,  where  it  would  con- 
nect with  the  commerce  of  the  waterways  of  the  Missouri,  the  Ohio  and  the 
Mississippi  rivers,  midway  between  the  Great  Lakes  and  the  Gulf  of  Mexico, 
then  1  should  have  it  run  to  Independence,  thence  to  the  Arkansas  River  and  on 
up  to  Bent's  Fort  and  on  to  the  mouth  of  the  Huerfano  River  and  up  that  stream 
to  the  Sangre  de  Cristo  Pass,  over  to  the  Rio  Grande  and  then  over  the  Con- 
tinental Divide  to  the  Pacific  Coast.  And  on  this  route,  at  the  base  of  the  Rocky 
Mountains,  on  the  bank  of  the  Huerfano  River  this  railroad  would  pass  a  lofty 
solitary  rock  rising  like  a  pinnacle  and  seeming  a  godrcreated  sentinel  guarding 
the  gateway  of  the  snow-capped  mountain  walls,  and  the  summit  of  that  monu- 
mental pinnacle  I  would  have  carved  into  a  titanic  figure  of  Christopher  Colum- 
bus, who  discovered  this  continent  in  his  search  for  the  East  Indies  by  sailing 
west,  and  that  figure  of  Columbus  would  have  an  outstretched  arm  with  the  hand 
pointing  toward  the  Pacific  as  though  his  voice  was  proclaiming  to  the  world : 
'There  is  the  East:  there  are  the  Indies!'" 


INDEX 


Acreage  and  yield,  sugar  beets,  537 

Acreage  to  corn  in  1917,  488 

' '  Across  the  Continent, ' '  479 

Adair,   Isaac,   518 

Adams,  Alva,  432,  442,  445,  722,  847,  879 

Adams,  Andy,  887 

A.iams,  T>.,  52 

Adams,  K.  D.,  363 

Adams,  James  B.,  889 

Adams,  J.  F.,  207 

Adams,  John  T.,  318 

Additions  to  Colorado  College,  626 

Administration  building  at  penitentiary,  819 

Adriance,  Rev.  Jacob,  661;  cabin  occupied  by, 
659 

Advent  of  automobile,  the,  579 

Advent  of  General  Palmer,  338 

Advent  of  railroad  in  1870,  586 

Affair  at  Sand  Creek,  the,  93* 

Aftermath,  the  (Sand  Creek),  94 

Agreement  in  Cripple  Creek  strike  of  1894, 
844 

Agricultural  districts,  480 

Agricultural  interests,  565 

Agriculture  in  Colorado,  478 

Agriculture  taught  in  high  school,  488 

Aid   requested,  335 

Aikins,  Captain  Thomas,  272 

Akron  papers,  809 

Alamosa,  origin  of  name  of,  893 

Alamosa  newspapers,  798 

Alarm  in  Denver,  89 

Allen,  George  W.,  447 

Allen,  Henry,  418,  497 

Allen,  II.  W.,  Reminiscences  of,  770 

Allen,  Jack,   152 

Allen,  John,  154 

Allen,  J.  S.,  418 

Allen,  L.   A.,  520 

Allcncaster,  (Jeneral,  47 

Ailing,  ft  B.,  286 

Allison,  A.  J.,  417 

American  Beet  Sugar  Company,  the,  542 

American  Cattle  Growers '  As.sociation,  532 

American  exploration.  Period  of,  37 

American  Fur  Company,  122 

American  Indian,  tlie,  74 

American  Me<lical  Association,  Colorado  hon- 
ors in,  773-4 

.Vnierican  Sahara,  55 

American  Smelting  &  Refining  Company,  853 

.'Vnierican  Sugar  Refining  Company,  540 

Ames,  Oliver,  333 

Amnions,  Elias  M.,  446 

Amory,   Copley,  317 

Ancient  and  modern  Indian  tribes,  65 

Anderson,  A.  P.,  207 

Anderson,  Thomas  G.,  791 

Angora  goat  industry,  520 


.\iiiiual  be^t  sugar  production,  536 

Antelope,  bear,  etc.,  120 

Anthony,  Cajjtain  S.  J.,  704 

Anthony,  Major,  94 

Anthracite,  where  it  occurs,  451 

Apache  Canon,  713,  714 

Appellate  courts,  733,  736 

Apples,  staple  crop,  490 

A-ppropriations   for   Deaf   and   Blind   School, 

824 
Arapahoe,   Jefferson   &   South   Park   Railroad 

Company,   337 
Arbitration  conference   (1894),  843 
Arbitration   unsuccessful   in   Leadville  strike, 

839 
Archer,  Colonel  James,  335 
Archibald,  Ebenezer,  804 
Archuleta  county,  13 
Area  of  state,  7 
Areas  of  national  forests,  568 
Argo,  Dr.  W.  P.,  827 
Argo  Hall,  825 
Arkansas    Valley    Railway,    Light    &    Power 

Comiiany,   32l";    directors,  321;    officers,  321 
Arkins,  John  and  Maurice,  788 
Armour,  C.  Lee,  419,  734 
Arnett,  W.  D.,  418 
Arrests  in  Cripple  Creek  strike,  859 
Arrival  of  first  trains  in  Denver,  340 
Arthur,  President,  429 
Asbestos,  558 
Ashley,  Eli  M.,  420 
Ashton,  T.  H.,  521 
Aspen  publications,  806 

Assaults  in  Cripple  Creek  strike   (1904),  858 
As.sessed  valuation,  1878  and  1918,  485 
Assessed  valuation,  total,  486 
Association,  Colorado  Ecpial  Suffrage,  691 
Asuncion,  Juan  de  la,  22 
Atchison,  Topcka  &  Santa  Fe  built,  126,  370 
Atkinson,  Colonel   Henry,   52 
.\  trip  to  gold  region  in   '59,  785 
.\ttack  on  Thornburgh,  104 
-Vttack  at  the  agency,  the,  106 
.\ttendance  at  Agricultural  College,  616 
.Vtteiidance  at  University  in  1892,  606 
Attorneys  general,   194 
.\uilitnrs  of  state,  193 
Ault  Advertiser,  811 
.\uraria,  765 

.Vuraria  Town  Company,  136 
.\iiraria  Town  Company,  by-laws  of,  139 
Authors,  Colorado,  877-890 
Autobees,  Charles,  478,  520 
Automobile  registration,  581 
.■\uto  road.  Crystal  Park,  9 
Avalanche-Echo,  813 
Avery,  Dr.,  773 


Vol.  1—57 


INDEX 


Avery,  Jesse  W.,  376 
Aylsworth,  B.  O.,  889 

Baehelder,  W.  N.,  517 

Bailey,  H.  A.,  154 

Bainl,  James,  125 

Baird,  John,  154 

Baggs,  Mrs.  Mae  L.,  880 

Baker,  Charles,  271 

Baker  expedition,  the,  271 

Baker,  James  H.,  881 

Baker,  U.  John,  714,  715 

Baker  Park,  271 

Balcony  House,  69 

Baldwin,  George  O.,  286 

Baldwin,  Lt.  H.  W.,  719 

Bancroft,  Dr.  F.  J.,  766 

Bancroft,  H.  H.,  879 

Banking  frauds  in  Denver,  402 

Bank  organizers  and  directors,  404-408 

Banks  and  Banking,  392 

Banks,  Dr.  Louis  A.,  884 

Banks  now  defunct,  396-399 

Banks  of  Colorado,  1918,  408-416 

Banks,  other,   401 

Baptist  church  data,  1917,  640 

Baptist  churches,  when  organized,  639 

Baptist  "Dugout,"  the,  635 

Baptists  of  Colorado,  636 

Baptiste,  John,  146 

Bar  Association,  Colorado,  763 

Barker,  William  J.,  320 

Barlow,  S.  L.  M.,  329 

Barnard,  Peter,  52 

Barnes,  S.  D.,  438 

Barney,  A.  H.,  329 

BarthcUa,  John,  849 

Barry,  Dr.  Mary  F.,  697 

Bascom,  D.  C,  488 

Bassick,  E.  C,  282 

Ba.stin,  E.  S.,  249 

Bates,  Dr.  Mary  B.,  773 

Bat«s,  Gen.  J.  C,  report  of,  868 

Bates,  J.  E.,  336 

Battle  Mountain,  842 

Baxter,  O.  H.  P.,  371 

BaylcT,  F.  T.,  884 

BayloV,  Lt.  Col.  J.  E.,  706,  710 

Bayou  Salado,  120 

Beaman,  C.  C,  362 

Beardsley,  I.  H.,  884 

Bear  River  Mountains,  12 

Bears,  elk,  deer,  etc.,  120 

Beck,  E€V.  John,  233 

Beckwith,  Lieut.  E.  G.,  326 

Beckuourth,  James  P.,  118 

Beechcr,  Lieut.  F.  H.,  99 

Beecher's  death,  100 

Beet  sugar  factories,  536 

Beet  sugar  industry  by  states,  536 

Beet  sugar  statistics,  544 

Beggs,  Dr.  William  N.,  880 

Beginning  of  colonization,  158 

Beginning  of  Colorado  politics,  417 

Beginning  oi  depredations,  84 

Beginning  of  Fort  Collins,  166 

Beginning  of  improved  cultivation,  479 

Beginning  of  miners'  organizations,  837 

Beginning  of  smelter  industry,  310 

Beginning  of  wagon  freighting,  325 

Beginning  of  water  right  laws,  497 


Beginnings  of  El  Paso  county  mining,  285 

Beginnings  of  government,  168 

Beginnings  of  mining  history,  228 

Begole,  A.  W.,  157,  295 

Belden,  D.  D.,  285 

Bell,  John  C,  887 

Bell,  J.  R.,  52 

Bell,  Robert  B.  H.,  887 

Bell,  Adj.-Gen.  S.  M.,  859,  864 

Bell,  Dr.  W.  A.,  154,  164,  349,  880 

Belford,  Judge  J.  B.,  422,  428,  734,  735,  742, 

877 
Belford-Patterson  congressional  fight,  428 
Belt,  Dr.  George,  152 
Bench  and  Bar,  732-764 
Benkelman,  G.  A.,  521 
Bennet,  H.  P.,  156,  172,  394,  420 
Bennet,  Robert  A.,  886 
"Bennett,"  103 
Bennett,  E.  J.,  518 
Bennett,  I.  W.,  518 
Bent  &  St.  Vrain,  116 
Bent,  Ctarles,  116 
Bent  County  Democrat,  803 
Bent,  George,  116 

Bent,  John,  117 

Bent,  Robert,  116 

Bent,  St.  Vrain  &  Co.,  116 

Bent,  Silas,  116 

Bent,  William  W,  116,  126,  229,  479,  702 

Benton.  Hon.  Thomas  H.,  894 

Benton,  Thomas  M.,  326 

Bent's  Fort,  59,  116 

Bents,  the,  116 

Bercaw,  Albert,  152 

Bercaw,  Robert,  149 

Berger,  W.   B.,  404 

Bergtohl,  Dr.  William  H.,  883 

Beri-oth,  O.  D.,  376 

Berthoud  Bulletin,  800 

Berthoud,  E.  L.,  147 

Bessev,  Sheriff,  103 

Bethel,  Ellsworth,  882 

Bieler  and  Button's  horse  ranch,  518 

Bienville,  Governor,  34 

Big  Elk,  78 

Bigncy,  T.  O.,  887 

Big  storm  of  December,  1878,  510 

Billings-Denver  line,  mileage  of  the,  369 

Bishops  of  diocese  of  Colorado,  648 

Bissell,  C.  R.,  417 

Bissell,  Judge  Julius,  736  / 

Bird  "s-eye  view  of  Pueblo,  1888,  119 

Bitter  lessons  of  rain-belt  failure,  484 

Black,  Winifred,  887 

Black  Hawk,  40 

Black  Kettle,  93 

Blaine,  J.  G.,  423 

Blair,  Frank  P.,  419 

Blake  &  Williams,  143 

Blake,  Charles  H.,  143,  149 

Blake,  I.  E.,  286 

Blake,  J.  A.,  880 

Blake,  John,  156 

Blanco,  the  Ute  chief,  121 

Blind,  Industrial  Workshop  for  the,  834 

Blind,  State  School  for  the,  823 

Bliss,  L.  W.,  417 

Bliss,  Rev.  T.  E.,  655 

Bloomgarden,  Solomon,  885,  890 

Blunt,  Gen.  J.  G.,  718 


INDEX 


Board  of  Agriculture  serves  in  varied  cajiaci 

ties,  617 
Board  of  Control  of  State  Home,  831 
Board  of  Deaf  &  Blind  School  created,  827 
Board  of  Eegents,  610 
Board    of    Stock    Inspection    Commissioners, 

208 
Board  of  Trade  Annual,  550 
Board  of  Trade  report,  1867,  333 
Boettchcr,  C.  S.,  375 
Bontils.  ¥.  G.,  792 
Bonilla  's  expedition,  25 
Bonnev,  Dr.  S.  G.,  883 
Bonyngp,  R.  W.,  442 
Books  by  Colorado  autliors,   877-890 
Boston  &  Colorado  smelting  works,  343 
Bosworth,  Eva  Bird,  880 
Boulder  Camera,  798 
Boulder  City  Town  Company,  144 
Boulder  City,  views  of,  145 
Boulder  County  's  Argonauts,  272 
Boulder  Herald,  798 
Boulder   News,   798 
Boulder  newspapers,  798 
Boulder  Sentinel,  798 
Bourgmont's  second  appearance,  32 
Bowen  and  Tabor  go  to  senate,  432 
Bowen,  Gabriel,  285 
Bower,  Crie,  889 
Bowers,  Sheriff,  842 
Bowles,  J.  W.,  521 
Bowles,  Samuel,  165,  479 
Bovd,  David,  878 
Boyd,  Capt.  E.  D.,  152,  718 
Bovd,  James  E.,  403 
Boyer,  A.  J.,  790 
Boyer,  William  J.,  134 
Boys  at  Clayton  College,  duties  of,  630 
Boys,  Industrial  School  for,  831 
Bradfonl,  Judge  A.  A.,  420,  734,  744 
Bradford,  Mary  C.  C,  446,  695,  696 
Bradford  City,  150 
Bradley,  G.  T.,  207 
Bradsliaw,  Lucius  P.,  268 
Brailv,  Catherine  H.,  887 
Bradv,  Sheriff  John,  866 

Rranl-lies  of  D.  &   R.  (i.,  with  dates  built,  361 
Brandt,  J.  L.,  884 
Brantner  ditch,    220 
Brazec,  A.  W.,  422 
Breckenridge,  150 
Brecken  ridge  newspapers,  809 
Breeding  of  horses,  517 
Brewster,  Frances  S.,  890 
Bridger,   "Jim,"   124 
Briggsdale  Banner,  811 
Bristol,  J.  L.,  518 
Broadwell  House,  the,  347 
Bromlev,  C.  C,  320 
Bromwell,  H.  P.  H.,  422,  689,  888 
Brookfield,   Alfred   A.,   144 
Brooks,  F.  E.,  442',  795 
Brooks,  Geii.  K.  J.,  844 
Brown,   Edwin    A.,   885 
Brown,  E.  L.,  363 
Brown,  Frank   M.,  286 
Brown,  George  W.,  393 
Brown,  (irace  M.,  885 
Brown,  Henry  C,  396 
Brown,  Jasper,  282 
Brown,  Joseph  G.,  877,  879,  880 


Brown,  J.  H.,  435 

Brown,   Samuel,   393 

Browne,  Samuel  E.,  90,  349 

Brown  's  Hole,  130 

Brown 's,  generositv  of  the,  655 

Brunton,  D.  W.,  157,  272 

Brush  Tribune,  803 

Bruyere,  Fabree  cle  la,  34 

Bryan,  Hannah  M.,  889 

Bryan,   William   J.,  445 

Bublo's  Fort,   K'.l 

Buchanan,  President,  419 

Buchtel,  Governor,  207,  444 

Buck,  E.  A.,  376 

Buckingham,  Dr.  R.  G.,  823 

Bucklin,  J.  W.,  154 

Buckman,  George  Rex,   317,   879 

Buckner,  General,  428 

Buckskin  Charley,  78 

Buckskin  Joe,  150,  264 

Buddenbock,  Earl  von,  292 

Bucll,  George  B.,  152 

Biiena^Vista 's  newspapers,  797 

Buffalo,  antelope,  etc.,  120 

Buffalo  Billy,  Chief,  76 

Buffalo  meat  plentiful,  478 

"Buffalo  Soldiers,"  103 

Building  expenses  of  State  Hospital,  822 

Building  homes  in  reserves,  564 

Building  of  Citv  ditch,  498 

Buildings,  with  cost,  V.  of  C,  611 

Bull  Hill,  842 

Bureau  of  Hiild  and  Animal  Protection,  209 

Bureau  of  Lalior  Statistics,  215 

Bureau  of  Plant  Industry,  488 

Burghout,  H.  T.,  285 

Burlington  &  Colorado  R.  R.  Co.,  370 

B.  &  M.  R.  in  Nebraska,  370 
Burlington  road.  The,  370 
Burnell,  James  M.,  788 
Burns,  James  F.,  279 

Burr,  Aaron,  49 

Burrouufhs,  J.  C,  425 

Busey.Dr.  A.  P.,  835 

Bush.  Benjamin  F.,  363 

Butler,  Mrs.  Olive,  697 

Butte  convention  of  union  miners,  838 

Butterfield,  Caroline  M.,  890 

Butterfield,  D.  A.,  574 

Butterfield  Overland  Dispatch,  329 

Butters,    .\lfred,   521 

Biiving   broken-down   freighting  oxen,  507 

Bycrs,  William  N.,  229,  418,  498,  781,  877 

Bvers '    iournev  west,  782 

Bvllesby,  H.  M.  &  Co.,  318 

Byers  &  Dailey,  230 

Cabin  erected  by  Russell  Expedition,  231 

Cable,  R.  R.,  377 

Cache  a  la  Poiulre  River,  53 

Caiori,  Professor  Florian,  883 

Calderwood,  John,  841 

California   Gulch,   267 

C.  O.  C.  &  V.  V.  Exiu-ess.  329 
Calloway,  Trowbridge,  378 
Canu^ron,  General  R.  A.,  159 
Camp  ,\dams,  722 
Camjiaign  of  1912,  446 
Campaign  of  1914,  446 
Campbell,  Captain   L.  E.,  292 
CaniplicM.  Mrs,  :\rary  G„  691 


IV 


INDEX 


Camj.liell,   Richard,   788 

Campliell,  Robert,  124 

Cam[.bell,  W.  L.,  521.  576 

Camp  Bird  mine,  296 

Camp  Bird  vield,  296 

Camp  Elbert,  719 

Camp  Hale,  723 

Camp  Weld,  71S 

Canals,  corporation  built,  494 

Canals,  earliest,  492 

Canbv,  Colonel  E.  R.  S.,  706,  710,  711 

Canby,  General,  709,  715,  716 

Candidates  for  governor,  1880,  431 

Cannon,  George  L.,  882 

Canon,  Benton,  879 

Canon  City,  149 

Canon  Citv  &  Sau  Juan  Railroad,  352,  371 

Canon  City  field,  469 

Canon  City  newspapers,  795 

Canon  City,  jieniteutiary  established  at,  816 

Canon  City  Record,  795 

Cantrell,  John,  230 

Capacity,  hydro-electrie  developments,  318 

Capacity  of  coal  mines,  456-462 

Capacit}'  of  smelters,  1910.  316 

Capacitv  of  reservoirs,  497 

Capital" at  Golden,  the,  174 

Capital  goes  from  Golden  to  Denver,  174 

Capital  of  Colorado  banks,  408-416 

Capital  stock,  all  banks,  1918,  416 

Capitol  building,  Denver,  197 

Capitol  managers,  state  board  of,  218 

Cappell,  Arthur,  362 
Cappell,  George,  361 

Captain  Jack,  Chief,  77 

Carbondale  Item,  813 

Carev  act,  the,  495 

Carlisle,  J.  N.,  371,  435. 

Carlson,  G.  A.,  446 

Carney  &  Stevens,  396 

Carpenter,  F.  R.,  313 

Carr,  R.  E.,  344 

Carr,  R.  V.,  889 

Carroll,  Fred,  218 

Carroll,  Fred,  1916  report,  256 

Carson,  Kit,  710 

Carter-Colton,  F.  L.,  olS 

Carter,  Eli,  418 

Carter,  Thomas  J.,  335 

Case,  F.  M.,  336,  419 

Cass,  Joseph   B.,   396 

Cass,  Dr.  O.  D.,  395 

Cassadv,  Thomas,  262 

Cassidv,  A.  M.,  285 

Castle,'  Horace,  890 

Castle  Rock  Journal,  799 

Casualties  at  Tellnride  strike,  849 

Casualties  in  strike  at  Cripple  Creek   (1894), 
842 

Casy,  Robert,  884 

Catholic  church  in  Boulder,  680 

Catholic  church  in  Colorado,  677 

Catterson,  Wesley,  152 

Catterson,  Doctor,  152 

Cattle  and  sheep,  value  and  number,  1879,  511 

Cattle  and  their  value,  531 

Cattle  raising,  chief  occupation,  484 

"Cattle  Raising  on  the  Plains,"  508 

Cattle  shipments,  1872,  342 

Cattle  shipments,  510 

Cattle  thieves,  509 


Causes  of  Cripple  Creek  strike  (1893),  840 

Causes  of  Lake  City  strike,  847 

Cement  materials,  557 

Census  of  1870,  Denver  4,800;    1872,  15,000, 

350 
Census  statistics  1890-1914,  550 
Central  City,  150 
Central  City,  early  views  of,  151 
Central  City  newspaper,  796 
Cereals  and  fruit  crops,  480 
Chadsev,  Charles  E.,  879 
Chaffee,  Jerome  B.,  332,  421,  422 
Chaffee,  S.  B.,  518 
Chaffee  and  Teller  go  to  senate,  429 
Cliaffee  county,  11 
Chaffee  County  Democrat,  797 
Chaffee  county  mining  history,  299 
Chaffee  county  newspapers,  797 
Chaffee  Countv  Republican,  797 
Chaffee  Light'  Artillery,   722 
Chalk  Creek  Hot  Springs,  11 
Chamber    of    Commerce   endorses    beet    sugar 

movement,  539 
Chamberlin,  F.  K„  207 
Chambers,  Clark,  262.  715 
Chambers,  Katherine  Lee,  890 
Chambers,  Samuel,  125 
Changing  election  laws,  447 
Chant,  Mrs.  L.  O.,  694 
Chapman,   Arthur,  889 
Chapman,  Mrs.  Carrie  Lane,  693 
Character  of  the  trapper,  the,  108 
Charities  and  correction,  board  of,  209 
Charter  members.  First  Congregational  church 

of  Denver,  654 
Chase,  Brigadier-General,  859 
Cheese  made   in   Larimer  countv,  547 
Cheesman,   Walter  S.,  338,  361,  373,  396 
Cheever,   D.   A.,    149 
Cherrv   Creek   Pioneer,   782 
Chestnut  street,  Leadville,  1880,  269 
Cheyenne   &   Xorthern   Railroad,   368 
Cheyenne   Menace,   the,   334 
Cheyenne   Springs,   21 
Chicago  &   Northwestern  road,  336 
Chicago,  Burlington  &  Quincv  Railwav.  369, 

370 
Chicago-Colorado  Colony.  160 
Chicago,  or  German   Colony,  158 
Chicago,  Bock  Island  &  Pacific  R^iilway,  377 
Chief  events  of  Cripjile  Creek  camp,  279-281 
Chief  Ourav,  295 
•■Chieftain""  of  Pueblo,  the,  792 
Chilcott,  G,  M.,  371,  420,  429,  821 
Chilcott,  G,  W.,  428 

Children,  State  Home  for  Dependent,  830 
"Chinaman,"   103 
Chiropractic   legislation,   772 
Chivingtou,   Colonel   .J.   M.,   90,   95,   420,   509, 

663,   703,    712,   714 
Chouteau  and  De  Munn.  112 
Chouteau,  Auguste  Pierre,  112 
Chouteau,  Pratte  &  Company,  128 
Chouteau  's   Landing,   58 
Christian   church,  the,   641 
Christian  churches,  with  memberships,  642 
Christian  Science   in   Colorado,   652 
Christman,  Fred,  518 
Christo])her  "  Kit " "  Carson,   109 
Chrysolite    mine,    unrest   at,    839 
Church  families  in  state,  648 


INDEX 


Chuich  of  St.  John's  iii  the  Wilderness,  642 

Church  of  the  Immaculate  Couccptiou,  Den- 
ver, 679 

Churches,  denominatious  of,  633 

Churches,  history  of,  632 

Churchill,  John   A.,   134 

Cibola,   City   ofj  23 

Cimarron  Crossing,  125 

Cimarron  Pass,  125 

Citizens'   Alliance,   855  i 

Citizens '  Guard,   839 

Citizens  '  I'rotective  League,  855 

Civil  Service   Commission,  209 

Clark,    Austin    M.,    393 

Clark,  Frederick  T.,  882,  886 

Clark,  General  (Jeorge  Rogers,  39 

Clark,  George  T.,  &  Company,  394 

Clark,  Grubcr  &  ('ompany,  393 

(.'lark,  James   il.,   620,   878 

Clark,  John   A.,   497 

Clark,   .Milton   E.,  393 

Clark,   Captain   William,   39,   113 

Classes   at   .State   Home  for  Children,   S31 

Clav  deposits,  557 

Clavton  College,  628 

Clayton,  George  W.,  628 

Clavton,   W.   L.,   376 

Clayton,  W.  :\I.,  336 

Clear  Creek  i)roduction,  238 

Clements,   Ellis   M.,   887 

Clevelancl,    President,    acts,    513 

Cliff   Canon,    69 

Cliff   Dweller   ruins,   view   of,   71 

Cliff  Dwellers,  the,     65,  478 

Cliff  Palace,  66,  69 

Climate  and  topographv,  1 

Cline,  il.  W.,  157,  295" 

Closing   Westminster    University,    673 

'•Cloud   City,"   270 

Clouscr,  Charles,  272 

Coal,  activity  in  mining,  in  1887,  451 

Coal  discovered  in  southern  Colorado  in  1860, 

449 
Coal  fields  at  Euby  open,  360 
Coal  fields,  Colorado,  466 
Coal   in   the   Dakota  formation,  475 
Coal  in  the  United  States,  449 
Coal    mined    in    northern    Colorado    in    1S64, 

449 
Coal  mined  in  Weld  county  in  1872,  449 
Coal  mines  by  counties,  456-462 
Coal  mines,   1S88.  liii'atioii  and    kind,   452 
Coal  mines,  inspection  of,  212 
Coal  mines,  men  employed  in,  456-462 
Coal   mines,   fable   of,    1916,   456-4(i2 
Coal  operatives,  chief,  in  1883,  451 
Coal  jjroduct  of  state  by  years,  462 
Coal   ]iroduction    in   leading  counties.  464 
Coal   statistics,   miscellaneous,   464 
Coal  *10.ll(l  to  $15.(1(1,  343 
Cobb,    K.    \V„  396 
Cobb,  Frank   M.,    134 
Cobb,    Ijieiilenant,    714 
(.'ockerell.   Professor.  881 
Cochran,    Mrs.    A.   M..   695 
Coe,  Earl  R.,  790 
Coe,   William,   509 
' '  Cog' '  road,  the,  377 
Cog  road  up  Pike's  Peak,  575 
Coke   industry,  the,  476 
Coke    ovens   and    plants,    476 


Coke  statistics,   1880-1917,  476 

Cole,    Allyn,   376 

t^oleman,  .lames   T.,   789 

Colfa.x,   159 

Collins,  Arthur  L.,  849,  850 

Collins,  Col.  W.  O.,  166 

Collyer,   Robert,   160 

Colonization   in   Colorarlo,   158 

Colorado  &  Xen-  -Mexico  Railway,  370 

Colorado  &  Southern  Railway  Company,  369 

Colorado,   as   health   resort,    776 

Colorado  Auto  Club,  579 

(,'olorado  banks  in   191S,  408-416 

Colorado  Battery,  726 

(,'olorado  carnotite  enriches  world,  293 

Colorado  Central  &  Pacific  Railroad,  332 

Colorado  Central  &  Pacific  .starts  building,  342 

Colorado  Chieftain,  792 

Colorado  City,  149 

Colorado  Cif.v  strike  of  reduction   mill  work- 
ers, in   1903,  850 

Colorado   coal    fiehls,   466 

Colorado  coal  i)roduction,  449 

Colorado   College,   623 

(Colorado  declared  a  state,  427 

Colorado  factory  output,  1917,  554 

Colorado  Fair  Rates  Association,  556 

"Colorado,"  Fossett 's,  510 

Colorado    Fuel    &    Iron    Company,    869,   870, 
874,  875 

Colorado  Fuel  &   Iron  Company,  1916-17,  552 

Colorailo  G(]od   Roads  Association,  579 

Colorado  Imlustrial  Workshop  for  the  Blind, 
834 

Colorado  labor  wars,  837 

Colorado  laml,  485 

Colorado  literature,  877 

Colorado  Manufacturers'  Association,  556 

(•(dorailo   .Midland   Railway,   369,   371 

Colorado   mining  by  sections,   262 

Colorado  .National  Bank,  400 

Colorado  Power  Company,  318 

Colorailo  jiower  ]ila)its,  317 

Colorado   press,    the,   781 

Colorado  Railroad,  the,  369 

Colorado  School  for  the  Deaf  aiul  tlie  Blind, 

S23 
('olorado  Schocd  of  .-\griculturi\  617 
Colorado  School  of  Mines,  612 
Colorado  Seminary,  611 
Cidorado  .Smelting  Company,  312 
Color.Milo   Soldiers'   &   Sailors'   Home,  828 
Colorado    Springs    &    Cripple   Creek    District 

ItaiKvay,  369 
Colorado  Sjirings  Evening  Telegrai)h,  795 
Cidorailo   Sjirings  Gazette,  795 
('nlorado   Springs   Land  Company,  824 
I 'olorado  Sjirings  Light,  Heal  &   Power  Com- 

p.iny,   322;    directors,  322;   officers,  322 
Colorailo   Springs   newspapers,   794 
Colorado   State    Home,   8:10 
Cidorado   St.'ite    Home   and   .Scluxd    for    .Men 

t.-il   Defectives.  8:M 
Colorado  Slate  Hospital,  S21 
Colorado  State     liuUistrial    School    for    Bovs, 

831 
Colorailo    Stale    I  midst  rial    S.liool    for    (iirls, 

832 
r'idorado  State   Normal   S(diool   opens,  (i21 
('(dorado  .State    Penitentiary,   Sl(! 
Colorado   State   Ifeform.'itory,  S29 


VI 


INDEX 


Colorado  State  Teachers'  College,  620 
Colorado  Sugar  Maiiufacturiug  Company,  539 
Colorado   Sun,   the,    790 
Colorado  Traveling  Library,  223 
Colorado,  what  it  means,  891 
Colorado   Woman 's   College,   627 
Colorado   Woman's   College   Auxiliary   Asso- 
ciation, 628 
Colorado 's  first  delegate  to  congress,  394 
Colorado's  four  mining  epochs,  248 
Colorado  's  gold  output,  1892-1900,  278 
Colorado  's  greatest  struggle,  555 
Colorado's  metal  output,  302-309 
Colorado  's  mountain  parks,  563 
Colorado's  national  forests,  563 
Colorado's   political    campaigns,   417 
Colorado  's  rank  as  coal  producer,  454 
Colorailo's   wool  clip,   531 
Colorow,   Chief,   78 
Colton,  Gustavus  A.,  498 
Columbus,   Christopher,  895 
Coming  of  the  Hereford,  the,  524 
Commanders    in     charge    of    Soldiers'    and 

Sailors'  Home,  829 
Commissioners     of    Soldiers'     and     Sailors' 
Home,  828 

Commissioners,  State  Board  Stock  Inspection, 
208 

Community  effort,  493 
Como  field,   471 

Condition  of  cattle  industry  in   1S66,  508 
Conditions  at  Cripple  Creek  mines  iu   1894, 
841 

Conditions  for  eligibility,  Clayton  College,  629 

Conditions  leading  to  miners'  strikes,  839 

"Conejo,"  meaning  of,  892 

Conejos,  893 

Cones,  Elliott,  50,  879 

Confederate  designs  on  Colorado,  708 

Confederate  flag  raising,  702 

Conferences  on  Cripple  Creek  strike   (1894), 
841 

Congregational  church,  the,  653 

Congregational     churches,     dates    organized 
ajid  erected,  657-660 

Congregational  conference  of  Colorado,  660 

Congregational  school,  trustees  of,  624 

Congress  creates  Colorado  Territory,   172 

Congress  takes  up  massacre,  94 

Congressional    representatives,   194 

Conine,  Mrs.  M.  A.  B.,  697 

Consonants,   Spanish    pronunciation    of,    891 

Conspiracy    cases    of,    to    murder,    dismissed 
(Cripple  Creek,  1904),  867 

Constitution,  congress  provides  for,  176 

Constitution,  how  amended,  201 

Constitution    of    Auraria    Town     Company, 
138 

Constitutional  conventions.   180,  183 

Construction  proves  expensive,  363 

Continental  Trust  Company,  376 

Converse,   .lesse,   377 

Convict  labor,  817-820 

Cook,  C.  A.,  &  Company,  395 

Cook,  Maj.-Gen.  David  J.,  839,  878 

Cook,  G.  W.,  417 

Cook,  Captan  S.  H.,  703,   704.  715 

Coon,  .John,  286 

Cooper,   C.  A.,  879 

Cooper,  Isaac,   156 
Co-operative  fencing  plans,  517 


Co-operative  Miners'  Union.  837 

Corn  crop,  1917,  10,600,000  bushels,  488 

Corn  12^  cents,  165 

Coronado  mine,  troubles  at,  846 

Coronado  's  expedition,  23 

Corporation   effort,  494 

Correct    Spanish    pronunciation,    891 

Correctional  institutions,  816 

Corriere  di   Trinidad,  801 

Cost  of  earlv  railroad  construction,  382 

Costigan,  E."  P.,  446 

Costilla,  pronunciation  and  meaning  of,  893 

Cottages  at  Girls'  School,  832 

Cottages  at  Industrial  School,  831 

Cottages  at  State  Hospital,  821 

Council  at  Denver,  92 

Counties,  8 

Counties  created,  new,  198 

Counties,  creating  the  first,  173 

Counties,  distribution  of  minerals  by,  304-309 

County  agents,  488 

County  names,  892 

Courthouse    at    Cripple    Creek    defended    by 

sharpshooters  and  machine  gun,  860 
Court  of  api)eals,  736 
Courts,  appellate,  733 
Courts,  organization  of,  732 
Courts,  territorial,  734 
Courts,  United  States,  for  Colorado,  733 
Cowliovs  and  Stockman  Tavlor  die  in  storm, 

519  ■ 
Cov,  Dr.  N.  B.,  435 
Covle,  Bev.  J.  P.,  656 
Coyle,  Eobert  F.,  884    - 
Cozzeus,  Ed,  152 
Crablie,  John  Grant,  622 
Cragin,  Edward  F.,  879 
Craig,  John  H.,  519 
Ci-aig,  Katherine  Lee,  882 
Craig,  Captain  William,  420,  520 
Ci-awford,  George  A.,  1.54 
Creameries,  mills,  elevators,  486 
Creating  first  counties,  173 
Creating  new  counties,  198 
Creede,  X.  C,  292 
Creede  newspapers,  802 
Creighton,    Edward,    383 
Cressingham,  Mrs.  Clara,  695,  697 
Cripple  Creek  a  world-wonder,  275 
Cripple  Creek  camp,  chief  events  of,  279-281 
Cripple  Creek  mines   (views),  277,  283 
Cripple  Creek  newspapers,  812 
Cripple  Creek 's  gold  production,  281 
Cripple  Creek  strike  of  1894,  838,  840 
Cripple  CYeek  strike  of  1903-04,  851,  856 
Cripple  Creek  sympathetic  strike   (1903),  851 
Cripple  Creek  "Times,  812 
Crook  Brothers,  271 
Crook  smelter,  the,  578 
Cross,  Ethan  A.,  882 
Cross,  Rev.  Roselle  T.,  884 
Crossley,  W.  F.,  320 
Crozat,  Francisco,  36 
Crvstal  Park,  9 
Culbertson.  T.  H..  156 
Cumenge,  E.,  293 
Cuno,  Charles  W.,  890 
Cummingg,  Alexander,  421 
Curly  Bear  (portrait),  105 
Curry,  J.  O.,  376 
Curtice,  W.  J.,  262 


INDEX 


Vll 


Curtice,  W.,   586 

Curtis,  Knima  G.,  887 

Curtis,  L.  E.,  317 

Curtis,  Lieut-Col.  S.  S.,  719,  720 

Curtis,  Gen.  S.  R.,  89 

Cuslinian,  Samuel,  653 

Custer  county,  10 

Custer  county   press,   814 

Custer  county  's  mining  history,  282 

Customs  of  legislature,  176 

Da  Costa,  Charles  M.,  361 

Dailey,  John  L.,  781 

Daily  and  Weekly  Mountaineer,  789 

Daily  Commonwealth,  789 

Daily  Rocky  Mountain  Herald,  789 

Dale,   Catesby,  262 

Dalzell,  T.  J.,  255 

Dana,  John  Cotton,  880 

Danforth,  A.  H.,  286 

Daniels,  Mrs.  W.  C,  723 

Darley,  George  M.,  879 

Dates  of  early  and  late  frosts,  6 

Dates  of  organization  of  Colorado  banks,  408- 

416 
Davidson,  Eleanor,  882 
Davidson,  William,  147,  418 
Davis,  Carlyle  Channing,  879 
Davis,  C.  E.,  377 
Davis,  Charles  F.,  882 
Daw.son,  C.  C,  445 
Dawson,  Lewis,  114 
Dawson,  Thomas  Fulton,  878,  879 
Day,  C.  M.,  376 
Day,  David  F.,  805 
Deaf  Mute  Index,  the,  825 
Deaf,  State  School  for  the,  823 
Deer,  elk,  bears,  etc.,  120 
Dearborn,  Gen.  Henry,  50 
Defeat  of  statehood,  420 
De  France,  Judge  M.,  689 
Degrees  by  years,  U.  of  C,  609 
Delegates  to  constitutional  convention,  183 
Delegates  to  silver  conventions,  436 
Delegates  to  various  conventions,  440 
Delislo  's  map,  76 
Del  yiortf  papers,  807 
Delta,  154 
Delta  county,  16 
Delta  county  press,  813 
Democratic  National  Convention,  1908,  445 
De  Mott,  Dr.  McK.,  888 
De  Munn,  Jules,  112 
Denison,  Elsa,  885 
Denman,  A.  A.,  404 
Dentists,  Denver,  1866,  767 
Denver  &   Intermountain   Ry.  Co.,  377 
Denver  &  New  Orleans  Ry.  Co.,  366 
Denver  &  Nortlnvestern,  the,  372 
D.  &  R.  G.  crew  too  late,  359 
D.  &  K.  G.  earnings,  expenses,  mileage,  359 
D.  &  1{.  G.  goes  into  receiver's  hands,  364 
I).  &   K.  G.  mileage,  1911,  1918,  363 
I).  &  l{.  G.  restored,  256 
Denver  &  Rin   Grande,   the,   369 
Denver  &  Salt  Lake  I{.  R.,  directors,  375 
Denver  ic  South  I'ark   H.   U.,  the,  365 
Denver  l)Ccomes  capital,   195 
Denver  City  Company,  board  of  directors,  142 
Denver  City  ditch,  493 
Denver  City  Town  Company,  140 


Denver  Clearing  House,  404 

Denver  Daily  Gazette,  789 

Denver,  early  views,  211 

Denver  editors,  788 

Denver  Express,  792 

Denver  Fat  Stock  and  Feeder  Show,  525 

Denver,  Gen.  James  W.,  141,  236 

Denver  Junction  (Jazette,  809 

Denver  Ladies'  College  Society,  627 

Denver,  Lakewood  &  Golden  Ry.  Co.,  377 

Denver,  Laramie  «Sfc  Northwestern  Ry.  Co.,  376 

Denver,  Leadville  &  Gunnison  R.  R.,  368 

Denver,  Marshall  &  Boulder  R.  R.,  368 

Denver  National   Bank,  401 

Denver,  Northwestern  &   I'acific,  the,  372 

Denver  Pacific   Ry.  and  Telegraph  Co.,  336 

Denver  Pacific,  officers  and  directors,  340 

Denver  Paper  Mills,  435 

Denver   Post,   792 

Denver  Railway   Securities   Co.,   375 

Denver  Republican,  789,  791 

Denver 's  mountain  parks,  569 

Denver  Steel  Co.,  435 

Denver,  Texas  &  Ft.  Worth  R.  R.,  368 

Denver  Times,  789 

Denver  Tribune,  791 

Denver  Union  Depot  &  Ry.  Co.,  378 

Denver.  Utah  &  Pacific  R.  R.,  370 

Denver,  Western  &  Pacific  R.  R.,  368 

Denver  Woman's  Qub,  833 

Department  of  Medicine,  606 

Departments  of  U.  of  Denver,  612 

Dependent  and  neglected  children,  830 

Deportations  of  miners,   865,  873 

Deposits  of  all  Colorado  banks,  416 

De  Soto,  25 

Desperadoes  of   1860,  787 

De  Vaca's  explorations,  22 

Developing  the  highways,  573 

Development  of  irrigation,  491 

Dewey,  Admiral  George,  518 

Dewey,  Henry,  518 

Dickson,  T.  C,  134 

Difficulties  of  pack-saddling,  128 

Dill,  Robert  Gordon,  878 

Dillon,  Sidney,  333 

Directors  and  officers,  Denver  Pacific,  340 

Directors,  Colorado  Power  Co.,  320 

Directors,  Denver  &  South  Park  R.  B.,  366 

Directors  of  D.  &  R.  G.,  1918,  363 

Directors  of  Western  Light  &  Power  Co.,  321 

Discovery  of  the  field  pea,  530 

Discovery  of  grazing  values,  508 

Discovery  of  ruins,  66 

Distinguished  visitors,  165 

Distribution  of  minerals  in  Colorado,  304,  309 

Disturbances  at  Telluride,  848 

Ditches  constructed  in  1S60,  491 

Dixon,  Hon.  N.  Walter.  S53 

Doctors,  List  of,  in  World  's  war,  777,  778, 

779,  780 
Doctors,  Pioneer,  766 
Dodd,  Lieutenant-Colonel,  719,  720 
Dodd,  Capt.  T.  IL,  718 
Dndgc,  Clarence  P.,  794 
Dodge,  D.  C,  l.';4,  336,-358 
Dodge,  F.  S.,  103 
Dodge,  Gen.  G.  M.,  96,  333 
Dodge,  Paul  IL,  888 
Dodge's  exjiedition,  78 
Doll,  Frank,  520 


vm 


INDEX 


Dolores  county,  12 

Dolores,  meauing  of,  893 

Dominguez,  Francisco,  228 

Doolittle,  T.  B.,  388 

Dotson,  P.   K.,  371 

Dougherty,  H.,  52 

Dougherty,  Major,   78 

Douglas,  Chief,  77 

Douglas  county  newspapers,  799 

Douglas  Couuty  Record-Journal,  799 

Downey,  Charles  J.,  889 

Downing,  Captain,  704,  714 

Downing,  Maj.  Jacob,  99 

Dows,  David,  377 

Doyle,  James,  279 

Dovle,  Joseph  B.,  520 

Drake,  Lieut.  E.  P.,  510 

Dresser,  Frank,  106 

Dresser,  Henry,  106 

Dry  farming  of  chief  interest,  485 

Dudley,  J.  H.,  136 

Duncan  J.,  52,  285 

Duncan,  Robert,  285 

Dunraven,  Lord,  512 

Durango,  157 

Durango  papers,  805 

Durango  Herald  Printing  Co.,  805 

Durant,  Thomas  C,  333 

Durbin,  C.   K.,   373 

Du   Tisne,   31 

Dwelling,  the,  68 

Dwyer,  R.  H.,  376 

Dyer,  John  L.,  633,  879 

Dynamite  bombs,  846 

Dynamiters  in  Idaho   Springs   strike,   855 

Eagle  county,  18 

Eagle  couuty  's  mining  history,  284 

Earliest  canals  492 

Early  banking  in  Denver,  392 

Early  big  herds,  529 

Early  Catholic  priests,  678 

Early  Colorado  printers,  731 

Early  data  of  Boulder  county  mining,  274 

Early  Denver  buildings,  331,  784 

Early  Metholist  preachers,  663,  665 

Early  newspaper  competitors,  783 

Eai'ly  newspapers,  781 

Early  newspaper   subscription  rates,   788 

Early  news  service,   786 

Early  school   history   of   counties,  588 

Early  school  laws,  585 

Early  settlement  in  Colorado,  134 

Early  settlers  in  Roaring  Fork  valley,  523 

Early  stock-raising  methods,   512 

Early  Trinidad  newspapers,  801 

Early  views  in  Denver,  379 

Easter,  John,   236 

Eastern  Colorado,  484 

Eastwood,  Alice,   882 

Eaton,  George,  106 

Eaton  Herald,  811 

Earnings  of  Moffat  Road,  375 

Earnings  of  penitentiary,    816 

Eayre,  Lt.   G.  S.,  719 

Ebbert,  William  B.,  887 

Eckles,  Jack,  295 

Eckles,  John,  157 

Eclipse,  the  Leadville,  796 

Eddy,  H.   H.,  435 

Edgerton,  James  A,  889 


Editors  and   writers,    790 

Editors  of  Rocky  Mountain  News,  788 

Education  in  Colorado,  585-603 

Edwards,  A.   J.,   418 

Edwards,  R.   S.,  282 

Effect   (of  massacre)  on  Indians,  95 

' '  Eight-Hour  ' '    strikes,    852 

Eilers,  Anton,  314 

Elbert,  Acting  Governor,  92 

Elbert,  Gov.  Samuel,  421,  428,  719,  877 

Eldridge,  E.  F.,  887 

Election  of  1894,  439 

Elevators,  flour  miUs,  etc.,  486 

Elk,   bears,  deer,  etc.,  120 

Elkius,  Senator,   422 

EUett,  J.   A.,  435 

Elliott,  David,    795 

Elliott  murder,  the,  103 

Ellis,  D.  P.,  286 

Ellison,  R.  S.,  320 

Ellsworth,  Col.  L.   C,   358 

Elmer,  Capt.  E.  P.,  719 

El  Paso  City,   146 

El  Pueblo,  or  Fort  Pueblo,  121 

Enimerson,  James,  418 

Empire  City,  150 

England  declares  war  on  Spain,  35 

Engler,  Adolph,  361  ' 

Engineering  building.   University,   607 

Enrollment  at  Girls'   Industrial  School,  833 

Enrollment  in  Agricultural  College,  620 

Enrollment    in    State    School    for    Deaf    and 

Blind,  827 
Enunciation,  Spanish,  891 
Enzensperger,  Frank,   156 
Erb,  ^Newman,  375 
Erecting  the   State   House,   196 
Erie  Independent,   811 
Ernest,  F.   P.,   521 
Escalante,  Francisco,  228 
Esealante  's  exploration,  28 
Eskridge,  E.  W.,  106 
Estevanico   (Stephen),  22 
Evans,  Governor  John,'  88,  156,  334,  372,  420, 

688,  704  717 
Evans  Courier,  811 
Evans  Courier-Messenger,  811 
Evans  papers,   811 
Evans,  William  G.,  373 
Evening  and  Weekly    Picketwire,    801 
Evening  Telegraph,  Colorado  Springs,  795 
Exchange  Bank,  the,  395 
Expenditure,    maintenance    and    earnings    of 

penitentiary,   816 
"Extra,"    an   early,   786 
Eyster,  Judge  C.  S.,  735 

Faculty,  University  of  Colorado,  609 

Failure  of  First  State   Constitution,  170 

Failure  of  statehood  bills  by  veto,  421 

Failure  of  state  management,  496 

Fairley,   D.   B.,    795 

Fairplay,  264 

Fairplav    Flume,   799 

Fallon,  "John,   300 

Famous   editors,    788 

Fare  from  Kansas  City  to  Santa  Fe  $250.00., 

^328 
Fargo,  James   C,  329 
Fargo,  William  G.,  329 
Farnham,  Professor,  on  water  rights,  502 


INDEX 


IX 


Fairar,  Fred,  446 

Father  Padilla's  fate,   24 

Fathom  system,  848 

Faulkner,  Mrs.  A.  W.  695 

Federal  eft'ort  under  reilaniation  act,  496 

Fellows,  Doctor,  78 

Felt,  Z.  C,  376 

Felter,  Lottie  S.,  888 

Fennenian,  N.  M.,  286 

Fernandez,   i)on   Bartholomew,  47 

Ferrell,  J.  M.,  147 

Ferril,  William  C,  879 

Fewkes,  J.   Walter,   72 

Fieklin,   B.   F.,  o3U 

Field,  Eugene,  791,  888 

Field,  E.  B.,  389 

'Fifty  eighters  to  Pike's  Peak  region,  272 

Fight  for  Katon  Pass,  the,  358 

Figures  on  acreage  and  production,  486 

Fillmore,  J.   S.,   702 

Finances  of  the  state,  200 

Finding  transcontinental  railway  route,  326 

Finlay,  Cleorge  I.,  883 

Firebrick,   pottery,  etc.,   547 

First  actual  settlers,  478 

First  agriculturists,  478 

First  artesian   wells,  529 

First   ascent   of  Pike 's  Peak,  54 

First  banking  outside   Denver,  404 

First   board  of  trustees,  State  Normal,  622 

First   business  at  Cherry  Creek,   143 

First  buyers  of  gold  dust  from  miners,  393 

First  cabin  in  Oro,  269 

First  Capitol  of  Colorado,  175 

First  cell  house,  the,  816 

First  Church  of   Christ,   organizers  of,  641 

First  coach  leaves  Leavenworth,  329 

First  Colorado    Conference    (Methodist),    aji- 

pointments  of,  666 
First  Colorado,  History  of,   722-725 
First  Colorado  list  of  casualties,  725 
First  Colorado  newspaper,  the,  781 
First   Colorado   Regiment,   717 
First  daily  newsjiaper,   786 
First  educational  cliarter,   611 
First  efforts    to    harness    state    water    power, 

317 
First  election  poll  by  counties,  182 
First  gold  discoveries,  229 
First   governor   arrives,    420 
First   in"orii()rators  of  stock  yards,  526 
First   iron   foundry,  548 
First  irrigation,  491 
First  issue  of  "The  News,"  783 
First  .Tewish  congregation,  681 
First   legislation,    499 
First  meeting  with  the  Spanish,  46 
First  miners'  union  organized,  837 
First   Mining   Review,  240 
First   National    Bank   of  Denver,  .■194,  .■199 
First  odiccrs  of  Colorado  National  Bank,  400 
First   i>a|)er    in   territory,    782 
First  ponv  express  leaves  St.  Joe,  330 
First  iposf  on  South   Platte,  122 
First   ))residential  electors,  431 
First  i)rinting   press,    78] 

First   IJegiment   Colornd )   Infantry,   organiza- 
tion   of,    722 
First  sawmill   in  Larimer  county,  .'548 
First  sermon   in  Colorado,  632 
First  smelter  comjiany  organized.  312 


First  state  election,  427 

First  stockholders.   First  National  Bank,  400 

J''irst  territorial    officers,   419 

First  traders,  the,  109 

First  Unitarian  Society,  officers  of,  674 

First   (Unitarian;   Sunday  school,  675 

First  vestry   of  St.  John's,  642 

First  view  of  the  mountains,  43 

Fisher,  M.   C,  702 

Fisher,  Kev.  W.  t;.,  632,  663 

Fisk,  A.  C,  159 

Fitch,   Michael    II.,   878,   884 

Fitzgerald,  E.,  417 

Fitzpatrick,   Sublette  &  Bridger,   124 

Five  million  cattle  from  Texas,  508 

Five  periods  of  canal   building,  492 

Flarheiler,  Joe,  284 

Fleti'her,  Charles,   150 

Floods  in   Humboldt  Valley,  363 

Florence    &    Cripple    Creek    District    Railway 

Co.,  369 
Florence  Daily  Citizen,  795 
Florence  field" 'oil   output,   286,  287 
Florence  lu'wspapers,    795 
Flour  mills,  creameries,  etc.,  486 
Flower,   Koswell  P.,  377 
Fluorspar,  558 
Ford,   Capt.   J.   H.,   718 
Foreign   investments,  512 
Forsyth,  Col.   Cieorge   A.,    99 
Forsyth's  battle,  99 
,   Fort  Craig,  706,  707,  711,  717 
Fort  Collins  Review,  800 
Foit  Collins  publications,  800 
Fort  Collins,  view   of,  in   1865,   167 
Fort  Crockett   (or  Davy  Crockett),  124 
Fort   Fillmore,  706 
Fort  Garland,    701 
Fort   John,   124 
Fort   Lancaster,  122 
Fort   Laramie,    123 
Foi  t   Logan,   730 
"Fort  Lnpton,"    122 
Fort  Luptoii  Cyclone,    811 
Fort    Lupton   Press,    811 
Fort   Lyon,   702 
Fort   Morgan    Times,   803 
Fort  St.   Vrain,  58,   123 
Fort    Uintah,   124 
Fort   Union,   712 
Fort   Wise,   126,  701,  712 
Fort  Worth  A:  Denver  City  Ry.  Co.,  368 
Fosdick,  H.  M.,  149 
Fossett,  Frank,  ."jlO,  880 
Fossett 's  "Colorado,"  260 
Foster,  Edward  D.,  485 
Foster,  Robert,  52 

Founding  of  a  great   industry,  the,  519 
Fountain   City,  152 
Fdiiiitain   City   Town   ('(unpany,   146 
J;4(Ml.il(l(l.iiiln  "ill   metallic  wealtli,  267 
Four  million   ilollars  in  jiotntoes,  482 
Fonts,  William,   242 
h'owlcr,  Jacob,  114 
Fowler    publications,   805 
Fowler's  diarv,   114,   116 
Fox,  Dr.  .1.   M.,  .'129 
Fraeb,  Henry,  124 
France,  Capt.   Matt,   165 
France,   Lewis  B.,   880,   887 
Franklin,  L.  B.,  378 


INDEX 


Fraser,  Walter  B.,  223 

Frear,  D.  W.,  488 

Fredericks,  Leonard,  282 

Freeman,  W.   R.,  375 

Free   Methodists,  669 

Freight  rates  ami  manufacturers,  355 

Fremout,  John  C,  56,  326,  894 

Fremont   county,  8 

Fremont  county,  its  oils  and  minerals,  285 

Fremont  County  Leader,  795 

Fremont 's  last  expedition,  64 

Fremont's  second  expedition,  58 

Fremont 's  third  and  fourth   expeditions,  60 

French,  Adnah,   134 

French  menace,  the,  26 

French,  the,  30 

French  Revolution,  35 

Friedel,  C,  293 

Friedman,   William   S.,  885 

Friuk,  Almira  L.  C,  889 

From    range   days    to   the    thoroughlired    era, 

506 
Frost,  W.  E.,  520 
Frosts,  5 

Fruit  Growing,  488 
Fruit  Growing  in  its  infancy,  489 
Fuller's  earth,  558 
Fynn,  Arthur   J.,  882 

Gage,  T.  A.,  518 

Gaines,   Maj.   Gen.  Edmund  P.,  83 

Gale,  Judge  W.  H.,  735 

Gallagher,  Charles,  270 

Gallagher,  Patrick,  270 

Gantt,  Captain,  78 

Gantz,  Jacob,  172 

Garbert,  W.  H.,  reminiscences  by,  754 

Garden  of  the  Gods,  gateway  to,  15 

Garfield  county,  14 

Garfield  county  press,  813 

Garfield,  James  A.,  432 

Garrison,  A.  F.,  147 

Gaylord,  Hal,  790 

Gaylord,  Lewis  W.,  795 

Gazette,  Colorado  Springs,  795 

Gelder,  William,  156 

Gem  stones,  558 

Gems  and  precious  stones  mined,   287 

"Gentleman  Charley."  740 

George,  Professor  Russell  D.,  881 

' '  George   Washington, ' '   103 

Georgetown  Courier,  799 

German   (Chicago)   Colony,  158 

German  Lutherans,  651 

Geronimo   (portrait),  101 

Gerry,  Elbridge,  146 

Gibbs,  Agnes  K.,  888 

Gibson,  F.  B.,  373 

Gibson,  Thomas,  781,  789 

Gillespie,  H.  B.,  521 

Gilpin,  Lieut.-Col.  and  Gov.  William.  84,  172, 

419,  586,  701,  703,  704,  877 
Gilpin  county  and  John  H.  Gregory,  245 
Gilpin  county  newspapers,  796 
Gilpin  Observer,  the,  796 
Gil|>in  Railroad,  the,  369 
Gilpin    Tramway   Company,   369 
Giravdot,  Marion  R.,  887 
Girls,  State  Industrial  School  for,  832 
Glascoe,  Charles  S.,  207 
Glenn-Fowler  expedition,  the,  114 


Glenn,  Hugh,  114 

Glenwood  Post,  813 

Glenwood  Springs,  156 

Glenwood  Springs  papers,  813 

Globe  smelter,  disturbances  at,  853 

Godov,  Manuel,  35 

Godfrey,  Holon,  96 

Gold  and  silver  production,  260 

Gold  camp  railroads,  378 

Gold  ])roduction.  Cripple  Creek's,  281 

Golden,  Thomas  L.,  150,  236 

Golden,  T.  S.,  418 

Golden  Citv,  147 

Golden  Reformatorv  School,  832 

Golden  Transcript, "785,  797 

Goldie,  Rev.  Howard,  888 

Goldst<?in,  Carl,  106 

Goode,  Rev.  W.  H.,  661 

Goodnight,  Cresswell  &  Company,  520 

Goodwin,  Alma,  518 

Goodwin,  B.,  146 

Gordon,  James,  172 

Gordon,    Tom,    507 

Gorsline,  Judge  W.  R.,  735,  742 

Goudv,  F.  C,  443,  445 

Gould,  Edwin,  363 

Gould,  George  J.,  362 

Gould,  George,  363 

Gould,  Jay,  358 

Gould,  Kingdon,  363 

Government,  beginnings  and  development,  168 

Government  regulation  of  grazing,  514 

Government  aspects,  34 
Governor  De  Allande,  112 

Governor  Gilpin,  702 

Governor  Elbert,  96 
Governor   Maynez,   112 

Governor  Osborn,  371 

Governor  Pitkin,  103 

Governors  agitate  for  Normal  School,  620 

Governors  of  Colorado   (state),  192 

"Graball"  or  Tarrvall,  264 

Grable.  F.  C,  878  " 

Graduates  of  School  of  Mines,  614 

Graham,  H.  J.,  169,  417 

Gramm,  Otto,  377 

Giand  county,  17 

Grand  county  mining  history,  288 

Grand  Junction,  154 

Grand  Junction  Daily  Sentinel,  801 

Grand   Junction  Democrat,  801 

Grand  Junction  Star,  801 

"Grand  Peak,"  the,  43 

Grand  River  field,  473 

Grand  Valley  News,  813 

Granger,  Rev.  Francis,  644 

Granger,  Ralph,  292 

Granites,  559 

Grant,  James  B.,  314,  843 

Grant,  President,  422 

Grant  smelter,  disturbances  at,  853 

Grass,  man-high,   132 

Gratiot,  Charles  H.,  497 

Gray,  Dr.  E.  C,  286 

Grav,  George  H.,  251 

Gray,  J.  A.,  418 

"Great  National  Highway,"  895 

Great  packing  concerns,  554 

Great  Plains  section,  19 

Great  Weston  Sugar  Company,  376,  540 


INDEX 


XI 


Greelev,  Horace,  ir>9,  240,  329,  516,  783.  785, 

810 
(ireeley,  160 
(iiceley   Colony,   493 
(ireeley  Democrat,  810 
Greeley  Herald,  810 
Greelev  ]iublioations,  810 
(ireeley,  S;ilt  Lake  &  Pacific  I'roject,  369 
(ireeley   Sun,  810 
Greeley   Times,   810 
(ireeley  Tribune,  160 
Greeley  Tribune-Republican,  810 
Green,  T>.  S.,  162 
Green,  Duke,  507 
Green,  W.  E.,  376,  378 
Green,  Col.  William  H.,  152,  718 
Greenback-labor  party,  432 
"Greenhorn'';    origin  and  derivation  of,  893 
Greenleaf,  Laurence  N.,  887 
Greenwood,  W.  H.,  349 
Gregg,  Josiah,  325 
Gregory,  John  H.,  238.  245 
Griffith,  Benjamin,  445 
Grimke,  Sarah  S.,  884 
Grinnell,  George  B.,  879 
Grit    Publishing   Company,  809 
Grover   Tri-City   Press,   811 
Growth   of  churches,  633 
Growth  of  manufacturing  in  Colorado,  549 
Growth   of   Presbyt^rianism,   673 
Growth  of  Protestant  churches,  632 
Growth  of  smelter  industry,  314 
Growth  of  state  dei>artments,  206 
Growth  of  state  go\ernnient,  190 
Gruber,  E.  H.,  393 
Grundel,  A.  F.,  .520 
Guadaloupe  Hildalgo,  treaty  of,  891 
Guards.  Denver.  701 
Guggenheim,  Benjamin,  315 
Guggenheim,  Meyer,  315 
Guggenheim,  Simon,  440,  446,  622 
Guiternian,  Franklin,  853 
Gumacr,  A.  R.,  286 
Gunu,  J.  Harvey,  884 
Gunnison,  Captain  .1.  W.,  156,  326 
Gunnison  ex|iedition,  the,  62 
Gunnison,  156 
Gunnison  county,  18 
Gunnison  I'onnty  mining  history,  287 
Gunnison  News-Champion,  815 
Gunnison  jiiipers  and  editors,  814 
Gunnison   Re|iublican,  815 
Gunter,  .hilius  C,  446,  727 
Guzman,  Nuno  de,  22 
Gwin,  Senator  W.  M.,  330 
Gypsum,  558 
Gyjisum  valley,  29 

HacUett,  Wallace,  377 

Hagar,  Rev.  Isaac  A.,  644 

Hagerman,  J.  .T.,  842 

Haggerty,  C^l.  .1.   C,  284 

Hahns  Peak  gold  placers,  298 

Hale,   Col.   Irving,   722 

Hale,  Professor,  ,S81 

Hale  Science   Building,  Boulder,  605 

Hall,   B.  F..  419,   734 

Hall,  Capt.  J.  C.  W.,  728 

Hall,  C.  P.,  418 

Hall,  Frank,  229,  421,  790,  877 

Hall,   Mr.s.  Prank,  695 


Hall,  U.  C.  521 

Hall,  W.  H.  F.,  815 

Halleck,  E.  H.,  377 

Hallett,  Moses,  302,  352,  358,  361,  422,  733, 

735,   742,   745 
Hallock,  J.  X.,  418 
Hall 's  History  of  Colorado,  240 
Halsted,  George  B.,  882 
Hambletou,  ('apt.  .1.  W.,  704 
Hamilton   City,   150 
Hamilton,   Earl,   262 
Hamilton,  Rev.  L.,  632,  669 
Hamlin,  C.  C,  795,  832 
Hance  's  ranch,  518 
Hanchette,   Lafayette,  855 
Hanna,  J.   R.,  404 
Hanna,  J.    W.,  435 
Hanscom,  T.   P.,  317 
Harbottle,  John,  887 
Harbour,  Capt.  R.  R.,  719 
Hardscrabble  i)0st,  the,   118 
Harding,  Judge  S.  H.,  734-5 
Harding,  T.   M.,  286 
Hariling,  Russell,   362 
Harl,  J.  B.,  884 

Harlan,  Justice,  reviews  ease,  351 
Harnan,   ,lohn,   279 

Harper's  Magazine  on  "Roman  Nose,"  100 
Harriman,    K.    H..    362 
Harris,   W.   H.,   521 
Hart,  Heurv  Martvn,  648,  878,  884 
Hartley,    William, '  134 
Hartman,   Alonzo,   156 
Hartsel,  Samuel,  507 
Hartsel's  importations,  511 
Hartsell,  Charles  879 
Haskell,  Thomas  N.,  883 
Hatch,   Dorus   Reuben,  S7S,  882 
Hatclieries,  222 
Hawes,  Dr.  Jesse,  620,  879 
Hawkins.    Willard,   885,   887 
Hawlev,  Mrs.  A.  A.,  697 
Hawley,  C.  A.,  435 
Hawlev,  Edwin,  369 
Hawley,  H.  S.,  150 
Hay,   Colorado 's   chief  crop,   487 
Hay   crop  of   .1(42,517,800,  488 
Hay,  the  staple  crop,  483 
Havden 's    Geographical    party,    276 
Hayes,   J.   A.,   317 
Hayner,  J.   P.,   377 
Haywood,   William   D.,   838 
Head,  Lafavette,  428 
Health  Board,  State,  208 
Health   resort,  Colorado  as,  776 
Heart?.,  Mrs.  E.,  697 
Heft,    N.    H.,    376 
Ilcilman,   Rev.    P.    A.,   6.50 
llclleiiis.    Professor,    881 
lli'Mi|istead,  Dr.,  765 
llciiilcr.son,  C.   W.,  249 
Hennepin,    t^i.ther,    449 
Henry,  J.  J.,  320 
Henry,  T.  C,  494 
Herbert,  J.    M.,   517 
Herm.'ige,   Henry,   520 
Herr,    T.     W.,    403 
Herrick,   M.  T.,  317 
Hersey,  H.  J.,  377 
Ilicklin.   Alexander,   479 
Hicks,   George,  233 


xu 


INDEX 


Hickman,   M.    D.,   41S 

Higgiubottom,  Joseph,  264 

High  cost  of  transporting  ores,  3l)l 

Highway   officials,   1918,   583 

Highways,  development  of,  573 

Hill,  Agnes  L.,  885 

Hill,   Jlrs.   Alice   Polk,   878 

Hill,  D.   H.,   264 

Hill,  Mrs.  Emma  Shejrard,  879 

Hill,   Miss   Isabel,   694 

Hill,  J.  M.,  249 

Hill,  N.  P.,  286,  310,  430,  431 

Hill,  Maj.  Zeph  T.,  872 

Hills,  Edward  C,  883 

Hills,  Elijah  0.,  883 

Hills,  Richard  C,  883 

Hilton,  Eev.  J.  V.,  655 

Hilts,   Hiram   E.,   218 

Hinckley   &   Company,   395 

Hindmau,  Miss  Matilda,  691 

Hine,   Henry,   317 

Hiuman,   Josiah,   134 

Hinsdale  county,  12 

Hinsdale  county  press,  812 

Hinsdale,  George  A.,  792 

Hinsdale  in  the  San  Juan  country,  290 

Historical  Society,  Colorado  State,  707 

History  of  labor  in  Colorado,  837 

History   of  Montezuma's  mines,  293 

Hisitory    of    Ouray 's    famous    mines,    295 

History  of  mining  in  Pitkui  county,  301 

History  of  mining  in  Rio  Grande  county, 
298 

History  of  mining  in  Routt  and  Moffat  coun- 
ties, 298 

Hit<'hcock  woolen  mills,  435 

Hoback,  John,   110 

Hobson,  George  H.,  520 

Hogs  and  their  value,  531 

Holinian,    W.    J.,    262 

Holcomb,    H.    B.,    376 

Holden,    Edward    R.,    315 

Holladay,   Ben,  329,  574 

Holladav  Overland  Mail  aud  Express  Com- 
pany," 329 

Hollister,  Gen.  U.  S.,  885 

Hollister,  O.  J.,  229,  880 

Hollister 's  "The  Mines  of  Colorado,"  246 

Hollv,   Mrs.   C.   C,  695,   697 

Holly,  Judge   C.   P.,   735 

Holly,  H.  S.,  522 

Holly   Sugar   Corporation,   tlie,   543 

Holmes,  Charles,  519 

Holmes,  W.  H.,  65 

Holt,  H.  J.,  377 

Holvoke  journals,  806 

Hood,    A.    G.,    387 

Hooper,    Shadrach    K.,    879 

Horse    breeding,    517 

Horses  and  mules,  and  value  of,  530 

Hoskin.   Ajthur,   881 

Hospital    at    penitentiary,    SIS 

Hospital,   first,   766 

Hospital,   First    municipal,    766 

Hospitals,  general  list  of,  774-5-6 

Housing  the  insane,  821 

How  Colorado  won  beet  sugar  leadership, 
533 

How  constitution  has  been  amemled,  201 

Howard,    J.    L.,    520 

Howbert,   Irving,   878 


Howe,    A.    S.,    377 

Howe,    Herbert    A.,    882 

Howe,  S.,  489 

Howells,   William,   manifesto  by,   869 

Howland,    Captain,    715 

Howlett,  Rev.   William  J.,  879 

Hudson,    Addie    V.,    890 

Hudson  Headlight,  811 

Hudson   Herald,   811 

Pluerfano    county,    10 

Huerfano,  meaning  of  the  word,  894 

Huerfano  Rock,  894 

Hughes,  Charles  J.,  Jr.,  302,  373,  445 

Hughes,  Gen.  Bela  M.,  329,  336 

Hulbert,  Maj.   John,  377 

Humane    treatment    of   convicts,    820 

Humidity,  2 

Hunsaker,   Capt.    I.   L.,    728 

Hunt,  A.   C,  349,  356,  421,  497 

Hunt,  Ex-(iovernor,    163 

Hunting  out   the  buffalo,   506 

Huntsville,    150 

Hussev,  Warren,  395 

Hutch'ins,  C,  378 

Hutchinson,  Wallace  I.,  563 

Hyde,  Dr.  Ammi,  882 

Hydro-electric  developments,  318 

Idaho    Springs   Mining   Gazette,    799 

Idaho    Springs    strike    (1903),   854 

Idaho  Springs   Siftings-News,  799 

Iddings,   Oapt.   J.   W.,   705 

Ignacio,    Chief,    77 

Iliff,    John    W.,    521 

Iliff,    William    H.,    265 

Imber,   X.   H.,   890 

Immigration,  State  board   of,   215 

Improvement  at  penitentiary,  819 

Income   from   penitentiary,   816 

Incorporation  of  Capitol  Hydraulic  Com- 
pany,   497 

Incorporators  of  Denver  &  N.  0.  Rv.  Co., 
366 

Incorporators  of  Denver  &  South  Park  R. 
R.,  365 

Independence   claim,  276 

Independence  mine,  troubles  at,  863 

Indeterminate  sentence  and  parole  law,  818 

Indictment  in  Cripple  Creek  strike  of  1894, 
S44 

Industrial  School  for  Bovs,  613 

Ingram,    J.   B.,    300 

Inheritance  tax  collectors  by  years,  208 

Inmates  at  State  Hospital,  821 

In  )irosperous  Mineral  county,  292 

Insane   asylum   at   Pueblo,   821 

Insane  ward  at  penitentiary,  818 

Inspection   of  coal   mines.   212 

Inspiring   immigration,    162 

Tn.surajice    department,    214 

International   Trust   Company,   402 

Interstate    rights,    502 

Interest    in    beef   cattle,   515 

In  the  mines  of  Saguache,  300 

In   the   region   of   Rico,   282 

In  the  Roaring  Fork  valley,  523 

In   the  Uncompahgre,   522 

Irrigation  known   to  ancient  peoples,  500 

Irrigation  laws,  later,  499 

Irrigation    offers   big   opportunities,    487 

Iiwin.    Ricliard,    282 


INDEX 


Xlll 


Island  Grove  Park,  160 
Italians  in  Lake  City  strike,  847 
Italian   jiublications   at   Trinidad,   801 

Jackson  and  lyarinior  counties,  mining  his- 
tory,   291 

Jackson   Bar,  2.'iS 

Jackson    couutVj    16 

Jackson,  George  A.,  236,  293 

Jackson,  Helen  Hunt,  886 

Jackson,  Mrs.  H.   M.  F.,  888 

Jackson,  W.  H.,  65 

Jackson,  W.  S.,  361,  429 

Jackson,    Z.,    418 

Jackson's  discoveries  on  Clear  Creek,  236 

Jacobs,  E.  C,  396 

James,  Edwin,  52,  418,  765 

James.  X.  H.,  314 

James"   Peak,   55 

Janise,    Antoine,    146 

Janise,   Xicholas,    146 

Jaraniillo,    Juan,    23 

Jarvis    Hall,   831 

Jefiferson,    President,    37 

Jefferson    City,    Missouri,    32,    150 

.Jefferson   county   publications,   797 

.leOVrson  rangers,  701 

.Tefferson  's   earlv   mining  history,   290 

Jefferv,  Edward'  T.,  362,  843 

Jenkins,  .1.   W.,  421 

Jewish  Consumptives'  Relief  Society,  686, 
687 

Jewish  congregations,  681,  683,  684 

Jocknick,    Sidney,    879 

Joliet,   LaSalle  and   Marquette,  30 

Jones,   .1.    C,    522 

Jones.  John  S.,  329 

.Johnson,    C.    S.,    376 

Johnson,  Elsie   E.,   890 

Johnson,  Jack,   519 

".Johnson"',  medicine  man,   104 

Johnson,  Sylvanus,  520 

Johnson,  W.  E.,  286 

Johnson,  W.  P.,  336 

.Jones  Brothers,    5]5 

Jones,  Rev.  E.  R.,  660 

Jones,  Gordon,   507 

Jones,  Mrs.  L.  U.,  698 

Jones,  "Mother",  873 

Jones,  W.  P.,  267 

.losephi,  S.,  286 

Journalism   in  Colorado,  781 

Judges  Hallptt,  Belford  and  Wells,  490 

.lulcsliurg  i)nblications,  809 

.iulesliurg,  view  in,  1908,  535 

.Julien,  .Stephen,  52 

Junition  City,  Kansas,  24 

Kansas  Territory,  143 

Kansas  Pacific   Railroad,  334 

Kansas  Pacific  in  financial  straits,  344 

Kaolin  deposits,  558 

Tsaskaskin  to  Fort  Riley,  31 

Kassler,  George  W..  393 

Kearney,   Stephen   W.,   83 

Kearney  expedition,  the,  83 

Kearns,  .John,   152 

Koely,  Thomas,   320 

Kehler,  Rev.  John,  644 

Kellogg,  R.  B.,  418 

Kelly  's  Bar,  267 


Kendall,  S.  L.,  207 
Kendrick,  W.  F.,  222 
Kennedy,  Jonathan,  823 
Kennedy,  J.  L.,  87 
Kennedy,  Mary  E.,  823 
Kent,  S".  J.,  376 
Kerber,   Captain,   714 
Kersey  News,  811 
Kerwin,  Mrs.   Louise  M.,   698 
Kidder,  Frank  E.,  883 
Kincaid,  Mrs.  M.  11.,  696 
King,  Alfred    C,    889 
King,  Clyde  L.,  879 
Kmgsbury,  Capt.   E.  W.,  719 
Kingsbury,  Lieutenant,  78 
Kingsley,  Charles,   165 
Kinna  &  Nye,  144 
Kirby,  J.  c",  147 
Kit  Carson,  58 
Klett,  W.  H.,  846 
Klock,  Mrs.  F.  .S.,  695,  697 
Knapp,  George  L.,  887 
Knights  of  Labor,  837,  845 
Kountze,  Augustus,  396 
Kountze    Brothers '   Bank,  396 
Kountze,  C.   B.,  315,  396 
Kountze,  Herman,   396 
Kountze,  Luther,  336,  396 
Kozlowski,  M.,  712,  713 
Kroenig,  William,  149,  520 
Kroenke,  F.  W.,  880 
Kyner,  George  E.,  812 
Kyner,  William  A.,  812 

Lalior  Statistics,  Bureau  of,  215 

Labor  war  of  1894,  438 

Labor  wars   of   half  a   century,   837 

La  Bruvere,  Faliree  de,  34 

Lafferty,  Mrs.  A.  V.,  698 

La  Glorieta  Pass,  first  battle  of,  712 

La  Glorieta  Pass,  second  battle  of,  713 

La  Harpe,  Benard  de,  32 

La  .Junta,  meaning  and  pronunciation  of,  892 

La   Junta   newspapers,   803 

Lake  City  strike  in    '99,  847 

Lake  City  Times,   813 

Lake  co\inty,  14,  18 

Lake  Okoboji,  Iowa,  88 

Lakes,   Prof'.    Arthur,   881 

La   L.'inde,   Bajdiste,  125 

Lamar  ncws]>apers,   806 

Lamb,   Joseph,   285 

Lambert,  John   J.,   793 

Lamb   feeding  industry,   518 

Lamboin,  R.  Henry,  349 

Lambs  fed  alfalfa,   519 

!,ambs   fed   in    1SS91901,   519 

LaMourc,  Dr.   H.   A.,  822 

Lance,   A.   H.,  377 

Land    commissioners    |iay    treasurer,    bi-nnial 

receipts,    219 
Land,  Gordon,  221 
Land    sales,  acreatro  and  jirice,  219 
Langford,  Dick,  278 
La  Plata  county,  13 
La  Plata  county  papers,  805 
La  Plata  field,  '474 
La   Porte,  14G 
L,-n-amC>e,  .Jacrpies,   124 
Laramie,   Halins   Peak  &  Pacific,  the,  377 
Large   producers,  279 


INDEX 


Larimer  and    Johnson    counties,    mining    his- 
tory of,  291 

Larimer  county,  16 

Larimer  County   Courier,  800 

Larimer  County  Express,  800 

Larimer  county   newspapers,   800 

Larimer,  Gen.   William,  -119,  547,  719,  784 

Larimer,  William,  Jr.,   143 

Larimer's  early  slieep  industry,  517 

Larimer  street,  Denver   (1859),  217 

La  Salle,  Joliet  and  Marquette,  30 

La  Salle-Julesburg  "Cut-off,  369 

La  Salle  Optimist,  811 

Las  Animas  county,   10 

Las  Animas  county  ranked  first  in  coal  pro- 
duction, 1891,  454 

Las  Animas   Leader,   803 

Las  Animas,  meaning   and   pronunciation   of, 
892 

Last  mule  train  to  cross  plains  to  Denver,  327 

Last  Spanish  expedition,  29 

Last  trader,  the,  126 

Later   irrigation    laws,   499 

Lauver,  William,  521 

Lava  stone,  560 

La  Veta,  meaning  of  word  and  as  pronounced, 
892 

Law,  Dr.  John,  769 

Law  Building,  University,  607 

Lawler,  Rev.  B.  F.,  888' 

Lawson,  Captain,    104 

Lawson,  John  R.,  875 

Lawyers,  Territorial,  743 

Leadville,  154 

Leadrille  Chronicle,  796 

Leadrille  Democrat,  the,  788 

Leadville  gold  output,  1898-1907,  270 

Leadville  Herald-Democrat,    797 

Leadville  makes   world   history,   267 

Leadnlle  newspapers,   796 

Leadville  Reveille,  the,  796 

Leadville  strike   of  1880,  838 

Leadville  strike  of  1896-97,  845 

Leadville,  views   in,   155 

Leavenworth,  Col.  J.  H.,  717,   718 

Leavenworth   &   Pike 's   Peak   Express,   .".29 

Leheau,  Antoine,  146 

Le^kenhv  &  Gee,  808 

Le  Doux,  M.,   117 

Lee,   Abe,   267 

Lee,  Mrs.  F.  S.,   697 

Lee,  Harry  A.,  252 

Left  Hand,  Chief,  76 

Le?islation, 

First  Medical,  771 
Osteopathic,   772 
Chiropractic,  772 
Miscellaneous  medical,   772-3 
Women   medical   practitioners,   773 

Length   of  sessions  and   number  of  members, 
territorial   organization,   180 

LeRossignol,  James  E.,  886 

Letter,  half-ounce,   $5.00,  330 

Letter  postage,   50  cents,  328 

Letters  of  General  Palmer,  353 

Lewis  and   Clark,  39 

Lewis  law,  the,  819 

Lewis,  Cant.  Meriwether,  39 

Lewis,  Judge  R.  E.,  733 

Libby,    Professor,   881 

Limestone,   560 


Lincoln  county  cattle  war,  529 

Lincoln,   President,   419 

Lindsev,  Judge  Ben  B.,  444,  887 

Link,   Celsus  P.,  207 

Linthicnm,  Richard,  887 

Lijitrap,  William,  519 

List  of  delegates  to  constitutional  conven- 
tion,  183 

Littletield    (LIT)    herd,    the,    516 

Little  Raven,  Chief,  76 

Live  stock  on  hand,  530 

Live  stock  statistics,  530 

Livingston,  Robert  R.,  37 

Livingston,  W.  W.,  520 

Loans,  Total  of  all  banks,  1918,  416 

Lobach,    Ed.,    286 

Location  and  character  of  coal  mines,  1888, 
452 

Logan,  Capt.  Samuel  M.,  702,  704 

Logan  County  Advocate,  800 

Logan  county  papers,  800 

Londoner,    Wolfe,    268 

Long,  R.  F.,  157,  295 

Long's  exploring  expedition,  50 

"Longhorns,"    510 

Long  silver  fight,  the,  436 

Look,  J.   M.,  620 

Loop   at   Georgetown,  369 

Lore,  Dr.   Minnie  C.  T.,  693 

Loramie,  Jacques,  124 

Lorgnette,  the,  790 

Loring,  Col.  W.  W.,  706 

Loss  at  Leadville  strike  of  1890,  847 

Lottes,  Fred,  287 

Louisiana  Purchase,  the,  37 

Louthan,  Harriet  H.,  886.  889 

Loutzenheiser,  O.   D.,  156 

Loveioy,   Frederick,   .^61 

Loveiand  Daily  Herald,  800 

Loveland  Reporter,  800 

Loveiand,  W.  A.  H.,  147,  329,  420,  429,  788 

Lowest  point  in  state,  1 

Lncksiuger  Brothers,  521 

Ludlow  Tent  Colony,  875 

Lunacy  law,  the  new,  822 

Lunt,  H.  G.,  317 

Lupton,  Lancaster  P.,  122 

Liithcran  church  organizers,  650 

Lutheran  congregations,  1918,  650 

Lvnde,  Maj.  Isaac,  706 

Lyoii,  Gen.'  Nathaniel,   702 

Lyons,  Daniel,  884 

McAfee,  H.  H.,  417 

McAllister,  Henrv,  163 

McClure,  G.  W.,"393 

McClure,  W.  P.,  149,  418 

McCluvg.  Virginia  D.,  888 

McCook,  Gen.  E.  M.,  421 

McCook,  Governor,  587,  688,  689,  823 

McCormick  Bros..  800 

McCormick,  Charles  H.,  860 

McCormick,  R.  R.,  344 

McCoy,  Harlev.  435 

McCieery.  J.  W.,  620 

McCue,  Thomas,  445 

McDermott.,  G.  L..  890 

McDonald,  Jesse  F.,  444 

McDonnell,  J.  A.,  498 

McDowell,  William  F.,  884 

McFadden,  A.,  418 


INDEX 


McFadiliiig,  Willinni,  1?,6 

McGaa,  William,  K!4 

McGee,  W.  B.,  286 

McGinlcv,   William,   154 

McGuiie,  William  M.,  879 

Mflntire,  Hon.  Albert  W.,"  846 

Mclntvre,  Robert,  889 

Mi'Kee,  .1.  R.,  317 

McKinlev,  President  William,  721 

McKnigfit,  John,   116 

MeKuight,  Robert,  125 

Mi'Laehlin,  George,  445 

MeLain,  W.  D.,  719 

McLean,  Samuel,  417 

McLeod,  Rov.  Norman,  654 

McMillan,  M.  J.,  521 

M.Minn,  T.  J.,  508 

Me  Reynolds,  Robert,  878,  887 

Mac-Carthy.   .Tames,   879 

Mackv  Auditorium,  Boulder,  605 

INraoNeill,   Charles   A.,   317 

MacXeill,  C.  M.,  850,  851,  852 

Macon,  Thomas,  429,  736 

Macon,  Mrs.  M.  B.,  696 

Madal,  Pedro,  22 

Madden,  W.  M.,  375 

Mailic,  Cajit.  Charles,  704 

Maintenance  of  jjcnitentiary,  816 

Maisonneuve,  and  Preneloupe,  109 

Majors,  .\le.xander,  878 

Making  timber  profitaVile,  564 

Mallet  brothers,  32 

Malone,  Thomas  H.,  879 

Manitou  &  Pike's  Peak  Ry.,  377 

Manitou,  view  of,  21 

Mansfield,  E.  L.,  106 

Mansfield,  William,  518 

Manufacturing,  building  up,  546 

Manzanola,  805 

Marbles,   559 

Marbois,  Marquis  de,  38 

Marion,   Capt.   C.   P.,  704 

Maniuette,  LaSalle  and  Joliet,  30 

Marsh,  Alvin,  428 

Marston,  E.  L.,  363 

Martha   Washington   claim,  276 

Martin,  D.  J.,  43S 

Martins,  Oscar  and  Kelley,  518 

Ma-son,  (Hiarley,  66 

Masterful  leadership  wins,  334 

Masterson,  Bat,  356 

Matteson,  Mrs.  Nellie  E.,  695 

Matthews  Hall,  646 

Matthews,  Robert,  520 

Maupin,  .7.  H.,  4.35 

"Maverick"  legislation,  509 

Maxwell.  L.  B.,  520 

Maver,  William,  320 

Mavnard,  .1.  S.,  511,  517 

Mobley,   R.   I).,    154 

Mears,  Otto,  218 

Medary,  S.,  498 

Me<lical  .\ssociation,  Denver,  767 

Medical   Association,  Territorial,  766 

Medical   .\ssociation.   Territorial   ofTicers,  766 

Medical   Convention,   Territorial,  767 

Medii-al   Legislation,  First,  771 

Medical  Lilirary   .Association,  773 

Medical   organ i/.ation.s. 

List  of,  769 

Membership,   769 


Medical  practitioners.  First  women,   773 

Medical  iirofession,  765-780 

Medical  Society,   Territorial   organization   of, 

.     767 

Medical  Society,  Territorial 

Officers  of,  767 

Charter  members,  768 

Roster  of  presidents,   768 
Meeker,  Nathan  C,  103,  159,  516,  810 
Meeker,  Mrs.,   107 
Melgares,  Lieut.  Facundo,  29 
Mellen,  William  P.,  349 
Members,  board  of  agriculture,  1877,  615 
Membership  of  first  Baptist  organization,  636 
Mendoza,  Antonio  de,  22 
Men  initiating  Woman  's  College,  627 
Merino  Breese,  801 
Merriam,  Col.  H.  C,  731 
Merrick,  J.  L.,  417 
Merritt,  General,  106 
Mesereau,  J.  P.,  349 
Mertcns,  William,  362 
Mesa  county,  16 
Mesa  county  and  its  mines,  291 
Mesa  county  journals,  801 
Mesa  county  mail,  801 
Mesa,  meaning  of,  893 
Mesa  Verde,  the,  06 
Metal   output  of  Colorado,  302,  309 
Methodist   church  property,  667 
Metliodist  l^jiiscopal  church,  South,  669 
Methodist  Episcopal  church,  661 
Methodist  membershij),    1871,   666 
Meyer,  G.  R.,  315 
Meyer,  L.  H.,  361 
Middaugh,  W.  H.,  172 
Middle  Park  Times,  807 
Middleton,   Robert,   149 
Miegc,  Rt.  Rev.  ,L  B.,  677 
Mileage  and  names  of  railroads  operating  in 

Colorado.  1918,  380 
Military,  701 

Military  recuperation  camp,  777 
Militia'at  strikes,  840 
Miller,  George  W.,  428 
Miller,  H.  I.,  375 
Miller,  John  D.,  879 
Miller,  Jose)ih,  110 
Miller,  J.   P..   320 
Milliken,  .L  D.,  376 
Mills,  D.  v.,  329 
Mills,  Enos  A.,  880 
Mills'  Irrigation  Manual,  501 
Mine   fatalities,  1882-1917,  464 
Mine  operators'  reports,  1859,  241 
Mine  Omicrs '  .\ssociation    at   Cripple   Creek, 

position  of,  in  1904,  861 
Mine  Owners'  .\ssociation,  867 
Mine  jiroiliiction  up  to  1880,  260 
Mineriil  county,   11 
Mineral  county.  In  ])rosiierous,  292 
Mineral   distribution,  304 
Mineral  Springs,   13 
Miners'  courts,   171 
Miners'  organizations,  837 
Miners'  Register,  the.   796 
Miners'   unions  in   1903,  838 
Mines   (coan.  Talile  of,   1916.  456  462 
Mines   in   18HH,  location,  and  kind  of  coal,  452 
Mines  of  Mesa  county,  291 
Mines  of  Park  county,  262 


XVI 


INDEX 


Mines  of  the  San  Juan,  271 

Mining  by  early  explorers,  228 

Mining  by  sections,   262 

Mining  engineers,  prominent,  278 

Mining  history,  beginnings,  228 

Mining  history  of  Chaffee  county,  299 

Mining  histor_y   of   Grand   county,   2SS 

Mining  history    of    Gunnison   county,    287 

Mining    history    of    Larimer    and    Jackson 

counties,  291 
Mining  superintendents,  prominent,  278 
Mint  asked  for  Colorado,  394 
Minturn,    R.   B.,   361 
Miscellaneous  coal  statistics,  464 
Missouri  City,    147 
Missouri  Pacific  Railway,  371 
Mitchell,  Ellen   M.,   882" 
Mitchell,  James,    265 
Mitchell,  John.  871;  strike  order  address  by, 

872;   sued;   872 
Moer,  Samuel,    702 
Moffat   and    Routt    counties,   mining   history, 

298  .    "  " 

Moffat   county,  17 
Moffat  County   Courier,  808 
Moffst,  David    H.,    292,    317,   336,    344.    361, 

373,   377,   383,   404,   788,   843 
Moffat,  David  H.,  death  of,  374 
Moffat,  David  H.,  postmaster,  330 
Moffat,  F.  G.,  373 
Moffat  Roail,  the,  288,  372 
Monell,  T.   W.,  522 
Monroe,  James,   38 
Montague,  Rev.   Richard,   884 
Montana  City,    134 
Monte  Vista  papers,  807 
Montezuma  county,    13 
Montezuma  coMnty  weeklies,  802 
Slontezuma's  mine   history,   293 
Montgomery,    150 
Montrose,  154 
Montrose  newspapei-s,  802 
Monument  A'allev  Park,  203 
Mooers  J.   H.,  99 
Jfoonlight,  Col.   Thomas,   96 
Moore,  J.  C,  418 
Jfoore,  John   C,   789 
Moore,  .Julius,    106 
Moore,  M.  A.,  418 
Moore,  Dr.  R.  B.,  294 
Moore,  R.  M.,  522 
Moorehouse,  C.  J.,  216 
Morath,  Lelah  P.,  887 
Morgan   County   Herald,  803 
Morgan  County  News,  803 
Morgan  county  papers,  803 
Morgan  County  Republican,  803 
Morgan,  E.  B.',   207 
Morgan,  John  E.,  889 
Moriset^te.  Oliver,    146 
Morley,  W.    R.,   352 

Morning  Times   Publishing   Company,   812 
Morrissey,  W.   L.    216 
Morse,  Harley   B.,   428 
Morton,  Capt.  G.  W.,  719 
Moseoseo  's  march,  25 
Moses,   Capt.   Thomas,   Jr.,    719 
Mother  Jones,   873 
Mother  Maggart 's    Hotel,    174 
Mother 's  compensation  act,  836 


Mount   Massive,   3 

Mount   Sueffels,   296 

Mountain  City,  146 

Mountain  States  Telephcjne  &  Telegraph  Co., 

384 
Mountain  parks,  483,  568 
Mountains,  1 

Moving  the  Capital  to  Colorado  Citv,  174 
Moyer,  Charles  H.,  838,  852;  arrested,  862 
Mullin,   Louden,     156 
MuUins,   Dennis,    438 
Mulnix,   H.   E.,   446 
Multifarious  small  life,  572 
Munroe,  John,   157 
Murders  and  outrages  of  1860,  787 
Myers,  Charles,   52 

Xames  of  delegates  to  constitutional  con- 
vention,  183 

Naming  the  new  territory,  418 

Names  and  mileage  of  roads  operating  in 
Colorado,  Jan.  1,  1918,  380 

Napoleon,  35 

Nash,  E.  W.,  314 

National  forests  in  Colorado,  568 

National  Good    Roads    Association,    579 

National  Guard  of  Colorado,  728 

National  Jewish  Hospital  for  Consumptives, 
684 

National  Live  Stock  Association,  514 

National  Live   Stock  Show,  524 

National  monuments,    569 

National  Radium  Institute,  294 

National  radium   projx'rty,   294 

National  Sugar  Com]>any,  543 

National  Western   Horse  Show,  525 

National   Western  Poultry  Show,  526 

Need  of  transportation,  333 

New  Century  Power  &  Light  Company,  374 

New  counties    created,    198 

Newell,  F.   H..  514 

Newell,  W.,   521 

New  Mexico  joins  confederacy,  706 

New  Raymer   enterprise,   811 

Newspapers  of  Colorado,  781 

News  sold    to   Loveland,    431 

Newspaper  rates  in   the    '60s,   788 

News,  The,  becomes  daily,  786 

Nichols,  Charles,    134 

Nickerson,   .Toseph,   371 

Nizza,  Marcos  de,  22 

Non-metals  that  enter  into  manufacturing 
history  of  Colorado,  557 

Non-Partisan  Equal  Suffrage  Association, 
693 

Nordenskiold,   Baron    Gustav,    65 

Norlin,  Professor,  881 

Norris,   J.    C,   435 

North   Cheyenne   Canon,   203 

Northern  Colorado,  home  of  potato,  481 

Northern  Colorado  Power  Company,  320 

North    Park    field,    471 

Northwestern  Colorado,  483 

Northwestern  Terminal   Railway,   376 

Novelists,  887 

Nowland,  Mordecai,  52 

Number  of   national   banks,   1918,   416 

Number  of  savings  banks,  1918,  416 

Number  of  state  banks,   1918,  416 

Nunn  News,  811 


INDEX 


xvii 


Oak  Tree   (Willow)   House,  72 

Oakes,  D.   (J.,   135 

Oakley,  J.,  52 

Oats  aud  bailey  yield  well,  482 

O'Baunion   &   Company,   282 

Occupation  of  deaf  mute  and  blind  at  State 

Institution,  S25 
O'Conuell,  Tiiomas,  521 
Odell,  John    M.,    417 
O'Donnell,  T.  J.,  434,  445;  reminiscences  by, 

749 
Officials  at  State  Hospital,  822 
Officers  and    directors,    Denver    Pacific,    340 
Officers,  Denver  Slielteriug  House  for  Jewish 

Children,  6S7 
Officers  of   banks,   401 

Officers  of  banks  outside  of  Denver,  404-08 
Officers  of  Colorado  Midland,  191S,  372 
Officers  of  Colorado  I'ower  Company,  318 
Officers  of  Denver  >>'ational  Bank,  401 
Officers  of  gold  camp  railroads,  378 
Officers  of  State  School  for  Deaf  and  Blind, 

825 
Officers  of  Western  Light  &  Power  Company, 

320 
Officers  of    United    States    Xatioiial    Bank, 

401 
Oil  fields,  560 
Oil  flotation,  258 
Oil  production  of  Colorado,  560 
Oil  shales,  561 
Oldest  bank  in  Denver,  400 
Old  fence  laws,  the,  516 
Olive,  J.  P.,  521 
Oliiey,  Henry  C,  156 
Onate  's  expedition,  25 
Onate's  second  expedition,  26 
On  the  White  Kiver  and  on  the  Bear,  527 
Open   to   mining,   565 
Opportunity   schools,  588 
Organized  at  Westport,  62 
Organizers  of  Christian  Science  Church,  652 
Origin  of  the  Cliff  Dwellers,   74 
Orman,   W.   B.,  371 
Oro  City,   150 
Orr,  Jackson,  438 
O  'Hyan,  William,  879 
Osljorn,  Professor,  881 
Osteopathy,  legislation,  772 
Otero   county   nowspajiers,  803 
Other  power   plants,  323 
Other  towns  of  1859,  150 
Otis  pai)ers,  809 
Ourav,    157 
Ouray,   Chief,  77 
Onray  county,  14 
Ouray  intervenes,  107 
Ouray  journals,  805 
Onray,  named  for  chief,  893 
Ouray  Plaindealcr,  295 
Ouray 's  famous   mines,    295 
Outcome,   the    (Indian   battle),   102 
Output  of  petroleum,  .')fi2 
Overland  Cotton  Mills,  435 
Overland   Kxpress,  328 
Owen,  Carl  M.,  378 
Owena,  F.  W.,  442 

Pabor,  William  E.,  488,  889 
Pacific  Hailroad  bill  in  congress,  332 
Packing  industry,  526 

Vol.  I— 88 


Paddock,   Lieut.  J.   V.  S.,   104 

Padoueas,  the,  76 

Paganni,  Josef,  873 

Page,  Jean  H.,  889 

Pagosa   Springs,   13 

Paine,  Col.   W.  H.,   229 

Painted    House,    72 

Palisade   Tribune,   801 

Palmer   field,    824 

Palmer,  Ceii.  Williaiii  J.,  163-166,  338,  346, 
358,  361,  794,  824 

Palmer,  General  William  J.,  on  cattle  raising 
possibilities,    520 

Panic   hits  banks,  438 

Panic  of  1873  stops  construction,  343 

Paper  mills,  554 

Parish,  John  C,  883 

Parish,    William,    52 

Park  County  Kepublican,  799 

Park  county  journals,  799 

Parkman,  Francis,  118,  479 

Park   Point,   68 

Parks,   2 

Parks,  C.  C,  446 

Parole  law,  818 

Parsons,  Dr.    John,   394 

Parsons,  Edward  S.,  883 

Parsons,  Eugene,  230,  877,  878,  879,  880,  885 

Parsons,  Eustace  B.,  883 

Parsons,  John,  156         < 

Passenger  fares  in   1871,  342 

Passing  of  last  great  herd,  the,  515 

Pastors  of  First  Congregational  Church,  656 

Patients  at  State  Hospital,  821 

Patterson,    Miss   Margaret,   694 

Patterson,  Miss  Mary  E.,  694 

Patterson,  Thomas  M.,  302,  422,  445,  788 

Patton,   Miles,   418 

Pawnee  Press,  811 

Paxson,  F.   L.,   879 

Payne,  Capt.  J.  S.,  104 

Payne,   Prof.   J.   E.,   512 

Peabodv-Adams  contest,  the,  444 

Peabody,  D.  G.,  286 

Peabody,  Governor,  at  Victor,  in  1904,  ad- 
dresses mine  owners,  861 

Peabody,  Gov.   J.   H.,  442,  867,  869 

Peabody,  Leila,  889 

Peabody,  Maj.  W.  S.,  730 

Peaks,  Spanish,  893 

Peale,  T.  R.,  52 

Pearce's  improved  ore  treatment,  312 

Pearce  's,   Richard,   work,  312 

Pearson,  Dr.  F.  S.,  375 

Pock,  Charles  D.,   149 

Pcnitentitary    commissioners,    819 

Penitentiary    site,    816 

Penitentiary,   the,  816 

I'eople's  and  Miners'  courts,  171 

I'eople 's  champion,  815 

Period  of  American  exploration,  37 

Period   of   greatest   development,   495 

I'orshing,  Dr.  H.  T.,  883 

Person,  Mrs.  T).  S.,  888 

P.Trv,  J.  D.,  344 

Perry,   S.   M.,  373 

Petroleum    output,   562 

Pettis,  R.   Newton,  419,  734 

Phelps,  George  S..  889 

Phelps,  J.   J.,   286 

Philips,  iludge  J.  F.,  reminiscences  of,  755 


XVIII 


INDEX 


"  Phillebert 's  company,"  110 

Pliillips,  Dauiel  K.,  882 

Phillips,  J.  B.,  2U7,  355 

Phipps,  L.  C,  375 

'Plioues  in  Colorado  in  1893,  390 

Physicians,  Denver,  1866,  767 

Piedmont,   150 

Pierce,  J.  H.,  232,  879 

Pierce,  John,  336 

Pierce  Leader,    811 

Pierce,  W.  S.,  362 

Piernas,   Pedro,   35 

Piero,  Don  Pedro,  114 

Pierson,  Ward  E.,  375 

Pike,  Lieut.  Zebulon  M.,  229,  325,  491 

Pike  describes   trip,  44 

Pike's  first  and  second  expeditious,  40 

Pike's  journal,   45 

Pike's  Peak  auto  highway,  575 

Pike's  Peak  express,  785 

Pike's  Peak  Guide,  781 

Pike  's  sincerity,  49 

Pinchot,  Gifford,  514 

Pinto  beans,  485 

Pioneer  banking  business,  394 

Pioneer  bench  and  bar,  739 

Pioneers  in  cattle  industry,  528 

Pitkin  county,  18 

Pitkin  county    mining,   301 

Pitkin,  Governor,   432,  839 

Pitkin  Miner,  the,  815 

Plants    operated    by    steam,    Colorado    Power 

Company,  318 
Platte  Valley  Post,  811 
Platteville  News,   811 
Platteville  Progress,  811 
Platteville  Herald,  811 
Point   Lookout,  68 
Political  conventions  1892,  437 
Politics  of   1884-96,  432-434 
Politics  of  1895-96,  440 
Pollock,   Thomas,   497 
Pony  Associated  Press,  793 
"Pony  Bob"  carries  Lincoln  message,  332 
Pony  Express,  the,  329-330 
I'ope,  Gen.  John,  103 

Porter,  H.  H.,  377 

Porter,  Henrv  M.,   383 

Porter,  J.  R.,  521 

Portland  and  Telluride  mills  declared  unfair 
by  union,  850 

Position  of  Colorado,  1 

Post,  C.  C,  418 

Post  Publishing  Company,  792 

Post,  William  H.,  106 

Postage,  letters.  50c;  newspapers,  10c,  328 

Potatoes  worthless,  165 

Pottery,  tiles,  etc.,  547 

Power  plants  of  Colorado,  317 

Prairie  Cattle  Company,  the,  515 

"Prairie  Schooners,"  126 

Prather,  Charles  E.,  884 

Precious   metal    mining    in   Montrose   county, 
295 

Precipitation,  6 

Preneloupe  and  Maisonneuve,  109 

Preparatory  school,  the,  606 

Presbyterian  church,  the,  669 

Presbvterian  ministers,  670 

Presidential  veto  of  statehood  bills,  421 

Presidents  of  Colorado  National  Bank,  400 


Presidents  of  First  National  Bank,  400 

Press  of  Colorado,  the,  781 

Preston,  W.  G.,  150 

Price,  E.,   106 

Price,  Lieut.  Butler  D.,  104 

Price,  M.  P.,  522 

Price,  Mrs.,  107 

Price  paid  farmers  for  beets,  541 

Prices  paid  by  Blackhawk  smelter  before  1870, 
314 

Primary  law  passed,  447 

Prince  &  Co.,  F.  H.,  375 

Printing  press,  the  first,  781 

Prison  labor,  817,  819 

Prison  life  and  rules,  820 

Prisoners  at  penitentiary,  818 

Pritchard,  Maj.  J.  L.,  720 

Private  banks,  number  of,  416 

Privately  hung,  510 

Proclamation,  Civil  War,  705 

Production  of  big  mine  properties  up  to  1880, 
260 

Production  of  1917,  487 

Production  of  smelters,  1917,  316 

Production  of  sugar,  542 

Progress  of  immigration,  487 

Prompt  action  by  President  Cleveland,  513 

Pronunciation  of  name  Colorado,  891 

Pronunciation  of  vowels  in  Spanish,  891 

Proposed  Cody  monument,  571 

Provisional  government,  418 

Protected  range,  565 

Protecting  the  timber,  563 

Protestant  Episcopal  church,  642 

Prowers  county  papers,  806 

Prowers,  J.  W.,  520,  522 

Public  Lands  Commission,  514 

Public  Utilities  Commission,  206,  556 

Publishing  telegraphic  news  in  1860,  786 

Pueblo  &  Arkan.'=as  Valley  R.  R.  Co.,  371 

Pueblo,  and  State  Hospital,  821 

Pueblo  Chieftain,  792 
Pueblo  City,  152 

Pueblo,  meaning  of  the  word  and  pronuncia- 
tion, 891 
Pueblo  newspapers,  794 

Pueblo  Press,  793 

Pueblo  Sun,  793 

Pueblo  Sunday  Opinion,  794 

Pueblo,  the,  118 

Pueblo  uprising,   26 

Pueblo,  views  in,  153 

Pumphrey,  A.,  156 

Purcell,  James,  110,  125,  229 

Purgatoire  and  Picketwire,  892 

Pyron,  Major,  713 

Quinn,  William,  295 
Quivira,  City  of,  24 

Rabbis  of  Denver,  683 

Raine,  W.  M.,  8S6 

Railroads  operating  in  Colorado,  Jan.  1,  1918, 

380 
Ramage.  J.  D.,  144 
Ramaley,  Prof.  Francis,  881 
Randall,  Rt.  Rev.  G.  M.,  645 
Randall,  John,  265 
Randall,  Samuel  J.,  424 
Range  conditions  in  1879,  511 
Ransonie,  F.  L.,  293 


INDEX 


XIX 


Eatou ;  what  it  means  aud  how  to  pronounce, 

892 
Raton  field,  467 
Eathvon,  S.  F.,  286 
Bawalt,  C.  T.,  622 
Baynolds,  J.,  371 

Reaction  (Sand  Creek  massacre),  93 
"Recall,"  the,  adopted,  448 
Receipts  of  state  land  commissioners'  board, 

paid  to  treasurer,  219 
Reclamation  act  of  1902,  496 
"Recollections  and  Reflections,"  648 
Record    of    largest    mills    using    chlorination 

process,  252 
Record  of  smelters  for  fifty  years,  310 
Recreation  centers,  567 
Recruiting,  First  for  Civil  War,  703 
Recuperation  camp,  777 
Red  Cloud  (portrait),  101 
Red  Mountain  &  Silverton  R.  R.,  272 
Red  River  sought,  48 
Radford,  A.  J.,  521 

Reduction  mill  workers  strike  in  1903,  850 
Reed,  Judge  G.  B.,  736 
Reed,  G.  C,  620 
Reed,  Rev.  Myron,  656,  884 
Reed,  Verner  Z.,  801,  887 
Reese,  Dempsey,  157 
Reformatory,  the  State,  829 
Reformed  church  in  U.  S.,  640 
Register-Call,  the,  796 
Reiff,  J.  C,  361 
Reign  of  terror,  90 
Reisncr,  Christian  F.,  884 
Religious  history  of  Colorado,  632 
Removal  of  Governor  Gilpin,  420 
Renniger,  Theodore,  292 
Report,  1916,  of  mining  bureau  commissioner, 

256 
Report  of  director  of  extension,  619 
Report  of  state  engineer,  1913-14,  502,  504 
Republic  of  Texas,  30 
Republican  factions  in  riot,  435 
Republican  Publishing  Company,  791 
Requirements  of  standardization,  588 
Reservoirs,  496 
Reynolds,  James,  721 
Reynolds,  Miss  H.  M.,  693 
Reynolds,  Miss  Minnie  J.,  694 
Rezner,  Jacob,  110 
Ribera,  Don  Juan  de,  228 
Rice,  Harmon  H.,  883,  885 
Richards,  D.  M.,  688,  689 
Richards,  W.  A.,  514 
Richardson,  Andy,  296 
Richardson,  A.  D.,  240,  632,  783 
Richardson,  Sylvester,  156 
Richmond,  Judge  G.  Q.,  736 
Richthofon,  W.  B.,  508 
Rickcr,  W.  H.,  152 
Rico  ("Bear  River")  mountains,  12 
Riddle,   Mrs.   A.  L.,   698 
Riddle,  H.  C,  376 
Ridgway,   Amos  C,  362,  373 
]{io   Blanco  county,  14 
Rio  Bhmco  county   i)apers,   807 
Rio  (irande  &  Western,  the,  360 
Rio  Grande  county,  8 
Rio  Grande  county  mining  history,  298 
Rio  Grande;   how  it   was   named  and  how   to 

pronounce  it,  892 


Kio  Mancos,  29 

Rioters  tleported  from  Cripple  Creek  and  Vic- 
tor (19U4),  865,  866 
Riots  at   Cripple    Creek   and   Victor    (1904), 
864 

Riots   at  Leadville    (1896),  846 

Ri])arian  rights,  501 

Rising,  A.  J.,  736 

Ritter,  H.   L.,   207 

Rivera,  Juan  Maria,  28 

Road  building  and  telephone  lines,  566 

Road  metal,  558 

Koad   work  done   by  prisoners,  818 

Robbins,  Capt.   S.   H.,   704,   715 

Robbins,  Wilfred  W.,  882 

Roberts,  C.    E.,   518 

Roberts,  Ellis  H.,  422 

Roberts,  F.   H.   H.,   882 

Roberts,  L.  F.,  521 

Robertson,  Sheriff,  863 

Robinson,  A.  A.,  358 

Robinson,  Edward,   110 

Robinson,  Mrs.  H.  R.,  698 

Robinson,  Helen  R.,  885 

Robinson,  Dr.  J.  H.,  765 

Rock  Island  road,  the,  377 

Rocky  Ford 's   publications,  803 

Rocky  Mountain  Baptist  Association,  637 

Rocky  Mountain    Highway   Association,   579 

Rocky  Mountain  Gold  Reporter,  789,  796 

Rocky  Mountain   News,   783 

Rocky  Mountain   News,  early  issues  of,  787 

Rocky  Mountain  News  in  refutation,  480 

Rocky  Mountain  News  Printing  Company,  788 

Rogers,   A.   N.,   250 

Rogers,   J.    S.,    150 

Roman  Nose,  Chief,  90,  99 

Romance  of  mining  in  Summit  county,  265 

Rood,  H.  E.,  154 

Roof,  E.  O.,  445 

Rooker,  S.  M.,  136 

Rooms  at  School  for  the  Deaf  and  Blind,  825 

Roosevelt,  Theodore,  446,  514,  867 

Roosevelt  drainage  tunnel,  255 

Root,  Frank  A.,  787 

Ross-Lewin,  G.   E.,  373 

Roubideau,  Antoino,  123 

"Roundups"  important  occasions,  510 

Routes  of  territorial  roads,  577 

Routt,  Col.  J.  L.,  422,  435 

Routt,  John  L.,  wins  governorship,  428 

Routt,  Mrs.  John  ]..,  694,  695 

Routt  chosen    governor,   434 

Routt  and  Moffat  counties  journals,  808 

Routt  and  Moffat  counties  mining  history,  298 

Routt  county,  17 

Routt  County  Sentinel,  808 

Rowell,  Capt.  L.  D.,  718 

Ruble,  Mrs.  A.  M.,  697 

Rndd,  Anson,  816 

Rudgers,  Marian,  833 

Ruin  Canon,  69 

Runvon,  Charles  B.,  889 

Russell   and   McPadden,  230 

Russell  arrives  at  Central  City,  246 

R\issell  Brothers,  230 

Russell  expcilition,  the,  230 

Russell,  John  E.,  329 

R\issell,  Joseph   O.,  233 

Russell,  L.   J.,   136 

R\isscll,  Dr.  Levi  J.,  235,  765 


XX 


INDEX 


Russell,  Majors  &  Waddell,  329,   393 

Russell,  William  Greeu,  158,  231 

Russell,  William   H.,   393 

Buxton,  Frederick,   120 

Ryau,  Mrs.  Marion  M.  R.,  888 

Ryan,  B.,  377 

St.  Ange,  Captain,  35 

St.  Charles  Town  Assoeiatiou,  134 

St.  Joe  to  Denver,  2  days,  21  hours,  330 

St.  John's  cathedral,  643 

St.  Louis- Western  colony,  162 

St.  Luke's  Hospital,  Denver,  648 

St.  Peter's  Episcopal  church,  Pueblo,  650 

St.  Vrain,  Ceran,  116 

San  Juan,  pronounced,  893 

San  Juan  county,  11 

San  Juan  Crescent,  813 

Sau  Juan   output,    gold   and   silver,    271 

San  Juan   Prospector,   807 

San  Luis  Park  named,  892 

San  Luis  valley,   11,  482 

San  Luis  Valley  Grapliic,  807 

San  Miguel  and  its  famous  mines,  300 

San  Miguel   countj',    12 

Santa  Fe  holds  Eatou  Pass,  351 

Santa  Pe  Railway,  370 

Santa  Fe  Trail,  the,  125,  370,  573 

Santa  Fe  TraU  becomes  a  thing  of  the  past, 

126 
Sabiu,  E.,  Le  Grand,   887 
Saddle   tree   manufacturing  plant,  554 
Sage,  Rufus  B.,  229 
Sagendorf,  A.,  498 

Saguache,  origin  of  name  of,  892,  893 
Saguache  county  mines,  300 
Saguache  publications,   808 
Salida  papers,   797 
Salomon   F.  Z.,  384,  498 
Saltelo,   Don   Ignatio,   47 
Salter,  Rev.  C.  C,  655 
Sanatoria,   list   of,   776 
Sanborn,  B.  D.,  620 
Sanborn,  Capt.  G.  L.,  704 
Sanborn,    Col.    John   B.,   87 
Sanchez,  Alonzo,  25 
Sanders,   James,  236 
Sanderson,   Henrv,   378 
Sands,  Valuable,"  558 
Sandstone,  559 
Sanford,  J.  B.,  443 
Sangre  de  Cristo,  meaning  of,  892 
Sargent,  Nelson,  329 
Sarpy,  John  B.,  124 
Sarpv,  Peter  A.,  122 
Saxton,  Mrs.  H.  S.,  692 
Say,  Dr.  Thomas,  52 
Saylor,   Charles  F.,  533 
Sayre,   Hal,   492 

Scale  of  miners'   wases  in  Leadville,  845 
Schiff,  Jacob  H.,  362 
Schlacks,   C.   H.,  363 
Schlesinger,  Sara  R..  888 
School  buildings,  589,  602 
School  districts  in   1880,  589 
School   districts  organized,  589-602 
School  enrollment,  589-602 
School  for   the  Deaf  and   Blind,  823 
School  libraries,    589 
Schools  by  counties,   589-602 
Schools  of  Agricultnre,  617,  618 


Schunim,  Casper,  521 

Schuyler,   Howard,  349 

Schuylerare,  W.  S.,  320 

Schlater,  William  L.,  883 

Scott,  Bishop,  661 

Scott,  W.  L.,  361 

Scoville,   H.  H.,  Jr.,  498 

Seudder,  Edwin,  421 

Scurry,  Col.  W.  R.,  713 

Searight,   T.   B.,   421 

Sears,  Jasper,   395 

Second  Colorado  Cavalry  Regiment,  719 

Second  Colorado  Cavalry,  Career  of,  720 

Second  Colorado  Infantry  Regiment,  717 

Second  Denver  daily,  789 

Second  effort  for  statehood,  420 

Secretaries  of  state,  193 

Sedgwick  County  Sentinel,  809 

Selling  timber  at  cost,  564 

Sells,  C.  W.,  377 

Semple,  James  A.,  879 

Senatorial  candidates,  1879,  431 

Separate  school  for  colored  children,  588 

Serra,  Junipero,  28 

Service  flag  of  the  U.  of  Denver,  612 

Settlement  on  Denver  site,  134 

Settlement  of  Colorado  Springs,  163 

Settlement  of  miners'  and  employers'  differ- 
ences (1894),  843 

Settlements  in  Cripple  Creek  strike  (1904), 
857 

Seven  Years'  War,  35 

Seventh  Day  Adventists,  660 

Sewall,  Dr.  Henry,  773,  881 

Sewell,  Burton,   314 

Seymour,  Samuel,  52 

Shackelford,  Ethel,  896 

Shafer,  D.,  418 

Shafer,  J.  M.,  146 

Shafer,  Sheldon,  284 

Shaffeuberg,  M.  A.,  371,  816 

Shaffer,  John  C,  789 

Shafroth,  John  F.,  445 

Shank,  J.  L.,  87 

Shaw,  N.  B.,  265 

Sheedy,  Dennis,  315,  521 

Sheep  and  cattle,  value  and  number,  1879,  511 

Sheep  and  their  value,  531 

Sheep  raising  in  early  years,  528 

Sheppard,  Frederick,  106 

Sheridan,  Mrs.  Marion,  695 

Sheridan,  Gen.  Phil,  731 

Sheridan,  W.  C,  403 

Sherwood,  R.  M.,  520 

Shook,  Ed,   507 

Shoup,  George  L.,  92 

Sibley,  Gen.  H.  H.,  707,  710,  711 

Sierra  Journal,  814 

Silver  and  gold  production,  260 

Silver  convention,  436 

Silver  fight,  the  long,  436 

Silver  jiroduction  in  Boulder  county,  274 

Silver  republicans  desert,  442 

Silver  World,  813 

Silverton,  156 

Silverton  Standard,  805 

Silverton  's  two  papers,  808 

Silvestre,  Francisco,  28 

Simmons,  Anna  W.,  890 

Simmons,  J.  E.,  362 

Simmons,  Z.   G.,  377 


INDEX 


Simms,  Mrs.  Mary,  l.'J2 

Simon  (iuggeiiheim  Hall,  622 

Simpsou,  George,  118 

Simpson,  George  S.,  478 

Simpson,  Capt.  William,  84:'. 

Site  for  penitentiary  donated,  816 

Sitting  Bull  (portrait),  105 

Situation  in  Cripple  Creek  strike  (1894),  841 

Situation    (K.   K.)   in  1868,  336 

Six  mills  closed  by  strike  iii  1903,  854 

Sixteen  beet  sugar  factories,  544 

66,500,000  acres  of  land,  480 

Skiff,  F.  J.  v.,  878 

Skiff,  F.  M.,  520 

Skinner,  A.  C,  445 

Skinner,  W.  E.,  376 

Skj'  Line  Drive  built  by  convicts,  820 

Slaughtxir,  William  M.,  87,  418,  497 

Slavmaker,  N.  E.,  157 

Slough,  Colonel,  712-716 

Slough,  J.  P.,  703 

Sly,  Dr.  William  J.,  882 

Smedley,  William,   879 

Smelters,  other,  313 

Smelters,  Records  of,  for  fifty  vears,  310 

Smiley,  Jerome  C,  109,  122,  149,  224,  632, 
707,  877 

Smitch,  aara  E.,  887 

Smith,  Asa,  418 

Smith,  A.  J.,  136,  417 

Smith,  Clinton,  376 

Smith,  Eben,  292,  394,  843 

Smith,  Edmund,  362 

Smith,  J.  Aldeu,  248,  264 

Smith,  J.  F.,  149 

Smith,  Maj.  J.  Nelson,  718,  720 

Smith,  John  S.,  134 

Smith,  John  W.,  336 

Smith,  Marshall  B,,  218,  376 

Suiitli,  S.  G.,  373 

Smith,  Stephen,  149 

Smith,  Sylvester  T.,  292 

Smith,  William  N.,  134 

"Smoky  Hill"  Trail,  573 

Smuggler-Union,  strike  at,  848 

Snow  storm  blocks  railroad,  518 

Snowden,  Francis  M.,  157 

Snyder,  Mrs.,  92 

Snyder,  Z.  X.,  621 

Soap  manufacturing  in  Denver,  549 

So-called  "headless"  ballot,  447 

Soldiers  '  and  Sailors  '  Home,  828 

"Solid  Muldoon,"  the,  805 

Some  early  figures,  549 

Some  passenger  fares,  1871,  342 

Sons  of  American  Revolution,  723 

Sopris,  Henderson  &  Co.,  245 

Sopri.s,  Miss  Indiana,  653 

Sopris,  (Vi|.t.   Richard,  170,  497,  704 

Sopris,  S.  T.,  790 

Sounding  vowels  in  Spanish,  891 

South  Park,  120 

South   Park,   Raid  of,  721 

South  Plattelield,  470 

South   Pueblo,   166 

Southern  Colorado  Stock  (Jrowers'  Associa- 
tion, 532 

Siiuthwcstern  Colony,  the,  162 

Spalding,  John  F.,  884 

Spalding,  R.   J.,  265 

Spanish  .\mcricaii   War,  721 


Spanish  and  French    periods    of    exploration, 

20 
Sjianish  consonants,  891 
Spanish  county  names,  892 
Spanish  jurisdiction,  20 
Spanish  names,  891 
Spanish  names  bestowed,  218 
•Spanish   newspapers,  801 
Spanish  ])eaks,  893 
Spanish  vowels  jironounced,  891 
Speed  of  pony  express,  330 
Sjjeer,  R.  W.,  445 
Spencer,  Dr.  A.  C,  293 
Spencer,  F.  J.,  518 
Spencer,  J.  Berger,  &  Co.,  512 
Spengel,  A.  J.,  376 
Spivak,  Charles  D.,  885 
Spotted   Tail    (portrait),   101 
Sjiriggs,  Norris  C,  889 
Sproull,  Lyman  H„  890 
Spruce  Tree  Canon,  69 
Spruce  Tree  House,  66,  69 
Square  System,  the,  630 
Stadiger,  J.  J.,  361 

Stage  route,  Leavenworth  to  Denver,  328 
Stages  follow  freighters,  328 
Stalcup,  J.  C,  736 
Staley,  A.  J.,  157,  295 
Standard  school,  a,  587 
Standardization  of  schools,  587 
Standing  Bear   (portrait),  101 
Stansbury,  Mrs.  H.  S.,  693,  694,  695 
Stanton,  Fred  J.,  789 
Stapleton,  Patience,  694,  887 
Star-Jourr.al,   793 
Starkweather,  J.  W.,  377 
Stars  and  Stripes  raised  at  Xew  Orleans,  39 
State  Agricultural  College,  614 
State  Rank  Commissioner,  216 
State  Board  of  Agriculture,  615 
State  Board  of  (Capitol  Managers,  218 
State  Board  of  Charities,  822 
State  Board  of  Charities  and  Correction,  209 
State  Board  of  Correction,  819 
State  Board  of  Equalization,  207 
State  Boanl  of  Health,  208 
State  Board  of  Immigration,  215 
State   Board   of  Pardons,  820 
State  Bureau,   Child   and  Animal  Protection, 

209 
State  Bureau  of  Mines  report,  274 
State  Cattle  Growers'  Association,  531 
State  Department  of  Safety,  221 
State  Engineer,  220 
State  Engineer's  re])ort,  1883-4,  492 
State  examining  boards,  224 
State  (iame  and  Fisli  Commission,  221 
State  governors,  192 
State  finances,  200 

State  highways,  work  of  prisoners  on,  SIS 
State  Historical  and  Natural  History  Society, 

213 
State   Home,  the,  830 
State  Hosiiital,  821 
.State  House,  Erecting  the,  190 
St«te  Indusfri.'il   Commission,  212 
State  Industrial   School   for  Boys,  831 
State  lii.histriaj   School   for  Girls,  832 
Stjite   In<lustrial   Workslioji  for  the  Blind,  834 
Stale  inheritance  tax,  207 
Strife  institutions,  816 


xxu 


INDEX 


State  Land  Board,  the,  218 

State  Medical   Society,   roster   of   presidents, 

768,  769 
State  penitentiary,  816 
State  prisoners,  818 
State  reformatory,  829 
State  roads,  582 
State  Seal,  224 

State  Silver  Leagffe  Convention,  1892,  437 
State  Utilities  Commission,  376 
Statler,  G.  D.,  620 
Steamboat  Pilot,  808 
Steam  plants  operated  by  Colorado  Power  Co., 

318 
Stebbins,  Charles  M.,  383 
Stebbins,  D.  A.,  890 
Stock,  Amos,  384,  422,  689 
Steele,  Mary  E.,  888 
Steele,  R.  W.,  171,  417 
Steele,  Wilbur  D.,  887 
Steen,  Lieutenant,  78 
Stephen,  23 
Stephen,  John  B.,  445 
Sterling  Enterprise,  801 
Stevens,  I.  N.,  887 
Stevens,  Judge  Theron,  S62 
Stevens,  W.  J.,  268 
Stevenson,  A.  M.,  622 
Stewart,  P.  B.,  443 
Stewart,  Thomas  H.,  858 
Stilwell,  Jack,  scout,  102 
Stimson,  Edward  C,  442 
Stock  Inspection  Commissioners,  208 
Stock  raising  in  San  Luis  valley,  528 
Stock  Yards  and  packing  industry,  526 
Stocker,  Allison,  446 

Stockman  and  cowboys  are  storm  victims,  519 
Stone,  Judge  A.  W.,  344,  735 
Stone,  C.  B.,  520 
Stone,  George  H.,  883 
Stone,  J.  S.,  418 
Stone,  Judge  W.  F.,  174,  349,  428,  733,  739, 

792,  823,  879,  891 
Stone,  Mrs.  Wilbur  F.,  885 
Stone,  Wilbur  Fisk,  Jr.,  885 
Stone,  W.  G.  M.,  879 
Stone  quarries  of  state,  559 
Storrs,  L.   S.,  466 
Stoughton,  William  1,     410 
Stout,     E.  P.,  149 

v;.11    ^      m  ■■       ..    ■   - 

■■:•■■:     r    .      "76,  795 


.ed  March  17,  19uo,  838 
S,   ^e  of  1894,  840 
Strikes,  Coal,  1910  and  1913,  873,  876 
Strikes,  First  coal  miners ',  869,  873 
Strikes,  Miners',  837 
Strickler,  Dr.  WiUiam  M.,  885 
Strong,  W.  B.,  352 
Strong  mine  captured  bj'  miners,  842 
Struggle  for  mining  output,  341 
Struggle  to  build  up  manufacturing,  546 
Stuart,  W.  A.,  403 
Sturtevant,  Jr.,  Rev.  J.  M.,  655 
Sublette,  William,  122 
Sublette,  William  L.,  124 
Suffrage  City  League  of  Denver,  693 
Suffrage,  election  of  1893,  694 


Suffrage,  first  effort,  688 

Suffrage,  first  state  campaign,  690 

Suffrage  leaders,  1893,  698,  700 

Suffrage  resolutions,  689 

Suffrage  resolutions  to  submit,  692 

Suffrage  Territorial  Society,  689 

Suffrage  Young  Women 's  League,  694 

Sugar  beets  chief  money  crop,  481 

Sugar  factories,  creameries,  etc.,  486 

Sulphur,  558 

Summary  of  the  constitution,  185 

Summit  county,  14,  18 

Summit  County  Journal,  809 

Summit  county  papers,  809 

Summit  county  's  gold  field,  266 

Sumner,  H.  A.,  374 

Sun,  the,  793 

Sun  &  Moon  mine  explosion  in  1903,  855 

Sun  Temple,  the,  69,  72 

Sunday  Opinion,  the,  794 

Superintendents     of     Industrial     School     for 

Boys,  832 
Superintendents  of  public  instruction,  194 
Superintendents  of  State  School  for  Deaf  and 

Blind,  825 
' '  Supplies ' '  for  Kansas  Conference,  663 
Supreme  court   (state),  194 
Supreme  court  commission,  736 
Supreme  court  decision      in      Cripple      Creek 

strike(1904),   862 
Supreme  court  decision  in  oil  flotation  case, 

258 
Sutherland,  H.  V.,  889 
Swedish  Lutheran  church,  651 
Sweeney,  John,  52 
Swift,  Lieutenant,  54 
Swine  and  their  value,  531 
Symes,  G.  G.,  432 
Sympathetic  strike  at  Cripple  Creek,  1903,  851 

Tabor,  Mrs.  Elizabeth,  693 

Tabor,  H.  A.  W.,  299,  388 

Talbot,   Bishop,   644 

Talbot,  Sophronia  M.  W.,  889 

Talleyrand,  35 

Tammen,   Harry   H.,   792 

"Taos  Lightning,"  144,  783 

Tappan,  L.  N.,  149 

Tappan,   S.   F.,   703 

Tarryall,  150 

Tarsney,   General,   841 

Taylor,  Jim,   268 

Taylor   Park,  268 

Tedford,    Mrs.    M.    J.,    694 

Tedrow,  Harry  B.,  49 

Telegraph  and  Telephone,  the,  383 

Telegraph  news  dispatches.  Early,  786 

Telephone  in  Colorado,  the,  385 

Teller  county,   7 

Teller  county  proclaimed  in  ' '  rebellion, ' '  861 

Teller,  Henry  M.,  89,  92,  302,  344,  420,  435 

Teller,  James  H.,  446 

Teller,  Willard,  689 

Teller    School   of    Agriculture    and    Mechanic 

Arts,  617 
Telluride,  157 
Telluride  newspapers,  808 
Telluride  strikes,  848,  867 
Temperature,   4 
Terms   of  agreement  in    1903,   Colorado   City 

strike,  851 


DATE  DUE 

:.  ■„  ;-iJ 

'  1  9  1979 

GAYLORO 

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